UK - Research shows £270m of cleantech invesment in Europe in 2006

Investment in cleantech as a whole is increasing – 102 deals were completed in 2006, resulting in over £270m of investment across Europe, with 40% of all European venture-backed cleantech companies located in the UK. However, the findings also reveal that over 45% of all cleantech deals received public sector support in the UK, compared to a European average of just 14.7%. In addition, in the £200,000-400,000 range, the public sector participated in 50% of all disclosed deals. The existence of public sector-backed investment bodies, such as the UK Carbon Trust, and many UK DTI R&D grants, has meant early stage cleantech companies have received the funding they require to get to the next stage.