In the early 2000s, Silicon Valley scaled up its investment in companies that promoted efficiency, conservation and advances in solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, nuclear and technologies. “Clean technology” became a dirty word for investors by the time the financial crisis hit, and interest in clean tech started its steep decline. Recently, clean tech has made a comeback, rebranded as energy tech, green tech, climate tech or even agricultural tech.
Part of this revival of clean energy companies could be because of the threat of climate change and growing public awareness. Another driver has been the recent spate of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) involving energy companies. A SPAC is a company formed to raise capital through an initial public offering (IPO) to acquire an existing operating company. While such companies are not new, they have recently become popular to access the public capital markets.
Other drivers may include a) potential regulation, b) the rapid growth of technology in the agricultural sector, and c) increased interest of large energy companies seeking to diversify beyond traditional energy technology. For example, Halliburton Company, a client of our law firm, has created Halliburton Labs — a collaborative environment where entrepreneurs, academics, investors and industrial labs come together to advance cleaner, affordable energy.
Excerpted from Silicon Valley Business Journal. To read the full article, click here.
Part of this revival of clean energy companies could be because of the threat of climate change and growing public awareness. Another driver has been the recent spate of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) involving energy companies. A SPAC is a company formed to raise capital through an initial public offering (IPO) to acquire an existing operating company. While such companies are not new, they have recently become popular to access the public capital markets.
Other drivers may include a) potential regulation, b) the rapid growth of technology in the agricultural sector, and c) increased interest of large energy companies seeking to diversify beyond traditional energy technology. For example, Halliburton Company, a client of our law firm, has created Halliburton Labs — a collaborative environment where entrepreneurs, academics, investors and industrial labs come together to advance cleaner, affordable energy.
Excerpted from Silicon Valley Business Journal. To read the full article, click here.