FEBRUARY, 2019
Greetings from David Kenney
President & Executive Director
Making National Headlines, Local Impact
It's rewarding to see more and more cleanech startups that have been supported by VertueLab over the years making headlines in national media outlets like Inc. Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Outside Magazine, Bloomberg News, and others. Moving clean technologies off the lab bench and out into the marketplace takes more time than software and other technologies. Which is why clean technology startups require infusions of patient capital from donors and investors who want to see
real impact from their money first and foremost.
Today, a growing number of these donors are millennials - young women and men driven to solve the climate crisis and other environmental challenges by putting their money where their values are. When it comes to reversing climate change, time is of the essence, which is why we're working hard
today to accelerate the most promising climate solutions of
tomorrow. At VertueLab, we don't innovate new clean technologies - we help the innovators and entrepreneurs who do. And we offer a way for visionary donors to help them change the world. Read more about all of this, and more, below.
Thanks for your support,
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Solar Panel Coating Boosts Energy Output, Cuts Dirt
Startup lands investment funding to speed technology to market
VertueLab-supported startup
Pellucere Techologies, Inc., formerly CSD Nano, has secured a major investment from Energy Innovation Capital (EIC) to advance its proprietary
MoreSun® coating (
pictured above), which increases energy output from solar panels by up to five percent and reduces dirt/dust buildup on panels by 90 percent. The investment will enable Pellucere to begin full-scale commercial deployment of its anti-reflective and anti-soiling coating in the utility-scale solar market. Independent testing shows the coating, which can be applied to any solar array, increases total energy output by as much as 4.7 percent.
Read the PV Magazine article.
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VERTUELAB-SUPPORTED COMPANIES
IN THE NEWS
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Meeting Your Mentor Hero on the Pages of Inc. Magazine
To mark its 40th anniversary,
Inc. Magazine is connecting 40 mentor heroes with 40 founders for a year of mentoring in the Founders Project. The first pairing features Stonyfield Farm co-founder
Gary Hirshberg and
Emily Darchuk, founder of the VertueLab-supported startup
Wheyward Spirit (
both pictured above). Located in Eugene, Oregon, Wheyward Spirit uses excess whey from dairies to make vodka in a process that cuts food waste and has a significantly lower carbon and water footprint than equivalent grain-based spirits.
Read more in Inc. Magazine.
Gadusol's Nontoxic Sunscreen Featured in Forbes
Forbes Magazine recently featured VertueLab-supported startup
Gadusol Laboratories and its work developing a nontoxic sunscreen based on gadusol, a compound found in fish and other marine life that protects from sunburn but doesn't harm coral reefs the way most sunscreens do.
Read more in Forbes.
Startup Wins $225,000 to Improve Wastewater Treatment
MAIA Analytica, a VertueLab-supported startup, has been awarded a $225,000 Phase I SBIR grant from the NSF for a technology originally developed at Oregon State University. The Corvallis, Oregon, startup is commercializing AI tools that will help wastewater treatment operators improve treatment. "VertueLab was instrumental in our receiving this award, providing early funds needed to successfully apply for the highly competitive grant," says Keaton Lesnick, Co-founder and CEO of MAIA.
Smart Home Technology Maker Inks New Partnership
VertueLab-supported startup
IOTAS, provider of multifamily industry smart home experience, has entered a new partnership with custom-branded resident app innovator Mobile Doorman. The agreement promises to usher in an all-in-one smart management tool that can be leveraged by both rental communities and residents.
Read more in Forbes.
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THE GREAT DEBATE: CONVERTIBLE NOTE VS. PREFERRED SHARES
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Calling All Entrepreneurs Considering Startup Funding
A unique debate about convertible note vs. preferred stock
Join us for an entertaining discussion of raising funding for a startup in a debate format.
The Great Debate: Convertible Note vs. Preferred Shares will feature
Neil Nathanson and
Ann McQuesten of Perkins Coie debating that question, while
Ken Vaughn, Director of Impact Investments at VertueLab, moderates. Nathanson claims, “The convertible promissory note has been the foundation for the American dream!”, while McQuesten proclaims, “Preferred stock has been the correct choice since the days of Shakespeare - neither a borrower nor a lender be!” Join us for the free event on Wednesday, March 20 at 4:00 p.m., Perkins Coie, 1120 NW Couch Street, 10th Floor, Portland, OR
RSVP here
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STORIES, NEWS, & TIPS ABOUT
IMPACT INVESTING
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A Younger Generation is Impacting Investing, and More
Millennials want more than just financial return
In the February issue of
GreenMoney, millennial entrepreneurs share their experiences of shareholder activism, careers in impact investing, and how their generation expresses social, political, and environmental values with their money. This new generation of investors wants their money aligned with their values and desires to ensure a more sustainable planet. They are looking to invest for both performance
and impact, which is precisely where VertueLab is focused - funding cleantech startups, helping them accelerate new climate solutions to market, and measuring impact.
Read more.
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EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES,
AND FUNDING
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES & UPCOMING EVENTS
Western Canada’s largest annual innovation event, the #BCTECHSummit, showcases BC's vibrant technology industry, builds cross-sector and cross-border opportunities, and explores the latest ideas and innovations that are solving challenges and fueling the global economy.
Learn more. (NOTE:
VertueNEWS readers can use the code
BCTECH19-INDUSTRY
to get a $100 discount off registration price.) Vancouver, BC
A discussion of raising funding for startups in an entertaining debate format, this free event features Neil Nathanson and Ann McQuesten of Perkins Coie debating preferred shares vs. the convertible note, while Ken Vaughn, Director of Impact Investments at VertueLab, moderates.
RSVP here. Portland, OR
Learn about resources. Feel inspired by shared stories. Be empowered by opportunities. Includes a panel discussion about securing follow-on funding, followed by a panel of rockstar women entrepreneurs fueling their startup ventures with fundraising, government grants, bootstrapping, and true grit. Also includes one-on-one meetings with VertueLab's SBIR/STTR grant expert, Leon Wolf. Portland, OR
Reserve your spot here.
Last year, the nation's best regional solar conference attracted more than 430 attendees representing 170 companies and featured a range of exhibitors and sessions. Engage with industry leaders and others at this year's conference. Portland, OR
With more than 800 participants last year, the Roadmap Conference is the nation's largest and most advanced annual conference on electric and smart mobility. Hear from 100+ national and international speakers, dozens of exhibits, regional smart mobility tours, and high-energy interactive sessions.
The U.S. Dept. of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office seeks feedback from industry, academia, research labs, government agencies, and others to identify challenges and opportunities for the American solar industry appropriate for federal government funding.
An opportunity for entrepreneurs seeking investment capital to present their early stage businesses to Willamette Valley Capital for capital investment.
RocketSpace and BP have teamed up on this accelerator to shape the future movement of people, goods, and services. Up to 21 startups are selected to participate.
If your product or service is “Made in America,” your company could qualify for this matching grant funding from the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center.
A group of investors contributes time, expertise, capital, and connections to help founders gain access to the right people and resources to grow their business their way.
Ongoing grants from a wide range of federal agencies that support small business startups and research innovations.
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SUPPORT OUR WORK
TO REVERSE CLIMATE CHANGE
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Stopping Climate Change Will Take All of Us, Now
Your donation helps fund, support, and advance climate solutions
VertueLab helps the innovators and entrepreneurs developing critical climate solutions. Because climate disruption continues to accelerate, it's more critical than ever to ensure these solutions reach the marketplace and achieve scalable impact as soon as possible. Your donation makes a real difference in achieving a sustainable climate future, and we thank you for it. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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Let's Collaborate and Make an Impact!
Resources and expertise for innovators and investors
At
VertueLab
, we support great ideas from entrepreneurs and help donors and investors ensure that their dollars are making a positive impact on the planet by slowing the climate crisis. We collaborate to help transform ideas into successful enterprises and measure the impact all along the way.
Contact us
!
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