Investment in the smart grid, battery/storage and energy efficiency sectors grew dramatically in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest data from market research firm Mercom Capital Group. Venture capital investments by sector showed that smart grid companies raised $185 million in 15 separate deals, while battery/storage firms took in $69 million from seven deals. Investors also plunked $140 into energy efficiency companies in 15 different deals. Smart grid The $185 million raised by the smart grid sector is a major increase over the $59 million it received from 13 deals in the fourth quarter of 2014. This year's first-quarter investments included four early stage deals, including three series A and one seed funding deal. A total of 37 venture capital investors, including one accelerator, participated in funding rounds in the first quarter. Within the smart grid sector, smart grid communications technology companies received the most funding. EnerTech Capital was the only investor participating in multiple deals this quarter with three investments. The top venture capital investment in the period was the $115 million raised by SIGFOX, a wireless connectivity solutions provider for smart metering, building intelligence and M2M using ultra narrow band technology. Other major deals included the $15 million raised by Tempered Networks, a cyber-security company; the $14 million raised by Blue Pillar, a provider of software-based solutions for real-time visibility and control ...Den vollständigen Artikel lesen ...