- 30
- October
2014
Ecosummit Berlin 2015 takes place on 19-20 May 2015 at the Radialsystem
Ecosummit TV: We are very happy to announce our 9th conference Ecosummit Berlin 2015 taking place on 19-20 May 2015 at the Radialsystem – the best event location in Europe’s leading smart green city for startups. As a warm up, we share the opening of ECO14 Berlin on Ecosummit TV. Last year, the theme of Ecosummit was Accelerating Smart Green Startups. We believe that everybody should think and act like an accelerator trying to reduce capital and time to market while growing the team and revenues faster. This is what our industry needs: Faster startups and bigger exits. While a fast and small exit that results in an aquihire for the buyer may be a good thing, what VCs and LPs really want are big exits by big startups that have big economic and ecological impact. To make big exits happen, founders and their investors have to constantly work on the 4 success factors of startups: People, capital, product and customers. Only if you have the best team, enough capital, a competitive product and lots of happy customers, you are able to become a global market leader. At ECO15 Berlin on 19-20 May 2015, we will continue to work together on accelerating smart green startups aiming at big exits.
Read more- 14
- September
2014
Gina Domanig chats with Jan Michael Hess about being a smart green VC
Ecosummit TV: Gina Domanig is a pioneer of cleantech venture capital. She got started in 2000 after a tempting call from a headhunter. Since then, Zurich-based Emerald Technology Ventures raised 3 funds and has got €370M of assets under management. Gina likes being a smart green VC because it is a multi-dimensional job involving technology, finance, industrial applications, transactions and, most importantly, lots of smart and inspiring people. It is also a tough job because you have to be available all the time for your portfolio and LPs. Gina travels almost every week, spends 50% of her time with the portfolio companies and the rest with investors, dealflow and fund management. In today’s environment, VCs have to be very involved in securing the ongoing financing of a startup, helping them recruit the best team and making the connections with the relevant corporates who may become customers, partners or even acquirers when it’s time for an exit. Next to the startups, the real customers of the VC are the investors. The majority of Emerald’s LPs are corporates whose key motivation for fund investments is fostering open innovation. There is a lot to learn from Gina and we are grateful that she joined ECO14 Berlin.
Read more- 31
- July
2014
Anna Yukiko Bickenbach interviews happy participants at Ecosummit Berlin 2014
Ecosummit TV: Ecosummit TV moderator Anna Yukiko Bickenbach interviews happy participants at Ecosummit Berlin 2014 – our fifth Ecosummit in Berlin that took place on 3-4 June at the one and only Radialsystem. This Ecosummit TV video features Hans Maenhout (Finindus), Alexander Bigge Lidgren (Swedish Energy Agency), Robert Czaja (Tesla), Gina Domanig (Emerald Technology Ventures), Christian Huder (Freelance Consultant), Alexander van Os (Yellow&Blue), Nils Aldag (Sunfire), Jay Marathe (Cartagena Capital), Björn Petersson (Ecosummit Ambassador), Eva Bjorseth (Oceanshore Ventures), Andriy Shmyhelskyy (CareToSave) and Jan Michael Hess (Ecosummit). We look forward to hosting our next smart green innovation conference Ecosummit London 2014 on 7-8 October at the Crystal. Come and join us.
Read more- 13
- June
2014
Sonnenbatterie, Sunfire and Orcan Energy win Ecosummit Award 2014 at ECO14 Berlin
Ecosummit Berlin 2014 was so much fun. Following the sponsor dinner at our favourite Italian called Donath, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of Ecosummit Berlin on 3-4 June 2014 with 200 happy participants at the Radialsystem – Berlin’s top spot for startup conferences. The positive feedback we received is overwhelming and just more motivation to improve and grow Ecosummit even further. A highlight was the Ecosummit Award 2014. 49 nominees from 13 countries were rated by 39 judges before the conference. The 3 VC-backed smart green startups that have the highest chances for a successful exit are: Sonnenbatterie picking up Gold and €3K prize money, Sunfire receiving Silver and €2K and Orcan Energy winning Bronze and €1K. Let’s party and enjoy the first photos of ECO14 Berlin.
Read more- 23
- April
2014
Previewing Cleantech Forum 2014 in Stockholm with Richard Youngman
Fundraising is super difficult for startups as well as VC funds and it takes a long time during which existing and new relationships have to be nurtured. Fund investors (LPs) want to see more exits and return of capital rather than return on capital. To learn about the latest tricks of the trade and to network with the active VCs and startups it is not only a good idea to join ECO14 Berlin on 3-4 June but also to head to Stockholm to the 10th Cleantech Forum Europe 2014 (CFE14) on 19-21 May. As in the past, we support the Cleantech Group by participating and interviewing Richard Youngman (MD Europe & Asia) to give you extra motivation to join us – in case you still need it. The photos are taken at CFE13 in Bilbao.
Read more- 2
- April
2014
Jonathan Tyler presents Climate-KIC and its startup accelerator
Ecosummit TV: Jonathan Tyler presents Climate-KIC and its startup accelerator at ECO13 London. The public-private partnership is funded by the European Commission via the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) with a budget of €63M in 2014. Climate-KIC has got 6 national centres embedded in leading universities in UK, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland and fosters education, innovation and entrepreneurship with a particular focus on early stage cleantech startups. Among the many startups funded by Climate-KIC are Tado (Germany), Waste2chemical (Netherlands) and Aqdot (UK). Climate-KIC Germany partners again with Ecosummit Berlin 2014 and sends their best fundable startups to our smart green innovation conference.
Read more- 18
- March
2014
Alexander Bigge Lidgren presents Swedish Energy Agency and its cleantech portfolio
Ecosummit TV: At ECO13 London, Bigge presents the Swedish Energy Agency that turns out to be the most active funder of cleantech companies in the Nordics with over €120M invested in 2013 and 2012 respectively. As of October 2013, the Swedish Energy Agency had funded 53 energy-related companies with soft loans that either go to projects or directly to the companies. Only if the startup is a success and starts invoicing, the agency gets their money back. Ecofective, ATC Industrial Group and Ecospark are the 3 cases that joined ECO13 London. Clean Motion and their electric 3-wheeler Zbee and Sol Voltaics are also backed by the agency. If you are interested in innovation and dealflow from the Nordics, meet Bigge again at ECO14 Berlin.
Read more- 30
- October
2013
Jan Michael Hess opens Ecosummit London 2013
Ecosummit TV: Jan Michael Hess opens Ecosummit London 2013. Our 6th cleantech conference took place on 15-16 October at the Crystal, the urban sustainability HQ of Siemens in the Docklands. 150 participants came together to discuss smart green cities and to pitch new solutions and investment opportunities. The Crystal is the perfect location for Ecosummit London. Moreover, the LEED Platinum building is a role model for other corporates that want to co-invent the urban future and invest in a long-term technology showcase and marketing tool. Our highlight was the Ecomobilité Ventures Flinc deal announced at ECO13 London. After the NRW Bank O-Flexx investment, this is already the second deal facilitated by Ecosummit.
Read more- 1
- October
2013
Ecosummit London 2013 happens on 15-16 October at the Crystal
This is our preview of Ecosummit London 2013, our 6th cleantech conference that we hold for the first time in London. The agenda is online and presents 58 speakers including 31 startups and 15 sponsors. The growing list of participants features a promising startup and VC density. 2 embedded Ecosummit TV videos show my introduction of ECO13 London and my opening of ECO13 Berlin. With 2 weeks to go, there is plenty of time to get your ticket and join us at the Crystal, the perfect location for our smart green family reunion. A unique experience for the participants will be the cable car pitch overviewing The Thames and Canary Wharf. Finally, it is our pleasure to share the dates of our next 4 events in Berlin and London in 2014 and 2015 for which we look for long-term sponsors and partners.
Read more