Sapphire Energy Named to Biofuels Digest ’50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy’ Ranking
promising technological developments to positively transform the world’s
transportation industry, gained additional momentum today when Biofuels Digest
ranked Sapphire Energy, an algae-based transportation fuels company, number 2
in its 2008 “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” rankings. Sapphire Energy was
selected out of more than 1,000 bioenergy companies eligible and was the
highest-rated algae-to-energy company receiving the accolade.
“With climate change and clean energy at the top of President-elect
Obama’s energy agenda and a priority topic in businesses and homes around the
globe, Biofuels Digest’s recognition is further validation that algae-based
fuels have a definite role to play in the new energy economy,” said
Pyle
Sapphire Energy is an energy exploration and production company that uses
a proprietary technology to create Green Crude, a renewable liquid fuel,
similar to light sweet crude, which can be refined into carbon-neutral
transportation fuels such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. The company, led
by a team of experts in transportation fuels, cell biology, plant genomics and
algal production, is creating a commercial-scale crude oil operation using
only sunlight, carbon dioxide and non-potable water.
“Nine companies pursuing algae-to-energy made this year’s list, but
Sapphire Energy topped them all,” said
chairman of the American Biofuels Council. “Though a young company, Sapphire
has wowed the industry with a credible, exciting technology path and a superb
team.”
The rankings were established by a Biofuels Digest panel, and reflected
the importance of research or production achievements recorded by each company
in 2008. Votes were weighted by industry and region to ensure a fair and broad
representation of companies and technologies.
Biofuels Digest is the world’s most-widely read biofuels daily, reaching
15,000 industry leaders, policymakers, journalists, producers and suppliers in
195 countries. Available via free daily email newsletter or at
BiofuelsDigest.com, the Digest produces the “50 Hottest Companies in
Bioenergy” rankings and the Biofuels Digest Index(TM), a biofuels equities
benchmark.
Sapphire will be recognized, along with other honorees, on
2009
Expo, and on
2008 award winners in
Development Summit.
“This recognition from our peers is tremendously satisfying, and supports
the growing interest in the algae-based fuels industry by policymakers and
business alike,” continued Pyle. “We founded Sapphire Energy to create the
perfect fuel, a carbon-neutral replacement for fossil fuels that would have
positive impacts not only on transportation but also on world energy security,
climate change and the global food supply. We’re proud that our vision is
making a real impact.”
About Sapphire Energy
Sapphire Energy was founded to address the overwhelming inadequacies of
current biofuel approaches. The company has built a revolutionary platform
using sunlight, CO2 and microorganisms such as algae to produce renewable fuel
products — gasoline, jet fuel and diesel that meet ASTM standards. The final
product is not ethanol or biodiesel. Sapphire is led by a team of
entrepreneurs and experts in cell biology, plant genomics and algal
production, as well as investors with long histories of taking innovative
technology to market, including co-founder ARCH Venture Partners, along with
the Wellcome Trust, Cascade Investment and Venrock. Sapphire’s scientific
supporters include The
San Diego
Genome Project. The company is located in
visit www.sapphireenergy.com and www.greencrudeproduction.com.
SOURCE Sapphire Energy