MDV's biofuels bets, Heliatek, Mobius Power, and Solaire Direct

• Mohr Davidow took the wrapper off of a couple of biofuels investments yesterday, with initial investments in Catalin (which is developing a "tea bag" catalyst for biodiesel production) and ZeaChem (which is developing waste-heat, biochem-driven approach to cellulosic ethanol). The Catalin Series A was $3mm, and the ZeaChem Series A (which VWire reports happened back in July of last year) was $4mm and included participation by Firelake Capital.

• Germany's Heliatek, which is developing organic solar cells (note: opens pdf) with a targeted cost of EUR1 per Wp, raised a round of financing greater than EUR 3.2mm. BASF and Bosch are each putting EUR 1.6mm into the round, and other investors included Wellington Partners and the High-Tech Grunderfonds (not to be confused with the Royal Tenenbaums). The company earlier raised EUR 600,000 in seed financing from High-Tech Grunderfonds and one of the company founders.

• Mobius Power, which is developing an undisclosed battery technology, has raised a $4.5mm round of financing, according to VentureWire. Lightspeed, Sigma Partners and Walden International all participated in the round, according to Peter Nieh of Lightspeed, who will be joining Wade Woodsen of Sigma and Andrew Kau of Walden on the company's board.
  

• France-based Solaire Direct, a solar PV developer and installer, raised a EUR 6.1mm round of financing from TechFund, Schneider Electric Ventures, and Demeter Partners.