Sixteen Best of British Cleantech start-ups head to Silicon Valley

Sixteen of the UK’s most innovative and fast growing Cleantech companies have earned a place on an entrepreneurial trade mission to San Francisco, with the aim of opening up their business to the US market.

The week-long event includes a packed itinerary of opportunities to meet with the best of Silicon Valley’s investors, customers and supply chain partners, designed to champion British Cleantech innovation on an international stage. The trip is aligned with San Francisco’s Cleantech Group’s Global Forum, celebrating its 10th Anniversary with the theme of ‘The Power of Global Partnerships’.

The Mission will boost Britain’s growing clean technology sector and drive inward investment into the UK. It’s a proven formula as more than $180m has been raised in private finance by companies attending previous Missions and more than 20 per cent now have a US subsidiary.

The partners that have collectively organised the Mission and selected the winning businesses are the Technology Strategy Board, The Long Run Venture and the Co-sponsorship Agency, supported by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and other private sector sponsors.

Speaking at the launch reception held on 14th March 2012 at the London Stock Exchange, home to more than 70 listed Cleantech companies, The Minister for Climate Change, Greg Barker said:

“It’s a credit to the renewed groundswell in ambition and the confidence for growth among young and enterprising small businesses that so many applied for a place on this Clean and Cool Mission. I’m proud that we’ve got a delegation, not only of extremely impressive future exports but of such variety, and it’s of course due to the collaborative efforts and resources of the public and private sector collective that have made this Mission such a sought after activity. I will follow the Mission with great interest and hope to hear of similar successes to previous Missions as these growing businesses represent the best of Cleantech on the international stage.”

The Technology Strategy Board’s Director of Innovation and Programmes, David Bott, went on to applaud the strength of the companies that had applied for the Mission, saying: “We’re extremely pleased at the variety of Clean technologies represented, spanning transport, agriculture, food, renewable energy, water and energy storage. The Technology Strategy Board enables innovative businesses to thrive and grow and these companies will do just that - showcasing their businesses and securing interest with an impressive line-up of investors, customers and partners from the US and beyond.”

UK Trade & Investment’s Chief Executive Nick Baird said:

"These highly innovative companies represent the best of British. I congratulate the sixteen companies selected to go on this mission on their achievement, and am sure that their efforts will support the UK's continuing position as a global leader in clean-technology. This is an exciting and important mission, and we look forward to helping them build their understanding to achieve success in the lucrative US low carbon market, develop partnerships with American companies, and attract the attention of the US venture capital community.”

Gavin Starks, Founder and Chairman of AMEE, a successful company from last year’s Mission, explains just how successful these delegations can be:

“Quite simply, AMEE found the Mission useful because it generated revenue. Through a meeting with Silicon Valley investors we met a multinational company that later became a client. The Mission highlights that face-to-face meetings through credible, trusted channels is absolutely critical to growing an international business.”

The 16 Cleantech companies will depart for San Francisco on the 24th March, returning on 31st March after a week-long agenda packed with investor meetings and networking opportunities, created by the Mission partners.

These companies represent the best of the UK’s energy storage, agriculture and food, water, renewable energy, transport and energy efficiency enterprises. The chosen companies are:

• Aeristech http://www.aeristech.co.uk/
• Cella Energy www.cellaenergy.com
• EnergyDeck www.energydeck.com
• Green Structures www.greenstructures.co.uk
• G-Volution www.g-volution.com
• Highview Power Storage www.highview-power.com
• Moixa Technology www.moixatechnology.com
• Naked Energy www.nakedenergy.co.uk
• Oxford Photovoltaics www.oxfordpv.com
• RE Hydrogen www.rehydrogen.com
• SAVortex www.savortex.com
• SEaB Energy www.seabenergy.com
• Seawater Greenhouse www.seawatergreenhouse.com
• VerdErg Renewable Energy www.VerdErg.com
• Whitefox Technologies http://www.whitefox.com/home/index.html
• Zeta Controls www.zetaled.com