Technology special-II: Big companies are buying them up
Mar 16:
Here are some of the key takeaways from the 100 clean tech companies which were chosen as winners. 8There is a great diversity of opinion among judges about the solar companies which are included in the list. This may reflect the diversity that naturally comes with a mature market. However, some of the more cutting-edge applications, such as thin-film and organic photovoltaics, are controversial for either being too challenging a technology to commercialize, or too expensive to reach necessary levels of deployment. 8Investors are reluctant to engage with energy storage startups too, unless they have established and proven technology or have a niche application that is not being served by alternative battery chemistries. The competition that exists in the Li-ion market also causes concern about market share. There was also a view among selectors that Li-ion technology is ‘not the future.' 8A surprising omission from the list on mobility is Uber. Find out why 8There are differences of opinion on blockchain energy trading, free heating, and pavement-based electricity generation. Some see them as ‘extremely innovative’ and ‘the future,’ whereas others have entirely different perspectives, seeing these technologies as un-commercial, unscalable, not new, and difficult technology to apply or rely on. 8There are several underlying themes in materials and chemicals which large Indian chemical and petrochemical companies should perhaps look into, including industrial biotechnologies, carbon sequestration and reuse, and innovative new applications of existing materials. 8Also find out more about how giant companies are increasingly buying into these startups to get a head start on technologies that are new but akin to their businesses. Click on Reports for more.