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Gore Joins Kleiner PerkinsPOSTED November 13, 2007 MENLO PARK -- Former Vice President Al Gore is joining the Valley's top venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers as a partner overseeing investments in environmental technology and solutions. KPCB will partner with Generation Investment Management to find and fund new green businesses. Generation is an independent, private, owner-managed partnership established in 2004 and with offices in London and Washington, D.C. The aim of the partnership between the two firms is to find, fund and accelerate green business, technology and policy solutions with the greatest potential to help solve the current climate crisis. The partnership will provide funding and global business-building expertise to a range of businesses, both public and private, and to entrepreneurs. Mr. Gore said, "This alliance brings together world-class business talent to focus on solving the climate crisis. Together, we have a working understanding of this urgent, multi-dimensional challenge and are resolved to help business and government leaders accelerate the development of sustainable solutions." "KPCB celebrates 35 years of fueling innovation this year," said John Doerr, a partner at KPCB. "But today marks a turning point for climate entrepreneurs around the world. Generation and our new Partner Al Gore will help innovators and entrepreneurs accelerate their business, technology and policy solutions for the most critical problem of our time." KPCB will continue to invest in startup venture capital; Generation will continue to invest in global public equities. The two teams will collaborate on opportunities spanning sectors such as renewable energy technologies, building efficiency, cleaner fossil energy, sustainable agriculture and carbon markets. Generation co-founder and Managing Partner David Blood said, "There is a significant gap between the capital needed and the capital currently deployed to create enduring solutions to the climate crisis. To address this financing gap will require the efforts of many players, including entrepreneurial ventures, multinational businesses, governments, multilaterals and investors. The collaboration between Generation and KPCB brings together unique capabilities and networks to identify opportunities across this spectrum. We are thrilled to work with such an excellent partner. Investing in scalable solutions now is critical for the future of the planet." Mr. Gore also announced that as part of the agreement between the two firms, 100 percent of his salary as a Partner at KPCB will be donated directly to the Alliance for Climate Protection-the non-partisan foundation he chairs that focuses on accelerating policy solutions to the climate crisis. Gore has become a key figure in Silicon Valley over the past
few years. He sits on the Board of Directors of Apple Inc. and
is also a senior adviser to Google. He is also a co-founder of
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