“The Green-Light for Ethical Investment and Returns”

GreenWire – Issue 10 – February, 2012

Letter from Bob de Wit, CEO of GreenAngel Energy

No matter the industry, state of the markets, or consumer sentiment, investment in well-run businesses with excellent technological innovation will always trend upward. As the commercialization process continues for our investee companies, it is becoming more evident that their technology is going to make a significant impact in their respective industries. Stay tuned for our Showcase and AGM coming in May which will feature all six of our current investments and give you a sneak peak for what’s on the GAE investment horizon.

With a value of over $100 billion and significantly increased consumer adoption over the past several years, the global solid-state lighting industry is a good place to be right now. With technology from GreenAngel investee company Light-Based Technologies, the challenge for mass adoption of LED lighting is becoming easier to control. LBT does just that, they develop technology that provides superior control for dimming and colour selection in LED lighting. Our feature article this month includes a brief overview of the current solid-state lighting industry and a description of how LBT fits in.

It seems as though when it comes to technology angel investing, greentech, or tech start-up incubation in Vancouver, all roads lead to our Chairman Mike Volker. Following the release of his newest e-book, which coaches management of start-ups on their pitch to investors, he was interviewed by Business in Vancouver. The book is available through a free download (we’ve provided the link below) and is a must-read for anyone who wants to get inside the mind of one of Canada’s foremost technology angel investors.

Even though it’s been on our website for more than a month, the summary of McKinsey’s 2011 Resource Revolution study continues to be one of our most viewed posts. If you haven’t read it yet, now might be a good time to get an idea of how the GreenAngel Energy investment model might be the norm for energy investment in the future. Similar to how many investors currently place bets on companies looking to expose natural resources, an early-stage tech company is similarly developing technology that will become a necessary resource for consumers. Read our McKinsey Resource Revolution summary article below.

The 2011 RRSP deadline has passed, however we would still like to encourage eligible individuals to consider learning more about our tax-advantaged VCC. The provincial government has provided a very attractive offer for eligible or accredited investors looking to invest in a high-profile Greentech venture through the GreenAngel VCC. Learn More.

The GreenAngel blog is always a great place to get fresh news on our investees’ activity, along with recent Cleantech Industry trends. If you have an industry topic you want us to cover, a suggestion for the website or resource centre, or something you’d like more info on, please don’t hesitate to email us at info@greenangelenergy.ca or contact us via our social media channels.

Sincerely,
Bob de Wit

Featured Blog Posts for February of 2012

A “Light-Based” Industry – LED’s Represent the Future

The GreenAngel Energy board of directors predict that LED-control technology start-up “Light-Based Technologies” (LBT) will be the Q1 2012 shining star in the GAE portfolio. The lighting industry, specifically in the solid-state sector, is a good indicator that LBT is positioned well for near-term success. Global lighting giant Philips reported in early 2012 that LED lighting makes up 18% of their total lighting sales more than 8 billion Euros annually. Good news for investee company LBT, which holds critical patents in LED control technology.

Mike Volker Featured in Business in Vancouver Magazine

As a “green angel investor” and director of Simon Fraser University’s Innovation Office, Mike Volker hears a lot of pitches from clean-tech startups and often marvels at entrepreneurs’ ability to pitch good ideas so badly. So when a U.K.-based e-book publisher asked him to write a booklet about selling the sizzle and the steak of business ideas, he wrote Making the Business Case, which became available to download free last week on bookboon.com/making-the-business-case. GAE Syndicated article – originally written by Business in Vancouver Publishing.

Easy-to-Read McKinsey Resource Revolution Summary

In case you missed it last time! In a recently released McKinsey Global Institutes report entitled Resource Revolution: Meeting the world’s energy, materials, food, and water needs, the minds at McKinsey took a deep look into the state of the planet and have provided insights into how society can adjust to meet the needs of the growing population. This article discusses the McKinsey findings and features the GAE investee companies that are in line with this research.