Green Tech Boosts Heartland

Investment profits go back into his nonprofit, counters ex-VP

(NEWSER) - Al Gore is going to become the world's first "carbon billionaire" thanks to investments in firms that will profit from policies he advocates, his critics say. The ex-VP is a partner in a venture capital firm that stands to make huge profits from investments in green technology, causing accusations of profiteering, especially from global warming skeptics, the New York Times reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Once considered a win-win for the environment and energy independence, America’s biofuel industry is sputtering to a halt, the Wall Street Journal reports. Thanks to the recession, lower oil prices, and government delays, two-thirds of American biodiesel refineries—dozens of plants—are idle, and companies across the country are shutting down. The crisis could scare investors away from newer technologies more promising than much-maligned corn-based ethanol. More»

(NEWSER) - Facebook’s recent deal to let employees sell some of their stock to private investors has sent Silicon Valley scrambling, as workers at other start-ups ask for similar deals, the Wall Street Journal reports. Start-ups rely on the promise of future stock sales to lure and retain talent, but with the market upheaval scaring most companies away from public offerings, employees are getting restless. More»

(NEWSER) - Marc Andreessen, the tech pioneer who co-founded Netscape, launched a boutique venture capital firm today, intent on investing in “anything that involves chips and computers.” Though Andreessen and business partner Ben Horowitz have been dropping angel investments around Silicon Valley for years, they’ll now have much more capital at their disposal, to the tune of an initial capitalization of $300 million, Wired reports. More»

Investments will be in non-Internet fields

(NEWSER) - Google will launch a venture capital fund next year with an initial capitalization of about $100 million, reports the Wall Street Journal. Unlike other corporate funds that back companies in their own industries, Google Ventures will look beyond the Internet to also invest in biotech, health care, and environmental technology. The fund managers say they are looking to “find young companies with truly awesome potential.” More»