View select photos from the 2012 conference
SURVEY RESULTS
View Cooley's press release on the survey of clean technology leaders that indicates continued bumps near term, but strong future.
Cooley invites you to join us in an exclusive gathering of leading executives, investors and policymakers in the clean energy industry.
All would agree that cleantech has had a volatile year. Well publicized high-profile bankruptcies and failures have cast a long shadow across the entire industry. Renewable forms of energy face increasing competition from cheap natural gas. The United States lacks a coherent, national energy policy -- which means that companies often look outside the U.S. for business or struggle to adapt to markets state by state. Venture capitalists are a lot more cautious. Data provided by the Cleantech Group shows that global cleantech investment dropped to $1.6 billion in the second quarter of 2012, down 14% from the first quarter and down 24% from the $2.1 billion invested in the second quarter of 2011.
So what does that mean for the industry? Some say Cleantech is on life support. Others believe cleantech investing is just shifting -- and becoming smarter as the industry naturally matures. Interest is also shifting "downstream" from companies building power plants, electric cars and solar panels to companies focused on perfecting business models to get energy data into the hands of consumers and solar panels on roofs.
The cleantech world is constantly evolving but has proven it is not a disappearing sector. Efficient, differentiated companies with strong management continue to pave the way for the second wave of cleantech investment. There are still large problems that need to be addressed and eager entrepreneurs are creating new technologies and innovative business models to solve these problems. The conference will take a close at who is getting funded and what these new companies and their technologies are doing to survive and thrive in today's financial and political environment. In addition to looking at the new technologies, we will also look at the established players in the industry and get insight as to what they have done to achieve scale and what are they continuing to do to stay ahead.
- Who are the key players in the industry?
- What are the new technologies?
- What innovative business models have gotten most traction?
- Who is funding these companies, and the growing role of global and strategic partners?
- How are established players maintaining their leadership position?
- How are the industry leaders tackling obstacles to remain successful in the industry?
We also showcased a select group of start-ups presenting their innovative businesses and technologies.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Ira Ehrenpreis, General Partner, Technology Partners—Ira Ehrenpreis leads Technology Partners' Cleantech investment practice, investing in Energy Technology, Water Technology, and Advanced Materials opportunities. Ira is a recognized leader in both the venture capital industry and the Cleantech sector, and in 2007, was named one of the "Top 50 Most Influential Men Under 45" by Details Magazine. In the venture community, Ira has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and on the Board of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists (WAVC), as well as the Co-Chairman of the VCNetwork, the largest and most active Bay Area venture capital organization. In the Cleantech sector, Ira has served on several industry Boards, including the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Advisory Council, the Clean-Tech Investor Summit (Conference Chairman in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012), Cleantech Venture Network (Past Chairman of Advisory Board), and ACORE (American Council on Renewable Energy).
In Clean Tech Nation, Pernick and Wilder combine insightful analysis with lively storytelling to assess the current clean-tech landscape. Concluding with a Seven-Point Action Plan for Repowering America—with such controversial steps as ending all energy subsidies within ten years and creating a new breed of clean-tech investment tools modeled on the oil and gas industries—Clean Tech Nation sounds a compelling and achievable call to action.
A CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHORS OF CLEAN TECH NATION
Ron Pernick is founder and managing director of clean-tech research and advisory firm Clean Edge and the coauthor of two books on clean-tech business and innovation, Clean Tech Nation (HarperCollins, 2012) and The Clean Tech Revolution (HarperCollins, 2007). At Clean Edge he has coauthored more than two dozen reports on clean technologies, markets, and policies and oversees the firm's research, event production, index publishing, and advisory services. He has taught MBA-level courses at Portland State University and New College, is widely quoted in the media, and is a regular speaker at industry events in the U.S. and abroad. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children.
Clint Wilder is senior editor at clean-tech research and advisory firm Clean Edge and the coauthor of two books on clean-tech business and innovation, Clean Tech Nation (HarperCollins, 2012) and The Clean Tech Revolution (HarperCollins, 2007). He is an award-winning business journalist who has covered the high-tech and clean-tech industries since 1985. He coauthors reports and writes columns on industry trends for Clean Edge and has been a facilitator at the Clinton Global Initiative. He is a frequent speaker at clean-energy and green business events in the U.S. and overseas, and a regular blogger for the Huffington Post. He lives with his wife in Sausalito, California.
OTHER FEATURED SPEAKERS
Wasiq Bokhari – Founder & CEO, Qbotix
Priv Bradoo – Co-Founder & CEO, Blue Oak Resources
Tim Connor – VP Business Strategy and CFO, Boulder Wind Power
Yuri Horwitz – President & CEO, Sol Systems
Michael Keating – Founder & CEO, Scoot Networks
Bill Lenihan – Executive Vice President, Switch Lighting
Scott McGaraghan – Director of Business Development, Nest Labs
Micah Myers – Senior Vice President, Business Development and Program Management, Clean Power Finance
Archan Pad – Co-Founder, Verdigris Technologies
Joaquin Silva – President & CEO, Onramp Wireless
Mike Stacey – Founder, SmarterShade
Kim Walesh – Director and Chief Strategist, Economic Development, San Jose Redevelopment
Alan White – VP Corporate Development, Project Frog
Ian Wright – Chief Executive Officer, WrightSpeed
Danny Yu – Chief Executive Officer, Daintree Networks Inc.
For more information about Cooley's upcoming Clean Energy and Technology events, please contact Eileen Cheng.