NEF’s Q1 global cleantech private equity numbers

Interesting numbers released today from NEF, who track dealflow alongside other efforts we’ve discussed here before (Cleantech Venture Network, Nth Power, etc.):

• $2.2B total private equity financings into clean energy worldwide in Q1.  That’s 58% above Q1 2006 totals and 60% higher than Q4 2006.
• Helpfully, they note that the big totals were driven in large part by three major transactions:  Silicium de Provence ($394mm) and Solyndra ($79mm) in solar, and Imperium Renewables ($113mm) in biofuels.
• Differentiating between VC and private equity, “early stage venture capital” was tracked at $303mm (23% higher than Q1 2006), with Series A and seed tracked at $80mm—“almost double” Q1 2006, but around half of Q4 2006’s $159mm.
  
• Interestingly, PIPEs grew sharply, at $446mm, about triple from a year ago.
  
• Also a little bit of a dampening in the IPO market, with $899mm raised in initial offerings.