• Large corporations are investing in the industry.
• Experienced business professionals are moving into this area - not just technologists.
• Helping the environment becomes a necessity with the challenges of global warming, CO2 emissions, and overpopulation issues etc.,
• Helping the environment can also be an economic win, leading to sustainable revenues. In fact, it must be an economic win in order to attract investment dollars.
• Although we have a long way to go, technologies are beginning to become sufficiently advanced to address these issues.
• High-tech, networking and communication issues are sufficiently advanced to develop and deploy technologies to help people around the world.
• It is patriotic - Thomas Friedman says that Green is the new Red, White and Blue.
• The consumer/customer is willing to invest more if they feel it is helping the environment (example: paying more for an electric car - Tesla Motors). However, this may be a short term phenomenon.

• Solar
• Batteries/Fuel Cells/Energy Storage
• Efficient Lighting
• Water, Waste Management
• Transportation
• HVAC
• Data Center, efficient use of (reduce need for cooling them)

• The technology should be proven/realistic. The business model should be proven - with real customers.
• Don't require huge capital outlays, particularly before a concept is proven.
•  
• You should understand the overall market, the market drivers/landscape, including what your competitors are doing.
• Add some experienced players to your entrepreneurial team.
• Creating Jobs is important to some investors, like JP Morgan's Bay Area Equity Fund.
• Develop a realistic plan and realistic projections.
• Disruptive technologies may not be well received in established industries, so there may be additional hurdles from large, established companies. (ex: Light Engineering's motor forces the redesign of washing machines)
• Silicon Valley is not the center of the world. Going to other areas/regions may attract the right type of talent for your organization.
• Be persistent - no matter how many doors are slammed in your face. However, also pay attention to the market/customer signals at the same time.
• Be innovative - not just in technology, but also with sales, marketing, public policy, customer delight processes.
• If your clean energy project is still in the concept, 'science experiment' phase, consider grant funding rather than angel/VC funding. (see resources below)
• Create a realistic business plan complete with milestones.

• As a rule of thumb, don't plan out Series B, Series C scenarios before you even get funded.
• Don't hire expensive executives who try to fit their successes from corporations into customer solutions not willing to buy. (e.g. Enlist a management team who will respond to customer needs, not try to make the customer fit their model.)

• California Energy Commission, which facilitates access to Funding / Solicitations / Contract & Grant Opportunities http://www.energy.ca.gov/
• California Clean Energy Fund http://www.calcef.org/
• SBA Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) Programs Grants http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/SBIR/indexsbir-sttr.html
• Office of Science, Department of Energy, http://www.science.doe.gov/grants/
• NASA's GSFC Grants awarded to universities and other organizations  http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/grants/grants.htm
• US Government Business Grants http://www.usagovernmentgrants.org/business_grants.html
• Find a grant-writer to help you along, particularly if they have a lot of experience and connections with the funding sources.

• SVASE http://www.svase.org
• California Clean Tech Open, Jeremy Walker, jeremy@cacleantech.com

More Information

• For more information about FountainBlue's Clean Energy Entrepreneurs' Forum, visit http://www.fountainblue.biz/entrepreneurevents/cleanenergy.html.
• For notes from previous sessions, visit http://www.fountainblue.biz/resources/cleanenergynotes.html. 

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

We are grateful to DLA Piper http://www.dlapiper.com for their generous sponsorship of our forum and to PeopleConnect http://www.peopleconnectstaffing.com for their additional support. Our work is not possible without their support and we would encourage you to consider their services. Our event will be hosted at DLA Piper's Silicon Valley facilities located at 2000 University in East Palo Alto.