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Incubating Clean Energy Companies

Page history last edited by Anonymous 2 yrs ago

FountainBlue's August 6 Clean Energy Entrepreneurs' Forum was on the topic of Incubating Clean Energy Companies.  

 
  • Facilitator Carol Daly, California CleanTech Open, corporate executive
  • Panelist David Aslin, Managing Director, AslinVC; cleantech entrepreneur, investor, startup coach
  • Panelist Jim Robbins, Executive Director, San Jose Environmental Business Cluster
  • Panelist Alessandro Zago, Director of Venture Technology, Siemens Technology-to-Business Center
 
Key success factors for companies (clean energy ones and others):
  • Companies and entrepreneurs who do it in partnership with other companies and partners are more likely to succeed.
  • Partnering with larger companies may help give you access to distribution channels, markets, resources, expertise, etc., plus it will give you more credibility.
  • Entrepreneurs who understand the importance of markets, team, customers, funding, etc., instead of being just enamored with the technologies are more likely to succeed.
  • An entrepreneur's 'coachability' is an important factor when incubators are seeking companies worth supporting.
What makes clean energy companies unique:
  • Clean energy companies are more likely to be global/have international partners.
  • Clean energy companies are more likely to have policy/government issues. Don't be dependent on government policies/subsidies as an integral part of your business plan. Do be proactively involved in shaping policy where possible.
  • Financing clean energy companies may be capital intensive and may take a long time to develop, like biotech companies.
  • Clean energy is such a broad and emerging field, and can range from biofuels to solar to sustainable energy to waste water to batteries and fuel cells. As the industry evolves, the partners, entrepreneurs and investors will develop more experience and expertise in each area, but until then, there's a lot of learning and educating going on. (See the May PowerPoint on investor trends for a list of investment firms and a list of investment firms. Thanks to Mark Bauhaus for the slides.)
  • Consider the optimal location for a clean energy start-up, looking at such factors as your anticipated client base, policy/regulations in your area, the experience/expertise of the workforce, the funding environment, etc., Since clean energy companies are global, be open to expanding your search beyond Silicon Valley as well.
  • Clean energy is a new and emerging field. Be selective of investors (make sure that they have investment and domain expertise in your clean energy field), partners, etc.,
Local Resources for Clean Energy Entrepreneurs:
  • Partner with state and national firms providing grants in this space: US Department of Energy, US Department of Defense, SBIR Grants, National Energy Lab, California Energy Commission, UCDavis, Berkeley, Stanford, GreenVolts.
  • Partner with existing incubators:
    • San Jose Biocenter
    • CleanStart in Sacramento
    • Rohnert Park Sustainability Cluster
    • ASTIA for women entrepreneurs
    • International Incubator in San Jose

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