Cleantech Fellows Institute

What Cleantech Fellows Institute does

Cleantech Fellows Institute, operating commercially as Cleantech.Org, is a private knowledge platform and advisory firm founded in 1994 that focuses on technology commercialization in energy, oil & gas, and cleantech. Its core asset is the world's largest cleantech community on LinkedIn, with approximately 33,000 members from more than 100 countries, and a broader 40,000-member Global Cleantech.org Network, alongside a content library spanning UFTO Notes (dating to 1994), Cleantechblog.com (since 2005), the Cleantech.org Tech Topics newsletter (since 2007), five unique periodical publications, and 3,000+ articles, papers, and studies cited in 20+ books.

The firm monetizes this platform through a portfolio of professional service lines rather than software: (i) the Corporate Innovation Research Management (CIRM) Program, a multi-client or single-client managed R&D origination, vetting, and contracting service; (ii) Proprietary Research Consulting covering oil & gas technology, market landscaping, and venture capital/alternative financing; (iii) the 'Strategy by Doing' Technology Commercialization Management Program, which executes — rather than just advises on — new company or business unit launches in 90-180 days; (iv) selective Startup Incubation including executive assembly and capital raising; and (v) Due Diligence Services for investment decisions. Pricing is quote-based across all service lines; the underlying community membership itself remains free, functioning primarily as a top-of-funnel asset.

Buyers are predominantly enterprise: major oil & gas and utility firms (with ConocoPhillips and an unnamed major oil company cited across multiple engagements, plus a decade-long utility power company multi-client UFTO group), corporate R&D departments seeking distributed R&D at lower cost and faster cycles, private research labs commercializing technologies or spinning out new units, and early-stage energy/cleantech startups needing executive, customer, and capital assembly. The firm is staffed by a small principal team of fewer than 10 people — Dr. Edward Beardsworth, Dr. Bill Salathiel, Neal Dikeman, F Ling, and Jeff Bentley — with the organization historically having operated as a division of Jane Capital Partners LLC before becoming an independent entity, and with terms of service indicating a UK (England) legal domicile even as operations and a U.S. phone number point to U.S.-based activity.

Name

Cleantech Fellows Institute

Legal name

Cleantech.Org

Website

https://cleantech.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cleantech Fellows Institute (Cleantech.Org) is a private advisory firm and the world's largest cleantech community platform, founded in 1994. It helps major energy, utility, and R&D clients commercialize technologies via consulting, managed R&D programs (CIRM), startup incubation, and due diligence services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cleantech Consulting and Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Deep Tech / R&D Commercialization CVC (FSANAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

ERP, CRM & Enterprise Applications Consulting (BPAHAEAI)

Keywords

• Technology commercialization consulting
• R&D management services
• Cleantech research consulting
• Energy innovation advisory
• Startup incubation services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Proprietary Research Consulting: Research studies in oil & gas technology, technology and market landscaping, venture capital and alternative financing options. Custom engagement basis for corporate clients.
2. Corporate Innovation Research Management Program (CIRM): Low cost, rapid deployment, tailored, private single or multiclient management program for topic based R&D origination and management. Multiple program structures and IP arrangements available.
3. Technology Commercialization Management Program: Integrated commercialization program combining EIR, business development, and strategic planning services. Execution-focused not just consulting advice.
4. Startup Incubation: In select cases, undertake to incubate a new technology or team including assembling executive teams, securing customers and partners, developing technology, and raising capital.
5. Due Diligence Services: Select short term due diligence assignments for technical areas with available expertise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cleantech Fellows Institute (Cleantech.Org) operates the world's largest cleantech community and delivers technology commercialization consulting, proprietary research studies, distributed R&D management programs, startup incubation, and due diligence services to clients in the energy, oil & gas, and cleantech sectors. Its services are anchored by named principal contacts and supported by an online community of more than 33,000 professionals across 100+ countries.

Product overview

Cleantech.Org is the world's largest cleantech community platform offering a portfolio of technology commercialization and research services. The core offerings include the Corporate Innovation Research Management Program (CIRM) for R&D management, Proprietary Research Consulting, the Technology Commercialization Management Program (with its Strategy by Doing methodology), Startup Incubation, and Due Diligence Services. Supporting these are research publications including UFTO Notes, various periodicals, and a book citation library. The platform also hosts a major LinkedIn networking group for cleantech professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cleantechblog.com: Leading online publication on cleantech from 2005-present, named a 50 Best Business Blog by the London Times
• UFTO Notes
• Cleantech.org Tech Topics
• Strategy by Doing
• CIRM Program

Products and services

• Corporate Innovation Research Management Program (CIRM) A tailored private single or multiclient management program for topic-based R&D origination and management, using a 40,000 member global network for distributed small-scale R&D vetting, contracting, and management through standardized contracting and managed solicitations. Targeted at major energy companies, corporate R&D departments, and private R&D labs.
• Proprietary Research Consulting Custom proprietary research studies covering oil & gas technology, technology and market landscaping, venture capital and alternative financing options, and related areas. Targeted at corporations, R&D labs, major energy companies, and startups.
• Technology Commercialization Management Program (Strategy by Doing) An integrated, fast-paced technology commercialization program combining EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence), business development, and strategic planning to rapidly source new opportunities and technologies and launch new initiatives (new company or business unit) to first customer ship in 90–180 days. Used at private R&D labs, major energy companies, and startups for cross-border market entry, R&D scouting, and technology spinoff management.
• Startup Incubation In select cases, the organization incubates a new technology or team, including assembling executive teams, securing customers and partners, developing technology, and raising capital. Targeted at technology startups in energy, cleantech, and related sectors.
• Due Diligence Services Select short-term due diligence assignments covering various technical areas, delivered by teams with available domain expertise for investment, M&A, or partnership decisions.
• UFTO Notes Utility Federal Technology Opportunities (UFTO) Notes, an energy technology Research Brief Series originally published for a decade-long multi-client group of utility power companies covering technology transfer opportunities from national laboratories. Targeted at utility power companies and energy R&D clients.
• Cleantech Publications (Cleantechblog.com, Cleantech.org Tech Topics Newsletter, Professional Series, AltEnergy Review) A portfolio of 5 unique periodical publications and dozens of proprietary whitepapers, publications, and research studies including Cleantechblog.com (online blog, 2005-present), Cleantech.org Tech Topics monthly members eNewsletter (2007-present), Professional Series on Cleantech.org (graduate-level online education short courses), and AltEnergy Review (monthly eNewsletter). Targeted at cleantech professionals, members, and corporate clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90-180 days from opportunity sourcing to new initiative launch
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jane Capital Partners LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization during development phase. Cleantech.org operated as a division of Jane Capital Partners LLC for 10 years developing publications, whitepapers, and research studies. Joint publications include Cleantech Venture Capital Valuation Study, Exit Returns Study, and Corporate Venture Capital Benchmarking Study.
• Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFTO Notes feature technology transfer opportunities from national laboratories. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory mentioned in context of Global Emissions/Atmospheric Release Modeling research.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFTO Notes cover technology transfer opportunities including NREL visits and programs. Referenced in research briefs on biofuels feedstock and renewable energy topics.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleantech Group: Cleantech Group provides cleantech market intelligence, research, and investment networking (Cleantech Forum) — the closest direct competitor to Cleantech.org's combined intelligence + commercialization + networking offering.
• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): RMI is a non-profit energy and climate advisory firm offering strategy consulting, commercialization support, and accelerator programs (e.g., Third Derivative) — directly comparable to Cleantech.org's CIRM, commercialization, and incubation services.
• Strategen: Strategen is a boutique cleantech advisory firm providing policy, market, and commercialization consulting to utilities, corporates, and startups — comparable in size and service mix to Cleantech.org's consulting practice.
• Third Bridge: Third Bridge provides expert interview-based research and due diligence to investors and corporates — directly comparable to Cleantech.org's Due Diligence Services and proprietary research consulting line.

Broad incumbents

• Wood Mackenzie / Greentech Media: Wood Mackenzie (which acquired Greentech Media) is a global research and consultancy covering renewables, power, and oil & gas — directly overlapping Cleantech.org's research and advisory lines with much broader analyst capacity.
• S&P Global Commodity Insights: S&P Global Commodity Insights (formerly IHS Markit) provides energy research, market data, and consulting — a large incumbent competing for the same enterprise R&D, market landscaping, and due diligence budgets Cleantech.org targets.
• BloombergNEF (Bloomberg New Energy Finance): BloombergNEF is the dominant subscription research and data platform covering global energy transition, with deep overlap on cleantech market landscaping, energy storage, and corporate strategy work Cleantech.org performs for clients like ConocoPhillips.

Emerging players

• E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs): E2 is a national nonpartisan advocacy group for cleantech business and entrepreneurship — an adjacent peer that overlaps on cleantech networking and policy-oriented research, though more policy-focused than commercial.
• Cleantech Capital Group: Cleantech Capital Group is an investment bank and advisory boutique focused on cleantech M&A and capital raising — comparable on the due diligence, valuation, and financing advisory services Cleantech.org offers to energy and cleantech clients.

Regional players

• Elementa (Elementa Group): Elementa is a sustainability and cleantech advisory firm providing strategic consulting to corporates and investors — comparable on cleantech commercialization advisory, though with different geographic focus (Canada-led).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CleantechBlog
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleantech-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cleantech Fellows Institute