Looking for quality cleantech business opportunities? Look no further than Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District

Toronto, March 14, 2011 – The MaRS Discovery District, located in Toronto, Ontario, is the leading facilitator of cleantech investment deals in Canada. Since launching in April 2009, MaRS’ Cleantech Practice has worked with more than 120 of Canada’s next generation cleantech companies.

Under the guidance of Practice Lead, active entrepreneur and investor Dr. Tom Rand, MaRS engages with innovative cleantech entrepreneurs to help them build high-quality early-stage companies. MaRS secures investment opportunities and offers on-going value by providing entrepreneurs with strategic advice and connections to capital, management and strategic partners.

Highlights from MaRS’ cleantech successes:

In 2010, MaRS’ cleantech client companies raised capital totalling CAD$59 million—this represents the majority of early-stage cleantech funding in Canada. Companies that raised financing include Morgan Solar, Embala (formerly Sempa), Hydrogenics, GreenCore and ReDriven.
In 2011, MaRS launched a cleantech “Angel Breakfast” series to connect qualified companies with angel investors. 100% of the companies that presented at angel breakfasts have closed angel rounds (see links to press releases below).

Based on a unique not-for-profit model, with core operating revenue derived from 750,000 sq. ft. (growing to 1.5 million sq. ft.) of real estate, MaRS is a non-partisan third-party innovation centre that does not take fees from clients or other strategic partners. MaRS’ core advisors are entrepreneurs and investors. MaRS also has formal relationships with institutions like the University of Toronto, ensuring a strong pipeline of intellectual property.

MaRS is accompanying four innovative cleantech companies to the San Francisco Cleantech Forum, where they are seeking funding. The companies are:

Temporal Power: ultra low-friction flywheels for high-efficiency grid-scale storage over 24 hours
Proterra LED: engineered LED lighting solutions for commercial and industrial applications
Skymeter: financial grade vehicle GPS monitoring with large recently-signed contracts
Hydrogenics: a world leader in fuel cell and electrolysis technology

MaRS welcomes all media and corporate inquiries about our unique innovation centre model, the cleantech companies represented at the San Francisco Cleantech Forum and the large and growing pipeline of opportunities in the burgeoning cleantech climate in Ontario and Canada.

About MaRS Discovery District
MaRS Discovery District (www.marsdd.com) is a large scale, mission driven innovation centre located in Toronto and networked across Ontario, focused on building Canada’s next generation of technology companies. MaRS works closely with entrepreneurs in life sciences and health care, information, communications and entertainment technologies, cleantech, advanced materials and engineering, as well as innovative social purpose businesses.

For more information about MaRS’ cleantech success stories, see:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2011/03/c7628.html
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2011/28/c6540.html

For more information about MaRS at the San Francisco Cleantech Forum, contact:
Dr. Tom Rand, Cleantech Lead Advisor
647.302.1255
trand@marsdd.com

For more information about MaRS Discovery District, contact:
Vanessa Caldwell, MaRS Communications
416.673.8200 x2240
vcaldwell@marsdd.com