Clean-tech investing set a record in the second quarter led by a handful of large deals.
The up tick by venture capitalists suggests investment levels should remain strong through the rest of the year.
But there is caution in the figures released by the National Venture Capital Association, Thomson Reuters and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The number of companies receiving money remained largely unchanged from the first quarter, indicating that the investment surge is confined to a relatively small group of start-ups.
The quarterly MoneyTree survey found venture capitalists invested $1.47 billion in clean-tech start-ups during the three months, a 107 percent increase from the first quarter of 2010. (The increase was an even greater 198 percent from the second quarter of last year, when the recession gripped the economy.)
Seventy-one companies received money in the quarter, compared with 70 in the first quarter.
The MoneyTree numbers are the second set of figures to confirm the quarterly investment trends. Earlier this month, the Cleantech Group found a 65 percent quarterly rise with big deals leading the way. The Cleantech Group measures investments worldwide, which partly explains the differences. The MoneyTree surveys focuses on the U.S.
Among the top deals, electric-car battery-swapping company Better Place raised $350 million, the fourth largest deal in the past 15 years.
Also in the top ten, solar plant developer BrightSource raised $150 million; solar technology developer Stion raised $70 million; lithium-ion battery maker Boston Power raised $62 million; electric-car maker Miles Electric Vehicles raised $57 million and solar system financer SunRun raised $55 million.
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