Santa Monica, Calif., Feb. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Organizers of the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, North America’s largest advanced transportation technology and clean fleet event, today announced the launch of the ACT Expo Investor Summit. Taking place May 11, 2020, at ACT Expo, the Summit is the first event of its kind to focus solely on the wide variety of private and public investment in the rapidly growing advanced transportation market.
Driven by an accelerated global focus on emission reductions and corporate sustainability commitments, stakeholders in the commercial transportation sector are bringing clean vehicles and technologies to market at record speed. The Summit will leverage the thousands of attendees ACT Expo brings together annually; industry stakeholders looking to stay current on the latest clean fuels and advanced commercial vehicle technologies driving the future of transportation. The ACT Expo Investor Summit will provide a forum for investors, entrepreneurs, top OEMs and suppliers, fleet customers, and policy makers to network and share information on the latest investment trends and opportunities in economically and environmentally sustainable transportation.
“From innovative start-ups to global OEMs, and everywhere in between, we are seeing significantly accelerated investment in the clean transportation sector,” said Erik Neandross, CEO of clean transportation consulting firm and producers of ACT Expo, Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA). “With billions of dollars pouring into the development of ultra-clean and zero emission technologies and fuels, a trend that will only continue in the years ahead, we recognized an opportunity for industry stakeholders to gain greater insight into the markets for these products by understanding where and how investments are being directed.”
The inaugural event will feature two keynote addresses throughout the day:
- Jay Craig, CEO and President of Meritor, a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicles. With more than a 110-year legacy of providing innovative products to the market, Craig will give an overview of how an established industry leader structures a strategic invest portfolio to support future growth based on the rapidly changing technology landscape and market within which the company must operate.
- Michael Linse, Founder and Managing Director of Linse Capital, a growth equity investing firm focused on innovative transportation and energy technology companies, including ChargePoint, Valens, and Proterra. With more than 20 years of experience, previously with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) and Goldman Sachs, Linse will provide valuable insight on investment strategies for innovative startups, the investment community, and the all-important end-user. He will focus on some of the key characteristics for picking industry leaders and how companies can survive to achieve scale.
The full-day agenda consists of four speaker-led sessions, giving attendees an overview of the current state of the market, the unique complexities of investing in the fleet market, and the innovations and emerging technologies prime for investment opportunities. Panel sessions include:
Clean Tech Market Acceleration: The State of Investment in Advanced Transportation Technologies and Fuels: A discussion on the dynamics and rapid growth in the advanced clean transportation, providing an understanding of the current state of investment and the unique challenges and opportunities of investing in the commercial vehicle and fuel sector.
Jumpstarting the Market: Government’s Role in Market Development: Leading government agencies will discuss the historical, continued, and increasing role of government investment, and public policy, in building and accelerating new markets for advanced transportation technology.
Learning by Doing: Early Stage Investment in Technology Innovation: Bringing together successful VC’s, investors, entrepreneurs, and companies to share the hard-won lessons for early-stage investments and their paths to market success where scaled business models are the goal.
Scaling to Success: The Financial Leap to Mass Deployments: Providing insight from market-making fleets, OEMS, energy majors, and global financial institutions into how innovative solutions and technologies have gone from the R&D phase to mass-market penetration, and what are some of the key critical factors for a technology to reach true commercial scale.
ACT Expo Investor Summit speakers and moderators include leaders in public and private investment, venture capital, and fleets at the forefront of innovation, such as:
- Dr. Holmes Hummel, Founder and CEO, Clean Energy Works; Board Member, Cornerstone Capital and Cleantech Open
- Matt McLelland, Innovation Strategist, Covenant Transportation
- Patty Monahan, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
- Mary Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board
- Brook Porter, Partner, G2VP
- Dan Tram, Investment Director, Volvo Group Venture Capital
- Dr. Alicia Williams, GameChanger, Shell
Other speakers will be announced shortly. Attendees can register now to attend the ACT Expo Investor Summit, www.actexpo.com/register. For more information, visit www.actexpo.com/schedule.
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About the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo
ACT Expo is North America’s leading conference and expo showcasing real-world application of the latest advanced transportation technologies, drive trains, and clean fuels. ACT Expo combines the best educational content in the industry with a cutting-edge trade show floor showcasing the most innovative technologies on the market today. The tenth-year conference and expo is set for May 11-14, 2020, in Long Beach, California, and will convene thousands of attendees from across the advanced vehicle and clean fuel industries. The annual event is produced by Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), the leading North American consulting firm specializing in market development for low-emission and alternative fuel vehicle technologies, infrastructure and fuels for both on and off-road applications. Learn more at www.actexpo.com and www.gladstein.org