Tag: Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator

Attend Venture Summit West 2016

Posted on February 21, 2016 by - N-News

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Venture Summit | West 

March 1st – 2nd, 2016
Computer History Museum | Mountain View, CA 

Where Innovation Meets Capital 

LACI is pleased to announce its sponsorship and invite you to attend Venture Summit | West presented by youngStartup Ventures.

Special discount.  Use discount code “LACIVIP” and receive $100 off the Current rates.

Come meet, interact and network with more than 500 VCs, Corporate VCs, angel investors, investment bankers and CEOs of early stage and emerging growth companies at the prestigious  Venture Summit | West being held on March 1st – 2nd , 2016 at the Computer History museum in Mountain View.

Whether you’re a startup seeking capital and exposure, or an investor seeking new deals, Venture Summit | West presented by youngStartup Ventures – is one event you won’t want to miss.

 Register at youngStartup Ventures.

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2015: The Year in Pictures

Posted on January 17, 2016 by - N-News

LACI Year In Review 2015

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2015 was a transformative year for LACI. The organization’s beginnings in a converted bus repair terminal have given way to a sparkling new address at La Kretz Innovation Campus, a move that positions LACI at the focal point of cleantech innovation in Los Angeles.

We have many people to thank for this continued growth and good fortune: We’re lucky to have worked with mayors who possess great vision. Honored to work with the LADWP, whose confidence in us is a daily inspiration. Grateful for our academic partners, mentors and advisors: you continue to be a wellspring of innovation and invention.

It’s not all luck: it takes the tireless efforts of our staff, the dedication of our executives, and most of all the creativity and persistence of our portfolio companies to make this all happen.

As we move forward into our 5th year and continue to broaden our outreach, expand our services and further our mission of building great cleantech companies, we wanted to take a look back and once again say to all who give so freely of their time, wisdom, and advocacy: thank you.

LACI Year In Review 2015

(1) The year began with a visit to Greentown Labs, a Boston area incubator who would later join LACI’s Network for Global Innovation (NGIN) on Earth Day, April 22nd  (2) The Advanced Transportation Center of Southern California opened for business at LACI in February (3) LACI’s satellite network continued to expand in 2015, with LACI@CSUN building a successful program in Northridge featuring portfolio companies Got Gift Cards and Project Pals and SVCI in Silicon Valley working with new portfolio company Nevados Engineering (4) LACI CEO Fred Walti is shown visiting NGIN member Borderstep Institute in Berlin last February. In 2015 NGIN grew to 15 members in key markets in 7 countries around the world.

LACI 2015 Year in Review

(5) On April 8th, Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled his landmark Sustainable City pLAn outlining a set of goals and directives to improve Angelenos’ environmental and economic quality of life. The pLAn directly cites $50 million dollars of private investment raised by LACI portfolio companies as an example of “LA’s Leadership to Date.” (6) Pick My Solar had a blockbuster 2015, winning an Outstanding Small Business Ward from the SBA, Techweek’s Grand Championship and the DoE’s Sunshot Catalyst Award   (7) VP of Partnerships Mike Swords is shown giving Secretary of State Alex Padilla a tour of La Kretz Innovation Campus, a hot ticket even before its construction was complete (8) Other Campus visitors included the SBA’s Eileen Sanchez (9) White House Cabinet member Maria Contreras-Sweet, who presented LACI with a $50,000 check for its win in the SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition and (10) State Senator Kevin de Leon who also spoke at May’s LACI Leadership Council meeting. Other 2015 Leadership Council speakers included CA Secretary of State Padilla and Brogan Bambrogan of Hyperloop Tech (11) LACI companies enjoyed a successful 2015, including Repurpose (CEO Lauren Gropper pictured) getting shelf space for their line of compostable cups plates and utensils at Safeway stores (12) Chai Energy’s app went live with SDGE, SCE and PG&E in 2015 (CEO Cole Hershkowitz pictured) (13) Isidore Electronics Recycling now employs 13 people full-time and is now the premier R2 certified company in Los Angeles (Kabira Stokes pictured) (14) Freewire Tech’s Arcady Sosinov appeared on CNBC as Freewire won $35,000 in the Secure America’s Future Energy competition with it’s Mobi technology. Other LACI company developments featured Grid Logistics securing a patent for their containerized goods transportation system, Local Roots raised a round of financing and moved into a new headquarters in Vernon. Green Way Labs developed a second brand of cleaner (Verday) and its Masticlean product is carried in 135 Lowes stores. Juicer unveiled a new concept in Motorbicycles, Current EV launched its new website, Perception Robotics , Cal Lithium Battery and Ecoponex continued to advance their disruptive technologies. CAGIX launched its beta site, Vena Water received a $300K round of funding and got to pitch its technology in Dubai. Revoterial continued in its quest to minimize the toxicity of the fashion industry and Xelnt’s client list for it’s NanoTec-ERA continues to grow.

LACI 2015 Year in Review

(15-19) The LACI Cleantech Global Showcase (GloSho15) brought the cleantech world to Los Angeles. This year’s conference was focused on the nexus of three themes: the cleantech investment outlook, innovation, and global markets. Glosho15 featured almost 600 guests, 50+ speakers including LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, Steve Westly and CA Secretary of State Alex Padilla, spirited and informative panel discussions, 30+ investors and over 50 companies from 17 different countries presenting their technologies at the JW Marriott at LA Live.

La Kretz Innovation Campus

(20-23) LACI moved into it’s new headquarters at the 60,000 square foot La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown Los Angeles on October 30. Owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, this remarkable facility features collaborative workspace, offices, R&D and prototyping labs, conference rooms, a workforce-training center, and more. The campus provides an abundance of options and opportunities for the innovation ecosystem LACI is building and provides physical space for the organization to grow.

LACI 2015 Year in Review - 4th Quarter Photo

(24) November spawned a new international collaboration as LACI and MaRS Cleantech, announced a cooperation agreement aimed at the advancement of a sustainable future for both cities at an event attended by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. (25) In November Vice President of the United States Joe Biden visited LACI to take part in a roundtable discussion with Fred Walti and Mayor Eric Garcetti to discuss jobs and clean technology. (26) Panelists included LADWP General Manager Marcie Edwards, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development Kelli Bernard, LACI Board Members Jim McDermott, Richard Morganstern and David Nahai, TCW Managing Director Tom Soto, as well as several entrepreneurs from LACI’s portfolio companies. (27) LACI was ranked #3 on the list of World Top University Associated Business Incubators for 2015, by UBI Global. (28) Robert Rutherford and Jon Miller of Hive Lighting will receive the International Press Academy’s (IPA) 2015 Tesla Award for Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology for their revolutionary plasma lighting.

Wow. After a year like that, we can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store.
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LACI Ranked #3 On UBI List of World Top University Associated Business Incubators for 2015

Posted on December 15, 2015 by - N-News

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Stockholm, Sweden – (December 15, 2015) The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) was ranked #3 on the list of World Top University Associated Business Incubators for 2015, announced today by UBI Global.

This is the second consecutive year LACI has received an honor from UBI’s world-renowned rankings, as the 4-year old incubator was recognized as the #6 Incubator globally by UBI in 2014. LACI has proven a successful incubation and commercialization model and established itself as a global leader among cleantech incubators, helping over 40 companies, who have raised $60 million and have created more than 700 jobs.

“Our #3 ranking 2015 by the UBI Index is especially gratifying given that we were #6 in 2014, signifying that our hard work and methods continue to improve,” said LACI CEO Fred Walti. “Moreover, we’re equally proud of being awarded the High Impact Incubator of North America award, showing that our focus on delivering results is receiving recognition as well. Finally, I’m proud that we have achieved these awards for more than our work in cleantech, but across all categories of business incubators.”

UBI Global provides their rankings and benchmarks of University Business Incubators and University Business Accelerators through a proper representation of worldwide incubation programs. This year the final participants were selected by assessing 1200 incubators after which over 340 from 64 countries were retained for the benchmark.

“The importance of discovering and identifying these top performing incubators is underlined by our studies, which show that top benchmarked incubators provide almost half of the total economic impact within the incubation market” says UBI Global CEO and Co-founder, Ali Amin. “Highlighting some of their best practices will help universities, governments, incubation agencies and corporations to improve the incubators they support.”

Incubation is widely recognized as being one of the most effective tools for economic development. As incubation and acceleration options grow, it’s more important than ever for companies to understand the value they get from incubators.

UBI Global’s rankings are based on a broad range of performance indicators, which are measured using a unique research framework, all against an established and trusted methodology well developed by researchers, practitioners and industry experts (see ubi-global.com for details.)
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Vice President Joe Biden Visits LACI

Posted on November 17, 2015 by - N-News

Fred H. Walti, II, CEO, LACI, United States Vice President Joe Biden, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
VP, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and LACI CEO Fred Walti Take Part in Cleantech Roundtable

On Monday November 16, Vice President of the United States Joe Biden visited the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) to take part in a roundtable discussion with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LACI CEO Fred Walti and a panel of investors and entrepreneurs to discuss jobs and clean technology.

Panelists included LADWP General Manager Marcie Edwards, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development Kelli Bernard, LACI Board Members Jim McDermott, Richard Morganstern and David Nahai, TCW Managing Director Tom Soto, as well as several entrepreneurs from LACI’s portfolio of companies, who got the Vice President’s ear for a few minutes while getting to share with him their innovative technologies.

Biden’s visit gave Mayor Garcetti and LACI’s Fred Walti a chance to show off the newly opened La Kretz Innovation Campus, a facility built and owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and now LACI’s home in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. Garcetti’s opening remarks highlighted the features of the new facility and the impact La Kretz will have on the economy and the cleantech landscape in Los Angeles.

“LACI recognizes that while we face global challenges, what we need are local solutions. Solutions like this… in every city,” said Mayor Garcetti in his opening remarks. “It offers our entrepreneurs, our future workers, our students, our innovators, our darers and our doers 60,000 square feet of space that is theirs to explore the possibilities of what tomorrow may look like.”

“This is where the magic happens…invention, innovation, incubation,” said LACI’s Fred Walti. “This (La Kretz) is a unique place to build a company…a cleantech entrepreneur can take an idea, do research, go down the hall and prototype, then go across the hall to LADWP, and test and get an idea certified…then get a chance to get the idea to marketplace. There’s no other place like this… this is the model for the future.”

Vice President Biden praised the efforts of the Mayor, LACI, and the entrepreneurs sitting at the roundtable. “This incubator brings together innovative minds with the courage to take a chance on a new idea…you have a mayor with a vision…a sense of optimism,” said Biden. There’s power in an incubator… using science and technology to take an idea from paper to product to the marketplace.”

Participating LACI portfolio companies included LACI CIO Ian Gardner from CAGIX, Ka Suen of Chai Energy, Arcady Sosinov of FreeWire Technologies, Chris Blevins of Pick My Solar, Lauren Gropper of Repurpose Compostables and John Walsh of Vena Water.

Biden went on to stress building unity and consensus in pursuing an innovation economy and moving our nation forward, telling the entrepreneurs, “You represent the future.”

A New International Partnership in Support of Cleantech Entrepreneurs

Posted on November 3, 2015 by - N-News

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Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and MaRS Cleantech announce a new international partnership in support of Cleantech entrepreneurs

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 3, 2015) — Tuesday was the dawning of a new international collaboration as the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and MaRS Cleantech, a division of MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, have announced an co-operation agreement aimed at increasing the adoption of clean technologies and the advancement of a sustainable future for both cites.

LACI and MaRS Cleantech will focus on several joint programs aimed at advancing cleantech innovation globally, including the development of a reciprocal “Landing Pad” program, enabling cleantech entrepreneurs to access programming, networks and platforms to assist companies in both Canadian and California markets.

In addition, the partnership will concentrate on projects such as the development of LACI’s Network for Global Innovation (NGIN), which brings together innovation institutions around the world to provide access to customers and investors worldwide, share best practices and accelerate the commercialization of clean technology on a global scale.

The agreement was signed at the new La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown Los Angeles in an event co-hosted by VerdeXchange and LACI that featured remarks by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, and a panel discussion featuring the topic Cleantech Collaboration: California and Ontario, Canada.

“We’re delighted to announce this collaboration between hubs in Toronto and Los Angeles during Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s visit to California,” said Dr. Ilse Treurnicht, CEO, MaRS. “Partnering with LACI will create opportunities for innovative cleantech companies in Canada and California to collaborate and grow globally.”

“We are thrilled to be entering into this co-operation agreement with one of Canada’s premier innovation institutions,” said Fred Walti, CEO, LACI. “Both LACI and MaRS are dedicated to helping cleantech innovators get their ideas to market — no matter where in the world that market is. This is an exciting example of the best kind of collaboration between two technology leaders and important trading partners.”
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A Future So Bright: 10 questions with Pick My Solar Co-founders Max Aram and Chris Blevins

Posted on July 9, 2015 by - Portfolio Companies, N-PortfolioCompanies

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Since Max and Chris started Pick My Solar in 2013, they’ve taken the company from a two-person operation out of a studio apartment in Northridge to being named 2015’s Small Business of the Year by Mayor Eric Garcetti.

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Read on to learn more about Max, Chris, and Pick My Solar’s story – and the bright future ahead for these LA-based entrepreneurs.

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In your words, what is Pick My Solar?

Max: Pick My Solar is an online marketplace that connects homeowners to solar installers through our online bidding platform. We create competition between installers to get the best deals for our customers. As you might know, the solar industry is suffering from a lot of noise that is preventing people from getting the best information. We want to disrupt this market and help homeowners go solar with confidence. The best part is that we don’t charge our customers anything– our service is completely free.

What inspired you to start the company?

Chris: Directly before starting Pick My Solar, I was working in the solar industry in sales, and I found that solar was getting sold for double, sometimes triple what it should be sold for. Salesmen are trained to manipulate and outright lie to homeowners, resulting in a lot of people getting ripped off. At that point, I realized that something needed to be done.

Max: When I started my Master’s degree in Germany, I was exposed to renewable energy and sustainability in general. I came to the US and I realized that the solar market here was very fragmented and totally different from Germany. I knew there was great potential for solar technology to shape the future of our energy model. When I met Chris, we hit it off from the first moment and I realized that he was the partner I needed to start the company I was envisioning.

Where are you from originally? What brought you to LA?

Chris: I’m from Long Island, New York. I went to school in upstate New York, got a mechanical engineering degree, and after that I moved to New Zealand. That’s where I first started to become more of an environmentalist, getting in touch with taking care of the planet because that’s so ingrained in New Zealand’s culture. When I came back, I got a civil engineering job and started a few businesses that were online customer connection services. I flew out to California in 2013 with the hopes of eventually starting a business, but didn’t have a set plan. I crashed on my buddy’s couch for a week, got a job working in solar, and met Max not too far after that.

Max: I left Iran in 2009, 10 days after the fraudulent presidential election. There was chaos and I got into some problems being a student activist. I went to Germany to get my Master’s in global production engineering with a focus on solar. After a few semesters, I had the opportunity to come to the US and I think I made a really great choice. I don’t think an immigrant has the opportunities available here in the states anywhere else in the world. I came here August 2010, landed in Burbank, took a bus to Northridge, and continued my Master’s at CSUN.

How did the two of you meet?

Chris: We met at a solar training course – where solar companies train salesmen, teaching them different tactics before they’re sent into the field. I was there as part of my job, Max was there researching how solar is marketed and sold. Three months later he invites me over to his apartment, tells me the idea he had for a business and we stay up all night talking about it. I didn’t sleep at my house for a week, I kept crashing at his place so eventually I just moved into his apartment.

Max: At the time, we both had full time jobs and said, “ok, this idea is going to be the solution this industry needs. We’re going to disrupt the solar market”. We quit our jobs to dedicate our lives to building Pick My Solar. I had a 600 square foot studio apartment in Northridge, we used boards from IKEA to divide work space from living space. We worked out of there for about 10 months until we joined LACI.

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Why did you apply to be a portfolio company at LACI?

Max: Before joining LACI, there were two of us. We were two young kids with a great idea. When we joined LACI we started gaining more attention and respect from the industry and partners. The introductions that LACI has made for us have directly contributed to many of our achievements as a company.

How has LACI helped your company?

Chris: The mentorship is fantastic. We don’t have the experience of growing a company, but our mentors at LACI have been there and done that. Every single question we had – from how to write a proper business email to which strategic direction was best for the company – they had a meaningful answer.

Running a startup company can be a challenging experience. What motivates you to keep at it?

Chris: Our concern for the environment definitely plays a key role. Additionally, I was disgusted with the way the solar industry was bullying homeowners and trying to rip them off. Time and again I saw well-intentioned homeowners throw up their hands in frustration and give up on going solar. It was messed up that salespeople were destroying this new technology’s image by selling it the wrong way. We wanted to change that.

Max: Personally, since my childhood, I’ve loved to build things. My brain works in a way that when I face a problem, I can’t get over it. Either there’s a solution out there that I have to find, or else I have to create one. The solar industry had a problem. Making the impact on the environment and on people’s finances is something that motivates me every day. Every time we receive an email or on a phone call from a happy customer that appreciates our service, that keeps us going.

How do you like doing business in the Los Angeles area?

Max: As an immigrant, the reason I chose LA is because of the diversity – people are very open-minded. That doesn’t just apply to how people interact with each other, but also to their willingness to accept new ideas. It was easier for us to offer such a different solution and have people embrace it. That’s a great part of this culture in LA – we are blessed to start a company here.

Chris: I think it’s great that a lot of people aren’t from here. Everybody has the same attitude – we all came to LA for a reason, to experience something new – and that really builds off of what we’re trying to create. Our solution resonates well with Angelenos. Of course, the weather is great and electricity rates are extremely high – which makes even more sense for solar.

Tell us about some of the milestones you’ve reached as a company so far

Max: At the end of Q4 2014, we closed over a million dollars in generated sales. We’ve also provided over 15,000 Californians with solar pricing data from our no-obligation online solar price calculator. These were major milestones because they validated our concept and proved that the price of solar on our platform is lower than the market leaders. We were also named 2015 Outstanding Small Business by Mayor Garcetti, which was a big deal for us, showing that the City of LA values our contribution in helping to make it a world leader in the Green movement.

Chris: We recently won a grant from the Department of Energy to develop a first-of- its-kind app called PVimpact. PVimpact will be a universal tool for all solar homes to connect to the information grid. The technology aggregates three pieces of data: the homeowner’s electricity use, solar system production, and contractual details of the solar system. PVimpact will provide homeowners with their system’s true savings in a completely software solution, while providing utility companies assistance in demand side management. The app will be rolled out to all Pick My Solar customers this summer, then expanding to the rest of the U.S. residential solar market in the fall.

What are some of your goals for the company?

Chris: Solar is such a cutting edge technology, but it is predominantly sold the way aluminum siding was sold in the 1960’s – door to door. We are firmly convinced that solar deserves to be sold with the leading technological resource of our era – the internet. We really want to change the way that solar is sold, and the way homeowners think about going solar.

Max: Our long-term goal is to become one of the biggest solar companies in the nation without a single boot on the ground. We don’t need installation crews like these vertically integrated companies. What we’re doing is creating an online market place – a bidding platform that brings homeowners together with the best local installers. We have all seen this model work across numerous business segments, and we know it will become the norm for the solar market.

Learn more at www.pickmysolar.com
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