Summit Overview

With 500 registrations, the Essential CleanTech Investor Summit 2009 completely sold out. 450 investors, innovators and influencers within clean technology and renewable energy attended on the day. The Investor Summit was Europe’s largest event focused around investors and deal-makers.

The Summit focused on the challenges, issues and opportunities that affect investment decisions for professionals from the private equity, venture capital, project finance and investment banking industries. Generous breaks provided numerous leads for companies, investors and advisors to actively discuss deals, expand their network and set up external meetings to push projects forward.

The morning saw engaging debate and audience participation on key industry trends, and a measured consideration of the future for investment for environmental technology and renewable energy. Mainstream Renewable Power corporate finance director Fintan Whelan provoked impassioned responses from executives of technology companies raising capital during his insightful case study on how he and his colleagues raised capital through 2008 and 2009 to invest in renewable energy projects.

David Kennedy, CEO of the Committee for Climate Change, provided the second keynote of the day, discussing the committee’s independent policy recommendations to encourage the adoption of substantial renewable energy sources and energy efficiency technologies. However, a panel with leading venture capitalists highlighted that, due to the current climate, the industry is avoiding the risk of investing in the very early stage ventures that could potentially provide the technological solutions for the development of a low-carbon economy.

Tom Murley of HgCapital gave a perceptive presentation on the capital intensity of infrastructure projects, but highlighted the scale and opportunity for investors in renewable energy infrastructure over the next decade. Intriguingly, a panel of expert investment bankers agreed that M&A activity had shifted from the US to Europe and Asia, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the ensuing crisis in late 2008. Later in the day, Magma Energy CEO Ross Beaty and panellists from international exchanges noted the high cost of taking a company public, but underscored that now stock exchanges were beginning to thaw, more exposure for deals and easier access to capital would benefit certain renewable energy companies

Further discussions, hosted by senior investors, considered the funding conditions for companies in five main industry sectors: solar energy, new innovation and processes, bioenergy, wind energy and energy efficiency, transmission and storage. Energetic networking continued into the evening reception drinks, with many delegates staying to conclude conversations initiated earlier in the day.

Interviews, presentations and video content from the Summit will be added to the NewNet Site on an ongoing basis.

Forthcoming event

Our next event is the Clean Energy LP-GP Forum taking place on the 23rd March 2010 at One Whitehall Place, London. Join an exclusive group of 50 LPs and 50 GPs actively investing in opportunities in the clean energy and environmental technology.