John Doerr is done with enterprise software. The man who helped bring us Google is not interested in the next great search algorithm. The Amazon.com financier is done with e-commerce.
For Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers general partner Doerr, it's now all about clean technology, green technology and pandemic readiness. Finding technologies to improve the efficiency of energy and cleanliness of water as well as technologies that help the world prepare for and prevent a pandemic seems to be his focus now.
Doerr was interviewed on stage by Michael Malone at the TieCon 2006 conference on Friday. The 3000 Indian entrepreneurs in attendance were treated to comments from Doerr that included quotes from a New York Times column by Tom Friedman and slides from Al Gore's upcoming documentary on global warming.
Malone kept chipping away at the question of whether the clean and green technology sectors can provide venture capitalists with liquid enough exit markets to achieve returns for investors. Doerr believes that to be the case, likening the time frame to a biotechnology investment. He said Kleiner Perkins has invested in seven green technology companies and three pandemic-related startups. Most of those seven are still in stealth mode. Doerr clearly believes venture capitalists can earn healthy returns from what many consider to be far out technologies. Do you agree?
For more on the TieCon conference:
Podtech.Net
Doerr and Malone tete a tete (courtesy of podtech.net)
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