GoingGreen Top 100 Private companies 2008

Co-Presented by AlwaysOn, KPMG & Morgan Stanley

Investment and public interest in cleantech continues to grow in the face of record gas prices and increased concern for the environment and global warming. With that backdrop, AlwaysOn presents the second annual GoingGreen 100 Top Private Companies list, featuring leading private companies in cleantech.

The fact that there are 17 solar companies on the list highlights the continued importance of that sector to the industry. Solar companies continue to lead the race for investment dollars, with all areas of the solar industry—PVs, solar cells, concentrated solar plants—actively receiving investments this year.

This year the Clean Energy category was added to the mix. The category includes companies that do not fall into the Solar Energy or Biofuels categories. Wind and coal companies feature highly in this sector. Clean coal has significant potential as it is an abundant energy resource; companies such as CoalTek and GreatPoint Energy are prevailing in this area. Converting coal to natural gas by using microbial engineering is also driving the possibilities in this industry.

An increased number of companies on the list are moving out of beta testing and into product development. This trend is particularly evident in the Biofuels category, where the growth in next-generation biofuels is beginning to drive to the commercialization stage. From a funding perspective, large rounds of VC funding are narrowing the gap between project financers looking for proven technology and emerging companies wanting to build plants.

The Energy Efficiency and Management category is a very active investment area. The category winner, Silver Spring Networks, provides intelligent utility networking using open standards. Naverus, who is redefining the airspace navigation systems, is another company that is a significant player in this segment of the industry.

An interesting development in the Green Automobiles and Transportation category is the changing attitude of investors. Over the past year, investors have shifted their focus from building car companies and brands to improving engines. Increased public interest in energy efficient “clean” cars may be driving this shift.

The Energy Storage Systems category is commonly identified as a major opportunity of cleantech, with investors actively seeking the solution for energy storage. The category winner, Premium Power, manufactures regenerative fuel-cell power systems based on the company’s proprietary Zinc-Flow advanced energy storage technology.

In the 2008 GoingGreen list, the categories of nanotech and materials were separated—we now have a Green Nanotech and Synthetic Genomics category and a Green Materials, Green Buildings category. The companies in the Green Nanotech and Synthetic Genomics category are expected to have some of the most profound effects on the petrochemical and fuels industries. Our overall list winner, Synthetic Genomics, falls into this category. Serious Materials, our Green Materials, Green Buildings category winner, leads the industry with green replacement products for the built environment. Integrity Block is also an emerging player in this industry with its concrete block replacement.

The spotlight continues to be directed on cleantech and will remain in place until the quest for a “greener” world is realized. The companies featured on the GoingGreen list will help move us closer to achieving this goal.

The winners will be honored at GoingGreen, September 15th-17th at Cavallo Point, San Francisco, CA. They’ll also be featured in AO’s quarterly print “blogozine” and on the AlwaysOn website.To reserve your ticket to GoingGreen and take advantage of the AO-Insider discount, click here.

***Overall Winner***

Synthetic Genomics

Biofuels

Amyris Biotechnologies***Category Winner***Biofuel Box
Bionavitas
Ceres
Coskata
Greenfuel Technologies
LS9
Mascoma
Mendel Biotechnology
Range Fuels
Sapphire Energy
Solazyme

Clean Energy

CoalTek***Category Winner***
AltaRock Energy
Bloom Energy
General Compression
GreatPoint Energy
Luca Technologies
Mariah Power
Nordic Windpower
Oorja
SpaceX
Sway

Clean Manufacturing and Clean Products

GlycosBio***Category Winner***
Artificial Muscle
EoPlex Technologies

Energy Efficiency and Energy Management

Silver Spring Networks***Category Winner***
Albeo Technologies
BPL Global
BridgeLux
Carina Technology
d.light design
Eka Systems
eMeter
Greenbox Technology
Ice Energy
Naverus
SmartSynch
SuperBulbs
SynapSense
Verdiem

Energy Storage Systems

Premium Power***Category Winner***
Angstrom Power
Boston-Power
Deeya Energy
GridPoint
Mobius Power
Pentadyne
PowerGenix
ReVolt Technology

Green Automobiles and Transportation

EcoMotors***Category Winner***
Aptera
Better Place
Fisker Automotive
PML Flightlink
Tesla Motors
Transonic Combustion
Venture Vehicles

Green Materials, Green Buildings

Serious Materials***Category Winner***
ARXX Building Products
Hycrete
Integrity Block
Perform Wall

Green Nanotech and Synthetic Genomics

Genomatica***Category Winner***
Codon Devices
Nanogram
Novomer

Resource Recovery and Waste Management

Ze-Gen***Category Winner***
Earthanol
EnerTech Environmental
Lehigh Technologies
TechTurn

Solar Energy

BrightSource Energy***Category Winner***
Ausra
Energy Innovations
eSolar
GreenVolts
HelioVolt
Infinia
Konarka Technologies
Plextronics
Quantasol
Signet Solar
SolarCity
Solar Systems
Solaria
Solel
Solexel
SolFocus
Stion

Water Technology and Water Management

AbTech Industries***Category Winner***
Agua Via
Bio Pure Technology
HydroPoint Data Systems
Microvi Biotech
Miox
NanoH2O
Purfresh
Windesal