VCs and the Feds Have Pumped Billions into Solar Start-Ups but Only a Few Will Survive. We Pick Some Potential Winners and Losers.
The phenomenal promise of solar power technologies and markets has spurred venture firms to finance more than 250 new solar firms in the last few years. Each one of these 250 firms is looking for a 10% market share. (We've listed most of these firms in the 150 Solar Start-Ups series - soon to be updated).
VCs pumped $4.5 billion into greentech in 2009 and consistent with the last four years, solar power was once again the leading greentech investment segment at more than $1.4 billion in 84 deals.
Here's a list of the solar companies funded in just the fourth quarter of 2009:
Now that the business plans have been launched and funding has taken place, is there a way to pick winners and losers from this pool of solar entrepreneurs? Only a few of these firms will survive - that's not cynicism, that's just VC start-up math....MUCH MORE
