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Clean Tech solves many problems at once

John Doerr, (a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who made his name with early investments in Sun Microsystems, Netscape and Google) says that Clean Technology “could be the largest economic opportunity of the 21st Century.” 

According to the Cleantech Venture Network, capital investment in renewable energy, water, air and sustainability was more than $1.25 billion in the first quarter of 2008 alone.  In fact, clean tech was not only the fastest growing segment of VC investment, but is now the third largest segment, behind only biotech and IT. 

According to marketing research firm Fuji-Keizai USA, the 2008 global market for cleantech products and services is about $284 billion, growing to over $1.3 trillion in 2017. Of this amount more than one-third ($467 billion) is attributable to renewable energy sources, such as biofuels, solar, tidal, and wind power.  Together these segments are expected to grow from a current value of 104 billion to approximately $467 billion in 2017.  Universities, national laboratories, and the commercial sector (both national and international businesses) continue to increase investment in clean technologies for air pollution control, vehicle power, industrial and residential power, environmental remediation, and many other applications.

The time for Clean Tech has come.

Definition

“Clean” Technologies, or “Clean Tech” are defined as those products or services that simultaneously deliver 1) more effective performance, 2) higher efficiency, 3) better economics, and 4) reduced environmental impact.  As more and more clean technologies become better, faster, and cheaper than conventional counterparts, clean tech is enabling buyers to choose both performance and environment.

Examples of Clean Tech include:
  • Distributed and alternative energy generation and management
  • Energy efficiency solutions
  • Water treatment and management
  • Advanced materials, chemistries, and manufacturing processes
  • Pollution prevention and hazardous material reduction
  • Resource recovery and recycling
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Green products
Shepherd Involvement and Services

Shepherd Advisors builds Clean Tech companies by providing expert management consulting services on business positioning and strategy development, business growth, marketing and sales, and capital raising assistance.  Further, Shepherd facilitates the deployment and use of clean tech solutions by business, government, universities and other institutions. 

Indeed, Shepherd is acutely aware that building the capacity of Clean Tech companies, boosting manufacture of Clean Tech products, and increasing the use of clean technologies has enormous economic development benefits and creates winners all around.  Fostering this win-win-win kind of change is what Shepherd is all about.
 
History

 Loch McCabe, President and Founder of Shepherd Advisors, has been working on Clean Tech solutions since the early 1990’s.  He founded and led the Environmental Capital Network (ECN), which facilitated over $50 million in early-stage investments to Clean Tech companies nationwide.  The Manager for Investor Relations at ECN, Keith Raab, built off of the Network’s foundation to co-found the Cleantech Venture Network in 2002.  ECN blazed the trail, and its heir, the Cleantech Venture Network, now has over 1,300 affiliate members worldwide, and has facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital investment in Clean Tech.

Michigan and Great Lakes States Focus

 Shepherd Advisors has chosen to focus its efforts on bringing Clean Tech to Michigan and the surrounding Great Lakes States.  While much venture capital in the U.S. tends to aggregate on the coasts, Michigan has several key advantages which can make it a national player in the clean tech space.

  • Michigan’s central positioning in North America’s industrial heartland gives Clean Tech companies located here much greater access to potential customers than that experienced by firms located on the coasts. 
  • Michigan has the manufacturing infrastructure, skills, labor, supply chains, etc. in place today to produce Clean Tech products and systems on a cost-effective, mass production basis.  This enables rapidly growing Clean Tech companies to ramp up production more quickly and less expensively. 
  • Clean tech companies have access to world-class universities and think tanks.
National Clean Tech Resources

Cleantech Venture Network
CleanEdge
GreenBiz

Michigan Clean Tech Resources

Reduce Energy Use
NextEnergy