Emerging Technology Forum

VC Task Force
October 26, 2004

The Emerging Technology Forum educates investors, entrepreneurs and trend watchers on the commercial potential and likely impact of "coming" technologies. Subjects in this forum have progressed beyond raw technology development to early product developments but are only beginning to see customer adoption and have not yet become broadly adopted by mainstream customers.

Power and Energy Technologies for the Future

Mobile devices and their features are growing at an exponential rate. Consumers demand the same level of connectivity and service on the road as they do at home or work. The greatest complaint of mobile consumers is the battery "life" of their handsets, PDA's and laptops. With IT and communications technologies emerging and improving at the rate of Moore's Law, why haven't new mobile power and energy technologies done the same?

Oil is at $50 a barrel due to a sharp rise in demand, instability in producing nations and an unclear path from global dependence on this vital resource. If development efforts in countries such as India and China are successful, the demands for energy will continue grow at an accelerating rate, putting furter prrssure on traditional resources. In the US, the energy grid is increasingly taxed by peak demands, growth in power consumption and the fragile and aging network in place.

How important are these issues?

California's Treasurer has committed $1.5 billion of California's pension funds to invest in this space. According to the trade group CleanTech Venture Network, well over $2 billion has flowed from VC coffers to clean-technology (Energy included) companies since 2000,with investment rising 8% to $1.2 billion in 2003, while overall venture capital investment fell 14%.

A new generation of technologies is under development to address these issues - many within early-stage venture-backed companies.

The October ETF meeting will focus on this emerging market. Jason Rottenberg, Managing Director of the US Army's venture fund, will provide an overview of the market for emerging power and energy technologies - a critical focus of the fund - and investment opportunities in this space. OnPoint has made five investments in the power and energy space over the last year and has seen more than 150 early stage companies in this sector. Motorola will provide the perspective of a major OEM consumer and producer of portable power. In addition, two early stage companies focusing on different approaches to power and energy will present their approach and assessment of the market, UltraCell and Nanosolar. The session will be moderated by Lee Bruno of the RedHerring.

Moderator:
Lee Bruno, Senior Editor, Red Herring

Industry Overview and Panel Organizer:
Jason Rottenberg, Managing Director, OnPoint Technologies

Panel:
Andy Keates, Power Sources Enabling Manager,
Mobile Platform Architecture Intel Corporation
Norm Allen, COO, UltraCell
Martin Roscheisen, CEO, Nanosolar

Date: 10/26
Place: Heller Ehrman, 275 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA
Time: 6-9pm
Doors open: 6:00 p.m. for informal networking
Panel Discussion: 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Q&A: 8:30 p.m.-9:00pm
Fee: $55 VC Task Force members, $65 Affiliates, $75 General

Registration Link

Hors d'oeuvres, wine and soft drinks will be served.