Internet of Things

With more and more infrastructure coming to rely on a network of computers communicating around the clock, the most critical functions of our cities could soon be more vulnerable than ever before. In the Internet age, urban “resilience” means not only responding to climate change, but also protecting our ubiquitous networks from both hack and glitch. At VX2017, cybersecurity experts discussed how agencies are staying ahead of the curve of the new, advanced technology taking over our cities.

Steve Westly, former California State Controller and Chief Financial Officer, delivered remarks at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)’s GloSho’15 conference, drawing on his long experience in energy innovation to focus on the remarkable progress of renewable energy technology and commercialization. Here, VX News presents an edited transcript of his address. Westly comments on trends in the sustainability and cleantech markets, such as the dropping costs of renewables and the surge of Internet of Things technologies, offering his perspective on the forces driving these trends and how companies across industries can take advantage of them. Having traced the trajectory of technological and financial innovations aimed at sustainability, he concludes by divulging his predictions for the cleantech market’s future—a future, he argues, centered in California.

Chai Energy, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based startup reimagining the "Internet of Things" space. Chai CEO Cole Hershkowitz spoke with VX News about the company's remarkable growth since he sat on a VerdeXchange 2015 plenary panel in January. He highlights Chai's focus on data interpretation, noting that the company begins by looking at the problems people encounter with their devices in the home. Helping resolve those issues, Hershkowitz explains, results in reduced energy consumption and savings for customers.