If you need more evidence funding green energy and infrastructure companies has become an insular business, look at the top 10 most active U.S.-based cleantech investors for the first quarter.

As a group, the 10 most active U.S. VCs funded 47 companies — or 40 percent — of the 118 cleantech companies that received backing from American investors in Q1, according to Thomson Reuters (publisher of this blog). The top four most active U.S. VCs accounted for 20 percent of the total, collectively backing 24 cleantech startups in Q1.

Looking at the global landscape, cleantech investors put $2.57 billion into 159 companies in North America, Europe, China and India, according to a report by Cleantech Group, a research firm.

Compared to Q4, cleantech venture investment was up by 52 percent from $1.69 billion, and it was 31 percent higher than the same period a year ago ($2.28 billion).  On the downside, the number of Q1 deals “is likely to be the lowest quarterly count since mid 2009, though this tally may rise once all investors have completed reporting deals,” the Cleantech Group reported.

The vast majority of investment is going to support existing portfolio companies, with 93% (or $2.39 billion) of all money invested during Q1going to follow-on rounds for existing companies, according to the Cleantech Group.

North America saw an increase in investing, as startups raised 43% more than last year, or $2.19 billion. But quarterly activity fell in Europe, Israel and Asia.

Here are the quarter’s top investors and the companies they funded.

This is Part 1 of a series of slideshows on cleantech investing.

No. 7 (tied): Angeleno Group

Angeleno Group (3 cleantech deals)

  • Coda Automotive Inc. — Manufactures electric vehicles.
  • TPI Composites Inc. — Manufactures wind turbine blades.
  • Verengo Inc. — Provides residential solar power systems.

Related posts:

  1. Cleantech: Say Goodbye To Risk Capital
  2. Obama Talks Cleantech, But Investors Turn To Asia And China
  3. The Global Cleantech 100: What’s Not Happening in Cleantech
  4. Reuters: Cleantech Venture Funding Hits $2.57B–UPDATED
  5. Cleantech Investing Follows The Economy Lower

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