Posts Tagged ‘firefly led lighting’

The Austin Clean Energy Incubator and Austin Energy recently announced the 5th Annual Clean Energy Venture Summit (CEVS) and the Cleantech Open Regional Judging & Awards at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center in Austin, Texas. The Clean Energy Venture Summit has become the premier cleantech business plan competition and educational conference in the Southern United States.

We encourage you to register online at www.cleanenergyventuresummit.com, so you won’t miss out on this great learning and networking opportunity. Speakers this year will include Brewster McCracken, Executive Director of the Pecan Street Project, who will be moderating a smart grid panel and Larry Weis, General Manager of Austin Energy, who will participate in a utility panel focused on smart metering.

The Summit provides clean technology companies and entrepreneurs a venue for presenting their innovations to venture capitalists, angel investors and others who invest in clean energy, as well as experts from utilities, corporations, academia and government. This year, the Clean Energy Venture Summit has selected 10 later-stage start-up companies to present their technology to a panel of experienced investors; and, for the first time, the winners will receive cash prizes. The Summit has emerged as a major national funding resource for clean tech companies. In fact, our rough estimates indicate capital under management that is connected to CEVS totals at least $19 Billion.

“The Clean Energy Venture Summit is a valuable opportunity for innovative cleantech companies to be center stage in front of the nation’s top clean energy investors,” said Mitch Jacobson, Co-Director of the Austin Clean Energy Incubator. “The major funding successes of ATI Clean Energy Incubator member companies such as Firefly LED Lighting and Ideal Power Converters after participating in CEVS speak for themselves.”

CEVS Successes:

Astrowatt presented at CEVS 2010, completing Series A funding three months later in December. The company has also recruited a new management team, welcoming Jeannine Sargent as executive chairperson and Curt Vass as CEO in March 2011.

Ener-G-Rotors was part of CEVS 2010, and has since been named one of the top 10 US companies, making new energy technologies ideal for military customers. The honor was announced by the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization, a Texas nonprofit organization.

Firefly LED Lighting presented at CEVS 2009 and went on to raise funding from CTAN and ETF for a total of $3.4M. They are presently seeking an additional $4M in series B. Firefly has 12 Reps/Distributors, and are installed in Multiple Commercial and Residential buildings. They have over $30M in identified opportunities.

Ideal Power Converters (IPC) was part of CEVS 2009, which resulted in signing a seed funding agreement with Battery Ventures. Now shipping commercial products, there are 10 people working at IPC with $1MM in sales and a big upswing expected next year.

Tigo Energy moved on from presenting at CEVS 2010 to collaborating with Suntech Power Holdings to develop smart panel technology for PV installations. In early 2011, the company raised $10.6 million in Series C funding.

In addition to the later-stage business competition; the event will also host the South Central regional finals for the Cleantech Open, a national seed-stage clean energy competition with 5 companies vying for a chance to win a total of $80,000 regionally and, for three finalists, $250,000 at the Cleantech Open Global Forum in California.

For more information on CEVS 2011 and to register to attend the event visit www.cleanenergyventuresummit.com or email ATI Events Manager Robin Murphy at rmurphy@ati.utexas.edu. We are expecting to sell out again this year with over 400 conference participants. You can follow us @CEVS2011 on Twitter and join the conversation with #CEVS2011. Through the Web site you’ll also be able to connect with CEVS on Facebook and LinkedIn

FIREFLY LED LIGHTING, INC. DEMOS LED LIGHTING IN LOBBY OF AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS

Firefly LED Lighting is pleased to announce the recent installation of its PAR 20 LED lamps in Austin Energy’s headquarters. In just over two years since company inception, Firefly LED Lighting has brought its lighting products to market, delivering on the promise of using 90% less electricity than standard lighting products. This green company is revitalizing the local economy by creating jobs for Texans, with its headquarters in Austin and its products manufactured in Texas.

Michael Villarreal of Austin Energy’s Facilities Management team installed 24 of Firefly’s PAR 20 lamps in the lobbies and elevator on the first floor of Austin Energy’s headquarters located at 721 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX. The installation of these lamps will show how LED lighting systems use up to 90% less electricity than standard lighting products.

Energy industry regulators in the United States and worldwide are phasing out incandescent and fluorescent lighting in favor of LED (light-emitting diode) technology to save energy costs and lessen environmental impact. Firefly LED Lighting products are more energy efficient and longer lasting than conventional lighting, lowering consumer costs by over 80 percent for energy and 96 percent for maintenance and increasing ROI with a quick payback.

Firefly LED Lighting products provide a 32 percent reduction in temperature, 48 percent increase in thermal conductivity, an up to 223 percent increase in surface area, and up to 40K hours of light output, along with added light and motion sensors and controls.

The most cost effective and energy efficient lighting on the market, the benefits of Firefly LEDs are:

High Efficiency
Long Lamp Life
Low Power Consumption
Low Maintenance and Lamp Replacement
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Low Heat Generation
Environmentally Safe

Firefly continues to work to get its LED lighting into more locations, get its products commercial ready and widely available, especially in a city so environmentally conscious and supportive of a local innovator. The company is always available to talk with media and to arrange tests or demos of its products.

ABOUT FIREFLY LED LIGHTING, INC.

Firefly LED Lighting is a Texas-based LED lighting company that provides energy-saving LED lighting products manufactured in Texas. The company was founded in June 2009. Firefly LED Lighting is at the forefront of innovation and design, producing LED lamps with modular components not found in other LED lamps. The Firefly LED Lighting line currently includes PAR 20, PAR 30, and PAR 38 replacement bulbs and fixtures, along with custom solutions. Firefly is a recent graduate of the Austin Technology Incubator and is a recipient of funding from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund.

Contact:

Tammy Porter for Firefly LED Lighting, Inc.

512-589-3004

tammy@ffled.com

www.fireflyledlight.com

Firefly LED Lighting Receives Texas Emerging Technology Funding

The State of Texas Emerging Technology Fund recently announced that it has awarded $3 million to Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) member company Firefly LED Lighting for product commercialization.

Energy industry regulators in the United States and worldwide are phasing out incandescent and fluorescent lighting in favor of LED (light-emitting diode) technology to save energy costs and lessen environmental impact. Firefly LED Lighting products are more energy efficient and longer lasting than conventional lighting, lowering consumer costs by over 80 percent for energy and 96 percent for maintenance and increasing ROI with a quick payback.

Firefly products are manufactured in Texas, which helps strengthen the local economy and create jobs. Firefly CEO Steve Barcik said “We are very excited to be awarded the ETF grant to help commercialize our products. It is a big vote of confidence and validates our business model. The Texas Emerging Technology Fund cultivates the powerful entrepreneurial community in Texas and it is an honor and a privilege to work together with them to grow the economy and put Texans back to work.”

Last week, Firefly launched a complete series of spot and flood lamps for indoor and outdoor use. Firefly’s modular heat sink and driver technology ensure that the lamps will provide years of service and save thousands of dollars.

Barcik said Firefly has a powerful relationship with ATI and Clean Energy Incubator Director Mitch Jacobson, including regular advisory meetings and networking opportunities with local clean tech entrepreneurs, venture capital investors, government officials, and potential customers.

FireFly Moving Up, Builds Sales Team

Austin Technology Incubator member company FireFly LED Lighting continues on an upward ramp this month through the acquisition of two key sales representatives.

Brad Rock, FireFly’s new Director of Sales, is coming off a 12-year stint in the same role at Spacelabs Healthcare and brings depth in large capital and equipment sales with skills around product start ups. He also brings large institutional order expertise to the team. Todd Kenter, FireFly’s new account executive, brings to the team 20 years of experience in lighting design, LED lights, sales and a deep knowledge of the LED market. Kenter’s background in customer interaction and design knowledge will be key to landing larger LED lighting orders.

The two sales representatives went right to work after coming on board earlier this month. Sales meetings are being held and multiple projects are in view, including a large office building in Dallas, a technology showroom in Silicon Valley and a high-end residential retrofit in Austin.

FireFly LED Closes More Than $300,000 in Series-A Funding Round with Texas Angels

The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a not-for-profit arm of The University of Texas at Austin, announced today that its member company, FireFly LED Lighting, Inc., raised more than $300,000 in its series A funding round with investors from Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) and Concho Valley Angel Network (CVAN).

Austin,Texas (PRWEB) July 28, 2010 — The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a not-for-profit arm of The University of Texas at Austin, announced today that its member company, FireFly LED Lighting, Inc., raised more than $300,000 in its series A funding round with investors from Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) and Concho Valley Angel Network (CVAN).

Firefly’s full range of LED bulbs enables direct replacement of existing incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, both indoor and outdoor, to lower energy and maintenance costs for customers by up to 90 percent. More than reducing costs, Firefly’s “Smart LED” bulbs come loaded with sensors to make lighting infrastructure smarter from the hallway to the flood light to the street corner.

Firefly LED Lighting CEO Steve Barcik said the funding will go immediately to accelerate Firefly’s engineering and manufacturing, processes the company has established in Texas. In addition, he said, the funds will enable initial demonstration projects and sales.

Barcik said the initial funding round was crucial in honing Firefly’s message and direction as a company. “Going through the process with CTAN and CVAN really helped us differentiate ourselves,” Barcik said. “It was a great experience for myself and the company.”

Participating in Firefly’s series-A round was CTAN’s first substantial investment in a clean technology-focused company, Randall Crowder, the network’s director, said. “Firefly is going after a large market with significant competitors,” Crowder said. “It says a lot about their technology and management that they have done so well raising money from local angels.”

Firefly LED Lighting was formed in June of 2009 and became an ATI member company in October of the same year. The company’s stage in growth made them an ideal fit for the ATI’s value proposition, ATI-Clean Energy Incubator director Mitch Jacobson said.

“Since coming on board, we have assisted them in company and market strategy and direction,” Jacobson said. “We’ve also helped them to raise funds from private and public sources, introduced them to key individuals in our network and assisted them in finding talent for their company. We are very high on Steve and his team and on the Firefly business model and will continue to go down the road of success with them.”

Immediately following acceptance as a member company, Firefly got its feet wet after the ATI team urged them to compete in October, 2009’s Clean Energy Venture Summit. “The Clean Energy Summit was our first and biggest pitching event,” Barcik said. “It got the community on board, lined up investment and got our company in front of top venture capital teams.”

About the Austin Technology Incubator

The Austin Technology Incubator is a nonprofit unit of The University of Texas at Austin that harnesses business, government and academic resources to provide strategic counsel, operational guidance and infrastructure support to its member companies to help them transition from early stage ventures to successful technology businesses. Since its founding in 1989, ATI has worked with over 200 companies, helping them raise close to $750 million in investor capital. ATI is a key program of the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. For more information, visit www.ati.utexas.edu

About Firefly LED Lighting

Firefly LED Lighting provides full range of “Smart LED” light bulbs for direct replacement of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. Firefly’s LED Lights are low energy, low heat and have a long life allowing customers to reduce heat and energy costs by up to 90 percent. With control and sensors built into the lamps to create a smart building from the socket down, we provide a worldwide range of options for reducing energy and improving efficiency. Firefly has designed lights that meet customer and market demand for light output and reliability. Any where you see a light source you will see Firefly lamps, bulbs, and fixtures. For more information, visit www.fireflyledlight.com.