Solar Start-Up Enecsys Raises $41M
Enecsys Ltd., a eight-year-old provider of solar micro inverter systems, has raised 25 million pounds ($41 million) in Series B financing. Climate Change Capital Private Equity led the round, with participation from existing shareholders Wellington Partners, NES Partners and Good Energies. The UK-based company closed its $14.3 million Series A round in 2009.
PRESS RELEASE:
Enecsys Limited, the leader in reliable, long-life solar micro inverter systems for residential and commercial applications, has secured a further (GBP)25 million ($41 million) in equity financing to invest in its growth plan.
Enecsys was founded in 2003 and its patented technology was originally developed at Cambridge University in the UK. Solar inverters convert the DC power produced by solar photovoltaic (PV) modules into AC power for supply to the electricity grid. Enecsys micro inverters are installed on the rail behind solar modules, either one inverter per solar module or one for every two modules. The Enecsys micro inverter represents a breakthrough in inverter design for residential and commercial solar PV installations as its technology has, for the first time, eliminated components that limit inverter life. Additionally the Enecsys micro inverter enables solar PV systems to harvest between 5% and 20% more energy; it makes planning and installation of PV systems easier and safer due to the elimination of high voltage DC wiring, and it enhances system optimization by monitoring the performance of each solar module. Enecsys has recently launched its products in Europe and North America and the latest financing has been arranged to facilitate substantial expected growth.
Climate Change Capital Private Equity led this Series B equity financing with an investment of (GBP)11 million ($18 million). The balance, (GBP)14 million ($23 million), was secured from the existing Enecsys investors, Wellington Partners, NES Partners (formerly known as Bankinvest New Energy Solutions) and Good Energies, who together previously invested (GBP)8.5 million ($14.3 million) in Enecsys in a Series A financing in 2009. The latest financing round represents the largest private equity raise in the European cleantech sector so far this year.
Mossadiq Umedaly, Enecsys’ Executive Chairman, said: “We chose Climate Change Capital Private Equity, one of the largest and most experienced investors in clean power, because of their excellent fit with us and they have decided to invest in Enecsys after a thorough investigation of our business strategy, technology and product road map, management team and future prospects. We welcome Climate Change Capital Private Equity to our strong investor team and board. We also appreciate the confidence shown by our existing investors who have again participated in such a significant way in this financing round.”
Simon Drury, a Partner at Climate Change Capital Private Equity, who will join the board of Enecsys commented: “The ability for Enecsys to provide high performance, cost effective micro inverters with the reliability and life expectancy to match that of solar modules fundamentally changes the economic model of solar PV and will play an important role in growing the market for this clean power source. We are delighted to have the opportunity to participate in the company’s success.”
Bart Markus of Wellington Partners, an existing Enecsys investor, added: “We are pleased with the progress that Enecsys has made since our initial investment in 2009, and the opportunity the market currently presents to Enecsys is huge; as of today Enecsys has the only certified micro inverter solution in production in the European market, which represents 75% of the world’s residential solar market — this round of funding will allow us to accelerate the execution of this opportunity.”
Henrik Raunkjaer, Enecsys’ CEO commented: “The resources from this financing will be used to execute our growth strategy by accelerating our product development and cost reduction plan and expanding our global presence in sales, marketing, customer service and manufacturing to serve every major market.”
About Enecsys
Enecsys Limited, develops, manufacturers, and markets world-leading, highly reliable, grid-connected solar micro inverters and monitoring systems for residential and commercial photovoltaic systems that offer an outstanding value proposition. The micro inverter converts the DC power from each solar module into high quality AC power for supply to the electricity grid. The advantages of Enecsys solar micro inverters include: maximized energy harvest, improved safety, increased lifetime and reliability, enhanced performance monitoring, and simplified PV array design and installation. The monitoring system tracks, in real-time, the performance of each solar module and transmits the information through a robust built-in wireless communication system that connects to the Internet. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, the company also has sales and support offices in Bad Homburg, Germany and in Redwood Shores, California, USA. For more information, please visit http://www.enecsys.com.
About Climate Change Capital Private Equity
Climate Change Capital Private Equity (CPE) is a EUR200 million European private equity fund that invests expansion capital in high growth, later stage companies and buy-outs in the areas of clean power, clean transport, energy efficiency, waste recovery and water. CPE is backed by leading institutional investors including Alpinvest, Robeco and Universities Superannuation Scheme and Enecsys represents CPE’s eighth investment. CPE is part of Climate Change Capital (CCC), an investment manager and advisory group specialising in the opportunities generated by the global transition to a low carbon economy. CCC’s Asset Management business manages funds with commitments in excess of EUR1.0 billion as of December 2010. The Group’s funds invest in companies, projects and services that contribute to climate change mitigation or adaptation. For more information, please visit http://www.climatechangecapital.com.
About Wellington Partners
Wellington Partners has been one of the most successful pan-European venture capital firms and a market leader in Germany for more than twelve years. With funds totalling some EUR 800 million, we invest throughout Europe in companies that have the potential to become real market leaders. We are committed to providing outstanding entrepreneurs with the necessary resources to fund their growth strategies. We typically lead financing rounds ranging from EUR 1 million to EUR 50 million. Depending on the maturity of the company, our own commitment can go as high as EUR 25 million. For more information, please visit http://www.wellington-partners.com.
About NES Partners
NES Partners is an experienced fund manager specialised in driving value in unlisted New-Energy-Solutions companies through active ownership to the benefit of our Investors and Stakeholders. Being amongst the pioneers in the New-Energy space, NES Partners has since 2002 invested in and contributed to the successful growth of 23 companies within Tidal Power, Solar Power, Biofuels, Fuelcells, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Smart Grid, Clean Water and Advanced Materials. NES Partners has offices in Copenhagen, Zurich and Los Angeles and was previously known as Bankinvest New Energy Solutions. Contact nes@nespartners.dk
About Good Energies
Good Energies is a leading global investor in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. The firm invests in solar, turbine-based renewables, green building technologies and other emerging areas within the clean energy world. Founded in 2001, Good Energies manages the renewable energy portfolio of COFRA, a family owned and managed group of companies. Guided by the 3-P principle of People-Planet-Profit, Good Energies aims to bring financial success together with sustainable returns for the environment and for society. The firm seeks to help drive the transition to a low-carbon economy, as well as to bring affordable renewable energy to the developing world. For more information, please visit http://www.goodenergies.com.
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