Blair to advise Vinod Khosla on VC funding

MENLO PARK, USA: Silicon Valley billionaire and the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, Vinod Khosla, who now runs venture assistance firm Khosla Ventures, is bringing former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on board of his venture as a senior adviser.

To this effect, Khosla Ventures today announced a strategic partnership with Tony Blair Associates. Khiosla founded the company, which focuses on cleantech and information technology startups, in 2004.

Tony Blair and his team will work towards helping Khosla’s broad portfolio of clean technology companies maximize their effectiveness in achieving their environmental goals, said a press release.

As part of the relationship, Blair accompanied Vinod Khosla to tour the Calera green cement demonstration plant in Moss Landing, California.

Tony Blair Associates will offer strategic advice to Khosla Ventures’ green portfolio companies, drawing on his considerable geopolitical, political, organizational and environmental expertise.

“I have always admired Blair’s early and consistent commitment to addressing climate change,” Khosla said.

With Blair’s support, Khosla Ventures is considering to continue to foster innovations that can cost-effectively reduce carbon emissions - in areas that include solar, batteries, biofuels, lighting, mechanical and energy efficiency, and building materials, said the release, said the release.

Khosla said their area of focus was “maintech” rather than “cleantech,” as he believes the infrastructure of society will be substantially impacted by technologists and entrepreneurs supported by his and other similar portfolios.

Talking about his new relationship, Blair said, solving the climate crisis is more than just a political agenda item and it’s an urgent priority that requires innovation, creativity, and ambition.

“I share a clear vision with Vinod, one of the earliest leaders in cleantech investment, that entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and beyond will have a tremendous impact on our environmental future,” Blair added.

Blair has long led on climate change issues, both in the U.K. and worldwide. He was the first major head of government to bring climate change to the top of the international political agenda at the 2005 Gleneagles G8 summit.

Khosla said, “Blair’s goals align so well with our own mission to support disruptive startups in the cleantech space and to find technology solutions that can achieve unsubsidized market competitiveness for green technologies.”

Blair’s appointment was announced today as a part of the Khosla Ventures Limited Partner Summit near San Francisco.