Battery Ventures Partner Jason Matlof has departed the firm, as first reported by Fortune. He's no longer listed on the Battery Ventures website. Behind Matlof, Battery had invested in solar microinverter firm SolarBridge, networked lighting company Redwood Systems, and light-touch building efficiency firm FirstFuel. Speculation has Matlof returning to an operating role in his original field of networking. Matlof's departure is another data point in the marked retreat of venture firms from the greentech sector.
Jeff Krisa, longtime Tigo Energy solar optimizer champion, is no longer with the company. No word on where Krisa is headed.
Suntech (NYSE:STP) continues to make personnel changes as it "optimizes its organization." Following the recent announcement that Andrew Beebe, Chief Commercial Officer, was leaving the firm, Suntech just announced that Jerry Stokes, president of Suntech Europe is leaving the solar module manufacturer as well, as first reported in PV-Tech. Vedat Gürgeli will assume the role of managing director of Suntech in Europe, reporting to David King.
Geostellar added to its ranks CMO Gary Hahn and VP of Sales Len May (formerly of GCL Poly and Suntech). Geostellar’s online platform lets property owners assess the value of a rooftop solar system at a given location.
Energate, a supplier of residential demand response and home energy management systems, named Thomas Martin as its new CFO.
Teresa Ribera Rodríguez is the newly appointed Director General of Strategic Development and New International Markets for Isofoton.
Mechanical Technology Inc. (OTC: MKTY) fired CEO Peng Lim, according to a filing, after Lim's fuel cell aspirations met with limited success. MTI had spent tens of millions in a failed effort to commercialize a consumer-targeted fuel cell battery. (Lilliputian Systems is a VC-funded startup also going after this market.) Kevin Lynch, the firm's independent director, will serve as Acting CEO until Mr. Lim's replacement is named.
Redwood Systems, a VC-funded networked lighting firm, named Frank Kull as VP of operations. Before joining Redwood Systems, Kull was the VP of operations at Pliant Technology and also held director-level roles at Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO), and Polycom (Nasdaq: PLCM).