Momentum: 12 Biobased ventures raise $435M in Q2 2013; 32 projects being built off the balance sheet

Despite negative press from Bloomberg, biobased investing is surging, both direct and via strategics.

The Digest has the data and the scoop.

After we profiled, last April, 17 biobased ventures who raised $434 million in new capital in Q4 2012 and Q1 2013, a report ran this week in Bloomberg, headlined “Biofuel Investments at Seven-Year Low” and purporting to track a major slowdown in biobased funding, with a focus on BP and Shell. The industry became generally alarmed by the report.

Today, the Digest is able to report that, indeed, there is a change in trend.

But, looking at the hard data, investment has accelerated — not declined — with biobased ventures raising $435 million in fresh capital in Q2 2013, more than the industry raised in the preceding two quarters combined.

The capital raising activity

Here’s the deal detail, as tracked at biofuelsdigest.com.

AgBiome – $14.5M April
Ostara – $13M April
KiOR – $30M April, May, June
Cobalt – $23.2M April
Coskata – $4.5M May
Genomatica – $20M – Versalis JV, April
Intrexon – $150M May
Camson Bio Technologies – $10M May
BioAmber – $80M May
Enerkem – $50M June
CoolPlanet – $29.9M June
Amyris – $10M June

TOTAL – $435.1M Q2

In today’s Digest, we explore the investment trends, the Big Joint Development Agreements, the big strategic investments, and 32 projects that are being funded off the balance sheet. All by following the page links below.