Industry-leading ranking recognizes top private companies in clean technology
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – January 24, 2018 – Cleantech Group (CTG) released its ninth annual Global Cleantech 100 list and report at its annual Cleantech Forum San Francisco. CTG’s events and research services provide clients with access to the market intelligence, insights and introductions needed to thrive in the world of 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 list of private companies with the highest potential to make the most significant market impact within a 5-10 year timeframe – according to players in the market.
In addition to the list, a full report with commentary and insight into the 2018 Global Cleantech 100 was also released – authored by Cleantech Group, 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.
“Now in its 9th year, this year’s list clearly shows how important the themes around Agriculture & Food and Transportation & Logistics have become over the last three years,” said Richard Youngman, CEO of Cleantech Group. “Energy & Power remains the most represented industrial segment in the 100, but the other two are represented more and more, year on year, and these two are undoubtedly showing the strongest change dynamics right now.”
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: 12,300 distinct companies from 61 countries. These companies were weighted and scored to create a short list of 312 companies. Short-listed nominees were reviewed by Cleantech Group’s Expert Panel, resulting in a final list of 100 companies from 18 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 22nd in San Francisco on the opening night of the 16th Cleantech Forum San Francisco.
The complete list of Awardees is below.
Company of the Year was awarded in each of three regions to the highest-ranked company from that region:
- North America: Proterra, a developer of battery-powered buses and other clean commercial transit solutions
- Europe & Israel: Kebony, a developer and manufacturer of sustainable hard wood created by modifying sustainably sourced soft wood
- Asia Pacific: Gogoro, a developer of electric scooters and the necessary battery swapping infrastructure for their use
Other Categories:
- Rising Star of the Year, given to the highest-ranked new entrant on this year’s list: AeroFarms, a developer of aeroponic systems to grow leafy greens at high yield densities in urban ‘vertical farms’
- Continued Excellence, given to the highest-ranked of the companies that has made it onto the Global Cleantech 100 list for at least the last three consecutive years: Stem, a provider of energy optimization services that combines big data, predictive analytics and energy storage to reduce electricity costs for businesses
- Early Stage Company of the Year, given to the highest-ranked product development stage company: Lilium, a developer of a battery-powered, fan-propelled vertical takeoff and landing commuter aircraft
- Automation of Everything Award, given to the company with the most impact on industrial automation and energy efficiency: MineSense Technologies, a developer of sensor technology designed to bring operational efficiency to the mining industry by consolidating low concentration ores and reducing energy, water, and chemical inputs (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: Awesense, a provider of a platform that enables real-time monitoring and loss reduction within the distribution grid (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 (September 15, 2018): Blue River Technology (acquired by John Deere)
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 2018 Global Cleantech 100 (with a minimum of three on the list, and a minimum of eight qualifying portfolio companies overall): ENGIE New Ventures
- Financial Investor of the Year, given to the financial investor with the largest percentage of its cleantech venture portfolio in the 2018 Global Cleantech 100 (with a minimum of four on the list, and a minimum of 10 qualifying portfolio companies overall): Idinvest Partners
Hall of Fame
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.
ChargePoint joined the five companies who have previously reached this mark.
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 Seven Jewels , is based in Chicago (learn more at www.enovationpartners.com).