Dow Jones

According to a new report by Ernst & Young, U.S. venture capital (VC) investments in cleantech rose by 73 percent, to $1.1 billion, in the third quarter of 2011, in spite of a global slowdown in investment in most other business venues -- with the notable exception of Internet ventures and health care.

U.S. venture capitalists invested $1.14 billion in cleantech companies in Q1 2011, a 54% increase compared with Q1 2010, in 69 deals, compared with 79 deals in Q1 2010, according to an Ernst & Young LLP analysis based on data from Dow Jones VentureSource.

United States venture capitalists invested $3.98 billion in cleantech companies in 2010, up eight percent from 2009, according to an analysis released today by Ernst & Young LLP based on data from Dow Jones VentureSource. The number of total cleantech deals increased seven percent to 278.

Thirty-five U.S. venture capital funds raised nearly $3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to a survey released this week by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). This level marks a six percent decrease, by dollar commitments, compared to the third quarter of 2010. 

For full year 2010, 157 venture capital funds raised $12.3 billion, the fourth consecutive year of declines and the slowest annual period for venture capital fundraising since 2003.

U.S. venture capitalists will favor investments in information technology, consumer internet/digital media and cloud computing over cleantech and alternative energy in 2011, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and Dow Jones VentureSource.

Conservatives, take a breathe. Let’s talk about energy. And why so many conservatives are so wrong -- so liberal, even -- on wind and solar energy.

Call my stock broker! The economy may be in a slump, but deep-pocketed investors are still optimistic about the future of cleantech companies. US venture capital (VC) investment in cleantech companies in the third quarter of 2009 increased 46% compared to the prior quarter.