Banyan Connect launches in San Francisco: A night of lively project finance relationship building

Thursday, Aug. 28 marked an exciting evening for the world of renewable energy project finance: The team at Banyan Infrastructure hosted the first of many events in a nationwide series of curated gatherings called Banyan Connect. More than 100 project finance professionals came together in person at Silicon Valley Bank to kick off the action with a night of discussion and — of course — connection. 

Banyan Connect purposely rethinks its approach to networking to ensure it’s unlike any other event series: Our goal is to strengthen the renewable energy project finance sector by bringing together key players — including senior leaders from green banks actively seeking partnerships, private capital providers ready to deploy funds, and developers with shovel-ready projects — to forge meaningful connections and explore potential collaborations. The night consisted of discussion groups structured around timely project finance topics and plenty of time for networking, while future events will include matchmaking hours and industry-only dinners.

Below are a few highlights from the conversations we are proud to report from Banyan Connect San Francisco — the first of many successful occasions to come.

Funding changes force connection for renewable energy companies

In one discussion group focused on acceleration post-OBBB, a CEO of a carbon capture provider noted that they are in the process of shifting their funding model to rely less on investment tax credits (ITCs) that are currently scheduled to sunset within the next year. But in searching for private funding opportunities, they are confronted with the challenge of making their technology more digestible for potential investors. 

This comment brought many nods from the group, who agreed that shifts in public funding were forcing their organizations to rethink the way they will achieve renewable energy funding goals. The general sentiment at the event that connection within the renewable energy industry was necessary for continued growth was largely motivated by this funding turning point that the industry currently faces. 

Project finance professionals are ready for AI

In an AI-focused discussion, the crowd joked about everyone’s extreme “Ctrl + F” savviness thanks to the manual processes they all use for finding covenant details in scattered documents. Banyan Infrastructure demonstrated the AI import feature that automatically scans project finance covenants for key details, eliminating the need for the familiar but time-wasting “Ctrl + F”. 

There was a consensus that automating that process would save each portfolio compliance manager valuable time every day. The attendees voiced that they already used AI tools in their work and personal routines, so this felt like a natural next step in making their daily work more efficient.

Successful project developer to financier matchmaking

One of the success stories of the Banyan Connect event was when a young energy developer was speaking about the challenges he faced while searching for funding for his Bay Area projects. Immediately after our breakout session, he met a financier who was in the breakout group. 

The two attendees stepped outside to continue their discussion and left the evening with plans to follow up on potential collaboration. 

This type of relationship building is the ultimate purpose of Banyan Connect. The pieces of the project finance puzzle are in place — funders have capital, developers have projects, and purpose-built software provides tools to facilitate portfolio lifecycles — but it takes a dedicated time and place to bring them all together to ignite project success. 

The first of many Banyan Connect success stories

As Banyan Infrastructure’s own Rob Glen noted, it was “gratifying to see such a veteran cross-section of the community — developers, technology providers, financiers — represented in the room.” Banyan is proud to have had such a successful launch of our road show event series, and we look forward to repeatedly uniting project finance professionals over the next few weeks across the country. 

Ready to join us at the next Banyan Connect event? Check out our Banyan Connect page for additional photos and to see when we’ll be in your city. We can’t wait to see you there.