$1.9 BILL VC MONEY IN SUN

2011 Sees $1.9 Billion in Solar Venture Capital, $4 Billion in M&A; No Sign of ‘Solyndra Effect’ Yet
January 9, 2012 (Mercom Capital Group)

"…Venture capital (VC) funding and M&A activity were strong in 2011, setting records for number of deals and M&A activity…

"…VC investment in solar totaled $1.9 billion in 111 deals in 2011—the highest number of deals ever in a single year. By comparison, there were 65 VC deals in 2010, 84 in 2009, 93 in 2008, and 71 in 2007…"

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"…The top VC investor of 2011 was Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which completed eight transactions, followed by GE and Good Energies, with six transactions each. There were 182 VC investors in solar in 2011…

"…While Solyndra dominated headlines in the United States and globally, over $700 million worth of VC investment came after the solar manufacturer’s bankruptcy announcement on August 31, 2011…Fourth quarter VC funding totaled $511 million, compared to $372 million in Q3, $354 million in Q2, and $658 million in Q1…"