Industry-leading ranking recognizes top private companies in clean technology

SAN FRANCSCO, CA. – January 31, 2017 – Last week, Cleantech Group (CTG), released its eighth annual Global Cleantech 100 list and report. CTG keeps its audiences and clients in touch with emerging trends, leading innovation companies and all key players in sustainable innovation.

The Global Cleantech 100 represents the most innovative and promising ideas impacting the future of a wide range of industries. Featuring companies that are best positioned to solve tomorrow’s clean technology challenges, the Global Cleantech 100 is a comprehensive list of private companies with the highest potential to make the most significant market impact within a 5-10 year timeframe.

In addition to the list, a full report with commentary and insight into the 2017 Global Cleantech 100 was also released—authored by Cleantech Group, powered by data from i3, and sponsored by Chubb. A complete list of this year’s Global Cleantech 100 companies can be found here, and the accompanying report is available to download here.

“From day one, the purpose of the Global Cleantech 100 program was to act as our barometric read on how the many facets that contribute to the emergence and maturing of an innovation theme like cleantech (the “doing of more with less”) are changing year on year,” said Richard Youngman, CEO, CTG (Cleantech Group). “Now in its 8th year, we see more signals this year of the ongoing mainstreaming of clean technologies, sustainability, and resource efficiency on its journey towards the point where this is just the normal way business is done.”

To qualify for the Global Cleantech 100, companies must be independent, for-profit companies not listed on any major stock exchange. This year, a record number of nominations were received: 9,900 distinct companies from 77 countries. These companies were weighted and scored to create a short list of 325 companies. Short-listed nominees were reviewed by Cleantech Group’s Expert Panel, resulting in a final list of 100 companies from 17 countries.

The 86-member Expert Panel was drawn from leading financial investors and representatives of multi-national corporations and industrials active in technology and innovation scouting across Asia, Europe, and North America. The composition of the expert panel broadly represents the global cleantech community – from pioneers and leaders to veterans and new entrants. The diversity of panelists results in a list of companies that command an expansive base of respect and support from many important players within the global cleantech innovation ecosystem. The complete list of Global Cleantech 100 expert panel members is available here.

In addition to unveiling the list, Cleantech Group presented a series of awards across 11 categories during the Global Cleantech 100 Awards Dinner held January 23rd in San Francisco on the opening night of the 15^th Cleantech Forum San Francisco.

The complete list of Awardees is listed below.

Company of the Year was awarded in each of three regions to the highest-ranked company from that region:

• North America: Aquion Energy, a developer of saltwater battery technology that yields high performance, safe energy storage in long-duration, stationary applications.
• Europe & Israel: Ynsect, a developer of bioconversion solutions of organic resources by insects for feed and non-food applications.
• Asia Pacific: Bayeco, a provider of industrial pollution control solutions for the oil & gas and chemical industries.

Other Categories:

• Rising Star of the Year, given to the highest-ranked new entrant on this year’s list: Enevo, a provider of waste logistics solutions for Smart Cities
• Continued Excellence, given to the highest-ranked of the companies that have made it onto the Global Cleantech 100 list for at least the last three consecutive years: Sonnen, a developer of intelligent lithium-ion storage systems including energy management and integration into virtual power plants
• Early Stage Company of the Year, given to the highest-ranked product development stage company: Impossible Foods, a developer and researcher of plant-based substances for the creation of meat replacement products
• Automation of Everything Award, given to the company with the most impact on industrial automation and energy efficiency : Enbala Power Networks, a provider of demand side energy management services (This award is sponsored by ABB Technology Ventures)
• GE Innovation Award, given to the company that best represents GE’s innovation themes in advancing smart power: BBOXX, a provider of plug & play solar systems from 3W to 5kW for off-grid and ongrid solutions (This award is sponsored by GE Ventures)
• Graduate of the Year, given to the company with the most impressive exit (as rated by the financial investors on the expert panel) of a Global Cleantech 100 alumnus company (i.e. that has at one time been on the Global Cleantech 100 list). The exit must have happened in the 12 months prior to the cut-off date (August 31, 2016): Kurion (acquired by Veolia)

Awards were also given in two investor categories:

• Corporate Investor of the Year, given to the corporate investor with the largest percentage of its cleantech venture portfolio in the 2017 Global Cleantech 100 (with a minimum of three on the list, and a minimum of eight qualifying portfolio companies overall): Total Energy Ventures
• Financial Investor of the Year, given to the financial investor with the largest percentage of its cleantech venture portfolio in the 2017 Global Cleantech 100 (with a minimum of four on the list, and a minimum of 10 qualifying portfolio companies overall): Chrysalix Venture Capital

Hall of Fame (New)

The GCT100 Hall of Fame was founded to recognize the achievements of the few companies whose sustained excellence over many years has meant that they have been on the GCT100 list an impressive seven times. The first five names to reach this mark are shown below.

Inducted in January 2017 were: Avantium, Digital Lumens, LanzaTech, and Tendril

Ostara was the first company to reach Hall of Fame status in January 2016. It was inducted retroactively, as the Hall of Fame is a new concept introduced this year.

Once inducted into the GCT100 Hall of Fame, companies will not feature on any future editions of the GCT100 but we will keep a close eye on them, as we do all our alumni. We hope to see great things from these companies in the future, and as such live out the promise of GCT100 companies as being set to make ‘significant impact in the next 5-10 years.’

About Cleantech Group (CTG)

Founded in 2002, the mission of Cleantech Group (CTG) is to accelerate sustainable innovation. Our subscriptions, events and programs are all designed to help corporates, investors, and all players in the innovation ecosystem discover and connect with the key companies, trends, and people in the market. Our coverage is global, spans the entire clean technology theme and is relevant to the future of all industries. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with a growing international presence in London.

Our parent company, Enovation Partners, one of Consulting Magazine‘s 7 to Watch, is based in Chicago (learn more at www.enovationpartners.com).