A Different Kind of Geek
Last week, I attended the AlwaysOn Going Green conference in Boston; in the midst of the economic meltdown and corresponding malaise, it was very refreshing to hear from and about a new generation of entrepreneurs and innovators that are focused on, well, changing the world. Hearing about how coal can be efficiently converted into cleaner energy (see Great Point Energy and CoalTek), wastewater can be quickly transformed into clean drinking water (Oasys Water and Hydropoint Data Systems), or biomass can cheaply produce high quality ethanol (Zymetis), really gets one excited about a profoundly different future for ourselves and the planet.
I’ve worked with a handful of upstart green and clean technology companies recently (this is a relatively new market of course), but most of our clients over the years have been of the more conventional computer technology variety. Software, hardware, networking, Internet and the like.
The conference got me thinking about The Next Big Thing, and how the world of technology and innovation are likely to shake out in the coming decades (I lost track of how many times someone at the event mentioned a year like 2030 or even 2050). The last 30 years or so have been dominated first by the computer/PC and then the Internet revolutions, which affected pretty much everything and have had a huge impact on our lives. Consider what things were like before we had a computer at work (or home), a mobile phone, or web sites that sell you anything you want or give you access to any piece of information in a moment.
Those revolutions were spurned and driven by folks like Bill Joy, Steve Wozniak and Bill Gates, who were at their core engineers and programmers, aka Computer Geeks. They were brilliant people at the right time and place who used their science and math-based minds to create world-changing technologies.
But in this new wave that is upon us, we’re talking about a whole different kind of geek. The people behind the new ideas and companies that will spark the green/clean tech revolution are for the most part not electrical engineers and computer scientists. Instead, they are of the more traditional (and I guess original) geek variety. We’re talking about biologists, chemists, geologists and other ists most of us have never heard of. Just your everyday, straight-on scientists.
And to be sure this is quite a different breed. These are people that aren’t naturally inclined to sit in front of a computer screen for weeks at a time writing code and loving every minute of it. These folks like to play in the sand and get dirty. They wonder at nature and all its various elements and nuances. They like to mix things together and make explosions. They look at the sky and ponder what’s out there to be found.
It’ll be very interesting to see how this coming revolution evolves, and how the different traits and skills among this set of geeks manifests itself.
Microfiber and Miracle Liquids, The Future of Green Cleaning?
I’ve always been a sucker for pretty packaging, believing on some level that you can indeed judge a book (or a bottle of dish soap) by its cover. Most of the time I can resist the urge to buy products just because they’re aesthetically pleasing, but I am totally unable to say no to the allure of green cleaning products. I only have to walk by my favorite store, Spring on Polk Street, and before I know it, I’ve bought two different types of Method floor cleaners.
Although I’d like to say that the primary reason I buy green products is to actually be greener, I also really like the way they look and smell. They’re the sort of products I might leave out on the counter on purpose. I don’t think I’m alone in this – the Prius didn’t really take off until Toyota redesigned it 2003, giving the car a distinctive look and making it something of a fashion statement. And Manhattan is now home to the just recently opened Green Depot, a one-stop destination that is geared to (presumably affluent) consumers, who take pleasure from “being green.” Indeed, some green cleaning lines tout the “elegance” and “luxury” of their laundry detergents.
I recently read about some new technologies in green cleaning that don’t actually require chemical products at all, and I started to really think about buying habits and being green. These two technologies are microfiber and electrolyzed water, and despite being disruptive products, both are going to have to find a marketing strategy that will appeal to a audience that craves essential oils in their ecologically friendly counter spray.
Last year, BusinessWeek ran a terrific article about why microfiber hasn’t really taken off in the U.S., despite the fact that it’s reusable and cleans away dirt and even bacteria “mechanically, not chemically, by scraping them with microscopic precision.” It sounded too good to be true, but being an impulse shopper I went out and bought a microfiber cloth at Spring. Lo and behold it cleaned my bathroom mirror far better than my Method glass cleaner. It also did a fantastic job on window sills, counters, floors, etc. However, I was still left with a nagging feeling that I hadn’t truly cleaned. After all, where was the sudsing action, or the fragrance that signals “clean?” My windows sparkled, but it hadn’t really been “fun” to get them to that state.
Then this week I read about electrolyzed water, which the LA Times has dubbed a “miracle liquid.” It can degrease, kill e. coli and salmonella, soothe a sunburn, and is safe enough to drink.
It turns out that zapping salt water with low-voltage electricity creates a couple of powerful yet nontoxic cleaning agents. Sodium ions are converted into sodium hydroxide, an alkaline liquid that cleans and degreases like detergent, but without the scrubbing bubbles. Chloride ions become hypochlorous acid, a potent disinfectant known as acid water.
Electrolyzed water has a short shelf life, so it’s currently mainly used in hotels or in doctor’s offices to sterilize equipment. However, just as I had a desire for some tactile feedback from my microfiber cloth that said “clean,” the housekeepers interviewed in the article also doubted its effectiveness.
Rebecca Jimenez, director of housekeeping, heard grumbling from the cleaning staff when the hotel brought the machine in last fall. Housekeepers doubted that the flat, virtually odorless liquids were really doing the job. Some poured the guest shampoos into their bottles to work up a lather.
The potential of both these products is clearly huge. Microfiber is cheap, reusable, washable, and you don’t need to buy supplemental cleaning chemicals (or the plastic bottles they come in), adding to the cost and ecological benefits. For institutions, electrolyzed water will also save money and make workplaces cleaner and greener. In Japan, where they use the water to kill bacteria on sushi, companies like Sanyo have also utilized the technology for their soap-less washing machines, so hopefully more consumer-facing applications are forthcoming.
However, for these technologies to become widely adopted, it will take a paradigm shift away from a mindset that has valued consumption for the sake of consuming. This economy will certainly help with that transition, and although cleaning is a duller experience for me without my Caldrea Green Tea Patchouli counter spray, I draw enough satisfacation from saving money and cutting down on my exposure to chemicals to carry on with my microfiber. At least it comes in pretty colors.
UPDATED: Green Depot is not affiliated with Home Depot
Boulder, I’m Lookin’ And I’m Likin’
Anyone I’ve talked to lately knows I’ve been rather obsessed with the Boulder (Colorado) tech scene, even revamping my REI-chic/enviro-hipster garb for the occasion. I voraciously started subscribing to the blogs and Twitter feeds of various tech enthusiasts like Andrew Hyde, a driving force behind rad initiatives like Startup Weekend and Techstars.org, Robert Reich who founded OneRiot, Micah Baldwin who runs business development for Lijit Networks and has a sweet blog and of course there’s Brad Feld, who planted the seeds that started it all. I even watched their live broadcast of Ignite Boulder 3 this last week. Yeah, I really did.
What is it about the Boulder scene that makes me yearn so to be a part of it? My curiosity-turned-fascination-turned-safe-distance (I swear)-obsession was probably fueled by the fact that I can’t be part of it. My location prevents it and they just don’t seem interested in pursuing me as a remote member of their clan, though, granted, no overt outreach was established from my end. Following them on Twitter started out cool because I got a window into their mountainous world, but turned into a curse when they never seemed to want to reach (or follow) back. OK, no big deal. The initial pain of rejection led me to conduct an investigation on the essence of Boulder’s “cool”. Furthermore, I wanted to bring to light why we should all pay attention to Boulder now because – and even Sarah Lacy was astonished by this – Boulder won’t tell us why it’s so rad.
Let’s take a quick look at Boulder itself – not the tech scene – just Boulder.
- College town – Colorado University’s there.
- We know that there are a lot of bikes in Boulder
- There’s natural beauty like you wouldn’t believe
- Apparently the US Curling Olympic trials are there this year, being held this week, I’ve been told
Now let’s think Tech:
- Startup Town
- The afore-mentioned forward thinkers
- The sweet green tech innovations happening there
- In Boulder, you can be a geek AND athletic
- Most of their tech events are beer-centric vs. cocktails– SO cool
- They are geographically flanked by the Rockies on one side and the Mississippi on the other, trapped from the two traditional coastal sources of technological progress and yet they continue to generate technology and media innovation at an astounding and intriguing rate.
But Silicon Valley’s got plenty of mojo, right? Developers and entrepreneurs flock to the Bay Area because they have the next big thing that’s going to take “it” to the next level, going to change the world! So what differentiates Boulder? Here it is: COMMUNITY. There is an electric current that runs through Boulder that is powered by the intense support system that can only exist in a tight-knit community. That’s what TechStars.org IS. It’s for the mentoring and guiding (and funding) of sweet startups. I don’t know how you couldn’t succeed with that kind of backing.
Community must play a huge role in the success and acceleration of the startups and even the stewing of brilliant ideas among the mountains of Colorado. Looking through their blogs, seeing their Twitter activity, even being friends with just one of them on Facebook (and happening to peruse their profile with envy on a weekly basis), you understand the respect and friendship that is the lifeblood of the innovation, creativity and savvy that flows in that town. It’s really palpable if you watch some of the videos of their tech events– I mean, they have inside jokes! Yes, I may have spent an afternoon watching videos of Boulder tech meetups. Not a big deal.
Commradery, though, brings up another factor (and huge asset0 lending to their tight-knit environment: They’re still a small city. The Bay Area could never attain that level of intimacy. People come to The Bay Area to build great businesses that they can ultimately sell to go live in Boulder or, if it comes to it, run from Boulder (or somewhere of the like, you get it). People in Boulder love Boulder and never want to leave Boulder.
As a native Oregonian, my obsession with Boulder’s tech scene might be misplaced (sorry, Portland), but I can’t help feeling a little jealous of this embracing socio-professional (petty sure it’s a real term) environment. It’s not even the technology that really gets to me. It’s the people who make up this community – bloggers, entrepreneurs, copywriters, software engineers, consultants, and developers – that love what they do and want to see each other succeed.
Tell me where that community/clique/coven (?) is in the Bay Area and I’m there. Until then, I’m waiting on the edge of my seat for the next installment of “Where the Fun’s At“.
UPDATE (1/24/09): Joining Fox News in an effort to be “fair and balanced,” I wanted to highlight a response post by Brian Burns, a Boulder resident and copy writer: “Boulder Is Nice. Not Paradise”. A great read, and brings some local insight to the subject.
Where is the Green in Greentech?
LaunchSquadders Amy Neal and Sunshine Mugrabi attended the Dow Jones Alternative Energy Innovations conference held at the Sofitel in Redwood City last week. The show had a great line-up of speakers with a panel of heavy hitters to kick off the event, including Ajit Nazre, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and former California controller and manager of the Westly Group, Steve Westly. Not surprisingly, the economy and fears of a “green tech bubble” dominated conversations. No one seemed to agree on smart green technology investments right now, but everyone was aware that the future is murky.
A lot of the talk was about looking beyond areas of green tech that are already saturated, such as solar and wind power, to sectors of clean tech that have actually been under-funded, such as water technologies and manufacturing companies throughout the green tech supply chain.
Amy’s take: I found Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Smith’s interview with Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, a particularly intelligent and enlightening discussion of California’s green initiatives in light of the economic downturn and the federal government’s “don’t call it a bailout” bill. Smith asked if California was at risk of an energy shortage given the efforts to push renewable resources before traditional power, but with a bad economy increasing the chances of green companies not getting the funding they need to meet energy production and growth goals. Peevey asserted that we have every reason to be optimistic about California’s renewable energy future. He’s also confident that government incentives will provide more opportunities for smaller companies (as opposed to getting pushed out by the big utilities) because incentives have been in place for some time and larger energy companies haven’t taken advantage of them to date and are often slow to change.
Given the universal agreement on the need for immediate improvements in energy efficiency, I left the conference feeling even more confident that LaunchSquad client Optimal Technologies is in a unique position to be a leader in the green energy movement with its AEMPFAST platform, which can optimize the electrical grid now. AEMPFAST serves as a central “brain” for the electrical grid, providing unprecedented visibility into all parts of the system and has been proven to improve energy efficiency by at least 10 percent. The technology has the potential to completely eradicate blackouts, significantly reduce costs for energy producers and end-users, create more reliable and efficient power and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The company is funded by Goldman Sachs and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact their technology will make.
Sunshine’s take: What a difference a month makes. Back in September, the mood at another similar conference – West Coast Green – was one of near euphoria. At that event, crowds packed the San Jose Convention Center to rub shoulders with Al Gore, David Suzuki and other luminaries, and there was a sense that, as Al Gore so eloquently told the assembled crowd, “Instead of a financial bailout … we need to bail in renewable energy and green building.”
Yet, by the time the Dow Jones conference came around last week, it was clear that a certain amount of green fatigue had set in as the reality of the financial meltdown started to hit home for clean technology companies. While the federal bailout contains tax credits and other major incentives to help push forward the move toward renewables, there is also a sense that the pipeline of cash from venture investors for start-ups that are in this space is starting to slow–or, at the very least, that valuations will start to decrease.
Still, there is plenty to suggest that the green technology boom (or, if you’re a pessimist, bubble) isn’t going to tank any time soon. Speaking to the assembled crowd, Kaj den Daas, Chairman of Philips Lighting North America, said he believes that the future in his industry belongs to green innovations like energy efficient LEDs, promising that his company is very much on the lookout for companies to acquire.
Even more to the point, there were dozens of start-ups giving presentations to showcase their innovations in just about every area of green technology, from cellulosic sugar to fuel cells to thin film solar to tidal tech. Every seminar room I poked my head into was close to full, with potential investors and acquirers scribbling away on notepads and asking pointed questions. All of which, to me, bodes well for the continued greenification of clean tech.
This post was co-written by Amy Neal and Sunshine Mugrabi and is also posted (with a few edits) on the GreenAmy blog.