The smart home is a product category marked by hype and unfulfilled promises. Now, entrepreneurs and investors think improved technology will get consumers to finally bite on home automation. Earlier this month, Savant Systems said it raised $90 million from private equity firm Kohler Kravis Roberts (KKR) to expand its product line and ramp up marketing. … Continue reading “Former Barnes & Noble CEO Goes Long on Smart Home”
Author: Martin LaMonica
Martin is a veteran journalist covering science, technology, and business from Cambridge, MA. He writes about energy and technology for Xconomy, MIT Technology Review, the Boston Globe, the Guardian, Scientific American, IEEE Spectrum, and others. For ten years, he was senior editor at CNET where he covered clean tech, the Web, and tech companies. During the dotcom boom and bust, he was executive editor at enterprise IT publication InfoWorld and previously was the Paris correspondent for the IDG News Service. He graduated from Cornell University.
OLED Startup Kateeva Hauls in Samsung as Investor
OLED displays have a lot to offer: screens can be flexible and thin, produce great images, and consume little power. But the high cost of producing them for large-format TVs has kept the technology out of the mainstream. Menlo Park, CA-based Kateeva thinks its technology can bring the price down—and it’s got a new round … Continue reading “OLED Startup Kateeva Hauls in Samsung as Investor”
Cleantech Startups Seek to Scrub Dirty Industries, Not Kill Them Off
Startup Liquid Light’s technique of turning waste CO2 into chemicals is intriguing to anyone who cares about reducing greenhouse gases. But when it comes to selling the technology to potential customers, lowering emissions is mostly just an afterthought. The Monmouth, NJ-based company on Thursday said it raised $15 million in a Series B round from … Continue reading “Cleantech Startups Seek to Scrub Dirty Industries, Not Kill Them Off”
The Knowledge Worker’s Next Must-Have Gadget: A Telepresence Robot
If robotics startups get it right, the next piece of hardware you expense to your company may be a telepresence robot, a pedestal-shaped machine that will let you scoot around a remote office to check in on colleagues. Robots are already used in factories, warehouses, and to vacuum people’s floors, but they have yet to … Continue reading “The Knowledge Worker’s Next Must-Have Gadget: A Telepresence Robot”
GlassPoint Pulls in $53M from Oman to Pump Oil With Solar Power
It’s not often that a solar energy startup makes its name in the fossil fuel industry, but that’s exactly where Fremont, CA-based GlassPoint wants to be. The company today said it has raised $53 million in an equity investment from a sovereign wealth fund run by Oman as well as Shell and existing investors. The … Continue reading “GlassPoint Pulls in $53M from Oman to Pump Oil With Solar Power”
How the Fukushima Disaster Made a Name for Nuke Startup Kurion
Nuclear waste startup Kurion went from a tiny company betting heavily on government work to one that overnight became a key supplier to the crippled Fukushima power plant. Having gone through trial by fire in Japan, the company now hopes to sell its waste-removing technology to power plants around the world. The Irvine, CA-based company … Continue reading “How the Fukushima Disaster Made a Name for Nuke Startup Kurion”
What Tesla’s Gigafactory Means for Battery Startups
The most exciting news of the year in electric vehicles came today with the announcement that Tesla Motors will build its giant lithium ion battery factory in Nevada. It’s a huge vote of confidence in the future of EVs, but at the same time it points to the long road startups face getting their novel battery … Continue reading “What Tesla’s Gigafactory Means for Battery Startups”
Oasys Loves That Dirty Water From Fracking and Now, Coal Plants
Everyone knows there’s a need for technologies to make fresh water safe for drinking. But Oasys Water has found the strongest demand for its technology comes from treating some of the nastiest water around, particularly wastewater associated with fossil fuels. On Tuesday, the Boston-based company said its forward-osmosis water purification system will be used at … Continue reading “Oasys Loves That Dirty Water From Fracking and Now, Coal Plants”
FINSix Wants You to Ditch Laptop “Brick” for Its Small, Stylish Adapter
Some emerging technologies first come to market in business-to-business applications—LED lights, for example, took hold in TVs before consumer bulbs. Hardware startup FINSix has found the opposite to be true: its initial product will be squarely aimed at consumers, thanks in large part to a successful Kickstarter campaign. Early next year, the company plans to … Continue reading “FINSix Wants You to Ditch Laptop “Brick” for Its Small, Stylish Adapter”
One-time Media Darling Sun Catalytix Acquired by Lockheed Martin
The trajectory of energy startup Sun Catalytix is enough to give anybody motion sickness. After five years of ups and downs, though, Lockheed Martin this week said it acquired Sun Catalytix’s assets and will explore using the company’s flow battery in energy projects. As part of a larger conglomerate, Cambridge, MA-based Sun Catalytix’s technology stands … Continue reading “One-time Media Darling Sun Catalytix Acquired by Lockheed Martin”
Mobile Development Startups Think Big, Rake in Big Rounds
The mobile app economy is thriving, but can startups make money—and IPO-style returns for investors—by supplying software to the developers who write those apps? A number of mobile upstarts are betting on it. San Francisco-based Xamarin last week pulled in $54 million in Series C financing, which it claims is the largest single round for … Continue reading “Mobile Development Startups Think Big, Rake in Big Rounds”
Zuli Brings Smart Home to Your Pocket (via the Smartphone)
Zuli thinks the smart phone is the Trojan Horse for home automation. Now, it has seed funding to advance that idea. The San Francisco-based company today said it has raised $1.65 million from investors including Menlo Ventures, Winklevoss Capital, Logitech, DeNA, XG Ventures, and angel investors. With the money, Zuli will be able to expand … Continue reading “Zuli Brings Smart Home to Your Pocket (via the Smartphone)”
Sakti3 Claims Breakthrough, a Sign of Life for Next-Gen Batteries
[Corrected, 9:35 pm.] Ask an engineer why we power our cars with gasoline rather than electric batteries and you’ll get a geeky answer: energy density. Said another way, gasoline holds far more energy in a given space than any battery ever has. Ann Arbor, MI-based Sakti3 yesterday published test results that show its battery has … Continue reading “Sakti3 Claims Breakthrough, a Sign of Life for Next-Gen Batteries”
How to Fund an Atomic Startup
Within the course of two weeks, three nuclear power startups said they received funding from venture investors—a remarkable occurrence given the prevailing wisdom that capital-intensive energy companies are not a good fit for venture capital. Nuclear power startups Helion Energy and UPower Technologies said they received backing from Bay Area incubator Y Combinator, which funded … Continue reading “How to Fund an Atomic Startup”
Siluria Bags $30M from Saudi Aramco for Natural-Gas-to-Gasoline Tech
Many startups are seeking to take advantage of cheap and abundant natural gas to make chemicals and fuels, but Siluria Technologies is one of the few moving to large-scale production. The San Francisco-based company today said that Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures has invested $30 million of a planned $50 million Series D round expected to … Continue reading “Siluria Bags $30M from Saudi Aramco for Natural-Gas-to-Gasoline Tech”
Why It’s a Great Time to Be a Database Geek (and Entrepreneur)
Database technology, while never the sexiest area, is attracting more money as legions of startups bet they can address a new class of big data-driven challenges—and dethrone database giants like Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft. San Francisco-based Splice Machine topped off an $18 million Series B round earlier this month to advance its novel database, which … Continue reading “Why It’s a Great Time to Be a Database Geek (and Entrepreneur)”
After $150M Raised, What Went Wrong at Fuel Cell Startup Lilliputian
[Updated 8/15/14, 1 pm. See below] Lilliputian Systems had the makings of a successful MIT spinout: novel technology, seasoned entrepreneurs, and plenty of money. Today, the company no longer has a website and next month it will shut its doors after selling off its intellectual property and burning through some $150 million in funding. If … Continue reading “After $150M Raised, What Went Wrong at Fuel Cell Startup Lilliputian”
Electric Imp Raises $15 Million to Go Big on Internet of Things
Electric Imp is among the companies trying to build the technical plumbing to make the Internet of things work securely and reliably—and make money doing so. The Los Altos, CA-based startup today said it has raised $15 million in a Series B round, which brought in new investors Foxconn Technology Group, PTI Ventures, and Rampart … Continue reading “Electric Imp Raises $15 Million to Go Big on Internet of Things”
Startups Warm to Urban Agriculture; Can They Reward Investors?
Using a smartphone, Jon Friedman can run a whole network of high-tech, urban farms. His company, Freight Farms, developed an app that allows farmers to control the growing conditions of truck-sized shipping containers filled with racks of hydroponically grown veggies. Before starting Freight Farms, Friedman and co-founder Brad McNamara had no background in food. But once … Continue reading “Startups Warm to Urban Agriculture; Can They Reward Investors?”
LED Maker Xicato Plots Move into “Internet of Lights”
As an executive at Philips, Gerard Harbers developed technology that helped expand the use of LED lighting in TV monitors, streetlights, and outdoor signs. But when it came to the LEDs in his own home, he couldn’t stand the quality of light. Motivated by his own experience, he co-founded Xicato to create light from LEDs … Continue reading “LED Maker Xicato Plots Move into “Internet of Lights””
Funding Options Shrink for Early-Stage Cleantech Ventures
The term “cleantech” has gone through a rebranding. However it’s defined, though, investment in energy and natural resource-related startups continues. Just don’t expect venture capitalists to be writing all the checks. As a reporter, I chronicled the rush of venture capital in cleantech in the mid-to-late 2000s and the subsequent financial bust and politicization of … Continue reading “Funding Options Shrink for Early-Stage Cleantech Ventures”
Nuclear Startup Transatomic Power Lands $2M From Founders Fund
Transatomic Power wants to build a new type of nuclear reactor, an endeavor that could take many years and hundreds of millions of dollars. Today, the startup is announcing that it’s landed a venture investor—Founders Fund—willing to bankroll one early step in the journey. Cambridge, MA-based Transatomic has raised $2 million from FF Science, a … Continue reading “Nuclear Startup Transatomic Power Lands $2M From Founders Fund”
Green Charge Networks Bags $56M to Expand Smart Battery Market
Traditionally, batteries have had few uses in commercial buildings. But a handful of companies are reinventing batteries, making them connected devices that can cut utility bills without an upfront investment. Santa Clara, CA-based Green Charge Networks said Tuesday it has raised $56 million from K Road DG, a private equity firm focused on distributed energy, … Continue reading “Green Charge Networks Bags $56M to Expand Smart Battery Market”
Drone Startups, Like Airware, Seek Profit in Software and the Cloud
Airware is a drone company that won’t be selling any drones. And it’s not alone: as the emerging market for commercial drones takes shape, a number of startups plan to earn profits by developing software and services for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), rather than focusing just on the hardware. San Francisco-based Airware said last week … Continue reading “Drone Startups, Like Airware, Seek Profit in Software and the Cloud”
Bloom Energy Lands Utility to Fund “Energy Servers”
Bloom Energy has found a surprising financial partner—utility Exelon—to fund installation of its walk-in freezer-size fuel cells. The Sunnyvale, CA-based company said on Tuesday that Chicago-based Exelon will provide financing for Bloom’s generators, called “energy servers,” at commercial sites such as office parks. It’s the first time an energy company has provided capital to finance … Continue reading “Bloom Energy Lands Utility to Fund “Energy Servers””
Energy Startups Take Page From Tech Playbook, Build Data Platforms
A standard playbook in the tech industry is to try to build a “platform” on top of which a company can attract developers and partners—and build revenue. In the energy industry, though, the notion of technology platforms and partner ecosystems is more or less non-existent. That could change, though, as more technology entrepreneurs cross over … Continue reading “Energy Startups Take Page From Tech Playbook, Build Data Platforms”
Solar Survivors: Bay Area Startups Innovate Under the Radar
The solar industry has had a brutal shakeout, making it very difficult for any solar energy startup to introduce next-generation cell technology. But, despite the fierce global price competition—and the flight of many venture investors from solar—there are a few signs that interest in novel solar technology is picking up. Milipitas, CA-based Solexel on Tuesday … Continue reading “Solar Survivors: Bay Area Startups Innovate Under the Radar”
Alphabet Energy Wants to Be the “Intel of Waste Heat Recovery”
Alphabet Energy wants to make electricity from hot air. The Hayward, CA-based company later this year will release what it says will be the first large-scale thermoelectric generator to convert heat from industrial activities into usable power. Earlier this month, Alphabet Energy licensed a material developed at Michigan State University that will go into the … Continue reading “Alphabet Energy Wants to Be the “Intel of Waste Heat Recovery””