While this site tends to focus on done deals and sectoral trends, it's important to also track developments at the innovation level, keeping an eye out for what's on the horizon in cleantech. Along these lines, it was worth noting a couple of intriguing transportation-related announcements last week:

1. A PV-powered engine for your car? No, this doesn't involve putting solar panels on your car's rooftop. Instead, these researchers at MIT have been looking into the idea of a white-hot filament heated by fuel, along with a filter for the light and a thermophotovoltaic electricity generation system, to provide electric power for your car. It's analogous to some hybrid vehicle designs...

Two deals to note:

• Synapsense, which is targeting wireless sensors for use in a broad range of applications (we've discussed the applicability of sensors as an enabling clean technology before) announced a $1.5 - 2.0mm Series A led by American River Ventures ($1.25mm) with participation by DFJ Frontier ($0.25mm). Another $500k commitment is "on the verge" of being brought in.
  

• PE Week Wire reports that Energy Innovations has raised a $25mm new round of financing. Not many details on this yet. The company raised $16.5mm last year as well, in a round led by Mohr Davidow, and including Idealab.
  

Matt Marshall reported today that Oorja Protonics, a developer of alcohol-based fuel cells (perhaps for battery replacement/ mobile apps?), has apparently raised a $5.52mm Series A, led by Sequoia Capital. Matt also notes that it appears to be Sequoia's first sign of joining the cleantech investing community...

• Zipcar announced a $20mm lease financing arrangement with GE Commercial Finance. Notably, the car-share company now claims to be up to a $25mm annual revenue run rate, and that they're "profitable in all their markets" (does this include corporate overhead, then?).

• Austria's Blue Chip Energy GmbH has taken in an undisclosed amount of funding from SOLON AG, the German solar company.
  

Here's a neat article on the possibility of microbial fuel cells... An EBay for ecological investing?... Finally, a useful overview of cleantech, VCs and the China opportunity.

Tyler and Matt have the scoop:

According to the Cleantech Venture Network, cleantech venture investments in the first quarter totaled $513mm, in 67 deals the group identified. It's a small (but validating) increase on Q4 totals, and a whopping 53% increase on Q1 2005 figures.

As should be no surprise to regular readers of this site, energy dominated, with $357mm of the total. And without seeing the data yet myself (will link to it when available), I imagine there are also other energy-related deals that were categorized under other groupings in their survey -- has tended to happen in past such reports.

Just more indication that cleantech, and particularly clean energy, are red hot...

Here are two interesting sites I stumbled across that are worth checking in with every once in a while (and are now being put in the Cleantech Investing blogrolls):

• The World Resources Institute (an NGO I used to work for way back when) has a New Ventures program which works to help bring venture capital to sustainable enterprises in developing economies, and they have a website which highlights various companies, partners, and related news. Check them out.

• Also worth noting is Cleantech Spotlight, which is pretty new, but (according to the author, Nick Allen) looks to highlight a new cleantech company every week. Check it out.

Everyone loves dealgen. Enjoy!

ReliOn, the PEM fuel cell manufacturer that was spun out from Avista back in 2003, announced a $20mm follow-on round from their existing investors (from a November 2004 $25mm round). Those investors include Oak Investment Partners and Enterprise Partners Venture Capital, Wall Street Technology Partners of New York, Chrysalix Energy of Vancouver, British Columbia, Seattle's Buerk Dale Victor, and Avista Corp. The total venture capital invested in the company to date is $57.5mm.

Some other follow-ups on previous items:

• We've discussed the California Clean Tech Open before... Now comes the Kleiner Perkins greentech contest, a $100k annual prize. Not sure why it's a separate effort,...