Business Unit News
Wall Street Journal Ranks The Next Big Thing: The Top 10 Venture-Backed, Clean Technology Companies
Survey Unveiled at Journal's ECO:nomics Conference
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 4, 2010 – The Wall Street Journal
today announced its first ranking of the Top 10 venture-backed, clean
technology companies. The Next Big Thing survey, based on proprietary data from
Dow Jones VentureSource, seeks to identify green companies that have the
capital, executive experience and investor know-how to succeed in an
increasingly crowded field. The results were unveiled at The Wall Street
Journal's third annual ECO:nomics Conference currently being held in Santa
Barbara, Calif.
Three makers of solar cells topped the list, including Solyndra Inc. of Fremont,
Calif.; Suniva Inc. of Norcross, Ga.; and eSolar Inc. of Pasadena, Calif. Other
notables on the Top 10 Cleantech list include two eco-friendly car makers —
Fisker Automotive Inc. of Irvine, Calif., and Tesla Motors Inc. of San Carlos,
Calif.— and Philadelphia's RecycleBank LLC, which provides rewards programs to
motivate people to recycle.
"We're not saying all ten of these companies will be blockbuster successes,"
said Alan Murray, deputy managing editor and executive editor, online of The
Wall Street Journal. "But we do think there's a good chance that one of
these promising companies will be The Next Big Thing in Clean Technology."
The Next Big Thing: The Top 10 Clean Technology Companies include:
1) Solyndra Inc. – Fremont, Calif.
2) Suniva Inc. – Norcross, Ga.
3) eSolar Inc. – Pasadena, Calif.
4) RecycleBank LLC – Philadelphia
5) Boston-Power – Westborough, Mass.
6) Fisker Automotive Inc. – Irvine, Calif.
7) eMeter Inc. – Sun Mateo, Calif.
8) Serious Materials Inc. – Sunnyvale, Calif.
9) Silver Spring Networks Inc. – Redwood City, Calif.
10) Tesla Motors Inc. – San Carlos, Calif.
A team from research firm Dow Jones VentureSource (owned by Dow Jones & Company,
publisher of the Journal) calculated the rankings, applying a set of
financial criteria to some 350 U.S.-based venture-backed businesses in clean
technology valued at less than $1 billion.
Companies that make everything from fuel cell technologies to carbon-management
software were analyzed according to four financial
criteria: the track records of success for both a company's founders and
management; track records for the investors on its board; the amount of capital
raised in the last three years; and the percentage change in a company's
valuation in the 12 months ended Nov. 30. Dow Jones reporters and editors who
cover the venture capital industry also provided their perspective and expertise
beyond the numbers.
On March 9, the Journal will publish its first ranking of
venture-funded companies -- The Next Big Thing: The Top 50 Venture-Backed
Companies, which will identify the firms across all industries, valued at less
than $1 billion that show the biggest promise of take-off.
Dow Jones VentureSource tracks more than 38,000 venture-backed companies in the
U.S., Canada, Europe, China and India, as well as over 14,000 private investment
firms world-wide.
About The Wall Street Journal
Founded in 1889, The Wall Street Journal is the world's leading
business publication. Boasting more than two million subscribers, the
Journal is the largest newspaper by total paid circulation and has the
largest individually paid circulation of any U.S. newspaper. The Wall Street
Journal franchise, with a global audience of 3.8 million, also comprises
The Wall Street Journal Asia, The Wall Street Journal Europe and The Wall Street
Journal Online at WSJ.com, the leading provider of business and financial news
and analysis on the Web with more than one million subscribers and 26 million
users per month. WSJ.com is the flagship site of The Wall Street Journal Digital
Network, which also includes MarketWatch.com, Barrons.com and AllThingsD.com.
The Wall Street Journal Radio Network services news and information to more than
375 radio stations in the U.S. The Journal holds 33 Pulitzer Prizes for
outstanding journalism, and, in 2009, was ranked No. 1 in BtoB's Media Power 50
for the 10th consecutive year.
Contact:
Ashley S. Huston
Dow Jones & Company
(212) 416-2025
ashley.huston@dowjones.com
Emily J. Edmonds
Dow Jones & Company
(212) 416-2635
emily.edmonds@dowjones.com