Irish cleantech firms seek opportunities in Silicon Valley

The CEOs of 12 Irish cleantech firms are prowling for potential investors and partners in Silicon Valley this week during Enterprise Ireland’s first-ever dedicated Clean Tech Trade mission.

The mission aims to help Ireland’s innovative companies meet with their California counterparts, link up with strategic partners and showcase their technologies to potential buyers and venture capitalists.

“The cleantech sector is rapidly expanding and has seen export growth of over 200 per cent between 2005 and 2007,” said Marina Donohoe, Enterprise Ireland’s environment and life sciences manager. “Ireland’s cleantech sector has traditionally been domestically focused, but worldwide demand for such products and services is growing rapidly. Enterprise Ireland is therefore working to help Irish cleantech companies increase their international reach by building exporting capability within Irish cleantech companies and introducing clients quickly to international market opportunities in key overseas markets.”

Among the cleantech firms represented on the mission are:

• AER, which uses advanced enzyme technology to convert algae and other natural resources into next-generation biofuels. AER says its proprietary approach is faster, more efficient and more cost-effective than prior-generation conversion technologies. AER also supplies biofuels to the Irish market;
• Automsoft, which provides data-management solutions for the utilities, life sciences, oil and gas, mining, and pulp and paper industries;
• BioSpark, a joint venture between Sustainable BioPolymers and Imperative Energy Ltd, which uses next-generation technology to convert organic materials like straw and wood biomass into bio-based products such as ethanol, lactic acid, lignin, methane and hydrogen;
• Episensor, which develops sensors, routers and monitoring software for energy saving in streetlight control systems;
• Kedco, which installs, operates and maintains power generators on partner sites using the partner’s waste product to produce energy that’s sent back into the national energy grid;
• Phive, which designs and manufactures plasma sources for incorporation into equipment used to make thin-film silicon photovoltaic products;
• ResourceKraft, which provides automatic, real-time monitoring and targeting equipment to measure and control electricity, oil and gas consumption;
• ServusNet, which provides operations and maintenance, and operational intelligence software for wind farms and other distributed energy-generation technologies;
• SolarPrint, which is developing dye-sensitised solar cell technology for cheap solar power aimed at consumer electronics;
• Surface Power, which designs, manufactures and distributes renewable energy equipment;
• The City Bin Co., which provides software for waste and recycling services that promotes changes in how people, companies and local government authorities manage waste; and
• Wavebob, a technology company that specialises in ocean wave energy conversion.