Cleantech Group, LLC got started in Ann Arbor in 2002 and now its very name represents an entire category of investment. "Cleantech is those technologies that increase better utililization of natural resources, non-pollution, moving towards zero carbon footprint, greater efficiency, those looking at alternative energy sources. It crosses all industries," says chief operating officer Craig Cuddeback.
Cleantech can be found in IT, in a type of software that tracks energy efficiency or the development of a battery with increased life. In energy, a company that is creating clean-burning coal or perfecting wind, solar or geothermal energy would be a cleantech investment candidate. In construction, better insulation or, in agriculture, a technique that reduces the use of fertilizer: all cleantech, and likely to be on Cleantech's radar.
Cleantech Group plays a role of facilitator, matching up investors with companies developing clean technology and those same companies with organizations that can help them grow. They also track investment data back to 1999, so they are able to provide detailed information-- on who is investing in what and how much has been invested-- to their members and the media. They count over 1,000 members, referred to as the "investor elite" by Cuddeback, and more than 18,000 companies, government entities and investors are in their global network.
The company opened an office in China earlier in 2007 and will launch in San Francisco and London before the end of the year. Australia and India are next, says Cuddeback, but headquarters will remain here. The Ann Arbor office currently has 22 employees with four open positions available. "We plan on continuing to grow in Michigan," he says.
Source: Craig Cuddeback, Cleantech GroupWriter: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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