AlertMe takes in $13M for online energy management
AlertMe, maker of a system that allows homeowners to measure and control the energy used by their appliances, has raised $13 million in a second round of funding. By hooking into a household’s broadband connection, the Alertme.com Energy Kit transmits power consumption data recorded from… Continue Reading
Tendril grows consumer-facing smart grid with new $30M
Tendril, one of few companies that serves household energy consumption data to both utilities and consumers, has landed a fresh $30 million third round of capital led by VantagePoint Venture Partners. It plans to further expand its hardware and software systems and forge more partnerships… Continue Reading
Solazyme wins big with $57M for renewable oil
Solazyme, producer of renewable oil derived from algae, just raised $57 million in third-round funding to bring its total capital to more than $76 million. In addition to producing so-called green fuels, the San Bruno, Calif., company is expanding its eco-friendly chemicals business — an… Continue Reading
Cisco buys Tidal Software for $105M — to virtualize the data center
Networking giant Cisco has acquired Tidal Software, a Palo Alto, Calif. company that will enable Cisco’s customers to manage their key applications more seamlessly over Cisco’s network. It paid $105 million in cash and retention-based incentives.
Tidal, a company that raised at least $16.5 million… Continue Reading
VantagePoint strengthens cleantech efforts
VantagePoint Venture Partners has brought two new specialized partners aboard to strengthen its position in the cleantech sector. Mark Plashton hails from Trident Capital, where he also focused on green investments, and Brad Mattson is an engineer with 12 patents for semiconductor products. He has… Continue Reading
Neuraltus scores $17M to treat degenerative brain disease
Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, developer of drugs used to treat degenerative neurological diseases, brought in $17 million in a first round of funding from Latterell Venture Partners, VantagePoint Venture Partners and Adams Street Partners. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company says it’s currently working on therapies for conditions… Continue Reading
Roundup: FriendFinder sued for risky business, Digg toolbar sighted, Nokia looks to laptops and more
Here’s the latest action:
Pirate Bay takes fascist funds — The large bittorrent tracker’s major financier, Carl Lundstrom, has been connected with neo-nazi groups and political parties.
Nortel lays off 3,200 more — The telecom company will cut its global workforce by 10 percent over… Continue Reading
Tesla forecasts 2009 profit, despite recent hard knocks
Electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors announced it will hit profitability by the second half of 2009. The statement was made in a recent company newsletter. Boosted by the $40 million in capital it raised from existing investors in December, the San Carlos, Calif.-based company said… Continue Reading
Syngas startup Ze-gen takes $20M to torch trash
Ze-gen, a company that plans to round up waste from construction sites and turn it into gases that can be used to generate electricity, has won $20 million in funding to help build its first full-size facility.
Based in Boston, Mass., Ze-gen has been moving… Continue Reading
Cree settles patent suit with LED co. Bridgelux
Efficient lighting company Cree has settled its patent infringement lawsuit with Sunnyvale, Calif. LED maker Bridgelux after two years of litigation. Not only must Bridgelux pay to license the technology from Cree — technology that increases the efficiency of LED lighting systems — but it… Continue Reading
VantagePoint charges up on $435M for cleantech
The clouds may have rolled in for many other sectors in today’s economy, but the sun still shines on cleantech — and VantagePoint Venture Partners in particular. The San Bruno, Calif.-based firm just landed $435 million for its second fund, reports VentureWire.
The close comes… Continue Reading
Chemrec scores $20M for “black liquor” biofuels
Chemrec, a company that converts paper mill byproducts into clean-burning biofuels, snagged $20 million in third-round funding from Environmental Technologies Fund, VantagePoint Venture Partners and Volvo Technology Transfer, the car maker’s venture branch.
The Swedish firm processes one particular mill byproduct known as “black liquor”… Continue Reading
IntelePeer raises $18M for telephony-Web platform
IntelePeer a Silicon Valley company that offers technology to make calls from within Web applications to phones or other devices, has raised $18 million in a third round of venture capital funding led by VantagePoint Venture Partners.
IntelePeer is somewhat like Ribbit, another Silicon Valley… Continue Reading
Adura raises $5M for wireless lighting
Lighting management company Adura Technologies took $5 million in a first round of funding co-led by VantagePoint Venture Partners and Claremont Creek Partners. The San Francisco firm will use its new funds to further develop lighting systems that can dim based on how many people… Continue Reading
Zvents, moving its events search to mobile, raises $24M
Zvents, a San Mateo, Calif. company that has been building an events-based search engine for several years, must be on the right track: It just raised $24 million from a set of investors including Nokia Growth Partners, AT&T and NAVTEQ.
What makes Zvents a bit… Continue Reading
Anthera Pharmaceuticals raises $19M for anti-inflammatory drugs
Anthera Pharmaceuticals has raised $19 million in a second round of funding led by Caxton Advantage Life Sciences Fund and HBM BioCapital. Existing investors VantagePoint Venture Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, Pappas Ventures and Mitsubishi International Corporation also participated.
The San Mateo, Calif. company is developing treatments… Continue Reading
Smartpen maker Livescribe gets another $7M
Livescribe, the maker of a high-tech pen that makes an audio recording of your conversation as you take notes, has added another $7 million to its funding, bringing its first round to a total of more than $30 million, VentureBeat has learned. Backers include VantagePoint… Continue Reading
Power control company iWatt gets $12.4M
IWatt, a Los Gatos, Calif. company that makes power control products, has taken a fifth round of funding for $12.4 million, led by an unnamed strategic investor.The products that iWatt makes include AC-DC and DC-AC power supplies, coupled inductors and other power devices, and it… Continue Reading
VantagePoint Venture Partners adds former CIA director, analyst to cleantech team
Two new members have joined VantagePoint Venture Partners. Coming onto the cleantech investment team are R. James Woolsey, a new venture partner, and David Edwards, who will be a partner. Woolsey served as the Director of the CIA in the Clinton Administration from 1993 to… Continue Reading
Google joins in $115M investment into solar thermal company, BrightSource
BrightSource Energy, an Oakland, Calif., solar thermal startup, has landed a hefty $115 million funding round from investors including Google to develop its solar power tower technology.
Solar thermal technology is one the leading hopes for alternative energy. It uses like mirrors and lenses to… Continue Reading