We are excited to share SJF's latest bulletin with news on SJF portfolio company NEXTracker's recent acquisition by Flex and a large financing for Civitas Learning.  The bulletin also provides portfolio updates, lists upcoming events, and profiles one of SJF's impact investor partners.

 

Sincerely,

The SJF Team
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXTracker Acquired by Flex

NEXTracker is a designer and manufacturer of advanced single-axis solar photovoltaic trackers that offer lower costs, better performance and more flexibility for solar power plants of all sizes.  In December 2014, SJF Ventures led a Series B financing for the company, resulting in $25 million of new equity and debt growth capital.  The company grew extremely rapidly, powered by large deployments in Chile, Mexico, Honduras, Australia, and the U.S.  In September, NEXTracker was acquired by Flex for up to $330 million to further scale Flex's smart, connected energy technologies offerings globally.  Dave Kirkpatrick and Dan Geballe led SJF's investment and engagement with NEXTracker. 
  
PORTFOLIO NEWS
Civitas Learning Closes Major Financing
 
Civitas Learning announced that Warburg Pincus is leading an investment of up to $60 million in the company.  Civitas has pioneered the use of data science and design thinking to support higher education institutions as they improve learning and increase degree completion.  By building a community of forward-thinking higher education institutions, Civitas brings together the best of leading-edge technology, design thinking, and data science in its mission to help a million more college students learn well and finish strong.   Read more.
Community Energy
Community Energy Develops Largest Solar Plant in the Mid Atlantic
 
Governor McAuliffe of Virginia announced the final permit in September for an 80 megawatt solar farm in the Eastern Shore of Virginia developed by Community Energy.  The project has a power purchase agreement with Amazon Web Services and adds to the portfolio of large-scale solar projects that the company has developed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.   Read more.
EnTouch Controls and EnerNOC Announce Strategic Partnership

The two companies are deploying energy intelligence software for small footprint restaurant, retail and commercial buildings.  The offering combines in-store controls with cloud-based analytics to deliver energy and power savings, demand response, facility & equipment optimization, utility bill payment and outsourced maintenance.  The EnTouch 360 platform now serves many national chains, including Pizza Hut, Chuck E Cheese, JC Penney, Smashburger, and Corner Bakery.  Read more on the EnTouch Controls - EnerNOC partnership.
Media Math Logo
MediaMath Receives Prestigious M&M Award
 
MediaMath won Programmatic Company of the Year at M&M's Global Awards ceremony in London, sharing in the limelight with more well-known advertising-related companies like Facebook and Procter & Gamble.  MediaMath employees over 600 individuals in 16 offices globally.  Earlier this month, the company moved its headquarters to 4 World Trade Center.
Think Through Learning Wins Industry Awards

The education software company won the 2015 EDDIE Award for "Best Multi-level Online Math Learning System" and was a winner in the 21st Annual Best Educational Software Awards (BESSSIE).  Read more about the EDDIE and BESSIE awards.
Validic Leads On The Move Challenge
 
The Wellness Council of America selected Validic to power the National On The Move Wellness Challenge.  The On The Move competition is focused on fueling national corporate health initiatives to combat physical inactivity and initiate behavior change.   Read more.  
Fit4D Wins NJTC Beacon of Light Award
 
Fit4D is a recent SJF investment that delivers personalized and effective diabetic patient medical adherence programs.  The company won the New Jersey Tech Council Beacon of Light award, which celebrates tech companies in the region for their business accomplishments in technological collaboration, partnership and innovation.  Read more.
grosolar logo
groSolar Achieves Approval for NY Solar Project
 
The Mohawk Valley Solar Partners project in Rome, NY, which is being developed and built by groSolar, was recently approved.  The company, which specializes in solar projects greater than one megawatt, also recently completed the largest installation in Oklahoma, using a NEXTracker system.  Read more.
Raise in the Spotlight
 
Raise, which empowers students to earn "micro-scholarships" throughout high school for their individual achievements, was profiled by CNN Money on "How one high schooler made $80k (without getting a job)."  See article.
PUBLICATIONS
100% Clean Energy - Zero Waste
 
Dave Kirkpatrick recently wrote a piece, inspired by the NEXTracker success story, on how a 100% Clean Energy goal can inspire companies, individuals and countries - just as a Zero Waste goal has for many to drive reuse, recycling and source reduction.  These two themes tie together sixteen cleantech companies in which SJF has invested over the last decade.  Read the article here. 
EVENTS
SJF Ventures is organizing an EdLinks event in New York on November 18, featuring Dallas Dance, the Superintendent of Baltimore County Schools; and Andrew Shean, Chief Academic Officer of Ashford University, with Arrun Kapoor moderating the panel.  Event details.

Cody Nystrom will speak at the Women's Alternative Investment Summit in New York on November 5 and 6.   Event details.

Alan Kelley is attending Digital Healthcare Innovation Summit in Boston on November 3.  Event details.

Arrun Kapoor will be attending the EDUCASE annual conference in Indianapolis on October 28

Dave Kirkpatrick and Dan Geballe will be attending the Aging 2.0 Agetech Expo in San Francisco on November 19-20 as part of SJF's research into investment opportunities to improve the lives of the elderly.   

Christine Primmer will be attending the Connected Fleets conference in Atlanta on November 15-16, continuing to explore opportunities in transportation and smart cities. 

SJF Ventures team members have spoken recently at the Kayo Women's Private Equity Conference in DC, SOCAP in San Francisco, Investors' Circle Beyond the Pitch in Philadelphia, SXSW Eco in Austin, Code for America in Oakland, Gratitute Railroad in Park City, and Educelerate 2015 in Chicago.
FEATURED SJF VENTURES INVESTOR
Calvert Investments

Calvert Investments is the global leader in Responsible Investing.  Our mission is to deliver long-term performance to our clients and enable them to achieve positive impact.  Serving financial advisors and their clients as well as a wide array of institutional investors, Calvert's investment strategies feature integrated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research and corporate engagement.  Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Calvert Investments had more than $12.6 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2015.  Learn more at www.Calvert.com.