Soladigm takes $20.7M for green building materials
Soladigm, a fairly stealthy green building company based in Santa Rosa, Calif., has raised $20.7 million of an expected $21.6 million round of equity, according to a filing with the SEC. It lists Sigma Partners and Khosla Ventures as previous investors.
The company doesn’t provide much… Continue Reading
Amyris racks up $41.8M for renewable biofuels
Amyris Biotechnologies, one of the most generously-funded startups using microorganisms to produce synthetic biofuels, has added to its third round of funding, taking it from $24.7 million to $41.8 million. But Amyris is not going to stop till it hits its $60 million target, hopefully… Continue Reading
Green investing bounces back from recession
Venture Capital investment in green technology companies has jumped to tie pre-recessionary levels, according to a new report out of Greentech Media. With $1.9 billion spread over 112 deals, this year’s third quarter trounced figures from earlier this year, signaling a stronger than anticipated comeback… Continue Reading
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… 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… Continue Reading
LanzaTech churns steel factory emissions into fuel
Biofuel companies are gaining momentum — with the market fixing its eyes on the conversion of corn and other agricultural stocks into ethanol. But another area of the business seems to be heating up: turning trash into transportation fuel. Last week, Fulcrum BioEnergy demonstrated its… Continue Reading
Cleantech due for a comeback? Khosla Ventures raises $1.1B, hires former Facebook CFO
Update: Khosla Ventures just sent us a press release confirming the news.
Looks like not everyone’s afraid of the ongoing shakeup of the venture capital industry. Khosla Ventures, the firm headed by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla, has raised two funds totaling $1.1 billion to invest… Continue Reading
Battery maker Seeo raises $8.6M
Seeo, a Berkeley, Calif.-based battery-maker, has raised more than $8.6 million in new funding, according to a regulatory filing. The company’s website doesn’t say much about the product, except that “Seeo is developing advanced materials to revolutionize electricity storage and delivery.” The company raised nearly… Continue Reading
Amyris takes $24.7M for renewable biofuels
Amyris Biotechnologies, one of the best-funded companies deriving biofuels from synthetic microorganisms, has raised $24.75 million of a targeted $62 million third round of venture financing, according to a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Emeryville, Calif. company has raised an impressive… Continue Reading
CalPERS commits $60M to Khosla’s new seed fund
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System announced today that it has committed $60 million dollars to Khosla Ventures for its new seed-stage fund. The firm, based in Menlo Park, Calif., and founded by former Kleiner Perkins higher-up Vinod Khosla, has invested in 70 early and… Continue Reading
ZocDoc takes $940K for online doctor appointment booking
ZocDoc, a web site that allows regular people to book doctor appointments, view patient reviews and find physicians online for free, has raised $940,000 of a targeted $1.6 million round of equity, reports VentureWire. The New York company’s backers include Khosla Ventures, Amazon founder Jeff… Continue Reading
Coskata looks to stimulus to finish commercial biofuel plant
Even though cellulosic ethanol maker Coskata just brought in $40 million in a third round of funding in November, it needs more to finish off its new commercial-scale plant — and the government stimulus package for biofuels looks like just the ticket.
Chief executive Bill Roe… Continue Reading
Khosla Ventures to bank $1B as fund-raising freeze shows signs of thaw
Khosla Ventures, the venture firm spearheaded by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla, is getting ready to close two new funds in the next two weeks: A $250 million pot to support seed-stage startups, and a $750 million pot to finance bigger deals.
Venture firms looking for… Continue Reading
Mobile payment startup Boku rolls up social rivals, raises funding
Mobillcash, Paymo and Zong have spent the last year or so competing to offer mobile payment services, most prominently for social gaming applications and casual gaming sites. Now, as social gaming continues to grow in users and revenue, the competition is getting fiercer — and that… Continue Reading
YuMe takes $2.9M for broadband video ads
YuMe, an advertising network specializing in broadband video, has brought in $2.9 million of a $4.5 million round of equity. In the past, it raised about $16 million in capital from Accel Partners, BV Capital, DAG Ventures and Khosla Ventures, reports VentureWire. It is very… Continue Reading
MokaFive snags $5M for virtualization software
MokaFive, maker of computer virtualization software, says it brought in $5 million of an expected $7.5 million round of debt financing. Based in Redwood City, Calif., the company has not disclosed its recent investors. However, it previously raised a $15 million second round of funding… Continue Reading
Xsigo raises funds for wireless data centers
Xsigo, maker of a device that virtualizes network connections in data centers, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from North Bridge Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, among others. The San Jose, Calif. company says its technology can… Continue Reading
Ausra raises $25.5M for narrowed focus on solar equipment
Ausra, one of the big names in Silicon Valley solar, just brought in $25.5 million to become a primary supplier of solar thermal equipment for utilities and power generation plants. The money couldn’t come at a better time as capital continues to dry up, especially… Continue Reading
WiMax chip provider Beceem raises $20M
Beceem Communications, one of the top providers of WiMax chipsets, announced that it’s brought in $20 million in a fifth round of funding to scale its manufacturing operations.
The round was led by Motorola and included Global Catalyst Partners, Khosla Ventures, KTB Ventures, Walden International, Intel… Continue Reading
Cleantech could top venture capital within five years
Cleantech could be the largest area for venture capital investment within five years if not sooner, Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association, told VentureBeat in an interview. The NVCA has been bullish on cleantech for several years now, but the stars do… Continue Reading