SAN BRUNO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
VantagePoint Venture Partners, one of the nation's premier venture
capital firms, today announced the expansion of its CleanTech
investment team with the appointments of R. James Woolsey as Venture
Partner and David Edwards as Partner. These additions will enhance an
existing team of exceptional leaders who contribute experience and
expertise to a diverse and increasing portfolio of companies. The Firm
also announced the promotion of Marc van den Berg to Managing
Director.
Woolsey, driven by concerns for national security, has been a long
time advocate for clean energy with particular interest in distributed
generation, electric transport and biofuels. Woolsey has been a senior
advisor to VantagePoint since 2006 and former Director of CIA
(1993-95). "He brings a unique combination of passion, operational
expertise and an insider's perspective of the governmental landscape
to assist entrepreneurial companies as they navigate the CleanTech
terrain and reach global scale," said Stephan Dolezalek, Managing
Director and Head of the CleanTech Practice Group.
Edwards joins the Firm from Morgan Stanley where he covered the
CleanTech industry as an equity research analyst focused on the solar,
wind, storage, efficiency, and biofuels markets. He is steeped in the
market dynamics of the CleanTech industry and possesses a valuable
perspective that will benefit portfolio companies as they move from
development to commercialization and into the public markets.
Van den Berg joined the Firm in 2006 with more than 25 years
technology and industry experience. Having participated in building
three successful companies in the energy, water and semiconductor
sectors, he contributes a rare depth of operating experience and
technical knowledge to our portfolio companies. Van den Berg is
focused on solar, lighting, storage and smart grid technologies. He
works with key portfolio companies Bridgelux, Miasole and Angstrom
Power.
VantagePoint has established a leading CleanTech Practice with the
team, resources and relationships necessary to meet the large and
rapidly growing opportunity. "The scope of the issues being addressed
-- energy security, climate change, clean water and resource scarcity
-- represents an opportunity of substantial magnitude, and we have
assembled a team that knows how to build companies that will have
significant impact and transform their industries," said Alan Salzman,
Managing Partner and CEO, VantagePoint Venture Partners.
R. James Woolsey, Venture Partner
Jim has served four times in the federal government for a total of
12 years, holding Presidential appointments in two Democratic and two
Republican administrations. He served as Director of Central
Intelligence (1993-95), Ambassador and Chief Negotiator for the
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty in Vienna (1989-91),
Delegate at Large (on a part-time basis) to the Strategic Arms
Reductions Talks (START) and the Defense and Space Talks in Geneva
(1983-86), Under Secretary of the Navy (1977-79), and General Counsel
to the U.S. Senate committee on Armed Services (1970-73). He received
an AB from Stanford University, MA from Oxford University -- where he
was a Rhodes Scholar, and LLB from Yale Law School.
David Edwards, Partner
David has for many years been one of the leading CleanTech
industry analysts. Prior to joining VantagePoint, he was an equity
research analyst at Morgan Stanley where his focus spanned the solar,
wind, efficiency, emission reduction, storage, biofuels and energy
biotech markets. Previously, David was a partner at ThinkEquity
Partners and founder of the firm's CleanTech practice. He also served
as a buy-side analyst for a hedge fund and as a partner for Charles
River Ventures. David also worked in project finance at Kenetech
Windpower. He received a BA from Yale University.
Marc van den Berg, Managing Director
Marc has more than 25 years of industrial experience serving in
executive roles in both technical and business capacities at small,
private and large, public companies. He joined VantagePoint in 2006
from Venrock Partners, and his 10 years of experience in semiconductor
capital equipment and materials at ATMI, Inc., and Microbar, Inc.
significantly benefits VantagePoint's solar and power storage and
management technology portfolio companies. Previously he held
technical and operations positions in the Environmental Capital
Equipment business at Purus Inc. Earlier in his career, he spent a
decade developing advanced lasers as platforms for a broad array of
industry applications at XMR Inc. Marc received a BSEE from Santa
Clara University.
VantagePoint CleanTech Practice Group
In 2002, VantagePoint recognized a large and rapidly growing
investment opportunity in CleanTech and launched an effort to put in
place the resources and relationships to establish a leading CleanTech
practice. Today, the Firm oversees the largest and most active venture
capital effort dedicated to CleanTech, with in excess of $1 billion
allocated to the sector and a dedicated CleanTech investment team,
including 17 members who are among the most extensive and experienced
in the industry. VantagePoint's portfolio includes many of the more
important and innovative CleanTech companies, including Project
BetterPlace, BrightSource Energy, Mascoma, Miasole, PremiumPower and
Tesla Motors among others.
About VantagePoint Venture Partners
VantagePoint Venture Partners provides creative growth strategies
and capital to companies transforming global markets. With more than
$4.0 billion of capital under management, the Firm invests in
entrepreneurial companies at all stages of development in the
CleanTech, Healthcare, and Information Technology sectors.
VantagePoint partners with talented entrepreneurs who are seeking to
build companies that are world-scale in both size and substance. The
Firm has created a network of thought leaders and strategic partners
with some of the world's leading corporations to provide portfolio
companies with a unique advantage to accelerate growth. VantagePoint
Venture Partners: Creative Capital for Transformative Companies. For
more information, visit www.vpvp.com.
VantagePoint Venture Partners
Tracy Barba, 650-624-1596
tbarba@vpvp.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
