About CleanTech Partners
What we do
CleanTech Partners helps companies reduce energy consumption in Wisconsin by investing money and business resources in:
- The development and commercialization of technology -- CTP supports early-stage companies in their growth by providing debt and equity financing, grant-writing, business mentoring and intellectual property advice.
- The implementation of technology -- CTP assists Wisconsin businesses to implement new energy efficient technologies that can lower their operating costs.
CTP investment clients are eligible for a number of services -- many free of charge – including technology evaluation, business and financial planning, finding additional investment, government support, business partners and customers.
CTP is unique in its ability to provide this depth and breadth of assistance to its clients because CTP staff have been there and know what it takes. The majority of us have entrepreneurial experience – starting, securing financing, and running own businesses. Our expertise includes:
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Financing for development and commercialization
The expanse between developed and commercialization can seem impossibly vast to entrepreneurs and established companies alike. CTP devotes its resources to helping technology developers make the leap from grant income to sales revenue by investing in the work that they often find most daunting: developing a solid business plan, ramping up manufacturing, and commercializing their technology quickly.
With funding and mentoring assistance from CleanTech Partners, developers of energy-saving technologies are better able to successfully navigate issues like:
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Financing for implementation
The barriers to a Wisconsin company adopting a new or emerging technology can be daunting, even if the technology promises significant energy savings. With funding from CleanTech Partners, Wisconsin companies can find themselves better able to overcome obstacles like:
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Why we do what we do
Wisconsin’s economic health depends upon its ability to compete in a world that is increasingly dependent upon imported energy at ever-increasing prices. Wisconsin’s environmental health depends upon its ability to grow responsibly, with on eye on reducing pollution and helping address pressing global environmental problems such as climate change. A key to Wisconsin’s economic and environmental health is its ability to implement energy-saving technologies in its key energy-consuming industries.
We were founded to advance the commercialization of energy-efficient technologies that can help Wisconsin industries remain competitive. Our seed money came from a grant by the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Focus on Energy program. The impetus was a series of studies funded by the US Department of Energy that concluded key industries in Wisconsin face considerable barriers in adopting innovative, energy-saving technologies because technology developers face considerable barriers in making the leap from technological viability to commercial viability. CTP was founded to help companies make that leap.
Read more about CleanTech Partners’ history
How we do it
CleanTech Partners is different from the government, venture capital, and financial institutions that most technology developers run into.
An investment model – Unlike other non-profits, CTP doesn’t award grants. Instead, we invest in companies and use the earnings from those investments to fund more energy saving technologies. Learn more about CleanTech Partners’ cutting edge approach to financing
A different view of “risk” – Unlike many banks, CTP has staff with technical, scientific, and entrepreneurial know-how. That means that we are better able to pick winners at an earlier stage in their life cycle and invest in companies and projects that conventional investors might look at as too risky. Learn more about CTP’s investment criteria
Hands-on help – Unlike most venture capitalists, CTP invests not only money but also expertise and energy into helping our client companies succeed. CTP mentors its investment partners along the commercialization path and assists them in leveraging states, federal, and other private resources to meet their strategic business goals.
Why we do things that way
CleanTech Partners doesn’t compete with banks, government, and venture capitalists. In fact, we often partner with them. We are here to bridge the gap left by conventional sources of funding. An investment model opens up possibilities for CTP and its client companies. It frees us from having to award funds solely on the basis of lowest-cost technology and allows us to expand our view of viability. It enables us to partner with and involve other funding sources, for examples by providing matching funds or assisting our clients in writing grant requests.
Our investment model holds everyone accountable. It holds CTP to rigorous standards for evaluation of the commercial and technological viability of a project because we depend upon our present clients’ success to fuel our future clients’ success. CTP may have been seeded by grants, but our ability to fulfill our mission will be driven by return on investment. Likewise, an investment model holds our clients to a standard of accountability and progress that grants just can’t.
CTP plays an active role in its clients’ projects to mitigate our risk and strengthen their success. When CleanTech Partners invests in a project, it stays with it and helps it through the tough times. It’s a win-win proposition.