The Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship is a program of the Skoll Foundation that provides a grant of approximately $750,000 over three years to social entrepreneurs whose work has the potential to make a significant impact on issues such as environmental sustainability, health, tolerance and human rights, institutional responsibility, economic and social equity, and peace and security. This award is intended to provide core support for organizations with a track record of at least than three years to help them expand their programs and capacity to deliver long-term, sustainable change. Awards are presented at the Skoll World Forum, which takes place annually in Oxford, England in March.
Applications for the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship are accepted and reviewed by the Skoll Foundation throughout the year. The next application deadline is February 17, 2010.
Ausra Chairman and CEO Dr. Robert E. Fishman and AREVA Business Group Renewable Energies Senior Executive Vice President Anil Srivastava at Ausra headquarters shaking hands after announcing the acquisition. Photo credit: Ausra
Today, France-based AREVAannounced the acquisition of Ausra, a Mountain View, California-based provider of large-scale concentrated solar power (CSP) solutions for electricity generation and industrial steam production. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Ausra was founded in 2006 and had 70 employees in 2009. According to Reuters, Ausra had raised $130 million in venture capital. Investors included Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, KERN Partners, Generation Investment Management, and Starfish Ventures.
This acquisition launches AREVA’s new global solar energy business and reflects AREVA’s goals to become a global leader in concentrated solar power and diversify its renewables portfolio. AREVA is currently the largest nuclear power company in the world.
AREVA's new Global Solar business unit will be operated out of Ausra’s existing Mountain View headquarters and led by Dr. Robert E. Fishman, Ausra’s Chairman and CEO.
Anil Srivastava, AREVA Business Group Renewable Energies Senior Executive Vice President, said, “By acquiring Ausra, AREVA has taken a major step forward to achieve its strategic ambition in renewables. The Group intends to become the world leader in the CSP market thanks to a reliable, cost-effective product.”
Dr. Robert E. Fishman said, “Today is about making a strong company even stronger. With AREVA, Ausra is joining forces with one of the world’s global energy leaders. Combining AREVA’s financial and commercial strengths, and its energy expertise, with Ausra’s proven technology and experienced management team will help position AREVA for even greater success in the renewable and carbon-free energy industry.”
This acquisition is expected to close in the next few months, subject to customary regulatory approval. For more information:
This program will be held from 8:00 - 10:00 am at Nixon Peabody, One Embarcadero Center, 18th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "CLEAN05" when registering online. For more information:
Panel Discussion 1: Japan Session Current developments in marketable clean technologies in Japan and what Japanese companies are looking for when working with U.S. companies
What's Now in Japan Clean Tech U.S. journalists will discuss the latest technologies and trends in Japan
Panel Discussion 2: U.S. Companies Session Views on the Japanese market and overseas market development by U.S. clean tech companies
This event is free of charge and will take place from 1:30 - 5:30 pm at Hotel Nikko San Francisco, 222 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. For additional information and registration visit http://www.jetro.org/symp2010
Earlier this month Nokia announced the Growth Economy Venture Challenge, a competition that will provide a $1 million investment to a mobile product or service that raises the standard of living or enhances the lives of people in the developing world.
"We've seen what the tech community can do when it focuses on problems that are also opportunities", Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said. "We want to channel that energy toward improving lives in the developing world."
The $1 million dollars will be invested in a single winning organization with the best idea as decided by a combination of judges from Nokia Growth Partners (Nokia's venture group) and Forum Nokia, Nokia's organization dedicated to 3rd party developers and other innovators. In addition, ten finalists will be invited to present their ideas and business models to a panel of Nokia professionals and venture capitalists.
The Growth Economy Venture Challenge is not limited to software or hardware that uses Nokia device or software platforms. As many emerging markets have varying degrees of mobile and Internet adoption, submissions can also expand beyond the mobile phone.
From February 24-26 the Cleantech Group LLC will present Cleantech Forum XXVI in San Francisco. The theme of this event is "Taking Cleantech to Scale." The Cleantech Forum is a leading cleantech investment event that brings together investors, senior executives, entreprenuers, policymakers, and scientists.
Highlights of the San Francisco event include educational panel sessions, investor presentations from promising companies, a Cleantech Innovation Showcase, and a variety of networking opportunities. Thanks to our friends at the Cleantech Group, readers of Green VC can receive a $200 discount on the registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "GreenVCSF10" when registering online. Further program information and registration can be found at:
On March 11, the Environmental Business Cluster (EBC) will provide an opportunity to meet with Mohr Davidow Ventures (MDV). This program is part of EBC's "Meet with" series - a partnering and coaching series designed to facilitate meetings between cleantech entrepreneurs and investors, customers and potential partners. After a presentation, each attendee will receive a one-on-one meeting with Will Coleman, Partner at MDV.
Attendees must apply in advance and be approved to attend. To apply, please send your Executive Summary by February 5, 2010 to Chelsea at Chelsea [at] prescienceintl.com. You will be notified on February 19 if your application is accepted or rejected. Registration must be completed upon approval to secure your meeting slot. Costs are as follows:
Application fee: FREE
Registration for one company representative: $75
Registration for two company representatives: $100
Registration for three company representatives: $175
Separate from the one-on-one meetings, there is an opportunity to attend a presentation and Q&A with Will Coleman from 9:00 - 9:30 am on March 11. Thanks to our friends at EBC, readers of Green VC can obtain discounted tickets when registering in advance by following these steps:
Go to the online event registration page
Select your tickets from the "Presenation Partner Price" section of the page
Enter "Green VC" [without the quotes] in the portion of the page where "Please indicate your partner affiliation" is indicated.
Early pre-registration is recommended for this event (there will be no on-site registration). For more information:
If you are interested in helping respond to the humanitarian emergency caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti, below are some pages that have compiled an extensive set of relief-related resources:
From February 22-23, the Cleantech Institute will take place in Berkeley, California. This event is a two-day executive education program designed to advance commercialization of clean technologies. An overview of the program is as follows:
February 22 Innovation & Policy The Policy & Innovation segment is designed to explain how to design and execute technology from concept to commercialization within the context of the political and regulatory environment. Day 1 will focus heavily on current policy and its potential impact, by convening policy-makers and regulators in a discussion of state, local and federal initiatives. Additionally participants will hear real world examples and candid accounts from executives who are navigating the regulatory process. Participants will leave Day 1 with a strategic map of the federal, state, and local initiatives.
February 23 Innovation & Economics The Innovation & Economics segment explores the final stages along the path to commercialization and beyond, including partnerships, financing, exit strategies and more. Day 2 will dissect proven business models through case studies and provide a view from those financing cleantech innovations.
This program will take place at the Center for Executive Education, Haas School of Business, University of California - Berkeley, 2220 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA.
Readers of Green VC can receive a $200 discount off the registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "prcpr_10" (without the quotes) when registering online.
In addition, 10 scholarships are available to this event that will reduce the registration cost to $1,000. Scholarships are available to the leadership of high-potential technology companies with annual revenues under $1 million and to senior management of government, non-profit and academic organizations. Applications are available here and should be submitted to Chelsea Hewitt at chelsea [at] prescienceintl.com. You will be notified if your application is accepted within one week of submission.
West Coast Village Capital (WCVC) is a pilot program of First Light Ventures that will provide investments in social enterprises using peer groups of entrepreneurs. The program will give participants the opportunity to:
Network with other social entrepreneurs within and beyond their own sectors
Share challenges and lessons learned with professional peers
Refine and strengthen their business models and pitches.
In addition, participants will work together in five groups of six and have the opportunity to serve in the role of investor as they evaluate each other's businesses as potential investments. First Light will invest up to a total of $500,000 in the 5 - 10 businesses that rise to the top in the community-driven due diligence process. Participating businesses also may receive funding from First Light independent of the WCVC process.
WCVC is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and will be hosted at the Hub Bay Area. The program will take place from January 19th through April 14th, 2010, and requires in-person participation in the opening session, a mixer, weekly group meetings, three intergroup meetings, and the closing session.
The application deadline for WCVC is January 7th, 2010. An information session will also be held on January 5th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at Good Capital, 2601 Mission St, Suite 400, San Francisco 94110. For more information:
On February 4, SDForum will present the next program in its Green and Clean Evening Series entitled Consumer Clean Tech Trends This program will feature the following panelists, who will discuss forecasted consumer technology trends and where money should be invested and the types of companies that will emerge in the coming years.
Sara Batterby, Akel Ventures
Pete Davies, TerraPass
Tod Francis, Shasta Ventures
Jan Pepper, Alameda Municipal Power
Scott Potter, San Francisco Equity Partners
Mitch Zuklie, Orrick (moderator)
This program will be held from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm at Orrick, 1000 Marsh Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "GREEN05" when registering online. For more information:
Chris King - Chief Strategy Officer, eMeter (moderator)
Jana Corey - Director Smart Metering, Pacific Gas and Electric
Rick Counihan - Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, EnerNOC
John O'Farrell - Executive Vice-President of Business Development, Silver Spring Networks
This event will take place from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at the University Club, 800 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94108. This event is open to the public and ticket pricing information is available on the event page.
For registration for this event, please select the "Register Now" link on the event page. Note that event registration requires having an account on the Stanford Alumni Association website -- even if you are not affiliated with Stanford you can create a Guest account. Please contact stanfordcareergroup [at] gmail [dot] com with any problems.
On January 20, 2010, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network will present the Silicon Valley Energy Storage Symposium and Technology Showcase. This symposium is intended to bring together key participants – from the public and private sectors, and from the academic and research communities – to engage in a discussion of the future of energy storage. It will be an opportunity for small and big businesses and researchers to showcase their work in the energy storage space.
The program will feature a keynote address by Brad Roberts who serves as Power Quality Systems Director for S&C Electric Company and Executive Director of the Electricity Storage Association (ESA). In addition, there will be a panel featuring:
Dan Rastler - Program Manager, Energy Storage and Distributed Generation, EPRI
Hal La Flash, Director, Emerging Clean Technology Policy, PG&E
Janice Lin - Director, California Energy Storage Alliance
Melinda Richter, Executive Director, San Jose Environmental Business Cluster
Tom Stepien, Chief Operating Officer, Primus Power
David MacMillan, President and Co-Founder, Megawatt Storage Farms
Kelsey Lynn (Moderator) - Principal, Firelake Capital Management
The program will take place from 8:45 am - 12:30 pm at AMD Commons Auditorium, 991 Stewart Drive, Sunnyvale, CA (map). Thanks to our friends at Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, readers of Green VC can receive a $20 discount from the standard registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "energy_partner" (without the quotes) when registering online. For more information:
This workshop is open to those seeking funding for early-stage for-profit social enterprises. Investors’ Circle representatives will walk through IC’s funding criteria, process and venture fair opportunity. The workshop will also feature a recently funded IC company and an IC angel investor member. This program will be particularly useful for companies that are interested in applying for the IC 2010 Spring Conference & Venture Fair.
This event will take place from 6:30 p.m - 8:00 p.m. at Hub Berkeley, 2150 Allston Way, Suite 400, Berkeley, CA 94704. For additional event information and to RSVP please visit http://icworkshop.eventbrite.com/
This program will be held from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, 3175 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Thanks to our friends at SVASE, readers of Green VC can receive a $20 discount on the non-member ticket price when registering in advance by following these steps:
On January 12, 2010, SDForum will present their third annual State of Clean Energy event. Program highlights include the following keynotes and panel sessions:
Opening Keynote Commissioner Dian Grueneich, California Public Utilities Commission
The Greening of Corporations - Scott C. Bolick, SAP - Lynelle Cameron, Autodesk - Mukesh Khattar, Oracle - Bruce Klafter, Applied Materials - Rich Lechner, IBM - Pam Price, HP
The Role of Public Policy and Research in Private Innovation - Patrick Bray, PacificVision Partners, Osaka City Investment Advisor - Hal LaFlash, PG&E - Marc LePage, Embassy of Canada - Dean Arthur Ramirez, UCSC School of Engineering
Afternooon Keynote Sally M. Benson, Stanford University
Leaders in Innovation: Global Success Stories in Clean Energy - Gregg Dixon, EnerNoc - Arno Harris, Recurrent Energy
Early Stage Investors: What Does This Mean for Entrepreneurs? - Dan Lankford, Wavepoint Ventures - Bruce Pasternack, CMEA Capital - Dylan Steeg, Intel Capital - Robert Walker, Sierra Ventures - Moderated by: Camille Ricketts, VentureBeat
Financing the Next Level: Global Investment Climate - Tim Carey, PricewaterhouseCoopers - Larry Kellerman, Goldman Sachs - Randy Lewis, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
The program will take place from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm at AMD Commons Auditorium, One AMD Place, Sunnyvale, CA, 94085. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $10 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "ENERGY" when registering online. For more information:
Criterion Ventures is a national firm that identifies, examines and solves social problems on a large scale by launching social ventures - either for clients or as entrepreneurs. Criterion works across discipline and sector with large non-profits, faith-based institutions, foundations and individuals to develop solutions in areas like impact investing, aging, healthcare, education, energy and the environment, poverty and more.
This event will take place from 5:30 - 8:00 PM at Hanson Bridgett, 425 Market Street, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 (directions). The admission fee is $45. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
Update: Investors' Circle is holding a funding workshop on January 6, 2010.
Investors' Circle (IC) is an angel investor network that focuses on enterprises that address social and environmental challenges. According to IC, since 1992 it has facilitated the flow of more than $133 million into more than 200 private companies and small venture funds focusing on energy & environment, food & organics, health & wellness, media & education, and community development.
Each year IC holds two venture fairs that bring together investors and entrepreneurs - a Spring event in San Francisco and a Fall event in Boston. IC is currently accepting applications from entrepreneurs interested in presenting at its 2010 Spring Venture Fair, which will take place from April 18-20, 2010. The application deadline is January 13, 2010.
On December 3rd, the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced 26 companies as Technology Pioneers 2010. These companies were selected from more than 300 applications as the most innovative start-ups from around the world that will have a critical impact on the future of business and society. Previous winners include Google (2001), Gridpoint (2008), Nanosolar (2007), Recyclebank (2009), and Silver Spring Networks (2008).
"Entrepreneurship, innovation and technology have always played a key role in shaping and improving society. This proves to be even more the case during times of crisis, similar to the one the world faced this past year during the biggest recession in almost a century. New companies are already planting the seeds of recovery and the next wave of growth and progress," said André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Economic Forum.
Ten of the companies selected as Technology Pioneers 2010 are in the areas of Energy and Environment. The winners are listed below, along with video interviews:
BioFuelBox - BioFuelBox builds, owns and operates modular bio-refineries that recycle brown grease and trap grease and waste water sludge for companies and cities, converting it into premium clean burning fuel for local use. It eliminates the waste streams on site and shares part of the fuel profits with its customers.
Bloom Energy - Bloom Energy aims to change the way the world generates and consumes energy by converting a wide range of renewable and traditional fuels into electricity through a highly efficient electrochemical reaction, rather than combustion.
Boston-Power - Boston-Power is pioneering the use of lithium-ion and other materials capable of powering end applications ranging from portable consumer electronic devices to electric vehicles.
Care Electric Energia - CARE has designed a turbine system that generates energy from the natural flow of a river, without any alternation of its natural state. It provides fish passage facilities and does not dam the normal flow of materials in the river, conserving the fauna, vegetation and ecosystem.
Epuramat - Epuramat’s technology promises to revolutionize waste water treatment. Its Extreme Separator achieves an efficiency of up to 99% in terms of solid/liquid separation of organic and inorganic particles in wastewater and liquids – and it does it in only one treatment step.
eSolar - eSolar aims to become the first solar electricity company to reach parity with the cost of fossil fuel. It hopes to achieve that goal with technology that concentrates the sunlight of mirrors of one square metre to produce steam at centralized towers.
Lehigh Technologies - Lehigh Technologies manufactures very small, micron scale, engineered rubber powders from material derived from scrap tires using a proprietary, cryogenic, grinding technology. These powders are novel materials that are currently used in the manufacture of new tires and other rubber goods.
Metabolix - Metabolix aims to create a new class of materials that can serve as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. It has developed bio-based and biodegradable plastics using both engineered microbes and engineered bio-energy crops that grow bio-plastic directly inside leaves and stems.
Serious Materials - The construction industry is responsible for 52% of C02 emissions worldwide, which is more than automobiles, transportation and industry combined. Serious Materials is tackling the problem with high tech building materials that include super insulating products.
Vihaan Networks Limited (VNL) - VNL has developed a solar-powered GSM system specifically for remote and rural areas where people have less than US$ 2 a month to spend on their phone bills. Its base stations, which cost one-quarter of traditional equipment, only require as much energy as a 50-watt light bulb.
GoodGuide, a San Francisco-based company that helps consumers find safe, healthy, and socially responsible products and companies, announced in November that it raised $5.5 million in Series B funding in June 2009. This financing was led by new investor Physic Ventures with the additional participation of New Island Capital and existing investors New Enterprise Associates and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. In connection with GoodGuide's Series B Financing, William Rosenzweig, Managing Director of Physic Ventures, has joined GoodGuide's Board of Directors. As reported by VentureBeat, GoodGuide's Series A round was $3.73 Million.
"This new round of financing will allow GoodGuide to further our mission of providing more transparency in the marketplace, helping us expand into new product categories and to rate tens of thousands of additional products, all with the goal of empowering consumers with the impartial information they need on the products they care most about." said Dara O'Rourke, GoodGuide founder and CEO.
In addition to announcing this funding, GoodGuide announced the release of the newest version of its free iPhone application, which enables consumers to find healthy and environmentally friendly products while on-the-go. This new version includes the ability for users to scan product barcodes with their phone to obtain product information from GoodGuide.
February 7, 2010 is the next application deadline for Sparkseed, which provides seed funding, mentoring, and in-kind resources to collegiate social entrepreneurs. Sparkseed has thusfar provided support to 50 social innovators. It's 2009 class consisted of:
Capital Good Fund, Brown University The Capital Good Fund (CGF) provides low-income Providence residents with the capital and skills needed to raise their income levels and improve their quality of life. CGF collaborates with community partners to offer personal finance classes, as well as loans that boost small businesses and help immigrants become legal residents or citizens.
INeedAPencil.com, Harvard College INeedAPencil.com provides low-income high school students with high quality SAT prep online in order to reduce the achievement gap in college admissions.
Social Business Consulting Group, Cornell University The Social Business Consulting Group is a student-run nonprofit organization that provides pro bono consulting services to social entrepreneurs around the world. By connecting university students with meaningful projects, SBCG enhances the impact of social ventures, facilitates the exchange of ideas, and empowers students to make a difference.
The School Fund, Brown University The $150/year tuition fee in Tanzania is an enormous financial hurdle for many, and only about 70% of high school-aged Tanzanian youth attend school. The School Fund seeks to help solve this problem by establishing a website where the Tanzanian students learn to use the internet by posting profiles which supporters around the world can read and use to sponsor a student or a school.
Locra, Stanford University Locra provides a platform for NGOs and ordinary people to aggregate data about the developing world with the aim of fostering better collaboration between NGOs and the communities they serve. Odewo.org also serves to publish online the work of NGOs, and functions as a direct-donation platform to serve the world’s most marginalized people, in villages, slums, and refugee camps.
Green Handicraft Initiative, Northwestern University GHI links environmentally responsible consumers with community-based social entrepreneurship by helping impoverished villages in China launch sustainable rural enterprises and promoting the purchase of handkerchiefs and cloth bags as “green” substitutes for paper napkins and plastic bags to China's urban consumers.
Shepherd, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Shepherd is a collaborative website geared toward youth who want better food in their schools and communities. It combines data from multiple sources into a single tool that connects people to each other through technology. This enables them to learn about food issues and bring change to their communities.
Northwestern Sustainability Fund, Northwestern University NSF is a revolving loan fund designed to green the campus through resource conservation and renewable energy projects that will reduce Northwestern’s environmental impact and decrease its operational costs. These projects will increase environmental awareness on campus and show Northwestern community members the university cares about the environment.
