Investment services retainer agreement
Investment in critical infrastructure requires the structuring of long-term relationships with many public- and private-sector stakeholders involved in structuring, financing, and operating substantive projects.
CII must invest significant upfront time, expertise and funds in the Portfolio Companies’ management and projects due diligence process, and in return it charges a one-time $ 5,000 retainer or partnership fee for its services, which are offset by an equity share in CII. The retainer fee serves to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff, eliminating any party uncommitted to a serious business relationship.
Experience indicates that in Year 1 of working with a new prospective portfolio company management team, CII must devote hundreds of hours to guide the investment project successfully through the CII Intrapreneurship Academy and the Investment Board’s Gates 1-4 project lifecycle management reviews (including the Project Investment Guidelines).
Portfolio Companies interested in working with CII will execute the “Investment Services Retainer Agreement”
Download the Investment Services Retainer Agreement
CII’s Year 1 Value Proposition to Portfolio Companies includes at least 250 hours of CII senior staff time devoted to:
Guiding the Portfolio Company management team through the 128+ hour CII Intrapreneurship Academy
When available, potential access to Intern support from University students enrolled in related Systems & Industrial Engineering coursework regarding the definition of the Client Companies current and future business plans and projects
Guiding each proposed investment project through the CII Investment Board’s Gates 1-2 management and proposed project investment readiness briefings
CII Investment Board Gates 1-4
CII Project Investment Guidelines Color Coded DelyPromotion of project business plans that have passed Gate 2 review to internal and external investor syndicates
Providing access to CII proprietary technologies and intellectual property
Providing access to CII customized training courses (listed below) in a wide range of advanced technology and business management areas to optimize the investment project business plan
Providing guidance regarding business expansion into mutually-agreed global markets and development or maturation of contact networks to include high-tech, incubator/accelerator, academic, finance, and regulatory decision-makers within affiliated sectors and regions.
Providing guidance regarding business expansion financing strategies, including, but not limited to, draft offering memoranda, prospectus and pitch documents, etc
Providing guidance during pursuit of US/Multilateral government contracts or grants consistent with national/federal laws/regulations and/or international equivalents; and as needed, representation of Portfolio Companies at mutually-agreed (inter)national government agencies.
Providing guidance regarding the alignment of the Portfolio Companies’ intellectual property and business strategy to that of Fortune 500/Global 1000 Firms in applicable industry sectors, so as to allow the Portfolio Companies to rapidly become trusted members of the supply chain of applicable global firms, and establish the required business systems/processes to qualify as a potential supplier to the US/multilateral government agencies
Potential investment from CII internal resources and/or the CII Investment Fund, if a project business plan is approved at the CII Investment Board Gate 2 investment readiness briefing.
individual risk, or secure growth funds available through government or institutional grant, loan, and other funding programs.
The Investment Fund will have 3 priority investment areas:
- US-Mexico-Canada Agro Infrastructure
- Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy
- Smart Infrastructure Photonics
1. US-Mexico-Canada Agro Infrastructure subordinate fund, interested in opportunities involving: Computational biology and epidemiology
Precision planting (using cube satellites, hyperspectral imaging sensor systems, cyber secure big data analytics)
Artificial intelligence/machine learning neural networks
Photonics applications (digital optical processors, infrared systems, advanced materials)
Autonomous systems
Advanced greenhouse and vertical farming
Agroforestry
Soil health
No-till permaculture
Aquaculture and fish processing
Animal health
Phenotypic hybrid plant breeding and ownership/growth of seed companies
Perennial grains development and processing
Fruit & vegetable processing
Red and white meat processing
Dairy & milk processing
Biofuels
Agro-biomass waste-to-energy
Carbon sequestration
Agro finance and credit (including blockchain)
Turnkey plants
Cold storage (boiler/chiller/HVAC)
Supporting infrastructure in Energy (advanced microgrids), Water, Logistics, etc
2. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy subordinate fund, interested in opportunities involving:
Technologies resulting from investment by the US Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy in one or more of the following Program Areas:ADEPT: Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technology (14)ALPHA: Accelerating Low Cost Plasma Heating and Assembly (9)
AMPED: Advanced Management and Protection of Energy Storage Devices (15)
ARID: Advanced Research in Dry Cooling (15)
ATLANTIS: Aerodynamic Turbines Lighter and Afloat with Nautical Technologies and Integrated Servo-Control (12)
BEEST: Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation (12)
BEETIT: Building Energy Efficiency Through Innovative Thermo-devices
BETHE: Breakthroughs Enabling Thermonuclear Fusion Energy (7)
BREAKERS: Building Reliable Electronics to Achieve Kilovolt Effective Ratings Safely
CHARGES: Cycling Hardware to Analyze and Ready Grade-Scale Electricity Storage (2)
CIRCUITS: Creating Innovative Reliable Circuits Using Inventive Topologies and Semiconductors (22)
DAYS: Duration Addition to Electricity Storage (10)
DELTA: Delivering Efficient Local Thermal Amenities (11)
DIFFERENTIATE: Design Intelligence Fostering Formidable Energy Reduction and Enabling Novel Totally Impactful Advanced Technology Enhancements (22)
ELECTROFUELS
ENLITENED: Energy-efficient Lightwave Integrated Technology Enabling Networks that Enhance Data Processing (9)
FLECCS: Flexible Carbon Capture and Storage
FOCUS: Full-Spectrum Optimized Conversion and Utilization of Sunlight (14)
GENI: Green Electricity Network Integration (15)
GENSETS: Generators for Small Electrical and Thermal Systems (14)
GO: Grid Optimization Competition
GRIDDTA: Generating Realistic Information for the Development of Distribution and Transmission Algorithms (8)
GRIDS: Grid-Scale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable Storage (16)
HEATS: High Energy Advanced Thermal Storage (15)
HITEMMP: High Intensity Thermal Exchange Through Materials and Manufacturing Processes (14)
IDEAS: Innovative Development in Energy-Related Applied Science (59)
IMPACCT: Innovative Materials and Processes for Advanced Carbon Capture Technologies (15)
INTEGRATE: Innovative Natural-Gas Technologies for Efficiency Gain in Reliable and Affordable Thermochemical Electricity Generation (8)
IONICS: Integration and Optimization of Novel Ion-Conducting Solids (16)
MARINER: Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (21)
MEITNER: Modeling Enhanced Innovations Trailblazing Nuclear Energy Reinvigoration (9)
METALS: Modern Electro/Thermochemical Advances in Light Metal Systems (19)
MONITOR: Methane Observation Networks with Innovative Technology to Obtain Reductions (12)
MOSAIC: Micro-Scale Optimized Solar-Cell Arrays with Integrated Concentration (11)
MOVE: Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy (13)
NEXTCAR: Next-Generation Energy Technologies, Connected and Automated On-Road Vehicles (11)
NODES: Network Optimized Distributed Energy Systems (12)
OPEN: Open Funding Solicitations 1, 2, 3 and 4 (41, 66, 39, 79)
PERFORM: Performance-Based Energy Resource Feedback, Optimization, Risk Management (1)
PETRO: Plants Engineered to Replace Oil (10)
PNDIODES: Power Nitride Doping Innovation Offers Devices Enabling SWITCHES (Strategies for Wide-Bandgap, Inexpensive Transistors for Controlling High-Efficiency Systems): 8/14
RANGE: Robust Affordable Next Generation Energy Storage Systems: 22
REACT: Rare Earth Alternatives in Critical Technologies: 14
REBELS: Reliable Electricity Based on Electrochemical Systems: 13
REEACH: Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency
REFUEL: Renewable Energy to Fuels Through Utilization of Energy-Dense Liquids: 17
REMOTE: Reducing Emissions Using Methanotrophic Organisms for Transportation Energy: 16
REPAIR: Rapid Encapsulation of Pipelines Avoiding Intensive Replacement
ROOTS: Rhizosphere Observations Optimizing Terrestrial Sequestration: 10
SENSOR: Saving Energy Nationwide in Structures with Occupancy Recognition: 16
SHARKS: Submarine Hydrokinetic and Riverine Kilo-Megawatt Systems:
SHIELD: Single-Pane Highly Insulating Efficient Lucid Designs: 14
SMARTFARM: Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management
SOLAR ADEPT: Solar Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technology: 7
TERRA: Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture: 6
TRANSNET: Traveler Response Architecture Using Novel Signaling for Network Efficiency in Transportation: 5
ULTIMATE: Ultrahigh Temperature Impervious Materials Advancing Turbine Efficiency
3.Smart Infrastructure Photonics Subordinate Fund, interested in opportunities involving:Photonic Integration Technologies
Advanced Semiconductor Process & Integration Infrared Systems
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Digital Infrastructures and Smart Networks
Space System
Metrology, Measurement and Test Systems
Advanced Materials
System Cyber Security
Autonomous Systems