Cleantech Forum XVI draws record numbers business leaders converge at Cleantech Forum in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, February 29, 2008 / -- Following a year of unprecedented growth with more than $6 billion in cleantech venture investments, the Cleantech Forum XVI in San Francisco brought together nearly 1,000 attendees, marking the largest attendance in the history of the industry's premier event. Leading investors, entrepreneurs, and influencers from around the world exchanged ideas, while recognized industry leaders announced new initiatives to continue to drive growth in the cleantech industry. Cleantech Forum XVI is hosted by the Cleantech Group, LLC, founder of the cleantech investment category. The US Assistant Secretary of Energy, Andy Karsner took advantage of the conference as a platform to announce the DOE's Entrepreneur in Residence recipients who will capitalize on private-sector ingenuity to bring innovation from US National Labs into the commercial sector faster. Arch Venture Partners of Chicago will work with Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico. Foundation Capital of Menlo Park will be paired with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. And Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers of Menlo Park will work with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.

Wal-Mart and the Cleantech Group announced the Cleantech Accelerator Project, a collaborative effort to help the retailer attract and review clean technologies for their green initiatives. Vinod Koshla was in attendance for his appointment as Chair of the Advisory Board to the new unit of the Cleantech Group, Cleantech India. Google's Green Energy Czar, Bill Weihl accepted the Cleantech Group Corporation of the Year Award and Masdar's CEO, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, accepted his award for Cleantech Leader of the Year. With speakers from Singapore, India, Europe and North America, as well as local dignitary, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Silicon Valley venture capitalists, the event represented the global reach of the cleantech industry. The three-day event included presentations from established industry representatives and corporations including Archers Daniels Midland, PG&E, IBM, Microsoft and more, all moving towards more sustainable operations with clean technology. Investment firms came to learn about the performance of different sectors in the industry and gain valuable insight into the opportunities in the global cleantech marketplace. "After six exciting years of growth, we are looking forward to 2008 being a monumental year for the industry, and as the caliber of our speakers and record attendance confirm now is the time to incorporate clean technology into the world economy," said Nicholas Parker, co-founder and chairman, Cleantech Group. "As more leaders from government and business engage in the global sustainability dialogue, clean technology innovations will contribute significantly to economic growth, as well as to fundamental human needs and environmental quality."

• About Cleantech Group™, LLC
•  The Cleantech Group, LLC provides insight, opportunities and builds relationships that catalyze and accelerate market adoption and commercialization of clean technologies globally. The Cleantech Group family of companies founded the cleantech investment category in 2002 and through its membership services brings together investors, executives, thought leaders, policy makers, and entrepreneurs to facilitate the growth of cleantech globally. Visit www.cleantech.