CleanTech Alliance Washington praises organization for record $4.6 million
investment in Washington state cleantech startups in 2014
Seattle, Washington – Today, CleanTech Alliance Washington presented Puget Sound angel investor Element 8 with the inaugural CleanTech Achievement Award at the Alliance’s Third Annual Meeting. Other finalists included UniEnergy Technologies and Washington State University. The CleanTech Achievement Award, sponsored by Perkins Coie, honors a business or organization for making a significant contribution in Washington State's cleantech industry; there were 35 nominees.
Since 2006 Element 8 has auditioned hundreds of startups, evaluated their business plans and invested more than $18 million in venture startup capital. The organization, which is named after oxygen, the 8th element on the periodic table, has helped breathe life into Washington state’s most innovative cleantech companies. Alliance members Microgreen Polymers, Green Canopy Homes, and EnerG2 are just a few of the successful companies in which Element 8 has invested.
“We are committed to fulfilling our passion of building a cleaner, more sustainable world in conjunction with increasing profits and encouraging regional economic development,” said Element 8 Executive Director Kristi Growdon. “Being selected as this year’s CleanTech Achievement Award winner is a testament to the accomplishments of our portfolio companies and the clean technology sector in Washington state.
In addition to presenting the CleanTech Achievement Award, the Alliance welcomed keynote speaker Jules Kortenhorst, chief executive officer of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) who spoke of the cleantech community’s role in addressing global energy and climate change. The Alliance also accepted a $175,000 check from JPMorgan Chase to fund a commercialization program to support the creation of new companies and jobs in Washington’s cleantech sector.
“It’s been an amazing year for Washington’s cleantech organizations and the Alliance,” said Alliance President and CEO Tom Ranken. “We’ve added 90 companies to our membership roster, rebranded and boosted our advocacy efforts through events, op-eds and partnerships. As we enter 2015, we will continue to deepen our impact and enhance the value we provide our members.”
About Element 8
Founded in 2006 as the Northwest Energy Angels, Element 8 was the first angel group in the United States to focus exclusively on clean technology and sustainability. We knew then that today’s pressing climate and economic problems could not be solved with ‘business as usual’ – not in technologies and not in funding sources. Today, Element 8 is well-known and respected across the country as the ‘first place to go’ when seeking experienced, connected, knowledgeable – and passionate – early stage funders of cleantech.
About the CleanTech Alliance
CleanTech Alliance is the largest state-level trade association of its kind in the nation, representing hundreds of businesses and organizations from the entire state of Washington. Founded in 2007 by business and cleantech leaders, the Alliance facilitates the generation and growth of cleantech-focused companies and jobs, educational programs, research, products, and services. The Alliance provides the perfect forum to share resources and expertise for developing smarter, cleaner more efficient ways of living and doing business. Learn more at www.cleantechalliancewa.org
###