didn’t quite say it directly, but it doesn’t seem to be cleantech, especially early-stage cleantech ventures. “I’m looking at existing companies with revenue streams,” Maeder says, emphasizing he wants to invest in “real companies, not science projects.” Maeder says this could involve rollups of services businesses, for example. But the bottom line is “I’m looking for real businesses, because I think there’s a lot of stuff being done that’s very productive but underfinanced.”
Maeder says his investments will come from Highland’s general fund—and that the firm does not plan a dedicated energy fund, at least not now. Though he was evaluating deals almost as we spoke, Maeder wouldn’t give a timetable for Highland’s next energy investment. “If you could tell me when we’re going to hit bottom with the Dow, I could tell you when I’m going to make my next investment.”
The Highland general partner will be looking far and wide for investments, but says he is partial to the New England area, where he thinks a lot is happening. “MIT is a real hotbed of activity. There are a lot of interesting businesses around here.”
Author: Robert Buderi
Bob is Xconomy's founder and chairman. He is one of the country's foremost journalists covering business and technology. As a noted author and magazine editor, he is a sought-after commentator on innovation and global competitiveness. Before taking his most recent position as a research fellow in MIT's Center for International Studies, Bob served as Editor in Chief of MIT's Technology Review, then a 10-times-a-year publication with a circulation of 315,000. Bob led the magazine to numerous editorial and design awards and oversaw its expansion into three foreign editions, electronic newsletters, and highly successful conferences. As BusinessWeek's technology editor, he shared in the 1992 National Magazine Award for The Quality Imperative.
Bob is the author of four books about technology and innovation. Naval Innovation for the 21st Century (2013) is a post-Cold War account of the Office of Naval Research. Guanxi (2006) focuses on Microsoft's Beijing research lab as a metaphor for global competitiveness. Engines of Tomorrow (2000) describes the evolution of corporate research. The Invention That Changed the World (1996) covered a secret lab at MIT during WWII. Bob served on the Council on Competitiveness-sponsored National Innovation Initiative and is an advisor to the Draper Prize Nominating Committee. He has been a regular guest of CNBC's Strategy Session and has spoken about innovation at many venues, including the Business Council, Amazon, eBay, Google, IBM, and Microsoft.
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