Deals and info from the past week

• GTM this past week told us about several cleantech VC deals including:
  • AqWise (wastewater treatment)... [2/4 correction:  Heard from Gene Dolgin at Israel Cleantech Ventures that the original source I’d used here was incorrect in some of their numbers, and instead that the accurate story was that “Israel Cleantech purchased 11% of the company in a secondary transaction in a deal that valued the company at $10M”]
  • Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide took an approximate 25% stake in Asola (solar PV) for an undisclosed sum.
  • Green Plug (advanced power strips) took in an undisclosed amount of first-round funding from Peninsula Equity Partners.
  • Israeli solar thermal power developer Solel raised a significant amount of financing from Ecofin, which spent $105mm total in the new investment and in purchases of existing equity (Clean Technology Investor reported it was about half and half).  Another round of financing is also planned, at which time Ecofin will hold a “very significant minority stake in the company.”

• In another Israel-based cleantech deal, regenerative (flow battery) fuel cell developer EnStorage took in a $2mm round of financing from Greylock, Canaan Partners and Siemens Venture Capital.

• Solar micro-inverter developer Enphase Energy took in a $6.5mm Series B (note: VWire reported that this amount actually reflects a combination of Series B and an earlier Series A round) led by Third Point Ventures.  VWire also reported that the Series B took place back in 2006, and is only being made public now as the company emerges from stealth mode…

• Driving-feedback company GreenRoad took in a $14.5mm Series B from Benchmark Capital, Virgin Green Fund, and Balderton Capital.

• Advanced lighting tech developer Luxim Corporation took in a $21mm round of financing from Sequoia Capital, Crosslink Capital, and DAG Ventures.

• PE Week Wire reported on Thursday that solid state lighting developer SJS Technology Inc. has taken in $2.5mm of a $5mm Series A led by Khosla Ventures.

• VentureWire reported that a 20 year old aerosol and particle technology company MSP Corp., with applications in pollution control and thin films, raised a $6mm Series A from Hunt Growth Capital.

Cleantech investors in the news:

• Journalists covering the sector are confused as never before, with recent articles suggesting the sector is varyingly too hot, or potentially hitting the brakes, or on the verge of becoming the biggest VC sector.  Oh well.

• Elon will have to wait an extra couple of days for his Tesla...  I’m guessing I’ll have to wait even longer for mine, but my offer to the company still stands:  If they let me have one for, oh, a 6 month test drive, I promise a very positive product review…

• Stanford Venture Capital Holdings has committed $10mm to Israel-based water tech AquAgro Fund.

Other news and notes:  The Weather Channel is disappointed in Bush’s latest climate change policy announcements…  Meanwhile, here’s a disquieting article describing the links between climate change and the availability of water in the U.S. southwest…  The NYT on the emergence of the clean energy industry in California...  If you’re going to be at the GTM/ Prometheus Institute solar day in NYC later this month, make sure to say hello…  With 2/5 right around the corner, here’s your greentech voters’ guide...  Finally, and sadly, we send our condolences to the family and friends of Tyler Palmer, who died Monday in a tragic accident.