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| Additional information |
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| 21Ventures, LLC |
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Overview:
21Ventures invests primarily in Cleantech companies. The term Cleantech reflects a different set of subsectors for various people; some define it only as renewable energy generation, others define it to include energy efficiency technologies, and others incorporate clean fossil fuel technologies. 21Ventures defines Cleantech as the set of technologies that will support a growing population in the face of limited resources and Global Warming. This extends the traditional portfolio of energy generating technologies, such as solar and wind, to incorporate energy-, water- and land-efficient technologies used in a variety of industries, such as textiles and agriculture. 21Ventures’ Cleantech investing strategy addresses three core theses.
First, 21Ventures believes that distributed (decentralized) energy generation and efficiency will dominate the traditionally centralized energy generation sector. Distributed generation improves grid reliability, reduces energy costs and consumption, and minimizes financial risk. While many utility scale projects in the solar space have been announced, very few have actually been built. These projects face barriers such as permitting and environmental protests. Economically, they require a significant upfront investment and expensive transmission line construction. Furthermore, without a feasible large-scale storage option, centralized renewable energy generation is still limited by its intermittency, which can also translate to financial losses, as seen with several wind farms that actually pay to sell their own electricity. 21Ventures has most recently applied its distributed thesis beyond renewable energy generation and into agriculture. A distributed food system has similar corresponding benefits to distributed energy: it improves food security, and reduces fuel costs and consumption.
Second, 21Ventures believes that the transition from an internal combustion engine (ICE) to an all-electric vehicle will take time. The extended period in between will require hybrid vehicles with significant energy storage capabilities. While lithium ion has largely been the primary hybrid battery, 21Ventures believes that ultimately different types of hybrids will require different forms of batteries. There is opportunity for lead-acid and ultracapacitors to play a large role in both the transitional hybrid period as well as the all-electric future.
Third, like all venture capitalists do, 21Ventures seeks to invest in underinvested sectors. While numerous thin film manufacturing companies are out raising capital, considerably fewer companies in several other promising sectors are emerging. 21Ventures believes sectors such as building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), concentrated photovoltaics and thermal (CPVT), piezoelectrics, and agricultural technologies are all underinvested segments of the Cleantech industry.
Investment Strategy
21Ventures’ core strategy is to be the first investor in companies with proprietary, disruptive technologies. The firm focuses on seed and early-stage venture investing, often times at the University level. 21Ventures employs a hands-on approach and supports our portfolio companies’ growth until it can bring on later-stage institutional investors.
21Ventures’ investment size ranges from as little as $100,000 to as much as $20 million. Typically, the firm invests $3 to $5 million initially and anticipates investing up to $20 million over the lifespan of a company. 21Ventures invests for the long term and seeks entrepreneurs with a similar mindset.
Given the distributed nature of the Cleantech industry, 21Ventures has a global focus on investments. Its current portfolio includes companies from across the world, from across the US all the way to Israel, UK, and China. Until clusters of excellence are formed, 21Ventures will continue to search around the world for the next great idea. |
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