News Release NR-3508
NREL’s Clean Energy Forum Attracts National Investment Community
Four Clean Energy Companies Honored at Awards Event
October 30, 2008
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) convened its most successful clean energy investment forum to date October 28-30. The 21st Clean Energy Industry Growth Forum attracted about 500 investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, and policymakers.
This year’s Forum, occurring amid unstable financial global markets, featured expert panels that offered advice to entrepreneurs seeking financing in this tumultuous environment. “The marriage of favorable clean energy policies, a receptive investment community and R&D successes are accelerating renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in the marketplace,” said NREL Director Dan Arvizu. “The clean energy investment discussion at the Forum is vital to our nation’s security and advancement of clean energy technologies.”
More than $1.2 billion has been raised by companies presenting at the Forum since 2004.
Four entrepreneurial companies were singled out from the 35 competitively-selected presenters to win the 2008 Best Venture Awards sponsored by Xcel Energy Foundation. Jay Herrmann, Vice President, Control Center of Xcel Energy, presented four cash awards for excellence totaling $25,000.
Porous Power Technologies, LLC located in Lafayette, Colo., took the top prize receiving the Best Early Venture of the Year award ($10,000). Porous Power Technologies, LLC, is commercializing highly-efficient separator membranes that can dramatically improve the performance and reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
“We’re pleased at the support we’ve gotten from NREL over the last two years and excited especially about the increased traction the NREL Industry Growth Forum is giving our financing and commercialization efforts,” said Timothy Feaver, CEO/President Porous Power Technologies, LLC.
The Best Early Venture of the Year second place award ($5,000) went to bioenergy plants and algae company Evolutionary Genomics, in Colorado. CEO Ginny Orndorff said, “I am honored to be acknowledged by this very distinguished group, and appreciate the great feedback I received from the panel.”
The Best Late Stage Investment of the Year Award ($5,000) was given to Tendril, in Colorado, for a software and hardware system that allows utilities and their residential customers to manage their consumption of energy. “We are very honored and humbled to receive this award from such a well-respected and knowledgeable group,” said Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck.
The Best Early Seed Investment of the Year Award ($5,000) went to Ampulse Corp., in Colorado. Ampulse is a Battelle Ventures-funded company developing a low-cost, high efficiency solar cell technology, utilizing unique silicon manufacturing techniques and materials developed in research at NREL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). “I’m obviously very pleased that Ampulse has received this award,” said Steve Hane, President and CEO of Ampulse Corp. “It’s a vote of confidence not only for promising solar technology, but also for the collaborative effort between NREL, ORNL, Battelle Ventures and the U.S. Department of Energy in launching this clean-technology company in Colorado”
“The growing interest in clean energy investments is phenomenal.” said L. Marty Murphy, Forum co-chairman and NREL’s manager of enterprise development. “Public support for increasing our energy options is at an all time high. People are concerned about increased energy costs, our reliance on foreign oil, as well as the threat of climate change. The uncertainty in the credit markets will force emerging companies to work twice as hard to attract investment dollars.”
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
High Resolution photos are available at: ftp://ftp.nrel.gov/pub/pix-out/NREL_Growth_Forum/
Contacts:
Marty Murphy and Rich Bolin Co-Chairs, 21st NREL Industry Growth Forum
303-275-3050 and 303-275-3028, lawrence_murphy@nrel.gov and richard_bolin@nrel.gov
Corporate Participants and Sponsors
Company presenters: Agrivida, Enerpulse, Inc., Marquiss Wind Power, Ampulse, Porous Power Technologies, LLC, Cobalt Biofuels, Terrabon, C2 Biofuels, Inc., Climax Global Energy, Inc., Joule Labs, Infotility, Coulomb Technologies, K2 Energy Solutions, Inc., Evolutionary Genomics, Solix Biofuels, ZeroPoint Clean Tech, Inc., Tendril, Aldis,Inc., Nila, Inc., Edenspace Systems Corporation, TransIonics Corporation, Hyperion Power Generation, Inc., Intrago Corporation, Blue Sun Energy, Inc.., MicroLink Devices, MegaWatt Storage Farms, Inc., Tellurian Biodiesel, Inc., Optony, Inc., LiquidPiston, Inc., Solar Red, Photon Synergy, QM Power, Inc., Ahura Energy, Inc., Deeya Energy, Electron Vault, Inc.,
NREL 21st Industry Growth Forum sponsors: Access Venture Partners, Altira Group, Andrews Kurth, LLC, Applied Ventures, APS, Battelle Ventures, Battery Ventures, BP Ventures, Braemar Energy Ventures, Brownstein Hyatt Farber & Schreck, California Energy Commission, ClearCreek Partners, CMEA Ventures, Cooley Godward Kronish, LLP, Cowen, Deloitte, Denver Office of Economic Development, DTE Group, Fairfield & Woods, Flagship Ventures, Gaits, Inc, GE Energy Financial Services, Goodwin Proctor LLP, Keating Investments, KPMG, Liqcrytech, LLC, McNamee Lawrence & Co, Millbank, Mohr Davidow Ventures, NASDAQ,,NGEN, NGP Energy Technology, Nth Power, Office Economic Development and International Trade, Pearl St. Liquidity Advisors, Piper Jafrey, Rockport, Sevin Rosen, Stoel Rives, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, XCEL, and Yellowstone Ventures
Industry Growth Forum Web site: http://cleanenergyforum.com/
For further information contact NREL Public Relations at (303) 275-4090.
