Last week I attended the SJF Summit on the New Green Economy, organized by the SJF Institute, a nonprofit organization that also has a VC fund (SJF Ventures) associated with it. Formerly known as Sustainable Jobs Fund Advisory Services, the newly re-branded SJF Institute has plans to (in their own words) "connect, inspire, and accelerate sustainable entrepreneurs and the fields that support them." As I understand it, SJF Institute is the non-profit arm that supports sustainable entrepreneurship through research reports and conferences and SJF Ventures is the VC fund that is investing in companies that are committed to help improve the environment, through recycling, conservation or renewable energy.
This conference, held in Durham, NC, was the second annual SJF summit and again focused on the innovations and jobs being created in the green economy. Although the US economy is still finding its way out of recession and environmental legislation has stalled in Congress, there was still plenty of optimism about the future of green innovation, as evidenced by the large number of private equity funds and a smattering of successful "green entrepreneurs" in attendance at the meeting.
My take home message from the summit is that for green energy companies with mature technologies and proven value, there is good money waiting to be deployed. However, the jury is still out as to what is the most efficient and profitable business model for companies to grow and prosper in the new green economy.
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