Cleantech Investments Bounced Back in Q1

The Cleantech Group this morning announced first quarter VC investments stats, and the buzzword was “bounce back.”

As in: “Following the decline in cleantech investments from 2008 to 2009, the industry has bounced back in the first quarter of 2010,” said Sheeraz Haji, president of Cleantech Group.

You can check out a press release here.

Among the key talking points from the press conference are:

-Q1 saw a record total of 180 deals, which raised $1.9 billion.

-Cleantech venture investment was up 29% from the previous quarter and up 83% from the same period in 2009.

-Government funding and VC dollars do not go hand-in-hand. Of the top 10 deals, only one had received government support. Haji said that although government-related financing is critical, this trend shows that private capital is not at all dependent on government stimulus.

-IPO window is open, Haji said, with seven companies on the IPO launching pad, including Tesla and Solyndra.

On the downside, some cautionary notes:

-Valuations are down.

-The growth in Q1 numbers is based on follow-on financing, not early stage deals.

Let me know your thoughts.