| Accounts Receivable Financing- Cleantech explores | | | | windows for superior insulation- this is cleantech. |
| the emerging definitions of "cleantech" and world of | | | | Other cleantech examples are wind turbines, |
| "cleantech industries" at a time when the world is | | | | fuel-efficient engines, geothermal energy, |
| increasingly concerned with global warming, our | | | | energy-efficient appliances and water treatment |
| energy supply and pollution. Accounts receivable | | | | systems. |
| financing may be an important source of funding for | | | | The momentum of cleantech is growing because of |
| cleantech industries when banks and venture | | | | international political issues such as climate change, |
| capitalists are unwilling to provide capital for growth | | | | energy security issues and concerns about CO2 |
| to new and significantly risky companies and | | | | emissions. Consumers are demanding faster, cheaper, |
| technologies. Look at the headlines in your | | | | lighter and cleaner products. Large corporations are |
| newspaper. Environmental concerns are major | | | | responding with greening efforts. The potential |
| concerns today and every day: people are worried | | | | growth in the cleantech industry is a worldwide |
| about the price of gas; scientists and governments | | | | opportunity for business of all sizes to participate in a |
| are debating the issue of global warming and what to | | | | huge marketplace. Entrepreneurs have unprecedented |
| do about it; stories abound regarding solar energy | | | | opportunities to create transformative technologies in |
| and other alternative energy sources such as nuclear | | | | the cleantech industry. |
| energy, biodiesel fuel production, and energy | | | | Cleantech starts with an idea, an entrepreneur, and a |
| produced by wind farms. The price of a gallon of gas | | | | new business to incubate a technology, a processes |
| and how many miles to the gallon a particular car can | | | | or an innovation. Until the company has proven the |
| achieve- both are familiar topics. The quality of our air | | | | technology and has significant revenue and growth, it |
| is reported regularly and in some areas alerts are | | | | is unlikely to draw attention from large industrial |
| posted on particularly polluted air days. The purity of | | | | conglomerates, angel investors or venture capitalists. |
| our water and whether or not we will have enough | | | | Entrepreneurial start-ups have a much higher risk |
| water for humans and agriculture are serious | | | | tolerance to nurture fledgling technology and retain |
| concerns. Is it any wonder that world wide concerns | | | | the talent that start-ups attract. Accounts receivable |
| regarding our environment are subjects of intense | | | | financing can provide capital for start-ups to achieve |
| debate today? What are governments and | | | | profitability when other types of financing are not |
| businesses doing about these issues? What is | | | | available. |
| cleantech? According to the Cleantech Group: | | | | The dominant cleantech markets are solar energy, |
| "Cleantech is any knowledge based product or | | | | efficiency technologies (sensors, monitoring and |
| service that improves operational performance, | | | | control devices), energy storage, and water |
| productivity or efficiency; while reducing costs, inputs, | | | | technologies. The emergent cleantech markets are |
| energy consumption, waste or pollution." In other | | | | bio-based materials, marine energy technologies, |
| words, cleantech may be a product, a technology, or | | | | superconductors and waste-reducing plasma |
| an application (way of doing things) that achieves | | | | technologies. Government subsidies may be a blessing |
| environmental and social goals with economic benefits | | | | and potential curse because if removed, an entire |
| superior to the status quo. | | | | industry economically based on subsidies such as the |
| Another definition by Diana Propper of Expansion | | | | solar energy industry might go bankrupt. The |
| Capital Partners states: "On one side, cleantech is | | | | creativity and ingenuity of small entrepreneurs cannot |
| really about resource efficiency and productivity in | | | | be underestimated. They will invent ways to make |
| supply- how to manufacture and produce to save | | | | products, services, and processes cheaper, faster, |
| energy, water, materials, etc. On the other side, | | | | longer and cleaner. As soon as they can bring these |
| these technologies are enhancing the bottom line of | | | | innovations to market and receive purchase orders |
| customers." Solar energy, subsidized by government | | | | for sales, accounts receivable financing companies will |
| and the Prius automobile come to mind. | | | | take the financing risks by purchasing the receivables |
| Thomas L. Friedman in the New York Times, January | | | | which will create virtually unlimited capital for growth. |
| 2006 said: "Sorry, but being green, focusing the | | | | Exponential growth for business is needed in a world |
| nation on greater energy efficiency and conservation, | | | | that needs exponential growth of cleantech. |
| is not some girlie-man issue. It is actually the most | | | | Attention: entrepreneurs! Here is a partial list of |
| tough-minded, geo-strategic pro-growth and patriotic | | | | businesses that need cleantech innovation: car |
| thing we can do." | | | | batteries, hybrid engines, lighting, toys, photograph |
| The meaning of cleantech is changing with | | | | tools, appliances, watches, calculators, medical |
| innovations and new thinking. For instance, polluted | | | | equipment, diving equipment, cell phones, cordless |
| land, called brownfields, may be remediated i.e. | | | | phones, portable computers, power tools, industrial |
| cleaned up into greenfields- land suitable for homes or | | | | instruments, cranes, elevators, portable power |
| industry- this is cleantech. New technologies like | | | | generators, lawn care equipment and energy storage |
| sensors, monitors and scrubbers to reduce pollution | | | | devices. Opportunities abound. |
| from factories in Singapore that manufacture | | | | The bottom line: as the meaning of cleantech |
| semiconductors- this is cleantech. Fuels for cars that | | | | expands so do the opportunities for entrepreneurs. |
| pollute less like electric cars or ethanol engines- this is | | | | Accounts receivable financing may be the capital |
| cleantech. Energy efficient light bulbs and double pane | | | | source to help you succeed in the cleantech industry. |