The Clean Technology Challenge

In 2006, venture investors pumped $1.28 billion into clean technology companies in China, Europe, Israel and the U.S., the group said today. That’s about double the $664.1 million invested in 2005, according to the research, which was compiled the data with help from Ernst & Young.

Today, Dow Jones Venture One has released a more precise definition to what is meant by “clean technology.”

Companies that directly enable the efficient use of natural resources and reduce the ecological impact of production. Areas of focus include energy, water, agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing where the technology creates less waste or toxicity. The impact of cleantech can be either to provide superior performance at lower costs or to limit the amount of resources needed while maintaining comparable productivity levels.

Where is Sacramento on the Clean Tech map? If area leaders want this region to be branded the Clean Tech epicenter it's time for more action and less talk. Based on the discussions in local circles there is broad support for the concept. Maybe we need a real challenge to do something. Here's a start.

Venture Capital in Sacramento - Invest 20% of your Portfolio in Clean Tech.
Local Government & Business - Go Clean. 100% Clean energy by 2010.
Builders - Build 20% of your New Homes with Clean Energy sources.
SARTA - Incubate Clean Tech and Offer $$$ for companies in Clean Tech to move to Sacramento

Any more?

The Virtual Office just got more crowded

Derek Parham makes the big announcement today:

Now, I'm excited to tell you that our baby has finally graduated and is entering the business world. Google Apps Premier Edition is a new version designed to take on all the challenges presented by businesses with complex IT needs. For $50 per account per year, you get the whole Google Apps package plus many new business-oriented features, including access to our APIs and partner solutions (so it’s easy to integrate with existing systems), conference room scheduling for Calendar, 10GB of inbox storage, extended business hours phone support, and mobile access to your email on BlackBerry devices (just in case you can't get enough at the office).

Google takes a big shot at Microsoft today just as they are preparing to launch Vista Office 2007. It will be interesting to see if the Microsoft Groove Virtual Office and Office Live offerings can compete and don't rule out Zoho Office Suite.

MedInitiatives signs deal with online drug store

A Rancho Cordova-based health information technology company has signed a deal with an online pharmacy communications network to provide software tools to help drug manufacturers and pharmacies evaluate whether their programs are effective.

The agreement between MedInitiatives Inc. and ChainDrugStore.net was announced Tuesday. No financial details were given.

Founded in 2000, MedInitiatives is one of the fastest-growing companies in Greater Sacramento and has annual revenue of more than $8 million.

VSP CEO Joins Web 2.0

Vision Service Plan President and CEO starts a company blog and opens up communication to employees, partners, and customers. In the initial entry on his new company blog Rob Lynch says:

In guiding VSP through our future growth and success, I plan to use this blog to share my thoughts and ideas about eyecare, total wellness, the insurance industry, leadership and managing good people. I look forward to inviting "guest bloggers" who share my passion and offer different perspectives on these subjects, and I hope to inspire an open dialogue with you.

This is a positive step forward for a great company. Bravo Rob!

Venture Capital goes to Hollywood

FACING down stiff competition to win fame and big prize money? Forget singing for Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. Try sequencing DNA for a panel of technology investors.

Yes, something like an “American Idol” for the technorati may be coming to Silicon Valley.

Venture capital firms are considering contests that offer competing engineers and entrepreneurs multimillion-dollar prize purses if they come up with innovative technologies in various industries.

The concept is getting an introduction on March 3 at a fund-raiser at Google. The event is intended to raise a chunk of $50 million to operate the X Prize Foundation, a nonprofit group that already has awarded $10 million to designers of a private spacecraft.

The foundation plans to use the money to develop prizes in fields like medicine, poverty reduction and fuel-efficient cars. But the foundation’s next stage of prize-giving will also include partnerships with venture capitalists who, the group argues, can use prizes to spur entrepreneurs to innovate and, in turn, to create an efficient research and development machine.

Lipomics Measures Up to Agilent

Lipomics Technologies Inc. and Agilent Technologies Inc. today announced that they will collaborate to develop research and diagnostic assays combining Agilent analytical platforms with Lipomics' expertise in biomarker discovery and validation.

The assays will focus on metabolic diseases, a family of related disorders driven in large part by subtle, long-term dysregulation of lipid metabolism. Lipomics Technologies provides quantitative, diagnostically accurate measurements of more than 1,500 metabolites, allowing comprehensive profiling of whole-body lipid metabolism. The company's quantitative methods and expertise in lipid biology drive development of clinically relevant diagnostic and research assays.

"Lipomics has developed considerable expertise in investigating the role that lipid metabolism plays in disease mechanisms," said Michael McNulty, general manager of Diagnostics, Agilent Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis. "Both companies see significant synergies in combining this expertise with Agilent's capabilities to separate, detect and analyze molecules in the development of new diagnostic tools."

WebRasier Bought & Sold

WebRaiser Technologies, which makes software for kiosks, has been snapped up by Flextronics International Ltd. of Singapore.

No details are being released. But Mark Breunig, WebRaiser's senior VP and general counsel, confirms the sale and says a formal announcement is set for a trade show in April. "We don't want to tip our hand to competitors," he says of the company's taciturn stand.

He does note, however, that the sale is a "good exit" for investors.

About 15 employees work at the 10-year-old company, and all are being retained by Flextronics, which is making its second dip into the Sacramento startup market. In December, it purchased Roseville-based International DisplayWorks Inc. for $243 million.

Bob Shallit, Sacbee.com

Revionics Priced for Growth

Sacramento, Ca

Revionics Inc., a company that provides software to help small- and medium-size grocery stores price products, has added C&K Markets to its list of grocery retail customers.

Brookings, Ore.-based C&K Markets is implementing Granite Bay-based Revionics' Advanced Pricing System at all 59 of its stores, including those under the Ray's Food Place, Shop Smart, and Price Less Foods banners.

Founded in 1957, C&K Markets is the largest privately held retail grocery chain in Oregon. The company is supplied by Unified Western Grocers, based in Commerce.

Melanie Turner, BizJournals.com