Cleantech investor news

• Applied Materials' corporate venture group appears to be focusing on several cleantech areas for their investments, according to this article. Interestingly, Neal Dikeman (of Cleantechblog) has tracked down rumors suggesting that Applied Materials intends to move into the solar PV manufacturing equipment space -- that would fit well with the above article, which mentions that, "Now, as part of Applied Materials, the fund will hear more from the company's engineers and scientists, ensuring that investments jibe with the corporate strategy."

• Agribusiness giant Syngenta (the combination of Novartis and AstraZeneca's agribusiness unit) has launched a corporate venture group of their own, to be managed by Life Sciences Partners, a European VC. The $100mm fund, LSP BioVentures, will be based in Boston, and will invest in -- among several other areas -- biomaterial and biofuel technologies.