Sara M. Olsen is the founding partner of Social Venture Technology Group (SVT), the first firm to specialize in social and environmental returns analysis for private companies, and the related information systems. Sara is a pioneer in practical methods of non-financial valuation for private equity investors, portfolio companies, foundations and social enterprises.SVT works in collaboration with entrepreneurs and other industry leaders to develop and disseminate approaches in a range of fields that include the clean technology, green building, community economic development, health, policy advocacy, human rights and the arts. Previously she helped found an arts-based community development venture for Shorebank Corporation.

Sara has written and lectured internationally on non-financial performance assessment and social return on investment (“SROI”) analysis, including at the Schwab Entrepreneurs’ Summit at the 2006 World Economic Forum. She has advised Calvert Foundation’s Social Enterprise Portfolio, Mobile Media, ImportantGifts.com and Fast Company’s Social Capitalist Awards. Sara co-founded the Global Social Venture Competition in 1999. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley, an MASW from the University of Chicago and a BA from Dartmouth College. She lives in San Francisco.

interview done in july 2010
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blog: weareintruders.tv

EVO Electric develops and manufactures advanced electric motors, generators, drive systems and other integrated products for a wide range of transportation and mobile power applications. Its core competence is the design and integration of high-torque electric machines based on Axial Flux technology, which provides significant benefits in cost, weight, size and efficiency compared to conventional radial flux machines.Through this technology and associated powertrain design and integration know-how, vehicle OEMs can cut the cost and energy requirements of electric-drive vehicles (including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and EVs) and thus accelerate the global trend toward vehicle electrification and hybridisation.

A spin out of Imperial College in 2007, the company has raised $6m to date and used these funds to refine and patent the technology, establish an office and R&D facility, establish technology partnerships and build key commercial relationships. Early revenues have been generated from military and specialist vehicle manufacturers, and development and production contracts are being negotiated with a range of companies including manufacturers of commercial vehicles and high-performance cars.

Dr. Michael Lamperth co-founded EVO Electric after developing EVO’s core Axial Flux machine technology at Imperial College London, where he was lecturer in Mechanical Engineering since 1999. He studied mechanical engineering in Switzerland and at Imperial College.

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IES was formed in June 1994 by Dr Don McLean, who has over 25 years experience in the use and development of building simulation software. The company’s roots go back to 1979 when Don started his PhD work in detailed computer simulation of renewable energy devices.

IES has been successful in bringing to market the Virtual Environment (VE) suite of integrated building performance analysis tools. As buildings need to become more energy efficient then it is more important that financial and/or performance issues are based on good quality information in order to optimise the performance. This capability also helps identify ‘greenwash’ products.

IES are widely recognised as market leaders and VE is used by many of the world’s leading building design and consultancy firms. Many North American companies have started to use the technology and IES are providing an advanced consultancy service to WalMart to help them design their new low-energy stores.Dr McLean holds a BSc (First) in Environmental Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, and also spent nine years undertaking a PhD and Post Doctoral research. He formed IES 15 years ago. He has been married for 31 years and has two children (aged 22 and 17) and he enjoys most sports – but his principal hobby is IES!

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Nexeon is a battery materials and licensing company developing silicon anodes that provide lighter batteries with more power and longer lifetime between charges. It was founded in 2005 as a result of work done at Imperial College, London by Professor Mino Green.

Nexeon’s unique silicon anode material unlocks the potential of silicon to deliver increased battery capacity without compromising lithium-ion cycle life. It has developed a number of proprietary processes and equipment for producing silicon anode materials and for making electrodes. The benefits of Nexeon’s technology include increased cell capacity, lower cost to manufacture, minimal disruption to the existing battery manufacturing process, and improved battery safety margins.Nexeon has begun sampling materials to battery OEMs and automotive companies (mainly in Japan) with a view to licensing its technology and the company is in discussion with potential manufacturing partners for the supply of materials in commercial volumes.

CEO Dr. Scott Brown has a strong track record of intellectual property management and licensing. He has held senior management roles at Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), Sumation (a joint venture between CDT and Sumitomo Chemical) and Dow Corning. He was a key member of the executive management team during CDT’s NASDAQ IPO in December 2004 and their eventual acquisition by Sumitomo Chemical in September 2007, when he became responsible for commercial and R & D activities.

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Wet with Colin Calder, founder and CEO of PassivSystems, a new company which develops leading-edge smart-home systems for the mass market. The company reunites the highly successful leadership team behind Paragon Software, which sold to Phone.com (now Openwave) in 2000 for a landmark price.

Together with a strong team from the telecom, internet, and energy industries, we’re developing an open and extensible platform that delivers energy management and monitoring services to homes. This platform will rapidly grow to include assisted living, home security and more. Backed by significant venture capital, we’ve grown fast to over 35 people in our first year.

PassivEnergy™ will revolutionise how energy is used in the home. Across the globe worldwide energy consumption is projected to increase by 44% from 2006 to 2030. And energy prices will rise by up to 25%. Our system helps people save money and reduce their carbon footprint by cutting out wasted energy in their homes. Consisting of a web interface, a hub that connects to an existing broadband connection and sensors and controls around their house, PassivEnergy helps people manage their heating, cooling, hot water and electrical appliances better. Customers will be able to access PassivEnergy using smart phones, laptops and other internet-enabled devices. PassivEnergy launches in the UK in April 2010.

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blog: weareintruders.tv

Breathing Buildings was established in January 2006 after a 5 year scientific research programme at the University of Cambridge, funded by BP plc., to understand the fundamentals of natural ventilation.

The research led to the filing of a patent entitled Passive Ventilation Stack, authored by the founders of Breathing Buildings and owned by the University of Cambridge, and to which the company has exclusive commercial rights. Breathing Buildings was formed to commercialise the technology and secured initial funding from BP to develop and test prototype e-stacks.

Today the business has an order book (projects for which systems are specified) of over £2 million in the UK education sector, the first market that the company has targeted. The UK education market has increased significantly in the last three years, and Breathing Buildings has developed strategic relationships with a number of key clients.

More recently Breathing Buildings has developed relationships with two of the large UK retailers, with client-funded design review projects underway. The company has a pipeline of new products for development and is seeking potential partners for overseas expansion in European and US markets.

DIY Kyoto is creating the first premium consumer cleantech brand, producing products that are great designs, a joy to use and have a positive impact on the environment. DIY Kyoto’s first product ‘Wattson’ is an iconig energy monitor that differentiates itself through design.
We caught up with co-founder Richard Woods during the Clean & Cool Mission in San Francisco to discuss the company’s expansion plans.

Interview conducted by Andrew McCallister

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