In this episode, Somil chats with Josh Knauer, CEO of ReSeed, bringing carbon credits directly from farmers to the market.They focus on the oldest form of carbon capture – vegetation. They support farmers in taking their protective and restorative farming practices, validating them, and then creating the mechanisms to sell those credits to interested parties. We talked about:His strategy to differentiate these credits compared to the rest of the market, What works for them, How he’s building an entire protocol around these methods, What he’s learned from engaging with smallholder farmers,Why ag may make the best nature-based solution to carbon capture, As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **03:12 ReSeed**06:35 Engaging with Farmers through Local NGOs**08:03 Process of Onboarding Farmers and Issuing Credits**11:23 Stabilizing Farmers on the Land**30:07 Partnering with Farmers as Business Partners**33:40 Photosynthesis as Carbon Capture**35:42 The Trading Desk and Receipt Marketplace**40:53 Maintaining the Highest Integrity Carbon Credits**48:25 Announcing Partnership at COP28**51:43 Investing in Nature-Based Solutions**56:35 Takeaways----- Links: **Josh Knauer | ReSeed**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Each year, about 1 billion pounds of chemicals are sprayed on crops in the US alone - globally, that number is around 5.6 billion. Our guest today is AgTechLogic, and they are solving this problem.They do this by helping Farmers retrofit their existing machinery with precision sprayers that use computer vision to identify weeds and spray only on the weeds in a concentrated way that kills the weeds and won't overlap with the crops.Today, nearly all farmers use broadcast spraying, or spraying everything. By implementing this tech, farmers can save a lot of money and produce healthier produce. Let's get into it. 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **1:13 Introduction and Overview**1:43 Reducing Chemical Overuse in Agriculture**7:36 Validation and Early Discoveries**11:11 Market Research and Initial Trials**15:37 Concerns about Herbicide Usage**20:34Case Studies and Cost Savings**24:04 Objections and Early Adoption**24:57 Reducing Water Usage and Regrowth**26:09 Building Trust and Landing the First Pilot**28:54 Entrepreneurship Later in Career**32:07 Collecting New Data**35:40 IP and Moat**37:38 Funding Journey**41:03 Responsible Growth**42:55 Future Plans and Getting the Message Out**45:48 Reaching Out and Educating Farmers**47:54 Takeaways----- Links: **Tom Gauthier | AgTechLogic **Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Are you curious about what happens to solar panels when they are no longer usable? Maybe your crazy uncle's statements from last Thanksgiving about how solar doesn't work are still echoing.Well, look no further. Today, we are speaking with Adam Saghei, Founder of WeRecycleSolar, and we are discussing the end of life for solar panels.How circular can we make the supply chain? What can OEMs learn about their products' end-of-life? What is the REAL lifespan of a solar panel? How is this reality affecting investor returns? How are solar panels being refurbished and resold? And how are investors getting early upgrades to make a higher return despite the additional capex?Let's get into it. 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **01:34 Intro and Background**03:15 The Problem of End-of-Life Solar Panels**08:52 Financial Implications of Shorter Lifespan**13:33 Recycling and Refurbishing Panels**16:21 Reusing Materials in the Supply Chain**21:06 Origins of We Recycle Solar**23:29 Introduction to Returns Management Programs**24:28 Starting the Refurbishing and Recycling Process**25:32 Pivoting to a New Business Model**26:44 Entrepreneurial Mindset and Taking Risks**28:14 Scaling the Business and Future Growth**30:51 Technology and Innovation in Recycling Processes**31:38 Intellectual Property and Strategic Components**32:34 Business Model and Potential Partnerships**35:54 Current Scale and Future Goals**38:24 Roadblocks and Challenges**39:15 Funding and Bootstrapping the Business **40:54 Acquiring Talent and Building Culture**43:38 Supporting the Future of the Industry**49:29 Takeaways----- Links: **Adam Saghei | WeRecycleSolar**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Jackson, Managing Partner at Earthshot Ventures. Earthshot Ventures calls themselves carbon generalists and invest from Seed to Series B. They mainly invest in software and “stepchange” hardware with a preference to double down on existing portfolio companies.Mike’s story is great because of how intentional he has excelled at every stage and in multiple sides of building in climate. He is a successful founder from cleantech 1.0, a rockstar investing even before earthshot, experienced in project finance, and now investing in a collaborative way that is pushing the whole climatetech industry forward.---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox | https://cleantechies.substack.com/podcast🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel | https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Topics: **06:49 Journey from Childhood to Leading a Climate Fund**12:54 Lessons from Cleantech 1.0**15:54 Preparing for Project Finance**25:13 Importance of Business Models**32:35 Rising at the Westly Group**34:37 Building a Complementary Team**39:48 Why Earthshot is a "Network Fund"**43:14 Investing Earlier in ClimateTech**45:02 AI and its Impact on Climate**48:31 Attracting Capital from Generalist Investors**49:50 Advice for VCs ----- Links: **Mike Jackson | Earthshot Ventures**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, we actually have a bit of a flashback for you – I sit down to chat with Tiya Gordon, co-founder and COO of It’s Electric, creating curbside EV charging specifically built for cities. Before I even go into what we talk about, I’d like to shout out what Tiya has done in the few months since recording this episode in December:She was part of the Green Economy Action Plan, a landmark green jobs plan for NYCHas appeared on NPR,Was awarded the 2023 Top 10 Innovator award for Transportation Electrification by Darcy Partners, Was featured in Forbes, Spoke at Davos, Received a  $1.5M award from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation enabling cities to deploy our innovative and community centered model of public charging. And just last week, she announced that It’s Electric has created the first UL certified detachable cable charger That’s not mentioning all the recognitions they collected in 2023 but I’ll leave you all to read about those on your own. Tiya and I have met a few times in a few different context, but it was a real pleasure being able to do this with her and tbh I think we’re already due for a part two.---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox | https://cleantechies.substack.com/podcast🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel | https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Topics: **03:03 It's Electric Origin Story**07:01 What does It's Electric do**11:31 What it's like Working with Cities**15:10 What she Learned From Working with Municipalities**31:04 NYCW**37:10 Building the Team**40:52 Having a "Non-Traditional" Background in ClimateTech**45:43 Advice for Founders**50:07 Note to Audience----- Links: **Tiya Gordon | It’s Electric**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Somil chats with Logan Grizzel, partner at MUUS Climate Partners, the climate tech venture capital arm of MUUS & Co. investing at the convergence of decarbonization and technological innovation.This episode probably broke the quotable clip record we have – Logan was a great mix of knowing how to communicate his thoughts and genuinely having such unique insight having worked on alternative fuels at Toyota, then going into grid strategy and now spending time as a Climate VC, previously at Blackhorn Ventures and now MUUS Climate Partners.In this episode we talk about the challenge with timeframes of venture funds in climate, his perspective on nuclear fusion, alternative fuels at Toyota, centralized vs. decentralized grids, the nuances of hardware, the climate tech scene in Denver, how they got such a diverse team, & more.Anyways, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox | https://cleantechies.substack.com/podcast🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel | https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Topics: **03:11 Herd Mentality in Climate VC**09:26 Logan's Experience at Toyota**13:34 The Significance of the Prius**17:06 Nearshoring and Onshoring **21:34 The Mismatch in Hydrogen Supply and Demand**24:39 Decentralized vs Centralized Approaches to the Grid**28:04 Timing and Assessing Technology Maturity**29:25 Assessing Founder Adaptability**30:29 Dreaming Too Big or Small in Entrepreneurship**42:16 Denver Climate Scene**48:12 Lessons from Blackhorn Ventures**49:34 Diversity in Team Building**58:58 Advice to VCs**01:01:53 Takeaways----- Links: **Logan Grizzel | MUUS Climate Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

What happens when successful CleanTech 1.0 founders step up to the plate again? Anza happens and it's magical. Today, Somil & Silas are interviewing Mike Hall, a Co-Founder of Anza, a company they spun out of Borrego, his and his brother's first venture.At Borrego, they developed software to streamline and improve the way they chose which solar panels to use for projects. Realizing this was a problem for everyone, they spun it out in 2023 and were off to the races. Enjoy this episode with a legendary entrepreneur 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox | https://cleantechies.substack.com/podcast🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel | https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Topics: **2:20 The Problem with Solar Module Procurement**7:11 Value Beyond Price in Procurement**9:23 Working with Sellers**12:06 Trends in Solar Product Sales**15:38 The Journey of Starting ANZA**22:25 Transitioning from Borrego to ANZA**31:45 The Impact of Climate Legislation**37:24Underutilizing Technology and Data in the Industry**41:11 Advice for Founders in the Renewable Energy Space**43:02 The Benefits of Being a Second-Time Founder**44:46 The Journey to Becoming an Entrepreneur**47:39 Takeaways----- Links: **Mike Hall | Anza**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Silas and Somil chat with Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera, a company focused on paving the way to zero CO2 cement backed by leading investors including Khosla Ventures and Temasek. What makes Fortera so exciting is that they’ve successfully raised all the way to their Series B, making them one of not many later stage companies in climate. We talked about his experience fundraising, the ins-and-outs of their tech, how to win over customers, his experience working with project developers, the current state of supply chain dynamics, the climate capital stack, and more.---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **01:44 Intro**05:08 Experience with the Cement Industry**09:40 The Problem of CO2 Emissions in Cement**13:34 Making the Technology Fit Within the Ecosystem**19:46 Changing Customer Mindsets**25:50 Integration with Cement Producers**29:56 Starting Fortera and Convincing Investors**33:55 Fundraising and Shifting Capital Stack**37:05 Raising Early Rounds and Bringing in New Investors**41:28 Transitioning to Project Financing**44:07 Project Development vs Licensing IP**46:28 Key Considerations for Commercial Projects**48:08 Importance of Planning and Preparation**48:35 Challenges in Supply Chain Management----- Links: **Ryan Gilliam | Fortera**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Today, we are speaking with a representative of the legendary Rockefeller Foundation. For those unaware, this foundation is one of the oldest well-organized institutions of its type and has been responsible for a massive number of efforts over the past 100 years. Our guest is Thomas Belazis, Director of Innovative Finance. He runs their Climate & Impact Investing arm. Some of the notable things we cover today are... Their $1bn Climate and Net Zero CommitmentsHow they end up unlocking a lot of other capital when they investAnd why high integrity in EVERY investment matters because of the weight their name carries Enjoy this episode with Thomas from The Rockefeller Foundation. 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **What Thomas Does at TRF**TRF’s $1bn Climate & Net Zero Commitment **Why Nature-Based Solutions**Catalytic Capital & Unlocking Funding **The Role of Philanthropy in Climate **Flexible Investment Approach **His Career Journey and Mentorship **Collaboration with Elemental Excelerator **Future Projects **Emerging Market Interest **Global Ambitions----- Links: **Thomas Belazis | The Rockefeller Foundation**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

**Check out the new takeaways section at the end of the episode!!**In this episode, Somil and Silas chat with Zecca Lehn, GP of Responsibly Ventures, backing U.S. PreSeed startups in both Social and Sustainable Tech. He uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guidepost for his investments.We breakdown the specifics of his investing thesis including what is “customer love” and what it means to be ethical in investing, Zecca is especially good at using data and data reporting – we heard a lot of really unique insights from him on how he uses data in his operations. We also dive into his experience as an impact investor, the good, the bad, and the ugly. ---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **1:45 Introduction and Background**10:23 Early Interest in Sustainability**13:43 Investing in Sustainability and Social Good**15:52 What is Customer Love?**17:13 Ethics and Honesty in Investing**25:26 Balancing Returns and Impact**27:21 Data and Reporting in Venture Investing**30:52 Subjectivity in Measurement and Reporting**31:57 Challenges of Collecting and Using Data**34:05 Privacy and AI Concerns in Impact Investing**37:09 The Power of Follow-on Investors**39:50 Maintaining Focus and Presence**42:08 Climate Anxiety and Perspective**45:16 The Role of Returns in Climate Investing**52:04 Addressing Desertification as an Impact**54:05 Takeaways----- Links: **Zécca Lehn | Responsibly Ventures**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Fast fashion is destroying the world. Imagine if we could make threads that are fully recyclable ... over and over... Well, that's what Oliver Shafaat is trying to do with Sci-Lume Labs. They use agricultural feedstock, and are using low-heat methods so they aim to be able to achieve cost parity. What they are working on is difficult, but would be world changing. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **01:16 Intro**02:16 The Challenges of the Apparel Industry**04:34 The Inspiration Behind Bylon**11:45 Evaluating Polymers**13:59 Starting a Company**15:22 Funding the Company**18:45 The Process of Making Fibers**23:19 Sourcing Feedstocks**25:27 The Sustainability of Bylon**28:31 Recyclability and End-of-Life**30:21 IP and Business Model**32:04 Scaling Up and Challenges Ahead**34:58 Pilot Conversations**38:49 Interest from Clothing Manufacturers----- Links: **Oliver Shafaat | Sci-Lume Labs **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Somil chats with Adam Fraser, CEO at Terraset, the “anti-GHG” 501c3. Philanthropy in climate is a hot topic – leading up to this episode we were getting questions left and right about the future of this space. And it’s because there’s seemingly so much money that could be in the space but isn’t yet. That is the problem Adam and Terraset are trying to solve. It couldn’t have been a more timely show.Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel-----Topics:**04:48 The State of Philanthropic Capital and Climate**06:52 Challenges in Philanthropic Investment in Climate**11:05 Being Anti-GHG and the Importance of Carbon Removal**13:45 Different Carbon Removal Technologies**16:32 Transition from Journalism to Philanthropy**22:45 Efficiency and Scalability of Philanthropic Capital**34:08 The CDR Landscape and Evaluation**40:41 Donor Profiles and Funding Sources**47:03 Genesis of Terraset and the "anti-GHG" Approach**50:00 Optimism and Urgency for the Future-----Links:**Adam Fraser | Terraset**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on XSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

 If you LOVE technology that allows for decarbonization TODAY, then Somil & Silas' conversation today with Lori Dunn from Optimus Technologies will interest you. Discover how Optimus is revolutionizing the transport sector by producing bolt-on systems that allow truck drivers to utilize 100% biodiesel and reduce their overall emissions by up to 90%. Learn from Lori how they are navigating the challenges of funding, team alignment, and strategic planning for the future. Join us as we explore the journey from seed to series A, and the transition from small to big company energy.Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel -----Topics:**1:43 Small vs Big Energy Company**4:37 Decarbonizing Diesel Engines**7:00 Challenges to Decarb the Diesel Industry**9:39 Understanding Fleet Managers' Problems**11:37 Previous Attempts**14:33 The Long Game of Hardware Innovation**19:25 Joining Optimus**25:36 The Technology of Optimus**29:07 Communicating Value to Investors**33:16 Revenue Model and Cost Structure**37:42 Scaling Manufacturing and Funding**42:33 Metrics and Partnerships**44:30 Early Stage Manufacturing**46:34 Manufacturing In-house vs Outsourcing-----Links:**Lori Dunn | Optimus Technologies **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on XSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, I chat with Ben Eidelson, Co-founder & GP of Stepchange, an early-stage venture fund that invests in product-led companies that will make a “step change”, pun intended, I’m guessing?, impact on climate. When editing the episode, Alex, our executive producer, told us he could already tell one of our best episodes yet. I very much agree. This turned out to be the VC meets product meets content special I was hoping it would be. We discuss all things product in climate, Ben being a 2 time exited founder to big tech, starting a climate fund in this environment, and why his kids changed his life. A huge shoutout to Ben for coming on the episode. This started out as me fan-boying to one of his episodes and here we are. As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **3:10 What is a Product-Led Company?**8:49 Why PMs are not Thinking about Climate**14:45 The Importance of Active Listening**16:03 Identifying Founder Potential**18:29 The Role of Vulnerability in Relationships**20:35 The Origin and Impact of Climate Papa**25:41 The Product-Focused Thesis of Step Change**27:41 Product Meets Hardware and Deep Tech**34:35 Bullish Industries in Climate**42:45 Lessons from Being a Founder**44:59 Building Deep Co-Founder Relationships**47:32 Tips for Product-Market Fit in Climate----- Links: **Ben Eidelson | Stepchange | Climate Papa**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Today we speak with Virginia Klausmeier, President & CEO of Sylvatex, a company aiming to commercialize technology that was originally developed by her father. The technology is a waterless method to produce Cathode Active Materials (the chemicals that go into the production of various types of batteries). We cover a lot of things. The primary topics being Onshoring Battery Production, Getting to Bankability, and How their Technology works. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **1:23 Intro**7:11 Battery Mfg in the US**9:11 Onshoring Battery Mfg**9:42 The Opportunity**15:54 Motivation**17:12 The Story of Sylvatex**19:16 Starting a Company**21:03 Taking the Leap**24:13 Waterless Cathode Production**30:51 State of Sylvatex**42:11 Pilot Funding**42:41Milestones for Commercialization**45:05 Getting to Bankability**47:29 Debt Financing for Modular Manufacturing**48:25 Navigating the Unknown----- Links: **Virginia Klausmeier | Sylvatex **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you)In this episode, Somil and Silas chat with Leise Sanderson, founder and CEO of Pathways. Pathways is an AI platform that simplifies environmental impact analysis for the materials and manufacturing supply chain.I’m a built environment junkie, so this was…really fun. Materials are the main cost driver of construction which means they will be especially difficult to decarbonize. Tools like Pathways make it easier to identify which materials will help maintain cost-parity. Major potential for a big emitter like construction and the built environment. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎-----🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  -----🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨-----📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel-----Topics:**01:28 Introduction**03:18 What is a Life Cycle Analysis**06:12 Environmental Product Declarations**09:02 Deciding to Start a Company**21:24 Finding a Co-founder**30:48 Growing Interest in the Built Environment**44:47 Landing the First Customer**46:50 Receptiveness of Manufacturing Industry**47:50 Building Relationships Across Differences**53:39 What Attracted Investors**55:27 Navigating an Oversubscribed Round**58:45 Building Audacious Goals**59:36 Reflecting on the Journey-----Links:**Leise Sandeman | Pathways**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Silas speaks with Ryan Jeffery, Sr. Managing Director of the Sustainability Accelerators at Gener8tor, a collection of Accelerators that serve the rest of the country outside of SF, NYC, and Boston, where the majority of VC dollars go. (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you)Ryan started as a founder. Later, he became a VC and eventually ended up in Gener8tor running the sustainability-focused accelerators because of his desire to be closer to the founders and more involved. He shared a lot of great data on where funding goes, his story, why investing in underserved founders is, beyond being the right thing to do, also leads to better returns. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎-----🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  -----🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨-----📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel-----Topics:**4:00 Joining Gener8tor**7:40 Biz Model, Challenges, & Financing an Accelerator**8:56 Partnering w/ Corps**11:35 Focus on Underserved Areas**13:54 The Role of Non-Silicon Valley States in Climate Transition**22:00 Value Add of an Accelerator**34:13 Collab in Non-Tech Hub Areas**40:27 Gap for These Founders**42:03 Role of AI in Solving Climate Change**49:40 Milestones for Hard Tech Companies**57:46 Hiring & Building a Team**59:57 Raising Tips**1:06:44 Advice to Investors**1:08:19 Getting into VC-----Links:**Ryan Jeffery | Gener8tor**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Silas and Somil chat with Robin Lane, CEO and founder of Transect, a product that aids and expedites site selection for infrastructure projects. For Silas and I, this was an exciting mix of infrastructure meeting technology. Robin has been doing this for a while, so she had a lot to tell us about her experiences with developers, rolling Transect out to market, how she grew as a founder alongside her company, and what she sees for the future. (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) We were really happy to have her on and learn a lot of new things about site selection and the problems plaguing infrastructure projects today – a major component of increasing the supply of renewables and advancing the climate transition.-----🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  -----📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **02:37 Need for Transformation in Permitting**05:58 How Transect Streamlines the process**08:47 Building Trust with Developers**11:50 Robin's Journey from Consultant to Entrepreneur**23:33 Raising Transect's Seed Round**24:38 Early Contracts and Scaling the Team**32:24 Building a Culture-First Company and Hiring for Mission Alignment**38:45 Being Customer-First**45:32 Opportunities for Software in the Renewables Industry**47:25 Future Solar Energy Costs----- Links: **Robin Laine | Transect**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this ep, we chat with Peter Sun, founding team at Climactic, an early stage fund investing in ClimateTech, specifically focused on efficiency in software which has a lot to do with, you guessed it, AI.We dive into the nuances of how AI is impacting climate tech, where the opportunities for software are in decarbonization, and Peter’s journey joining the founding team. As someone who personally is wary of putting AI in every conversation, Peter had real insight into the ins-and-outs of whats real and whats not, and I really enjoyed learning from him.As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!-----🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  -----🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨-----📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **02:16 Overview of Climatic**05:05 Applications of AI in Climate Companies**09:30 The story of WeaveGrid**11:58 Evaluating Companies for Automation and Efficiency**16:50 Challenges in Implementing Transmission Lines**19:20 The Value of Data in Climate Tech**23:43 Starting a Climate VC Fund**27:03 Climate VC vs. Impact VC**30:12 The Difficulties for Founders in Climate Tech**34:35 Starting a Fund in the Current Fundraising Environment**52:45 Exit Strategies in Climate VC**54:00 Competitiveness in Climate Investing**56:00 The Blend of VC and Real Asset Industries**58:29 The Rise of Hyper Specialist VCs**01:00:20 Building a Personal Brand**01:04:28 Habits for Success----- Links: **Peter Sun | Climactic**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Today, we are joined by Adam Goff, the SVP of Strategy at 8 Rivers, a technology portfolio developer. Think of it like a venture studio but specifically for technology (often chemistry) instead of companies.(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) He talks us through how that looks and how they commercialize the products, and we also spend a lot of time discussing the role and importance of policy when it comes to clean tech. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **2:10 Intro**4:00 Climate x Policy**10:00 How to Pass Legislation Faster**12:40 History and Structure of Eight Rivers**18:00 The Process of Proving New Tech**22:15 Their Current Technologies**28:30 Raising Money for a Tech Developer**33:20 Commercialization and Revenue Generation**36:45 Selecting your First Site**39:40 How to Understanding Global Regulatory Markets**42:30  Systematizing Building a Hardware Climate Startup**44:00 Future Plans for Eight Rivers----- Links: **Adam Goff | 8 Rivers**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

There are a plethora of national and local grants available to help companies solving the climate problem, but landing one is a herculean effort. Writing them takes months and can result in absolutely nothing. Half of the battle is picking the right grant to apply for. Well, Helena Merk and her team at Streamline Climate are solving that.(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) Their AI powered tech helps companies identify which grants to apply for and then helps them land them by ensuring every t is cross and i dotted. Aside from telling us what they are doing, we also got to hear the story of how Helena met her co-founder Douglas Qian and how growing up in Palo Alto impacted her career decisions, among other things. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox | https://cleantechies.substack.com/podcast🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel Topics: **3:03 Crash Course on Grants**5:57 Streamlining the Grant Process**12:37 Choosing the Right Grants**19:55 More TAM**25:33 Finding a Co-Founder**26:51 GTM Strategies**42:25 Fundraising Journey**41:27 VC Funding and Grant Writing**44:40 Inbound Processes and VC Decision-makingLinks: **Helena Merk | Streamline Climate**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Climate Tech founders needs lots of different financing options and styles of support – ClimateDoor is an example of a niche’d styles of venture support that I hope we see more of in ClimateTech VC.ClimateDoor is a style of venture builder called “Growth-as-a-Service”, functioning similarly to a late stage accelerator.We dive into the nuances of their model, the Canadian VC ecosystem, what its like founding a company with your childhood best friend and more. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎-----🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  -----🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨-----📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **00:00 Introduction and Background**07:14 Overview of Climate Door**13:27 The story of Polar Beer Taps**16:10 Advantages of "Growth-as-a-Service"**23:24 Canadian Venture Ecosystem**26:20 Blending Capital Sources in Climate Tech**29:30 Navigating Fundraising and Building Investor Relationships**35:01 Streamlining Operations with AI**39:51 Hiring Advice for Early Stage Companies**42:57 Fundraising Advice for Bridge Stage Companies**49:03 Challenges in Finding Value Spots in Climate----- Links: **Nick Findler | Chad Rickaby | ClimateDoor**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Our guest today is Tobias Egle, an investor at M Ventures, the Corporate Venture arm of Merck. Tobias joins us today to speak about deep tech investing, specifically around materials innovation and the decarbonization of electronics manufacturing. A topic that has been in the news a lot recently is PFAS, and given his work, he was able to speak about the issues with PFAS as well as how to get rid of it. He also provided some advice to highly technical founders when it comes to team building and surrounding themselves with the right partners. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎-----🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  -----🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨-----📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **01:21 - Introduction and Background**04:32 - Transitioning from Academia to Venture Capital**07:48 - Getting into Venture Capital**10:52 - Focus Areas of M Ventures**17:05 - Decarbonizing Electronics and Life Sciences**23:37 - Challenges of PFAS Removal**31:45 - Gaps in Deep Tech Founders**40:45 - The Impact of AI in Climate Solutions**46:55 - Adaptation and Climate Resilience**48:10 - Grid Resiliency and Renewable Integration**51:40 - Transitioning from R&D to Product and Business Development**53:00 - Designing for Manufacturability in Hard Tech**56:26 - Sustainable Supply Chain in Electronics Manufacturing**57:42 - Team Building and Hiring for Startups**01:01:34 - Getting into VC and Starting a Company----- Links: **Tobias Egle | M Ventures**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

The chemical industry is ~$4.7t globally. The reason is that nearly everything we use is produced using secondary products that are created from catalyzing raw materials in some way.This is currently done using combustion (heat) powered reactors, and our guest today is commercializing a new way to do that. A way that is 30x more efficient than cutting-edge combustion reactors.Co-founder & CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics, Trevor Best, joins us to discuss the journey of coming across the technology from a white paper - and then going through the required steps to prove the technology at scale so it can produce at a commercially viable level.Their tech can be applied to many specific types of reactors. Currently, they have three uses, but down the road, first principles thinking indicates they will be able to build alternatives for many reactors. They make money by licensing out the IP and selling the reactors which they produce. And this is happening today. They have many outstanding orders for their tech. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel  Topics *1:30 Trevor's Story*4:00 What is Photocatalyst*9:40 The Idea Framework (Tech, Market, Impact)*12:55 How to Come Up w/ Ideas*17:30 Their Tech*24:45 ~5x Reduction in Energy Use*27:00 Impact on Everyday Life*29:35 Traction*32:50 From TRL3 to 8*36:05 Business Model*38:42 Fundraising Mistakes & Lessons*43:15 Culture | Missionaries > MercenariesLinks *Trevor Best | https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorwbest/*Syzygy Plasmonics | https://plasmonics.tech/*Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners | https://www.next-wavepartners.com/*Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/*@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, we chat with Russell Sprole, founder and managing partner of Virta Ventures. Virta Ventures invests at the early stages focusing on “equity-light” companies.We dive into the nuances of marketplace models, the potential of AI in climate tech, his journey with Full Harvest, and more. This is a great episode for software enthusiasts interested in its place in the climate tech ecosystem. As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!https://linktr.ee/cleantechies---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack ChannelTopics4:00 Starting Virta Ventures 10:22 Equity Light Solutions 13:50 Software Solutions in Antiquated Industries 17:07 Common Equity Light Business Models 22:55 Investing in Tiba 28:33 Investing in Crowded vs. Nascent Markets 34:41 Lessons from Full Harvest 47:46 Investing in Hydrogen Marketplaces  1:01:52 The Impact of AI on Climate Tech 1:06:54 Effective Practices of Portfolio Companies 1:08:33 Opportunities in the Electrification of Transportation 1:11:12 Fundraising Advice for Climate Tech Founders LinksRussell Sprole | Virta VenturesConnect with Somil | Connect with SilasCheck out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Today, Ken Munson, CEO of Rhythmos, shares his story of becoming an entrepreneur, including the wins and losses. He also discusses what Rhythmos is doing in grid-edge technology. He explains what GridEdge Tech is, the importance of experienced entrepreneurs staying in the arena, and the intricacies of selling to utilities. Munson also delves into the future of grid technology and sustainable energy solutions. Enjoy the Episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5 Topics: **1:40 Intro to Ken**3:00 Going from Architect to Entrepreneur to Rhythmos**12:00 What Grid Edge Is**14:45 What Rhythmos is Doing, Why, and How it Works**21:30 How Rhythmos is Helping Solve the Infrastructure Problem **24:50 Their Customer Types (Utilities & Commercial Fleets)**27:48 How They do Incremental Data Access Tech to Fill the Gaps to the Utility**31:20 The ROI of Using Rhythmos**32:15 Advice on Selling to Utilities**36:45 How to Hire Good SalesPeople**42:30 On Deciding to Go Back Into the Arena Links: **Ken Munson | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethmunson/**Rhythmos | https://rhythmos.io/**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on Twitter / X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

On this episode, we interview Jay Kapoor, General Partner at VSC Ventures. VSC Ventures is a Seed-stage VC fund focusing on climate adaptation and industrial automation. Their central thesis is that although starting a company is becoming easier, its becoming harder and harder to get noticed. Their solution? Storytelling. Confused? Listen to this episode – you won’t be disappointed.Jay needs no introduction – he has a podcast himself, comes from a VC and media background, and left a lasting impression on us as one of the most well-spoken guests we've ever had.---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: Subscribe on YouTube.Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. Topics: **5:50 Focus on Industrial Automation**9:39 The Intersection of Industrial Automation and Climate**15:26 Augmentation vs Replacement in Automation**17:23 The Importance of Good Storytelling in Automation**20:03 Jay’s Accidental Transition to Climate Investing**25:40 Engaging with Government and Incumbents**34:28 Founder/Market Fit: Founders from The Industry**40:24 Impact on Fundraising and Time Horizons; Fund Size**47:50 The Importance of Choosing the Right Investor**50:47 Changing Cap Table Construction**58:28 The Evolution of VCs' Value Prop**1:02:20 The Role of PR in Climate Investing**1:06:43 Founder vs Company Journey; Paint Jet's Story**1:11:53 The Power of Storytelling in Pitch Decks**1:17:06 Hiring and Building a Team**1:20:53 Identifying Founders Willing to AdaptLinks: **Connect with Jay | VSC Ventures**Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas**Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this enlightening episode, Silas and Somil are speaking all about Water and Wastewater Infrastructure with Adam Tank, the CCO and Co-Founder of Transcend Infrastructure. Adam shares his journey into the water industry and the creation of Transcend, a software platform that automates the design process for water infrastructure projects. He discusses the challenges and opportunities in the industry, including the need for more innovative and sustainable solutions. Tank emphasizes the importance of building a strong team, staying true to the company's mission, and remaining curious and open to learning. He also highlights the future of the water infrastructure industry, including the focus on carbon neutrality and the role of public demand in driving innovation.Enjoy the Episode! 🌎---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5Topics: **2:00 How Adam Ended up in the Water**6:30 From Investor to Entrepreneur **8:20 First Company, Pipe Robots**10:00 Transcend's Tech **11:45 Who Uses Transcend **12:30 Before and After Transcend**17:20 Why Current Infrastructure is Bad**19:30 Spin-Out of Organica, the MVP **23:40 Taking the Leap to Transcend **26:25 The Future of Water Infrastructure / the UK vs US Utilities **28:45 Future: Proactivity, Automation, Digitization, Active Consumers**30:35 Why To Choose A Critical Infrastructure Careers **32:20 Founder Advice: Find the right team, Remember WHY You Do What You Do, Be Passionately Curious**34:15 Importance of Curiosity & Intentionality in Career Links: **Connect with Adam **Adam's Website**Transcend Infrastructure Website**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: **Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: **@Silas & @Somil_Agg on Twitter / X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this enlightening episode, Silas and Somil delve into an engaging conversation with a visionary in the realm of carbon markets, Sudhu Arumugam, the CEO and Co-Founder of CYNK.CYNK is an early-stage company based out of Nairobi and Singapore, and they are building a block-chained tied marketplace specifically for the African voluntary carbon markets. Many debate the need for another carbon marketplace, but one thing is certain: trust in this space has been hard to find, and what CYNK is doing should help fix this.Sudhu Arumugam and his co-founder, Nils Razmilovic, bring a unique blend of Finance, Blockchain, and Sustainability expertise. Their collective experience and insight have culminated in the creation of CYNK. The driving force behind their venture is the imperative need to ensure that financial benefits reach local African communities, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable environmental impact.---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  📺 👀 Prefer to watch: Subscribe on YouTube.Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. Topics:**1:40 Intro to Sudhu**5:00 Importance of blockchain in the carbon markets and how it works**6:05 The Data Behind Carbon Credits and How That Affects the Price**7:45 Technology: Carbon → Blockchain **8:40 Who their Customers are**10:00 Growing the TAM Requires Transparency**13:00 Pricing Carbon**14:20 Attitude Towards Buying Carbon in Your Geography**17:45 Retail Investors Will Catalyze the Carbon Markets**20:30 How They Got Their First Customer**22:10 Merging Carbon and Blockchain Cultures**24:30 Interacting with Scientists **27:00 Their Next Challenges **27:50 Advice on Building in Carbon Markets Space**30:00 Closing ThoughtsLinks: Sudhu Arumugam | CYNKConnect with Somil | Connect with SilasFor all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs, check out our sponsor NextWave Partners.This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 Today Somil & Silas had the opportunity to do something slightly different today since we did an episode with Ryan Grant Little, the Creator and Host of Another Climate Tech Podcast. He has conversations that are more topical with his guests who are, in many cases, people he already knows. Ryan has a really fascinating background as a Founder, Investor, and Consultant. He found his way to climate via some of the impact work he was doing in Canada. Since all three of us are used to interviewing others, we decided to interview each other. We really enjoyed making this as it was a fun change of pace from our usual work. We hope you also enjoy it. Please also be sure to go follow Ryan’s podcast if you’re not already following.Enjoy the Episode! 🌎🔗🌍---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter.Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5Topics:**Intro**About Our Podcast Formats**Why the Newsletter**Why Somil & Silas Decided to Collab**What Silas & Somil Do**Ryan’s Climate Journey**How to Decide What Not to Do**Human Connection + Scaling Relationships**Areas we are Bullish On **Regulation vs Market Forces Links:**Listen to Another Climate Tech Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify **Connect with Ryan Grant Little on LinkedIn **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn **@Silas & @Somil_Agg on Twitter / XSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 On this episode, Somil interviews Chris Richardson, Executive Director of Uptake Alliance and Partner at ADL Ventures where he leads their energy and transportation practices. Uptake Alliance is the newest rockstar member of the NYS entrepreneurial ecosystem that connects organizations with startups solving specific problems they face to tackle “piloting to death.”We talk about the relationship between pilots and commercialization, specific opportunities in climate tech, and other pieces of guidance Chris has from his time as a founder. ---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: Subscribe on YouTube.Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. Topics: 00:00 Introduction and Background08:07 EV Button and Electrifying Existing Infrastructure17:28 Uptake Alliance and Venture Development38:34 Clean Infrastructure and the Built Environment44:48 Moonshot Technologies and Innovation49:17 Incentivizing Domestic Economic Benefits51:41 Investing in Urban vs Rural Technologies59:33 Insights59:33 IRA01:02:13 Climate x XI01:06:15 Success Story of a Hardware MVP01:10:19 Challenges in Corporate Pilots01:13:48 Starting a New Company in Climate01:16:11 Advice for ApplicantsLinks: GUEST: Chris RichardsonCOMPANY: Uptake Alliance, ADL VenturesConnect with Somil | Connect with SilasFor all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs, check out our sponsor NextWave Partners.This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 Today, Silas had the opportunity to interview Dan Katz, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, where they are building, and launching Hyperspectral Satellites to help catch methane leaks in pipelines, and, hopefully, one day, identify geographies that have critical minerals underneath the surface.He started in the aerospace industry, building satellites for other organizations. In the wake of the frothy space exploration market, Dan and his colleague believed they could also build a company in this space. This, paired with their realization that the ocean was boiling, led them to focus on catching methane leaks.He has a pretty interesting story and method of building the company. I'm sure you'll enjoy it! 🌎---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: Subscribe on YouTube.Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Topics: 2:00 Intro to Dan5:45 How to Identify Subsurface Minerals12:00 Why he Became an Entrepreneur19:00 PMF & MVP22:00 GTM & Raising26:00 Watching Their Launch31:15 Challenges35:34 Talent 39:00 Take the Leap----- Links: **Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katzdaniel34/ **Orbital Sidekick: https://www.orbitalsidekick.com/**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on Twitter / X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 Today, we are talking to Jamil Wyne of Climate Tech Bootcamp & Riffle Ventures.In this episode, you will find:Why direct access to customers and revenue generation are crucial for success in the climate tech spaceHow Jamil shaped Climate Tech Bootcamp with individuals with deep subject matter expertise and a builder's mindsetA walkthrough of his leading report “The Climate Tech Opportunity” published by the Oxford Climate Tech InitiativeEnjoy the Episode! 🌎---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5-----Topics1:16 Intro10:36 Policy-oriented mindset in climate16:27 Parallels between developmental finance and climate investing29:24 Origins of CT Bootcamp36:58 Choosing Climate experts and filling in founders’ weaknesses54:12 What is Riffle Ventures59:55 How he thinks about COP 28 being in Dubai and concerns with O&G1:08:41 The Climate Tech Opportunity1:08:41 Energy1:10:00 Transportation1:11:31 Food & Ag1:12:47 Industry1:15:43 Built Environment1:17:49 GHG Capture1:20:16 Managing & Reporting1:23:01 Advice to VCs-----LinksGUEST: Jamil WyneCOMPANY: Riffle Ventures, Climate Tech BootcampConnect with Somil | Connect with SilasSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 Today we are joined by Pawel Ciesielski, the Co-Founder and CEO of MaaS Loop, a Poland-based company building reverse vending machines to help collect various recyclables. He has a background in marketing, branding, and trend projection where he specifically helped demonstrate what the world could look like in 10 or 20 years from a climate perspective. Due to the high cost of talent and the EU's regulations around bottle deposit costs, smaller businesses require a solution to help them cost-effectively collect customer deposits. Listen to the episode to learn more about their tech, journey, and Pawel's advice to others. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Topics: **3:20 Intro to Paweł & MaaS Loop**4:20 What part of the waste supply chain they are working in **5:30 What reverse vending machines do**7:15 Founding MaaS Loop**10:00 How they differentiate from the rest of the circular economy **13:40 Explaining the cost savings**18:40 How the technology works**19:35 Creating their MVP**23:50 Defining traction**26:45 How they determined PMF**30:00 Advice on raising $$$**32:35 Overcoming the production scaling-up challenge ----- Links: **Connect with Pawel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawel-ciesielski**MaaS Loop Website: https://www.maasloop.com/ **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on Twitter / X Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with John Fazzolari (@fazz), the co-CEO and co-founder of Revivn, a hardware lifecycle management company that helps corporates repurpose their used electronic devices. John has a fascinating story of building this company and despite us only recording for about 30 min, we covered a lot of ground. From why they bootstrapped the company, to his Rigatoni list for hiring purposes, to using operational complexity as a moat, to ensuring your 3rd party contractors care as much as you do about customer success, it's a great episode. Let us know your favorite part by reaching out. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Topics: **2:20 Intro to John**3:00 Why the un-used hardware space**4:05 Creating the Category **6:05 The Story of How They Built**7:35 How they work**9:10 Cost Savings **12:20 Logistics - Their Moat is Complex Coordination**14:45 How to scale logistics company business **16:10 How to control customer quality experience **18:45 Examples of their impact**22:00 Why they bootstrapped **23:55 Advice on Fundraising **27:10 Advice on Hiring | The Rigatoni List **30:00 How to understand if someone has potential **31:58 Advice to Young Entrepreneurs in Climate**34:38 Other Ideas ----- Links: **Connect with John **Revivn **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: **HMU on Twitter: @silasmahnerSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 NYCW was a pivotal moment for many of us current or aspiring climate professionals. It brought together large swaths of diverse talent, all working in different assets to solve the climate crisis. Many of these gatherings were headlined by some of the smartest minds in climate and climate tech. An implicit goal we’ve had at the CleanTechies Podcast since then is to have as many speakers from the week as we can.I’m excited to introduce the speaker of one of the most popular talks at NYCW and the Managing Partner of Third Sphere VC, Shaun Abrahamson. ---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨---Shaun is an early-stage investor in the climate sector with a background in engineering and over a decade of focus on early-stage climate investments. Shaun’s engineering mindset involves constructing narratives with numbers and employing simple models to assess the viability of proposed ideas but combines that with the perspectives of advertising professionals, emphasizing the importance of understanding human behavior — a facet engineers might overlook. --Topics4:10 Intro8:10 Balancing returns vs. impact11:36 Bad investment signals in climate20:59 What is Third Sphere27:47 Mistakes hardware founders make31:39 Design for Finance49:46 Which climate capital stack segments are underutilized 1:00:51 Insights1:03:45 IRA59:24 Climate x AI1:08:39 Hardware MVP1:14:15 Building a company right now1:17:47 Advice to founders1:23:25 Advice to VCs--Links**Connect with Shaun | Third Sphere VC**For all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs, check out our sponsor NextWave Partners.**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.**Connect with Somil | Connect with SilasSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Diz Petit the Founder & CEO of LiquiDonate. They have an amazing solution to help manage corporate waste in a way that get's it into the hands of non-profits who need the materials. In doing this, they are also reducing their reverse supply chain costs by about ~50%. Diz was a great guest and had a lot of great insights to share. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---Main Takeaways: (read the full version on Substack) Spend a lot of time talking to the marketSet the right metricsMatch Supply & DemandRealistic TAMConsider non-climate-VCsTopics:2:33 Diz & Her Story6:25 Why Entrepreneurship?8:02 How to Identify the End User16:25 Why Would Someone Use Their Software?18:25 What CSOs Think About This21:45 Metrics25:36 Things that Surprised Her28:49 Their Fundraise Experience32:54 Advice to Founders Links:Connect with Diz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/disneypetit LiquiDonate: https://liquidonate.com/For all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs, check out our sponsor NextWave Partners.Connect with Somil | Connect with SilasSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

🌎 Today's episode is the first of our new founder show format, where we are keeping it a bit shorter and focusing on what they are doing rather than too many of the broader trends. Our guinea pig is Will Wiseman, Founder & CEO of Climatize. A revolutionary platform that is empowering community solar projects to scale effectively by getting them financed where PE is not doing the deals due to smaller sizes. Main Takeaways: (read the full version on Substack) Make it easy to use.Calculate the ROI of your fundraising process for a morale boost.Hire "ready" talent early on.Co-founders SHOULD think differently.---🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---Topics:2:26 His Career Journey6:42 How He Looks at Impact Work 8:04 FInTech Founding as an Engineer13:13 Why PE Isn't Filling the Need16:40 How they "Pitch" to Consumers20:12 Hiring & Talent 26:08 Building the Product28:26 Advice to Founders32:29 Future Challenges34:59 On Making it "Real" to Climate Deniers Links:Connect with Will Climatize.Earth For all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs, check out our sponsor NextWave Partners. This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast. Connect with Somil | Connect with SilasSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interviews Iris Ten Have about her journey into VC from a science background, what ie means to be a Head of Science in VC, how to successfully build in hardware, and more.   Enjoy the Episode! 🌎  📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube. 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5 ----- Topics: **6:25 Academia to venture**15:46 What helped her prepare for VC**18:42 How Extantia started**25:33 What makes a successful hardware investment**30:16 How to get your pre-orders for your MVP**36:05 Evaluating decarbonization potential**44:38 Advice to founders**48:36 What VCs can learn from scientists**51:11 Biggest challenges for funds-----  Links: **Connect with Iris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-ten-have/ **Extantia: https://extantia.com/ **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ **Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ **HMU on Twitter: @somilagg ----- Other episodes you might enjoy: **Most Recent Episode: #131 Selling to Utilities, The Disruptor Mistake, Clean Your Camp, Carrot vs Stick Regs, & More w/ Michael Jung (ICF Climate Center)**Similar Topic: #117 Early Stage Hiring Decisions, Heeding the Lessons from CleanTech 1.0, Energize's $300m Growth Fund Close, & More w/ Eileen Waris (Energize Capital)**Something Totally Different: From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with Mike Jung from the ICF Climate Center. Given Mike's work across a wide variety of clients currently + his experience in the utility space, we had a lot of interesting things to talk about. Of all the things, perhaps the most interesting, were his insights on selling to utilities. So, if you're selling to utilities, listen up this one is for you. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5 Topics: Links: **Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejung/ **ICF Climate Center: https://www.icf.com/climate-center **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**HMU on Twitter: @silasmahnerYou might enjoy:**Most Recent Episode: #130 Financing Emerging Clean Technologies, The Incentive of Repeat Transactions, Hiring a Founding Team, & More w/ Kevin Kyer (Pyrpose.io)**Similar Topic: Helping Utilities Utilize Wasted Data with Sean Murphy of PingThings**Something Totally Different: #116 Consultative VC, Understanding Customers (as a VC), Developing Industry Networks for Your PortCos, & More w/ Rick Zullo (Equal Ventures)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Why you should listen:Learn how to hire a founding teamFind out the secret to properly structured incentives to achieve repeat transactions when working in emerging marketsLearn how to communicate your offering to non-climate-nerdsNot already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Kevin Kyer, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Pyrpose - a direct lending platform that, using the crowdfunding laws, allows individuals to lend to companies creating clean solutions in order to deploy their technology, the user is also getting a return on their money. They specifically focus on emerging markets because of how high the cost of capital is and the unwillingness of large lending institutions to operate in those markets currently. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5 Topics: 1:59 Intro8:48 What is Pyrpose?15:22 Marketplace Approach18:04 Consumers and sellers25:59 GTM29:01 Raising on this model32:26 Crypto and climate35:49 Picking a founding team42:41 Finding talent45:46 Advice to Founders49:16 Climate-specific PMF advice52:23 Ideas Links:**Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmkyer/**pyrpose.io**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: **Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: **Twitter: @silasmahner / @somil_aggOther episodes you might enjoy:**Similar Topic: How Microfinance Helps Unbanked & The Climate Vulnerable w/ Celyn & Kristen (ShareChange)**Something Different: CleanTechies, the Podcast #25 - Edi Demaj (KODE Labs)Thank you for listening! Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Why you should listen:**How to succeed in building your company from a seasoned ClimateTech and energy investor**How to successfully expand your thesis and launch a new fund**Learn the best ClimateTech industries of the futureShow notes:In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Jason Blumberg from Earth Foundry. Earth Foundry came out of Energy Foundry, who after a successful decade of investing in energy technologies is expanding its scope to other areas of climate tech.Jason Blumberg is the co-founder and Managing Director of Earth Foundry. As a former consultant and founder in the energy space, he has sat on many boards and has a wide array of knowledge about energy and beyond to share with us. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5Links: Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonblumberg/Earth Foundry: https://www.earthfoundry.comCheck out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/HMU on Twitter: (@silasmahner) & (@somil_agg)Other episodes you might enjoy:Most Recent Episode: #128 Branding & Marketing Your ClimateTech Startup w/ Anna Konstantinova (AnnaKo.Co)Similar Topic: #116 Consultive VC, Understanding Customers (as a VC), Developing Industry Networks for Your PortCos, & More w/ Rick Zullo (Equal Ventures)Something Totally Different: #120 Serial Entrepreneur Fundraising, the IRA & Home Electrification, IRA-Dependent Business Models, & More w/ Jeff Chapin (Haven Energy)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Anna Konstantinova about her advice to climate tech companies in relation to marketing and branding. Really helpful episode for our listeners from someone who has spent a lot of time helping founders and climate brands make their work digestible to the correct target audience. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5Topics: **3:10 Intro & Career**12:53 Why a Brand Matters**17:54  How to Position Brand to People Uninterested in Climate Change**26:36 Are There General Archetypes**28:42 When to "Set" Brand**31:32 Tips on Branding During Fundraise**36:39 Personal Branding for Founder is Also Important**43:03 When to Get Help to Pass the Plateau**49:20 Hiring & Brand Links: **Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaknova/ **AnnaKo.co**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**HMU on Twitter: @silasmahnerOther episodes you might enjoy:**Most Recent Episode: #127 Scalable Carbon Capture, Building as a Non-Deeptech Founder, Creative Business Models, & Navigating Funding Challenges w/ Luke Shors (Capture6)**Similar Topic: #76 Endings, Endineering, Circular Economy, & the Customer Experience w/ Joe Macleod**Something Totally #65 Different: Decentralizing Agriculture & Societal Resilience with Eddy from Eden Green TechnologiesSupport the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Why you should listen:**Learn about a new breakthrough carbon capture model **How you can build a deep tech company as a non-deep-tech founder**How to raise from both public and private funding sourcesShow Notes:In this episode, Silas Mähner (@silasmahner) and Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interview Luke Shors, co-founder of Capture6. Capture6 is a direct air carbon capture company, applying its innovative technology and business model to revolutionize the way that carbon capture takes place. One of their claims to fame is their approach on being efficient with water usage and creating beneficial byproducts from their capture process. Luke himself is not a deep tech founder and shares great insights on how he navigated building a deep tech company in climate.Overall, a super good episode packed full of insights. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5Topics:**6:53 Starting as a public benefit company**12:50 Being a climate founder without deeptech background**16:28 Capture6 differentiator**20:01 Economic advantage of direct air capture**31:15 Price of Capture6's carbon**36:11 GTM**40:22 Messaging in public vs. private funding**50:37 Advice for founders**54:00 If he started a company todayLinks:**Connect with Luke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-shors/**Capture6: https://capture6.org **Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: **HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner, @somilagg You might enjoy:**Most Recent Episode: #126 The Value-add of Specialist VCs, Engaging with Corporate Partners, Advice to Founders & Aspiring VCs, Defending Your Moat, & More with Grant Allen (SE Ventures)**Similar Topic: From Restaurants to ClimateTech: Building a Carbon Capture Concrete Company w/ Tim Sperry (Carbon Limit)**Something Totally Different: #93 Hard Truths About VC, Raising Advice, & Small Fund Limitations w/ Susan Su (Toba Capital)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Why you should listen:Discover the role of Specialist VCs in climate change solutions with SE VenturesLearn about SE Ventures and its innovative climate and industrial tech investmentsGain insights on collaboration with large companies and startup wisdom In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Grant Allen, General Partner at SE Ventures. They are a uniquely positioned Specialist VC with a single LP, Schneider Electric. They function like a typical VC, with autonomy from Schneider Electric as a whole, but can also leverage Schneider's vast global network to add value beyond capital and help their portfolio companies to succeed.Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter.Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5-----Links:**Connect with Grant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantallen/**SE Ventures: https://www.seventures.com/home.jsp**Climate Capital Summit: https://www.climatecapitalsummit.com/ **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner, @somil_aggOther episodes you might enjoy:**Most Recent Episode: #125 Revolutionizing Heating and Cooling with Smart Radiators, Facing Rejection, and Building Hardware like Software with Marshall Cox (Kelvin)**Similar Topic: #93 Hard Truths About VC, Raising Advice, & Small Fund Limitations w/ Susan Su (Toba Capital)**Something Totally Different: #103 Revolutionizing Takeout: Tackling Plastic Waste Crisis with Reusable Containers and Gamification w/ James Wilson (reUser)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interviews Marshall Cox about his journey into being a climate tech founder, the impact of getting a Ph.D. on his journey, how he faced rejection, and how to build hardware like software.Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5Key Topics:6:00 Impact of PhD on Entrepreneurship8:32 Radiators vs. smart radiators13:59 Balancing impact vs. bottom-line15:30 Fundraising History18:27 Facing rejection27:06 New vision for Kelvin & hurdles for implementation38:56 Expanding into new hardware products43:13 How to make building in hardware like building in software44:59 Advice for founders -----  Links: Connect with Marshall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshallcox79/ Kelvin: https://kel.vin Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn HMU on Twitter: @Somil_Agg ----- You might enjoy: Most Recent Episode: #123 Driving Adoption in Hard-to-Abate Sectors, Why Not an IP Play, Fundraising for an R&D Shop, Partnering w/ Large Corporates, Hiring PhDs, & More w/ Jeff Erhardt (Mattiq) Similar Topic: From Harvard, to D.E. Shaw, to Obama Administration, to Refrigeration w/ Manik Suri (Therma) Something Totally Different: Re-Engineering the World because the Future is Decarbonized w/ Matt Ward (4Ward.VC)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with Tee Ganbold, the Co-Founder of OpenESG on what she's doing in the ESG tech space. They have created an incredible tool that operates like ChatGPT but is specifically designed and trained on corporate sustainability data. Instead of spending time researching a company's ESG data and commitments, you can simply ask OpenESG and you have detailed data at your fingertips, along the precise references to the underlying data. Tee has a great story coming from Mongolia, being raised in London, starting a few companies, living around the world, and now choosing to build OpenESG in NYC. We had a really great conversation so it's exciting to share it with you here today. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5-----Links: **Connect with Tee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teeganbold/**OpenESG: https://www.openesg.com/**Climate Capital Summit: https://www.climatecapitalsummit.com/  **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner----- Other episodes you might enjoy: **Most Recent Episode: #123 Driving Adoption in Hard-to-Abate Sectors, Why Not an IP Play, Partnering w/ Large Corporates, Hiring PhDs, & More w/ Jeff Erhardt (Mattiq)**Similar Topic: #47 The Current and Future State of the ESG Software Space w/ Sondra Tosky (Measurabl)**Something Totally Different: #63 Carbon Markets and How they Work, Democratizing Forestry Carbon Credits, & More w/ Matt Smith (Finite Carbon)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Jeff Erhardt from Mattiq. Jeff had a ton of insights and we are glad to share them with you today. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📆 Book a time w/ Silas during Climate Week in NYC (IRL): https://calendar.app.google/STXX7pMNmsWRsafd6📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5----- Links: **Connect w/ Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefferhardt/ **Follow Mattiq: https://mattiq.com/ **Climate Capital Summit: https://www.climatecapitalsummit.com/  **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner----- Other episodes you might enjoy:**Most Recent Episode: #122 Offset Skepticism, Regulation Driving Demand, Sustainable Supply Chains, Content GTM Strategy, Climate Business Opportunities, & More w/ Saif Hameed (Altruistiq)**Similar Topic: #113 Incubating Climate Risk / Insurance Solutions as Traditional Insurers Pull Back w/ Stephen Brittain (Insurtech Gateway)**Something Totally Different: #99 Capturing Methane to Power Data Centers in Remote Areas w/ Andreas Lehner (PowerBlocks)Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)