Comments on: Alternative energy companies keep coming: Zeachem, Catilin, Range Fuels, Sopogy

By: Robert Larcara

Robert Larcara — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:06:16 +0000

I represent a company that does mergers, aquisitions and private venture capital. We are interested in working with alternative energy companies that have strong potential growth. Interested parties please respond to my email rlarcara@earthlink.net

By: GreenFuel to take up to $92M for European algae plant » VentureBeat

GreenFuel to take up to $92M for European algae plant » VentureBeat — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:43:26 +0000

[...] The company has been around longer than some of its peers, which has given it time to run into some problems particular to using algae for biofuel. It last year shut down a production greenhouse in Arizona due to an imbalance in the algae’s output and ended up laying off half its workforce. [...]

By: ZeaChem Tapping Trees for Ethanol « Earth2Tech

ZeaChem Tapping Trees for Ethanol « Earth2Tech — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:10:00 +0000

[...] on the plant has started and ZeaChem has been raising money to foot the bill. ZeaChem received $4 million in funding last summer from Mohr Davidow Ventures, who tells us that the company successfully produced its [...]

By: VentureBeat » ZeaChem’s cellulosic ethanol process ready to leave the lab, enter pilot testing

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:37:00 +0000

[...] first mentioned ZeaChem just a few months ago, when the company received an initial $6 million venture [...]

By: VentureBeat » ZeaChem’s cellulosic ethanol process ready to leave the lab, enter pilot testing

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:44:11 +0000

[...] first mentioned ZeaChem just a few months ago, when the company received an initial $6 million venture investment. Like a number of other [...]

By: VentureBeat » Greenvolts, solar power concentrator, raises cash

VentureBeat » Greenvolts, solar power concentrator, raises cash — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:05:03 +0000

[...] million in a first round of venture financing. We’ve covered the company twice before (see here and here), when it raised about $1.5 million in seed [...]

By: An A to Z of the Biofuel Economy « Earth2Tech

An A to Z of the Biofuel Economy « Earth2Tech — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:26:04 +0000

[...] Zeachem, a Menlo Park, Calif. company which raised $4 million in Series A funding last month, has developed new way to create cellulosic ethanol. The process converts lignin and other [...]

By: Krassen Dimitrov

Krassen Dimitrov — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:27:36 +0000

Wen,
you are right about GreenFuel and I have been predicting this for months at my blog:
http://algae-thermodynamics.blogspot.com/

However, it is not nice to sterotype all Silicon Valley VCs. For starters, Polaris Ventures is not even in the Silicon Valley, it is in Boston.

As for the other firm involved, DFJ, they have a very capable guy, named Raj Atluru, with a M.S. degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Stanford, who has done several very smart bets in energy, most notably in Concentrated Solar (BrightSource Energy), which is probably the most promising alternative energy tech.

DFJ’s problem with GreenFuel is that it was done by Mrs. Jennifer Fonstad (MBA from Harvard, same as our beloved President), who is scientifically illiterate and allergic to any scientific/technical argumentation. I know this from experience.

Cheers

By: wen

wen — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:26:28 +0000

There’s nothing unanticipated about greenfuel’s imminent collapse for anyone with any knowledge whatsoever about the energy business, which unfortunately, does not include silicon valley vc’s. The company has no, none, zero innovative technology, and the idea is so ridiculous as to be an obvious non-starter.

By: University Update - Iowa State University - Alternative energy companies keep coming: Zeachem, Catilin, Range Fuels, Sopogy

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:53:45 +0000

[...] of Texas Link to Article iowa state university Alternative energy companies keep coming: Zeachem, Catilin, [...]