The Startup Journey

This article originally appeared in the Financial Express. Reproduced with the author's permission. The CEO naturally looked downcast as he pondered the imminent shutting down of his company which had a well known brand and enjoyed a reputation as a maker of high quality, well designed products. The management team seemed energetic and enthusiastic. Yet why had things had come to such a pass? “I think we had too much easy money,” said the CEO. I asked him to explain what he meant. “When we started the company, the team, the concept, the business model and the market opportunity were all very attractive to investors who, flush with capital from freshly raised funds, were eager to make investments. Given this interest, we raised funds at a very attractive valuation in less than 45 days and without having to answer too many questions. We believed we were unstoppable. We set up a great office in a not inexpensive part of town, created a very informal and casual culture with flexi-time...

Catalyzed by new government policies favouring Solar Energy and multiple demand-driven opportunities for water-related companies, Private Equity & Venture Capital firms are focusing keenly on these Cleantech sectors, reveals a new report from research firm Venture Intelligence. Private Equity and Venture Capital surveyed recently by Venture Intelligence, a leading research firm focused on Private Equity and M&A deal activity, selected chose Water & Wastewater Engineering, Energy Efficiency, Waste Management & Recycling, Energy Infrastructure, Pollution Control and Cleantech in Manufacturing/Industrial Environments as among their favourite sectors within the industry. The survey results are published in the in the newly released report from Venture Intelligence titled “Private Equity Pulse on Cleantech”. In addition, expert articles by both PE/VC investors and advisory firms in the report, point to rising investor interest in solar energy. Citing how the accelerated dep...