A highly disciplined process honed by two decades of pure-play success in alternative energy
Criteria
Advanced Technology
Proven ideas and technologies that will be important in the next three to five years
Transformative Solutions
We seek out innovative businesses to develop and high-impact projects to complete that others can’t or won’t do.
Range of Stages & Sizes
Our answer to “build or buy” is — “both.” We have built successful companies starting from a clean sheet of paper and we have led institutional investment rounds in developed businesses and ongoing projects. We require a demonstrated product, market acceptance, and a clear path to cash flow within two to three years. We aim to invest between $5-50 million.
Capabilities
Roles
We are active investors that support portfolio companies with management, governance, industry relationships, and/or advice, as needed. We are flexible but prefer to serve as lead investors.
Timing
AE’s ability to foresee trends and time entry points is a significant competitive advantage, but we are also methodical investors employing a specific set of criteria. AE seeks to anticipate major industry trends several years in advance and get involved at inflections points – the open window when a new technology or market is finally ready for commercial development but has not yet gained wide acceptance.
Industry Access
For twenty years the principals of AE have been developing successful partnerships with top firms and professionals in the energy sector. Our reach is broad. If we don’t know someone, we know someone who does. We are fortunate to work directly, or through our portfolio companies, with many of the leading firms in the industry.
Utilities / Generators
OEM / System Integrators
Professional
Engineering
Successful project execution depends on the right design, securing all required stakeholder and regulatory approvals, and managing vendor selection and work processes. Having a world class team of the right engineering and consulting firms is a great help, and AE benefits from relationships with some of the best firms in the industry. Our use of consultants sometimes begins before we have committed to a project, or even a technology, as in the case of our Eos investment, which we made only after engaging top university scientists and consultants to help us analyze the complex field of advanced battery chemistry.
Financial
We have benefitted greatly from the capital, transactional advice, and deep energy industry knowledge of our financial partners which include global leaders in investment banking, private equity, energy infrastructure investing, and technology venture capital. We have also been fortunate to receive capital and co-investment support from leading investors from the family office and insurance sectors.
Manufacturing
Innovation backed by great execution is a recipe for commercial success. With portfolio companies that rely on innovation in technology and market strategy, AE and our management teams have made a strategic priority of building partnerships with some of the world’s premier materials and manufacturing companies. These partners give us assurance we will remain at the forefront of enabling technologies to deliver product on a global scale at the lowest cost and highest quality.