Despite decreasing overall venture capital investments in cleantech worldwide, Northwest Energy Angels announced that members had invested $4,696,500 in fifteen cleantech companies in 2012. There were eight new and seven follow-on investments. This is the largest annual total since the organization was founded in 2006. NWEA investments were nearly four times the prior year’s total.
Lars Johansson, co-chair of the Northwest Energy Angels, remains optimistic. “While overall investments in cleantech may have been down, the need to find solutions to climate change has never been greater,” Johansson said. “We will continue to be a unique and valuable resource for clean technology entrepreneurs seeking seed capital for innovative new products and technologies.”
The investments were in:
- LED Lighting (Pacific Light Technologies)
- Clean energy marketing (Ethical Electric)
- Energy efficient windows (Indow Windows)
- Sustainability data management (Scope 5)
- Green business incubator (Fledge)
- Power inversion (Empower Micro System)
- Green roofs (Columbia Green)
- Biomass-based boilers (Greenwood Energy)
Source: Taylor Soper, Geekwire, February 11, 2013.