CEO, Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Stories naming Ian Learmonth. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
RenewEconomy questions why Wesfarmers, whose Bunnings chain already runs on fully renewable power, is receiving $100 million in concessional government finance for more solar, batteries and EV charging.
The fund's authors recap two climate-investment events, weighing the massive global capital needs, mixed public-private funding models, and its clean-economy portfolio activity in Victoria.
The CEFC has committed $75 million in debt funding to Rino Recycling's new Brisbane plant recycling construction and demolition waste, its largest investment to date from its recycling fund.
Roundup of Australian manufacturing items: Manildra draws on CEFC money to quit coal, Ankere Therapeutics launches with seed backing, Micro-X gear reaches Ukraine, plus a vessel naming, precinct tenders, an FFI appointment and a cable rebrand.
Envirotech startup Samsara has raised $6 million from Main Sequence, W23 and the CEFC to build a recycling plant and grow its enzyme-based plastics technology team.
Soil carbon measurement startup Downforce Technologies closed a $3 million seed round backed by CEFC's Clean Energy Innovation Fund, Perivoli Innovations and Tiverton, with Australia as its first target market.
An EV charging company has closed a Series B of over A$25 million led by RACV, with the CEFC's innovation fund, Claremont Capital and earlier individual backers taking part; its 2020 Series A is also recalled.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has committed $37 million to X-Elio's 200MW Blue Grass solar farm in Queensland, lending alongside ING and SMBC, with the project using bifacial panels and half-cut cells.
Novalith raised a $2.5 million seed round backed by the CEFC's Clean Energy Innovation Fund and a Grantham trust vehicle, funding a Sydney pilot plant for its low-carbon lithium extraction technology.
Also RenewEconomy·Startup Daily·Cut Through Venture·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany
All G Foods, a Sydney maker of alternative proteins, has secured $16m in seed funding, with $5m of it from the CEFC's Clean Energy Innovation Fund, and its burgers reach IGA shelves.
Also Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing
Electrolyser developer Hysata has raised $5 million, led by IP Group with a $750,000 commitment from the CEFC through its Clean Energy Innovation Fund, to commercialise technology developed at the University of Wollongong.
Also RenewEconomy·@AuManufacturing·RenewEconomy·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation committed $5 million to livestock software firm AgriWebb within a larger capital raising led by TELUS Ventures, funding emissions-tracking tools; an earlier Loam Bio investment is also recalled.
Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Crunchbase News·RenewEconomy·AgFunderNews·Cut Through Venture·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·TechCrunch Venture·Beef Central / Grain Central
Australia's green bank put $US7 million into Dr Zhengrong Shi's Sunman, the largest share of a $US12 million round for its lightweight flexible solar panels, alongside Southern Cross Ventures and Shi's own money.
Also @AuManufacturing
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Cannon-Brookes family vehicle commit cornerstone capital to Tenacious Ventures, a new Australian agrifood venture fund backing early-stage startups, and recalls Sundrop Farms' sale to Morrison & Co.