NRG Energy backs energy data software startup EcoFactor – Tech Investor News
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EcoFactor Raises $10 Million Series B Funding – IT Industry Today
EcoFactor Raises $10 Million Series B Funding
Redwood City, Calif. — October 15, 2013 — EcoFactor, the leader in cloud-based home energy services, announced today that it has closed $10 million in its Series B financing round with NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) as a new investor joining Claremont Creek Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners, and Aster Capital. The investment will go towards the development of new services, enhancing EcoFactor’s award-winning home energy service, and expanding its engineering and sales staff.
According to the latest Home Energy Management Systems report by Greentech Media (GTM) Research, the 2013 market is valued at $1.5 billion annually with significant growth expected in the coming years from both the utility and non-utility solutions sectors to more than $4 billion by 2017. The report also identified EcoFactor as a top player in both markets providing high intelligence and automation to energy efficiency and demand response programs.
A range of utilities and cable companies in the U.S. are working with EcoFactor, most notably NV Energy and Comcast. In late 2012, NV Energy began mass deployment of EcoFactor’s integrated demand response and energy efficiency service under the mPowered program, which achieved as much as 3KW load shed per home and double digit HVAC energy savings. EcoFactor’s energy efficiency service is also part of the Xfinity Home platform by Comcast. The EcoFactor service is available to Xfinity Home customers nationwide under the name EcoSaver which launched earlier this year.
“We’re honored to have the support coming from previous investors and NRG, and proud of the progress EcoFactor has made over the last two years,” said EcoFactor CEO Roy Johnson. “We’ve hit several key milestones in our company’s growth, particularly deploying scalable demand response and energy efficiency services to several large partners. We anticipate a number of new partner and product announcements in the coming months.”
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About EcoFactor
EcoFactor’s cloud-based analytics platform unlocks the value of residential data to intelligently predict and automate energy savings for consumers. Patented software analyzes data from various sources such as network connected thermostats, weather data, and consumer interactions, and applies optimization algorithms tailored to the unique characteristics of individual homes and of homeowners. Our residential energy services achieve maximum demand response load shed, delivers superior energy efficiency savings, and detects and prevents HVAC failures. Our services are purchased by consumers through channel partners including Comcast, Reliant Energy, NV Energy, and Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Based in Redwood City, California, EcoFactor is privately held and funded by Claremont Creek Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners and Aster capital. www.ecofactor.com.
About Claremont Creek Ventures
Claremont Creek Ventures (CCV) is a seed and early stage venture firm that invests in companies that serve essential, broad-impact industries – including healthcare and energy – with digital solutions that increase operational efficiency to create high-growth, high-margin businesses. The firm partners with entrepreneurs and institutions, including UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley Labs, and Stanford University and UC Davis. CCV has more than $300 million under management in two funds and is located in Oakland California. For more information visit www.claremontcreek.com.
About RockPort Capital
RockPort Capital is a multi-stage venture capital firm that invests in the areas of alternative and traditional energy, mobility, and sustainability. For more than a decade RockPort has partnered with entrepreneurs to foster growth and create value in a broad range of industrial and consumer facing companies whose technologies and products provide innovative solutions to significant worldwide markets. RockPort has a collaborative approach to investing, deep domain expertise, and insights into all aspects of energy and cleantech. With offices in Boston and Menlo Park, RockPort is globally recognized as being among the largest and most established energy-focused venture capital firms. For more information visit www.rockportcap.com. Follow us on Twitter at @RockPortCapital
About Aster Capital
Aster Capital is a leading clean technology focused venture capital firm sponsored by Schneider
Electric, Alstom, Solvay and the European Investment Fund, global leaders in the energy and chemicals industries who have jointly invested in Aster’s second $130 million investment fund. With a total of $200 million under management, Aster aims to proactively leverage the expertise of these sponsors to support its portfolio companies in their further development. http://www.aster.com
EcoFactor Media Contact:
Mary Placido
EcoFactor
+ 1 (415) 218-3627
mary.placido@ecofactor.com
Supporting Quotes:
Claremont Creek Ventures
“We are pleased to support EcoFactor in this new round of funding and as a leader in home energy management solutions, we’re excited to see what new services and enhancements will come next,” said Nat Goldhaber, managing director at Claremont Creek Ventures.
RockPort Capital
“EcoFactor brings scalability and automation to home energy services which are becoming important requirements for energy efficiency and demand response programs,” said Abe Yokell, partner at RockPort Capital. “We see a tremendous growth potential in EcoFactor’s services and are excited to continue our partnership with this talented team.”
Aster Capital
“EcoFactor has demonstrated enormous traction with major service deployments,” said Todd Dauphinais, partner at Aster Capital. “It’s patented cloud-based service is being implemented by utilities, service providers and energy retailers to deploy multiple home energy programs on a single platform while increasing consumer convenience. It’s an approach that sets EcoFactor apart among many home energy management solutions.”
SXSWeco Interview: Roy Johnson of EcoFactor
EcoFactor Brings Energy Analytics to iControl Systems
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iControl Networks and EcoFactor Partner to Open Homes to Smart Energy Management
EcoFactor Joins the iControl OpenHome™ Partner Program to Add Energy Data and Analytical Tools that Deliver True In-Home Energy Efficiency to the Masses
Redwood City, Calif. (September 25, 2013) – iControl Networks, a leader in connected home technology and innovation, and EcoFactor, a leading provider of cloud-based home energy services, are partnering to deliver a smart energy service that integrates energy devices and appliances with data analytics about HVAC energy usage on iControl’s open, device-agnostic platform. EcoFactor will be joining the iControl OpenHome™ Partner Program to offer a big data and predictive analytics service layer that allows service providers to deliver the highest energy control and savings to their consumers. EcoFactor’s award winning service has been fully integrated into iControl’s platform, and already powers the recently launched EcoSaver service, a new cloud-based solution for Comcast XFINITY Home customers that helps reduce their energy use and saves money on their utility bills year-round.
“EcoFactor adds advanced energy management capabilities across our entire device ecosystem,” said Jim Johnson, senior vice president and general manager of iControl’s Austin Division. “Our vision is to give consumers a 360 degree view of their energy usage, as well as the tools to make smart energy decisions with the touch of a button. This partnership is making that vision a reality.”
iControl Networks’ open platform connects certified energy management devices to EcoFactor’s data analytics algorithms that optimize and automate thermostats and other energy management devices. With reach through an expanding network of service providers that offer smart home solutions, the energy management service is already available to over 50 million households in North America. In addition, the EcoFactor service enables customers to keep track of their HVAC energy use and savings anytime via the service provider’s web portal.
“Our expertise in data-driven energy services helps service providers to simultaneously deliver significant energy savings as well as enhanced comfort,” said John Steinberg, executive vice president of business development at EcoFactor. “Offering fully automated energy management to consumers who have access to the iControl solution is a big step toward our goal of making effortless savings available to everyone.”
The EcoFactor smart energy management service is compatible with the iControl Converge™ and iControl Touchstone™ deployment solutions. For more information on iControl’s OpenHome Partner Program for hardware and application developers, please visit www.icontrol.com/partners.
About iControl Networks
iControl Networks is a venture-backed software and services company providing interactive solutions defining the broadband home management market. iControl software platforms, award-winning solutions that have made the Connected Home a reality, enable home security companies, broadband service providers and utilities to offer the next generation of home management, security and connectivity to their customers. Venture investors in iControl include Charles River Ventures, the Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers iFund, and Intel Capital, with strategic investments from a variety of service providers including ADT, Comcast Ventures, Comporium and Rogers Communications. For more information, please visit www.icontrol.com
About EcoFactor
EcoFactor’s cloud-based analytics platform unlocks the value of residential data to intelligently predict and automate energy savings for consumers. Patented software analyzes data from various sources such as network connected thermostats, weather data, and consumer interactions, and applies optimization algorithms tailored to the unique characteristics of individual homes and of homeowners. Our residential energy services achieve maximum demand response load shed, delivers superior energy efficiency savings, and detects and prevents HVAC failures. Our services are purchased by consumers through channel partners including Comcast, Reliant Energy, NV Energy, and Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Based in Redwood City, California, EcoFactor is privately held and funded by Claremont Creek Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners and Aster capital. www.ecofactor.com.
Media Contacts:
iControl Networks
Margaret Hoerster
312.329.3909
Margaret.Hoerster@finnpartners.com
EcoFactor
Mary Placido