Since 1990, FloDesign has been making aerospace and jet propulsion equipment. It is now bringing this experience to the design and manufacture of wind turbines under the banner of FloDesign Wind Turbine, and has raised $34.5 million (PDF) to do make its novel idea a reality. The news is significant for two reasons. First, it has recruited a top-tier crop of investors, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (going in for a second round), Goldman Sachs and VantagePoint Venture Partners, as well as Technology Partners. These guys don’t invest in just anyone, and are making ever more [...]

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Last week was a big one for private investing in cleantech, with close to ten companies in the sector getting funding — Coda Automotive, EcoFactor and Nordic Windpower among them. But on Friday, and now today, the government has stepped in to shower green businesses with cash, unveiling a series of big announcements worth millions for clean energy manufacturers, green-collar employers and — most recently — projects focusing on vehicle efficiency. The latest, a package of $187 million in stimulus grants and matching funds from private industry, is being divided between nine projects [...]

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