As global demand for energy increases and oil prices soar, many venture capital firms have begun to focus on the alternative energy sector.
In June 2005, Pasadena, California-based solar company Energy Innovations raised $16.5 million in venture capital led by Mohr Davidow Ventures. Around the same time Nanosolar raised $20 million (also led by Mohr Davidow Ventures), Austin, TX-based solar startup HelioVolt secured an $8 million investment from New Enterprise Associates and Kleiner, Perkins , Caufield & Byers led Cajon kaufen a $16 million investment in Miasolé, a thin film solar company.
Energy investments
Hopefully the current focus on energy investments and in particular on ‘clean energy’ will be a real win-win situation; Investors will get a good return on their investments and our environment will be positively impacted. In fact, the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) was recently created to “make attractive investments, but also provide an engine for economic growth while reducing California’s dependence on fossil fuels.” Shortly after this $30 million fund launched, it announced agreements with three leading venture capital firms: Nth Power, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
While some of the venture capital firms are new to the energy space, Nth Power is not. The company began investing in 1997 and has over $250 million under management investing in energy intelligence, power reliability, distributed generation and related services. Other traditional energy VCs include EnerTech Capital, which was founded in 1996.
Investments in energy and clean energy look promising for the foreseeable future. Not only alternatives to high oil and gas prices have to be fought, almost 20 countries have already set targets for the share of renewable energy sources. Consequently, there are many, many buyers of energy products; The challenge is that entrepreneurial companies invent them.
Meinl Cajon
Cajóns, also known as box drums, are enjoying growing popularity around the world. Invented by African slaves in Peru in the 17th century, it is now used in all types of music. Because of the portability, affordability, and coolness factor, I think we’ll see even more people playing the cajón in the years to come. If you’re looking to buy a cajón, I’m writing a series of articles about the different options available.
The biggest names in drums and percussion make cajons: Pearl, Latin Percussion (LP), Meinl and Schlagwerk, among others. Possibly the most popular is Meinl, probably due to the quality and affordability.
Meinl has several different cajón lines, with the headliner series being priced at just over $100. These are made from rubberwood, a cheaper wood than their higher-end birch-contracted cajóns. But for the price, it’s an easy way for most musicians to experience the versatility of this great instrument. These use snare wires, like the kind in a snare drum, to create a sizzle effect. An Allen key is also included for adjustment.
Meinl makes a Build Your Own Cajón kit for around $50! It has detailed instructions and videos online. It’s definitely a fun weekend project for someone practical. You can also use it to customize the final appearance of the cajón. BTW the kit includes the higher quality birch wood, Cajon kaufen but you may need to have your own clamps to make this really solid. And for affordability, you can’t beat it.
Their Traditional String Cajóns use a guitar string that runs along the faceplate. These can also be adjusted with the Allen key and a screwdriver.
Meinl makes a line called Modern Snare Cajóns that offer an easier way to adjust the tension of the snare wire. There is a knob on the side of the box that allows you to dial in the exact sound you want. Pretty comfy! These are also made from rubberwood and various faceplates including ebony, ash and even fiberglass.