Clean Energy Funds Invest in Konarka; Investors See Significant Benefit in Commercializing Konarka's Renewable Energy Materials.LOWELL, Mass. -- Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and manufacturing breakthrough products that convert light to energy, today announced the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund and California-based Angeleno Group made strategic investments in the Company. These equity investments represent critical new backing for commercializing Konarka's plastic power-producing materials from forward-looking, clean energy venture capitalists Venture Capitalist An investor who provides capital to either start-up ventures or support small companies who wish to expand but do not have access to public funding. Notes: Venture capitalists usually expect higher returns for the additional risks taken. that fund technology companies working to alleviate Alleviate To make something easier to be endured. Mentioned in: Kinesiology, Applied the world's energy crisis. "The increased awareness of the United States' dependence on foreign fossil fuels fossil fuel: see energy, sources of; fuel. fossil fuel Any of a class of materials of biologic origin occurring within the Earth's crust that can be used as a source of energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. , declining air quality and need for reliable electricity to power our daily lives intensifies the need for innovation in renewable energy Renewable energy utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels for transportation. technology. It is fundamental to the health of the economy and our society," said Howard Berke, chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Konarka. "With Konarka gaining backing from energy investors on both the East and West coasts, we've proved we are building a company that can lessen less·en v. less·ened, less·en·ing, less·ens v.tr. 1. To make less; reduce. 2. Archaic To make little of; belittle. v.intr. To become less; decrease. consumer need for traditional power both here and abroad." Konarka has demonstrated it understands U.S. energy issues by grounding themselves in two of the most key renewable energy markets, where legislation, progressive initiatives and a portfolio of companies that can positively impact the crisis are valued and thriving. "The Green Energy Fund plays a key role in helping Massachusetts-based companies bring important new renewable energy New renewable energy is a relatively new term that is not used uniformly. Most commonly it refers to non-traditional renewable energy technologies such as solar energy, wind energy, small hydro and biomass. technologies to market," said William Osborn, managing director of Commons Capital, who manages the fund for the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the state's development agency for renewable energy and the innovation economy. "With Konarka rapidly developing into a full-scale manufacturer of low-cost solar power generation products, it is extremely important to support this exceptional management team in delivering a market solution to a major social and environmental challenge." Konarka's flexible, lightweight materials are inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture and versatile, and enable any power-consuming device or structure to carry its own on-board On board usually means to be traveling on some vehicle. For example, Baby On Board. Compare with overboard. Metaphorically, the term on-board is often used to refer to some piece of technology that is integrated in a moving vehicle, for example: "As one of California's only clean energy technology funds, Angeleno Group believes Konarka is strongly positioned to be a leader in the multi-billion dollar global upstream solar market. We chose to invest in Konarka in large part based on the strength of the management, the depth of the intellectual property and the rapid technology advancements being made toward commercialization," said Yaniv Tepper, a founding partner at Angeleno Group. "Given California's position at the forefront of clean energy policy and the growing market for renewable energy in the state, we have reviewed many solar investment opportunities and believe Konarka is the best company of its kind in the market today." About Konarka Technologies, Inc. Konarka builds products that convert light to energy - anywhere. Konarka is the leading developer of polymer photovoltaic The generation of voltage by a material that is exposed to light in the visible and invisible ranges. See photoelectric and photovoltaic cell. products that provide a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors for commercial, industrial, government and consumer applications. Konarka's photovoltaic nanotechnology is focused on delivering lightweight, flexible, scalable and manufacturable products. Konarka has a broad portfolio of patents, technology licenses and an accomplished technical team. Nobel Laureate Noun 1. Nobel Laureate - winner of a Nobel prize Nobelist laureate - someone honored for great achievements; figuratively someone crowned with a laurel wreath Professor Alan Heeger (UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. ) is a chief scientist for Konarka, and Dr. Michael Graetzel (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) is a senior scientific advisor. Konarka Technologies is headquartered in Lowell, Mass, U.S.A., with research and development subsidiaries in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. For more information, visit www.konarka.com or contact Tracy Wemett, BroadPR, at 617-868-5031 or tracy@broadpr.com. All trademarks recognized. |
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