Vantage Point Venture Partners has recently secured $435M of funding despite economic uncertainty and the need to bail out established auto-makers.

This is all good news as that fund is destined for Clean Tech initiatives. VPVP already sponsors solar-thermal developer BrightSource Energy, waste-to-power firm Ze-Gen, the electric-vehicle charging station project that we've featured here; Better Place, and of course our favorite electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors.

This is a clear sign that investment in clean technology will ultimately deliver a return. Some part of any investment in clean tech will be driven by a desire to 'do the right thing' but more importantly when a large venture capital firm selects clean tech it's not all altruistic... there are investors expecting a return and that's a good thing, it means we're on the right track... this green kick isn't just a flash in the pan.

Michael