• LED "light engine" developer Lamina Ceramics announced a $7mm round of financing, led by Easton Capital, and including existing investors Morgenthaler Ventures, Granite Global Ventures, RedShift Ventures, and CID Equity Capital. The solid state lighting industry has seen increased interest lately thanks in part to recent regional efforts to ban incandescent bulbs -- here's a good example... Lamina's focus is on bringing LED lights to market with sufficient brightness to replace incandescent bulbs for general illumination.
  

• Power Efficiency Corp., which offers "cruise control"-type energy efficiency solutions for electric motors, raised a $4.2mm PIPE. Individuals, insiders and hedge fund Marathon Resource Investments provided the funding.

• AMR software vendor eMeter announced a Series C financing, led by Foundation Capital. The amount of the round wasn't disclosed, but PE Week Wire reported it earlier this week as $11.79mm.

• Gordon Murray Design Ltd. raised a $10mm+ Series A from Mohr Davidow and the Caparo Group. Matt Marshall has the scoop on what the venture is all about...

• Speaking of scoops, Tyler Hamilton has had cleantech bloggers abuzz with the news that A123 appears to have purchased hybrid-retrofitter Hymotion. It will be interesting to see how the roll-ups in the alternative vehicle value chain happen over the next few years...

• LanzaTech, which is pursuing a bacteria-based approach to the conversion of waste flue-gas carbon monoxide into ethanol, raised a $3.5mm Series A led by Khosla Ventures. Since the bacteria can process CO, syngas is also a potential feedstock. LanzaTech is based in New Zealand, and two local investors also joined the funding.

• Useful sectoral updates: Progress on plug-in hybrids... A good summary of the potential for wave energy and the challenges for venture investors... The latest update on nanotech's potential regulatory and market challenges... And a good report from a recent MITCNC panel on energy storage.
  

Other news and notes: Check out the upcoming California Clean Innovation 2007 conference, coming up next month in Pasadena... Here's a great summary by Joel on some recent polling on Americans' attitudes toward environmental issues... The Cleantech Group continues to expand, opening up an office in London... Finally -- Amen, brother.