Chevron chips in $25M for biofuel company LS9
LS9, perhaps the company to watch synthesizing biofuels and chemicals from organic feedstocks like switchgrass, has brought in $25 million in a new round of capital from Chevron Technology Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Flagship Ventures.
This is the second big win, the South San Francisco company has had recently. In May, it also landed a deal with corporate giant Procter & Gamble to make consumer chemicals from renewable and sustainable sources. Right now, its… Continue Reading
Mascoma teams with Chevron to turn ethanol byproduct into diesel and jet fuel
Soon after announcing funding for Soane Energy — a company working to clean up its oil extraction projects — Chevron released news that it will partner (PDF) with biofuel maker Mascoma to turn lignin, a byproduct of ethanol production, into diesel and jet fuel.
If the technology takes hold, it could nearly double the productivity and efficiency of ethanol plants. This is important, considering the national emphasis on ethanol derived from agricultural sources like corn and… Continue Reading
Ember lands $8M for a hefty slice of the smart grid
The Ember Corporation, a major vendor of ZigBee wireless networking technology, just brought in $8 million in capital to connect household devices and appliances to the smart grid. Like most other companies in the space, the bulk of its business comes from equipping smart meters with radio chips and software that allow utilities and homeowners to easily share energy-consumption data.
As the leading provider of ZigBee services, Ember is in prize position to take advantage of… Continue Reading
Shell buys bigger stake in biofuel enzyme co. Codexis
In an effort to commercialize next-generation biofuels by 2013, Royal Dutch Shell has taken a bigger stake in Redwood City, Calif. biofuel technology company Codexis. The two companies struck a five-year deal in 2007 that infused Codexis with $30 million and gave Shell a seat on its board. This new deal is said to be roughly the same and nabs Shell another seat.
Codexis doesn’t actually make the biofuels itself. Rather, it engineers the super enzymes… Continue Reading
For the future of biodiesel, Chevron and Shell might be on the right track
Want to fill up your Volkswagen or Hummer on renewables, as Arnold Schwarzenegger does? Biodiesel, a vegetable-oil based variant on petroleum diesel, is your fuel. As we pointed out last week, the fuel doesn’t get as much attention as high-tech biofuels like cellulosic ethanol and “green” gasoline. However, substances called furanics may help bring biodiesel back into the spotlight.
Furanics, while not actually identical to biodiesel, might as well be — they burn in diesel engines… Continue Reading
Motorola buys into industrial wireless with Apprion investment
Apprion, a Moffet Field, Calif. company that makes wireless integration systems for harsh environments like industrial plants, has raised a new round of funding led by a strategic investment from cellular giant Motorola.
Plants are a little different from your standard wireless environment — temperature extremes, toxic chemicals and dangerous equipment are all par for the course, and the average worker isn’t exactly lugging around a laptop. That being the case, the requirements for networking are… Continue Reading
Sub-One Technology raises $24M for industrial coatings
Sub-One Technology, based in Pleasanton, Calif., has developed a process that can apply a coating to the interior of machinery and pipes that the company says is as hard as diamonds.
Its InnerArmor coatings have uses in industries from automotives to oil services, helping to reduce long-term maintenance costs and improve performance.
The $24 million funding was led by Nomura International. Also participating were GE Energy Financial Services, Chevron Technology Ventures and Advanced Technology Ventures.
Apprion, industrial wireless application network co., raises $12M
Apprion, a Moffett Field, Calif. company that develops wireless application networks for the oil, gas, chemical and power industries, will announce tomorrow that it has raised a $12 million second round of funding.
This round is led by Anvil Investment Associates, and includes participation from strategic investor CTTV Investments, the venture capital arm of Chevron Technology Ventures, and previous investors Advanced Technology Ventures and Allegis Capital.
From the statement:
“This round of funding firmly validates Apprion’s technology and… Continue Reading
Sub-One gets $7M to offer coating technology for oil & gas pipes
Sub-One Technology, a Pleasanton start-up that provides a way to coat pipes with protective materials to better serve the oil, gas and ethanol industries, has raised $7 million in a second round of funding.
The technology is significant, the company said, because it provides a way for the energy industry to retrofit pipes and other products it uses for exploration and transport, coating them with protective coatings from the inside. It does this using a gas… Continue Reading