FRESNO, Calif. - The mission of the WET Center is clear; to connect and cultivate water, energy and ag technology ventures and businesses in the Central Valley. Since opening its doors in 2007, the WET Center has witnessed steady and progressive growth each year in terms of their ventures’ public and private funding numbers and job creation, as well as supporting businesses through their programs and services such as Valley Ventures, Technology Innovation Evaluation (TIE), Advisory Services, and WET memberships.
This past year, the WET Center reported an increase in public and private funding combined among other monumental figures. In their recent report from July 2021 to December 2021, WET Center ventures (86 active ventures as of December 2021) have earned a cumulative total of $205M in public and private funding compared to $151M in 2020. In addition, WET Center ventures created more employment opportunities in 2021, including those from the Fresno State community. These companies strive to create diverse teams and are proud to have 20 percent of their C-suite filled by women and 40 percent filled by minority groups. Their employee teams are also quite impressive, made up of 12 percent women and 19 percent minority groups.
“We are excited and proud of the recent impact numbers our ventures have produced. $205M in funding raised by 86 ventures, combined with more than 500 jobs created, is more than impressive. As a team, we are passionate about supporting innovative ventures in water, energy, and agriculture, and actively working to represent an inclusive and diverse group of entrepreneurs and ventures. In 2022 we are looking to expand and further develop our programs to help even more entrepreneurs bring their innovations to market,” said Helle Petersen, director of the Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center.
To view total reporting numbers or to learn more about the WET Center, please visit www.wetcenter.org
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