SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 4, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Wall Street Journal today announced its first ranking of the Top 10 venture-backed, clean technology companies. The Next Big Thing survey, based on proprietary data from Dow Jones VentureSource, seeks to identify green companies that have the capital, executive experience and investor know-how to succeed in an increasingly crowded field. The results were unveiled at The Wall Street Journal’s third annual ECO:nomics Conference currently being held in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Three makers of solar cells topped the list, including Solyndra Inc. of Fremont, Calif.; Suniva Inc. of Norcross, Ga.; and eSolar Inc. of Pasadena, Calif. Other notables on the Top 10 Cleantech list include two eco-friendly car makers — Fisker Automotive Inc. of Irvine, Calif., and Tesla Motors Inc. of San Carlos, Calif.— and Philadelphia’s RecycleBank LLC, which provides rewards programs to motivate people to recycle.
“We’re not saying all ten of these companies will be blockbuster successes,” said Alan Murray, deputy managing editor and executive editor, online of The Wall Street Journal. “But we do think there’s a good chance that one of these promising companies will be The Next Big Thing in Clean Technology.”
The Next Big Thing: The Top 10 Clean Technology Companies include:
- Solyndra Inc. – Fremont, Calif.
- Suniva Inc. – Norcross, Ga.
- eSolar Inc. – Pasadena, Calif.
- RecycleBank LLC – Philadelphia
- Boston-Power – Westborough, Mass.
- Fisker Automotive Inc. – Irvine, Calif.
- eMeter Inc. – Sun Mateo, Calif.
- Serious Materials Inc. – Sunnyvale, Calif.
- Silver Spring Networks Inc. – Redwood City, Calif.
- Tesla Motors Inc. – San Carlos, Calif.
A team from research firm Dow Jones VentureSource (owned by Dow Jones & Company, publisher of the Journal) calculated the rankings, applying a set of financial criteria to some 350 U.S.-based venture-backed businesses in clean technology valued at less than $1 billion. Companies that make everything from fuel cell technologies to carbon-management software were analyzed according to four financial criteria: the track records of success for both a company’s founders and management; track records for the investors on its board; the amount of capital raised in the last three years; and the percentage change in a company’s valuation in the 12 months ended Nov. 30. Dow Jones reporters and editors who cover the venture capital industry also provided their perspective and expertise beyond the numbers.
On March 9, the Journal will publish its first ranking of venture-funded companies — The Next Big Thing: The Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies, which will identify the firms across all industries, valued at less than $1 billion that show the biggest promise of take-off.
Dow Jones VentureSource tracks more than 38,000 venture-backed companies in the U.S., Canada, Europe, China and India, as well as over 14,000 private investment firms world-wide
About eMeter
eMeter provides essential software that enables electric, gas and water utilities to realize the full benefits of Smart Grid. Leading utilities worldwide depend on eMeter Smart Grid Management software to reduce operational costs, improve customer service, and drive energy efficiency. With the most large-scale deployments in the industry and strategic partnerships with Accenture, IBM, Logica, and Siemens, eMeter has built a reputation for unparalleled expertise that ensures customer success. For more information visit: www.emeter.com.
Media Contact:
Kyle Arteaga
Global Head of Corporate Communications
eMeter Corporation
2215 Bridgepointe Parkway Suite 300
San Mateo, CA 94404
+1(415) 218-5569
kyle.arteaga@emeter.com