From January to September, global investment in energy storage, smart networks and energy efficiency ventures exceeded US$2 billion

Global VC funding (venture capital, private equity and corporate venture capital) for global battery storage, smart grid and energy efficiency companies exceeded $2 billion from January to September 2019, up 54%
from $1.
3 billion in the same period last year.

Overall, total corporate financing (including venture capital funding, public markets and debt financing) in the battery storage, smart grid and energy efficiency sectors was $2.
7 billion from January to September, down 18.
2%
from $3.
3 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Battery storage

From January to September, VC funding for battery storage companies increased by 104%, reaching 25 deals worth US$1.
6 billion, compared to US$783 million
raised from 38 transactions in 2018.
The increase was primarily due to Northvolt receiving $1 billion in financing in
the second quarter of 2019.

The top five VC deals in the first nine months of the year were, in order: Northvolt raised $1 billion, Sila Nanotechnologies raised $170 million, Energy Vault raised $110 million, Romeo Power raised $89 million, and Form Energy raised $40 million
.
In September 2019, a total of 60 venture capital investors participated in battery storage financing
.

Debt and public market financing activity announced in the first nine months of 2019 totaled seven transactions totaling $560 million, 24%
higher than $450 million of nine transactions in the same period in 2018.

Smart grid

From January to September 2019, venture capital funding for smart grid companies decreased by 27% to $194 million, compared to $264 million
in the same period last year in 2018.

Among them, the top 5 VC financing deals were eSmart Systems raised $34 million, SmartRent raised $32 million, CleanSpark raised $20 million, Volta Charging raised $20 million, and Innowatts raised $18 million
.
From January to September 2019, a total of 63 venture capitalists participated in smart grid financing
.

Smart grid companies' announced debt and public market financing involved two deals worth $45 million in the first nine months, compared to three deals worth $1.
3 billion
in the same period last year.

energy efficiency

Venture capital funding by energy efficiency companies in the first nine months of this year was $268 million, essentially unchanged
from $265 million in the same period last year.

The top five venture capital funding deals were, in order: Kinestral Technologies raised $100 million, Budderfly raised $55 million, Cimcon Lighting raised $33 million, Carbon Lighthouse raised $33 million, and 75F raised $18 million
.
Between January and September 2019, a total of 33 venture capitalists participated in energy efficiency financing
.

In the first nine months of 2019, there were two announced debt and public market financing transactions totaling $56 million, down 74%
from two transactions of $212 million in the same period last year.

In the first nine months of this year, a total of nine energy efficiency M&A transactions were made (two disclosed), compared to only two transactions (none disclosed)
in the same period last year.