Originally appeared in TechCrunch, August 8, 2015 We recently had the opportunity to participate in two important conferences focused on thefuture: one on the on-demand economy (On Demand Economy 2015) and the other on mobile communications (Rutberg Future Mobile 2015). While each conference covered a range of fascinating topics, if taken together, one can develop from the conversations and presentations a clear picture of the future ofmobility. This future, creating both great opportunities and economic dislocations, is being driven by established tech players as well as a new generation of innovative startups. We see three key trends shaping mobility, both personal and commercial: the move
FORTUNE: Bringing cheap, low-carbon energy to the developing world means rethinking how we finance technology. We noted in an earlier piece that Bill Gates’s “moonshot” investments to stop climate change, while well intentioned, are misdirected. We do need an Apollo Project for clean energy but it should be an effort that focuses on global deployment of technologies we already have—not on new invention. When it comes to clean energy innovation, today we are where the information technology world was in 1995-2000. There has been a huge number of clean tech startups, but many have failed to commercialize and generate real revenue. Yet just as the seeds we sowed in IT prior to the dot-com crash
FORTUNE: The well-intentioned billionaire is investing heavily in Hail Mary technologies to fight climate change. What we really need is more capital for already existing technologies. Bill Gates recently announced a $1 billion increase in his investments to address climate change. He intends to focus on long-shot solutions—i.e., safer nuclear reactors and carbon-capture technologies—he believes can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In doing so, Gates joins a number of billionaires investing in new technologies to save the planet. As longtime clean energy investors and strategists, we welcome involvement and capital from leading entrepreneurs, institutional investors, family off