Venture capital investments in cleantech startups worldwide ended 2013 with 1,007 deals totaling $6.8 billion, a decline from the 1,037 deals amassing $7.9 billion the year before, according to market research firm the Cleantech Group on Wednesday.
Investors placed heavy bets on transportation, and that led to the whopping $258 million raised by Uber in San Francisco and $100 million by Xiaoju Technology. Uber offers an app for consumers to hail rides from drivers, including those from town car services, and its success has riled taxi trade groups and some regulators. Xiaoju is like Uber except it’s in China. — Full Story at Forbes –