Startling Stats…
…and some notes from last week at Cleantech:
- 9% of all VC activity is now in Cleantech – $2bn in 2006!
- Now the third largest VC category? (just under $3bn?)
- On AIM 29 cleantech deals last year raised $1.2bn
- Cleantech city of the year: Frankfurt: 15 clean energy deals raising $2.6bn
- 20% of the world’s population lack access to clean water today
- Cleantech is “the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century” – Ray Lane, ex-Oracle and now GP, Kliener Perkins
- Europe is a lot more mature about cleantech than US has been
- Huge capital needs in this space – hampers innovation?
- Holy Grail of Energy: Storage: How to store it and not loose it
- AIM/ Frankfurt is seeing all the action…What is the US VC industry doing about rejuvenating NASDAQ/ NYSE and relaxing some of the more onerous regulations…?
- 51k protests out of 80k protests in China last year were related to environmental pollution
- 44% of Indian households do not have electricity (I am not sure this is correct – SB)
- India is the greatest adapter and user of renewable energy in the world (village level/ cow-dung, bio-fuel)
- What is needed is not so much cutting edge technology but immediately applicable technologies that will help satisfy the basic needs at the rural level of water and electricity
- There is (today) 1 car for 143 people in India/ 1 car for 1.6 ppl in US and 1 car for every 60 ppl in China
- China feeds 22% of the world with 7% of arable land; It is also the biggest emitter of SO2 which causes acid rain
