CleanTechies

Joshua Posamentier is the co-founder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused exclusively on climate tech. With a background in physics and a career that began in the semiconductor industry, Josh transitioned into climate investing after holding various roles at Intel and Prelude Ventures. Widely regarded as an OG in the climate tech space, Josh has been investing in climate solutions since well before the current wave of interest, making him one of the most experienced voices in the field. His deep technical expertise, combined with over a decade of focused climate investing, has given him a unique perspective on the evolution of the sector from its early clean tech days to today’s thriving climate tech ecosystem. Josh’s experience includes navigating the highs and lows of the market, from the early 2010s downturn in clean tech investing to today’s booming climate sector, providing invaluable insight to founders.

Congruent Ventures is an early-stage climate tech fund based in San Francisco that invests across a wide range of sectors, including energy transition, food and agriculture, urban mobility, and sustainable production. The firm has made over 60 investments in companies that focus on delivering measurable, impactful climate solutions while achieving top-quartile venture returns. Congruent Ventures is known for its hands-on approach, staying actively involved with portfolio companies from seed through later funding stages.

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 00:00 The Journey into Climate Tech Investing
• 10:05 Congruent Ventures
• 19:50 Navigating the Climate Tech Landscape
• 29:47 Challenges of Measuring Impact
• 39:52 Hardware vs. Software & Insights from Semiconductors
• 30:15 Navigating NIMBYism
• 34:37 Investment Strategies
• 39:52 The Future of Energy Demand and Policy
• 45:59 Exciting Innovations

Links

• Joshua Posamentier | Congruent Ventures
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Our reflections and musings as we close out the year...

Topics

01:28 2024's Top CleanTechies Episodes
07:37 Insights
12:49 Reflections on Branding and Storytelling
20:22 Milestones and Achievements in 2024
26:12 Key Lessons for Climate Tech Startups
34:59 Future Outlook

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Julia Kumari Drapkin is the CEO and founder of ISeeChange, a data platform that combines resident-generated insights with AI to address climate adaptation challenges. Julia’s background as a climate science reporter, covering disasters like Hurricane Katrina, inspired her to bridge the gap between people’s lived experiences and actionable climate solutions. Her expertise in storytelling and data-driven insights shapes ISeeChange's people-first approach to building climate resilience.

ISeeChange leverages ground-truth data—stories, photos, and observations—from residents and combines it with sensor, satellite, and proprietary AI models. The platform delivers actionable insights to cities, counties, and utilities, enabling them to prioritize real-time responses and long-term infrastructure design to adapt to 21st-century climate risks. By creating a feedback loop between communities and decision-makers, ISeeChange helps build trust, improve climate outcomes, and unlock the value of previously siloed data.

In this episode, Julia shares insights on:

• Ground-Truth Data Integration combining resident observations with existing satellite and sensor data, delivering more granular and actionable insights for managing floods, heat waves, and infrastructure failures
• Adaptation Over Politics, evident by how they are growing fastest in Republican-led states, showing that climate impacts are bipartisan and adaptation solutions resonate when framed around local needs like infrastructure protection and economic resilience
• AI-Driven data processing, enabling faster prioritization of critical tasks while transforming anecdotal community feedback into validated, actionable intelligence for utilities and governments

Enjoy!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 03:01 Data-Driven Solutions for Climate Adaptation
• 05:50 The Role of AI in Climate Data
• 12:08 The Importance of Ground Truth Data
• 15:04 Government and Climate Tech: A Complex Relationship
• 17:54 The Future of Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
• 20:48 Challenges and Opportunities in GovTech
• 24:13 Political Resilience in Climate Solutions
• 27:08 Insurance and Climate Risk
• 29:59 Building Community Trust in Climate Data
• 32:47 The Human Element
• 36:07 Feedback Loops and Learning from Mistakes
• 38:59 Sales Cycles and Market Dynamics
• 41:49 Finding Common Ground

Links

• Julia Kumari Drapkin | ISeeChange
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Learn how this carbon capture startup also produces green chemicals AND hydrogen -- how they funded their first demo plant -- their secrets to building a resilient business model -- and what he would advise Trump's admin in order to help keep climate on track while also competing with China. 

Listen Time: Full Show 58:31 (no ads) | Free Preview 37:14

On today’s episode, Owen Cadwalader, the COO of Travertine, delivers one of the most value-dense episodes we’ve ever released. 

Hear how they are solving the massive sulfur waste problem while also capturing carbon and producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen. 

In a short time, they are on track to build their first plant, producing ~100 tons a year near Rochester, NY. They have also navigated the startup landscape masterfully. 

There is a lot to learn here. 

Some of the discussion topics: 
**How to interact with the chemical industry 
**How to reframe CO2 emissions as waste 
**How to get the Trump admin to back climate 
**The sulfate waste landscape 

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 📺 Watch on YouTube

Topics
(time stamps are accurate for the full episode and approximate for the free preview)
**00:00 Intro
**02:54 Owen's Journey to Tech
**06:08 Travertine’s Tech
**08:53 Multiple Revenue Streams
**12:06 Customer Base and Market Challenges
**14:55 Environmental Impact of Sulfate Waste
**17:47 Navigating the Chemical Industry Landscape
**21:09 Pricing Strategies & Market Competition
**29:22 Identifying Beachhead Markets in Climate Tech
**30:48 Navigating Political Landscapes for Climate Tech

—(Free Version ends here)—

**32:13 Building Resilient Climate Tech Businesses
**34:04 On-shoring
**35:59 Global vs Local Impact of Resource Extraction
**36:29 The Future of Carbon Dioxide Removal
**37:52 Focusing on Outcomes Over Technology
**40:43 Funding Strategies for Climate Tech Projects
**43:05 Advocating for Continued Innovation Funding
**45:22 Reframing CO2 as Industrial Waste
**50:00 Lessons from Fundraising in Climate Tech

Links
**Owen Cadwalader | Travertine
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Hear the story of how Sila Nanotechnologies has successfully developed, taken to market, and scaled up a new Anode technology for the battery industry. -- Learn the importance of Job Creation in landing funding -- Understand why CleanTech is actually bi-partisan -- and Understand where the puck is going with the battery industry.

Listen Time: Full Show 1:09:26 (no ads) | Free Preview 41:27

On today’s episode, Gleb Yushin, the CTO of Sila Nanotechnologies, pours out the wisdom he has from 14 years working on and scaling up Sila Nanotechnologies to the point where their Anode tech is in millions of batteries around the world. 

Not many companies reach this scale and even less so among climate companies. The lessons he has for you will benefit you massively. 

There are incredibly potent lessons on: 

• A successful GTM strategy for a battery chemical (Anode in this case) 
• How to fund your small and commercial scale production facilities. 
• Why there will likely be bi-partisan support for clean technology 
• Key lessons on team building and talent acquisition 

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Topics
**00:00 Intro
**02:57 The Journey of Gleb Yushin
**05:49 Founding Sila Nanotechnology
**09:03 The Role of Silicon in Battery Production
**11:53 Scaling Up Production
**15:12 Market Integration and Collaboration
**18:09 Challenges in Manufacturing
**20:51 Future of Battery Technology
**24:03 The Importance of Job Creation
**34:51 Rapid Iteration and Automation in Production
—(Free Version ends here)—
**38:05 Funding Strategies and Equity vs. Debt
**42:08 Government Support and Job Creation in Clean Tech
**45:57 Bipartisan Support for Clean Technology
**51:46 Talent Acquisition and Team Building in Startups
**1:02:10 Challenges and Trends in the Battery Industry
**1:04:32 Startup Opportunities in Battery Recycling and Supply Chain

Links
**Gleb Yushin | Sila Nanotechnologies
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do yo

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Nate Loewentheil is the founder and managing partner of Commonweal Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on solving America's biggest challenges through entrepreneurship. Nate’s career spans angel investing, politics, and public policy. Previously, he served in the Obama White House, advising President Obama on emerging technologies such as clean energy and broadband expansion. His background includes roles in the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, founding the Roosevelt Institution, and advising startups during his time running venture investments for a family office.

Commonweal Ventures invests in pre-seed and seed-stage companies tackling generational challenges such as climate change, competition with China, and an aging population. The firm focuses on startups that leverage government partnerships as a strategic advantage, tapping into resources like national labs, regulatory data, and long-term infrastructure projects.

The firm's investment philosophy distinguishes itself from traditional GovTech by emphasizing the unique ability of government to unlock enterprise value rather than solving it as a "problem to fix." With a bipartisan advisory board that includes former Trump, Bush, Obama, and Clinton administration officials, Common Weal Ventures excels at navigating regulatory landscapes and creating opportunities for impactful innovation.

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 05:54 The Role of Government in Innovation
• 12:07 Investing in Early-Stage Companies
• 14:55 Understanding Political Dynamics in Climate Tech
• 17:52 Preparing for Trump 2.0
• 27:19 Shifting Political Economy and Government's Role
• 31:05 Future of Government Involvement in Commercialization
• 32:56 Engaging with Government Agencies
• 35:19 Best Practices for Founders in Government Relations
• 38:08 Investing Dynamics in Climate Tech
• 42:49 Encouraging Generalist Investors in Climate Tech
• 44:15 America's Competitive Edge: Entrepreneurship
• 45:40 Impact of Monopolies on Startups
• 48:04 Political Landscape and Antitrust Dynamics
• 49:51 Looking Ahead: Opportunities in Climate Tech

Links

• Nate Lowentheil | Commonweal Ventures
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Hear the CEO of Skytree explain how you MUST build for scale to achieve impact in a timely manner -- how O&G have been releasing their captured Co2 for years -- why their biggest investor is a huge Greenhouse Operator -- the importance of co-locating your carbon capture tech with the demand -- his journey into climate -- and a few more hot takes. 

Listen Time: Full Show 57:04 (no ads) | Free Preview 41:09

On today’s episode, Rob van Straten, the CEO of Skytree captures our attention with his deep wisdom on how to scale a successful carbon capture technology company. 

Why you should trust him? He brings a long career of experience building and scaling companies that he parlayed into Skytree where they are currently crushing it with their modular, mass-production capable carbon capture system. 

Spoiler alert, you can’t do this successfully if you’re doing it on a project basis - you need to do it with a modular system that you can mass produce (it allows for faster iteration of the design). 

Learn:
**How they build their team culture and value young talents
**How Oil & Gas has been catching and releasing carbon for years and how Skytree is now actually solving this problem — also related, why their largest investor is the largest owner/operator of greenhouses in the Netherlands
**Why you MUST set out to achieve scale from day one.

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Topics
**00:00 Intro
**03:03 Rob’s Journey Into Climate
**05:57 Mentorship & the Next Gen of Entrepreneurs
**09:05 Skytree's Origin and Technology Overview
**15:09 The Future of Carbon Capture: Machines vs. Plants
**28:30 Innovative Approaches to Carbon Capture
**32:45 How They Partner with Greenhouses
**38:23 Scaling Up: Lessons from the Solar Industry
**41:35 Collaboration with Large Emitters
**45:50 The Future of Oil and Energy Transition
**48:03 The Carbon Capture Startup Landscape

Links
**Rob van Straten | Skytree
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn

This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in a

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Amy Duffuor is a co-founder and General Partner at Azolla Ventures and Managing Director at Prime Impact Fund, Azolla's predecessor vehicle. She has a diverse background that spans immigration research, management consulting, impact investing, and renewables investment banking. Amy began her career studying marginalized West African migrants and later pursued an MPhil in Migration Studies at Oxford University. Transitioning into management consulting, she worked on supply chain and procurement projects in London and Southeast Asia, where she developed a passion for climate change solutions. Her experience running venture accelerator programs in Southeast Asia for impact-driven startups inspired her to focus on early-stage climate tech investing. Prior to Azolla, Amy worked at Bank of America as a renewables investment banker, contributing to projects like the IPO of Sunnova, a leading residential solar company.

Azolla Ventures is a venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage investments in climate technology startups. Their investment strategy emphasizes three key criteria: Impact, Additionality and Commercial Potential. In July 2023, Azolla Ventures announced the final close of their fund at $239 million. This fund blends catalytic, charitable capital with impact-aligned, market-rate capital to drive investment into solutions with deep potential for climate impact that are systemically overlooked by conventional financiers. Amy has even constructed a microcosm of LP signals that they use to understand where investing gaps in the ClimateTech funding ecosystem lie. 

In this episode, Amy shares insights on:

• Using blended finance to de-risk early-stage climate tech investments
• The unique challenges and misconceptions in hardware-focused climate startups
• Embedding equity and justice in climate tech ventures

Enjoy!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 05:50 The Role of Blended Finance
• 11:51 The Unique Landscape of Hardware Companies
• 15:04 Building Trust with Entrepreneurs
• 17:49 The Importance of Environmental Justice
• 21:01 The Future of Climate Tech Investing
• 28:54 The Art of Simplifying Complex Technologies
• 31:52 Investing Ahead of the Curve
• 39:59 Integrating Equity and Justice
• 44:08 Future Aspirations

Links

• Amy Duffuor | Azolla Ventures
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas &

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Listen Time: Full Show 38:51 (no ads) | Free Preview 31:19

Today, we are speaking with Shaun Abrahamson from Third Sphere. 

Third Sphere is a leading ClimateTech investor that also has a debt strategy for high-volume production startups in the hardware space. They have backed companies like ChargeLab, ClimateBase, Gradient, OneWheel, Therma, Revivn, & Wasted (check out the episode we did with Revivn). 

This is Shaun’s third time on the pod — if this is your first time hearing him, you’ll understand why because he is very thoughtful. 

During NY Climate Week, the Third Sphere team put on a great event titled “Climate Tech Exits.” It was really well beloved by many NY CW attendees. 

They covered:
**Why exits are so crucial to the success of Climate investing 
**The state of climate tech exits
**How it looks compared to tech broadly
**What to learn from the original tech winners like Google & Apple 
**What the paths forward might be
**The patterns of successful founders 

In today’s episode, we recap the key points of their event and then dig into Shaun’s advice to founders on how to ensure they are doing things right, in order to see an exit.

We are sure you’ll find it educational.

📝 Show Notes:
Topics:
**0:00 The Importance of Climate Tech Exits
**2:48 Current State of Climate Tech Investments
**6:06 Challenges in the IPO Market
**8:50 Corporate Venture Capital's Role
**12:08 Future Opportunities in Climate Tech
**14:56 The Shift from Mitigation to Adaptation
**18:11 Building Sustainable Business Models
**21:01 Navigating M&A Opportunities
**23:55 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Links:
**Shaun Abrahamson | Third Sphere
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

There’s no sugarcoating it…Trump is bad news for ClimateTech — but thankfully, we have interviewed 200+ ClimateTech Entrepreneurs on how to build politically resilient companies — ensuring the future is greener no matter who the president is. 

Today, we’re distilling those key lessons for you. 

• Key risks across / what’s on the chopping block 
• Possible silver linings & some wins 
• Recognizing the reality of the situation 
• Examples of likely downside 
• Choose a new narrative 
• Key advice to startups 
  • Better / Faster / Cheaper 
  • Bring on Non-Climate Investors 
  • Choose the Right Customers 
  • Involve CVCs
  • Build in Climate-Friendly States
  • Help the US Compete with China 
  • Recognize Climate is not Everyone’s #1 Issue 

We recognize the severity of the situation we are in. But since we are here, we might as well learn from it and continue to do the good work moving forward.

🚨 Also — a huge thank you to our paid subscribers for the questions and inspiration for this episode! Want to be a part of future ones? Upgrade to paid now!
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Topics 

• 00:00 Brief Reactions
• 02:53 Key Implications (What’s at Risk & Upsides?)
• 06:11 Rural vs Urban Perspectives on Climate Issues
• 09:00 Navigating Climate Conversations in a Conservative Context
• 11:51 Opportunities and Risks for Climate Tech Under Trump
• 15:13 Changing how you Market Your Climate Tech Startup 
• 21:52 Strategies for Climate Tech Founders Moving Forward

Links

• Cipher: With Donald Trump victory, here are his energy and climate positions
• Nature: Big State and Local Wins for Climate and Conservation in the United States
• The Hill: 18 House Republicans ask Johnson not to target IRA clean energy tax credits
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas &

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today we are joined by Duncan Logan, CEO & Co-Founder of 9Zero. A community platform to bring climate professionals together in person and online so we can work together to solve the climate crisis. 

Duncan previously founded RocketSpace where he saw many tech startups that would go on to become unicorns. Companies like Uber, FlexPort, and Spotify. Having this experience made him realize the importance of creating a hub for people to collaborate and bump into each other. 

They are extending this even further by building these hubs in all major climate cities because unlike the 2000’s tech boom, there is no one silicon valley for climate. We need to connect NY, DC, Boston, Houston, London, Berlin, SF, Seattle, and beyond. 

Duncan brings a lot of experience and some great stories (like the time he met Elon). 

Enjoy! 

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Topics
**00:00 The Climate Ecosystem: A Call to Action
**02:01 Duncan Logan: Building Climate Tech Communities
**11:09 9Zero: The Silicon Valley of Climate
**20:14 Connecting Climate Hubs: A Collaborative Approach
**29:45 Navigating Complexity in Climate Tech
**38:50 Leadership in Climate Startups: The Right Team Matters

Links
**Duncan Logan | 9Zero
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Jean-Simon Venne is the co-founder and CTO of BrainBox AI, a pioneering company using artificial intelligence to optimize energy use in buildings. With a background in telecom and deep expertise in building mechanics and computer engineering, Jean-Simon has led BrainBox’s efforts to bring scalable, autonomous HVAC systems to the market. In this episode, Jean-Simon discusses his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of scaling AI in the built environment, and how BrainBox AI leverages deep learning to decarbonize buildings and support grid efficiency.

BrainBox AI is a Montreal-based company that uses artificial intelligence to optimize HVAC systems in commercial buildings, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Having raised $30 million in Series A funding, backed by investors like ABB Technology Ventures and Desjardins Capital, BrainBox is expanding globally with over 700 installations across 20 countries. Its AI-driven solutions address the growing demand for sustainable building management in the real estate sector.

In this episode, Jean-Simon shares insights on:

• Using deep learning to optimize building energy consumption
• Predicting room temperatures hours ahead to save energy
• Drawing inspiration from autonomous vehicles for scalable building efficiency

Enjoy!

Topics 

• 00:00 Harnessing AI for Building Efficiency
• 03:13 The Journey of an Entrepreneur
• 06:03 Innovating in Climate Tech
• 08:54 The Vision Behind Brainbox AI
• 12:10 Building a Scalable Solution'
• 15:00 Navigating Team Dynamics as a CTO
• 17:50 Balancing Innovation and Core Development
• 21:10 Creating an Ecosystem of Innovation
• 25:27 The Acceleration of AI Innovation
• 29:17 Navigating the Unknown in Technology Development
• 31:59 Understanding AI and Its Value
• 37:31 Challenges in Selling to Property Owners
• 41:49 The Future of Buildings and AI Integration
• 46:03 The Challenges and Excitement of AI Evolution

Links

• BrainBox AI | Jean-Simon Venne
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Brian Berzin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Thea Energy, a nuclear fusion company aiming to commercialize clean, dispatchable energy. With over 70 years of scientific research from Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, Thea Energy focuses on utilizing a stellarator design for efficient and scalable fusion power. Previously an electrical engineer and venture capitalist, Brian combines his technical and entrepreneurial expertise to lead Thea in developing the next generation of energy solutions, targeting commercial deployment by the 2030s.

Thea Energy is an American fusion power company established in 2022 as a spin-off from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). The company focuses on advancing fusion energy technology through a novel stellarator approach that utilizes all-planar electromagnetic coils. This method simplifies the design and enhances the precision of magnetic field control, aiming to make fusion energy a viable and sustainable energy source for the future

In this episode, Brian shares insights on:

• Advancing fusion energy with simplified, scalable technology.
• The 70-year journey of fusion research at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab.
• The future timeline for commercial fusion power plants.

Enjoy!
---
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
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📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

Topics:

• 02:10 The Journey of Thea Energy
• 12:47 Brian's Path to Fusion
• 20:53 The Right Time for Fusion
• 24:42 Understanding Nuclear Fusion
• 25:10 Understanding Fusion vs. Fission
• 30:58 The Future of Fusion Energy
• 41:29 Government's Role in Nuclear Energy
• 48:01 Reflections on Climate Week

Links:

• Brian Berzin | Thea Energy
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• Thi

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today, we are speaking with Liz Dennett, the CEO and Founder of Endolith. 

Endolith recently spun out of Cemvita to form its own independent company. (Ep #200 with Moji from Cemvita)

By 2050, we will need more copper than in the history of mankind due to the electrification of industry and developing countries. If we don’t solve this, it could lead to geopolitical conflicts. 

Their tech uses microbes to eat crushed rocks and poop out copper (I did say explain it to me like I’m 5). They add this to existing mining operations to increase output by ~10%. 

This helps us get closer to solving copper demand.

In today’s conversation, we cover
**Copper in electrification
**Her journey to CEO of Endolith
**Why copper could be the thing wars are fought over
**The innovation behind microbial mining
**The balance between generating hype and focusing on scientific advancements

Enjoy! 

---
🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
---

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Topics:
**0:00 The Importance of Coppe
**2:49 Liz's Journey to Endolith
**6:06 Microbes and Metal Recovery
**8:49 Deep Tech Startup Challenges
**12:11 Spinning-Out of Endolith from Cemvita
**14:53 The Impact of Copper on Society
**18:04 Geopolitics and Copper
**20:57 Electrification and Global Outcomes
**25:40 Speaking Truth to Power
**28:26 The Complexities of Clean Energy Access
**30:44 Areas to Decarbonize Mining
**32:36 Partnering with Mining Incumbents
**35:55 Balancing Hype and ‘Doing Science’
**40:39 The Role of Politics in Green Mining
**45:11 Recycling & the Future of Minerals

Links:
**Liz Dennett | Endolith
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
*

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

A while ago, we released a survey to collect people's feedback on NY Climate Week 2024. Well… the results are in! And we are here to recap them. 

If you want to know…

• What people thought the best events were (and why) 
• As well as the worst… (namedropped… 😬) and why 
• Favorite topics 
• Topics people want to see more next year
• What everyone’s goal was, and did they achieve it? 
• What people will do differently next year
• And takeaways from your favorite CleanTechies hosts

We enjoyed making this, and we think you’ll enjoy listening. Let us know how we did!

Topics 

• 0:00 Introduction to the NY Climate Week Survey Results
• 1:03 Highlights of Favorite Events
• 2:31 Factors Contributing to Event Success
• 3:53 Least Favorite Events
• 8:08 Key Topics Discussed
• 11:51 Goals of Attendees
• 20:30 Broader Feedback and Suggestions for Improvement
• 23:19 Takeaways 

Links

• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Arjun Jairaj is an investor at noa, a London-based VC firm focused on early-stage ventures in the built environment across North America and Europe. With experience spanning private equity, startup founding, and advisory roles, Arjun has worked in India, the UK, and beyond, including founding a shared economy startup called Plonk. At noa, he focuses on real estate, construction, energy, and mobility, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and climate technology. 

In this episode, Arjun shares insights on:

• Navigating regional investment differences
• The impact of political landscapes on climate tech
• Emerging opportunities in robotics and decentralized energy systems.

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 00:21 Saul Griffith as Inspiration
• 03:19 Climate Consciousness Growing Up
• 07:33 noa’s Investment Process
• 12:26 Political Shifts in Climate Policy
• 22:45 Regional Differences in Built Environment

Paid version starts

• 32:37 – Contrarian Investing and VCM
• 43:58 – Business Models vs. Deep Tech
• 47:22 – Future Opportunities

Links

• Arjun Jairaj | noa
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

We're joined by Panama Bartholomy, Founder and Executive Director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC). 

We talk about Panama’s background, the journey of creating the BDC, and why heat pumps and electrification are at the heart of decarbonizing buildings. 

He shares insights on the challenges of transforming America’s building sector, the importance of state-level action, and the opportunities for public-private partnerships in pushing climate tech forward. We also talk about China, and Panama offers a unique perspective on the role of international collaboration in the race to decarbonize.

Tune in for an in-depth discussion on:

• The rise of building decarbonization policies in the U.S.
• Why state-level action is crucial, regardless of federal shifts
• The future of heat pumps and electrification in both the U.S. and China
• How the BDC is driving neighborhood-scale building decarbonization

Enjoy!

---
🌎 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
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

Topics 

• 00:27 Panama’s Background and Early Career
• 09:09 Early Challenges in Building Decarbonization
• 12:50 BDC’s Vision and Impact
• 16:17 BDC's Three Vertical Approach: Policy, Market, and Consumer Education
• 21:07 U.S. States Leading the Decarbonization Effort
• 24:41 The Mid-Transition of Building Decarbonization

Paid version starts

• 30:35 The Incentive Structure and Challenges of Heat Pump Adoption
• 34:20 Panama's Trip to China
• 49:24 Quick Hits: Business Ideas, Resources, and BDC's Vision

Links

• Panama Bartholomy | Building Decarbonization Coalition
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Bucket List:
- Do a live podcast recording ✅

Thanks to Extantia, one of THE leading ClimateTech funds in Europe, we recorded our first live podcast with Co-Founder, Partner, & LinkedIn Top Voice Yair Reem.

It was FOAKing awesome.

And no, it wasn’t awesome just because we got to do a live podcast, but because so many of you showed up to listen!! Shoutout to all of the CleanTechies that came through; we’re sufficiently motivated to do another 🚀.

No frills this time, the pizazz was in the recording, here’s the info you need:

In today’s recording of our live discussion, you can hear us break-down everything regarding FOAK financing for hardware climate tech startups:

• Intro to Yair 
• What the F**K is FOAK 
• How to “Do FOAK” 
• How offtake agreements are game-changers & the largest open-source offtake directory
• Finding commercialization talent 
• The danger of spinning out deeptech too soon
• How founders and investors can break through the noise

While you listen, here’s some links for ya:

• Connect with Yair
• Follow Extantia
• Check out the last episode we did with Extantia
• Connect with Somil & Silas
• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Upgrade to Paid

See y’all at the next CleanTechies Live Podcast Recording ☕️

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

And... don't forget to fill out the post climate week survey! 📝

NYCW 2024 was a DOOZY…filled with plenty of good and crazy times that we equally don’t really remember. It went by in a blur, but so much happened in the week that we need to break it down with all you CleanTechies out there.

Listen to the ep to hear about:

• What events we liked — Third Sphere, Political Risk Event, Climate Capital Summit, New Climate Futures 
• The events we didn’t like — VC hangouts & loud bar meetups 
• Our biggest takeaways — There needs to be better collaboration across events; and the UNGA & NYCW are competing for the best climate talent
• Our biggest gripes — Too much posturing and getting stuck in echo chambers; too much noise — not enough signal 
• What we are going to do differently next year — hosting more of our own events / attending fewer ones & finding places where the real debates are happening 
• Our hot takes 🔥:
  • FOAK financing isn’t real
  • Dealflow isn’t an alpha for VCs anymore
  • Startups need to pursue generating PE-quality returns to succeed 

👉 AND…last but not least, stay tuned to hear the recording of our first live podcast (coming later this week)…👀

👉 If you’ve made it this far, you must really be interested in a better NYCW experience…fill out the post-Climate Week survey

Post Climate Week Survey

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Hey Everyone!

We're excited to share two big announcements. 🚨🚨

First, CleanTechies is doing its first-ever live podcast! 🎙️🎊

We are partnering with Extantia, one of THE leading ClimateTech VCs in Europe, to do our first ever live podcast recording. 🎉

• When: Wednesday, Sep. 25th @ 4 pm Sharp (be early)
• Where: Register for address
  • Register for 1 of 15 CleanTechies tickets here: https://lu.ma/n8gteqtm

Second, we are hosting a soccer game for CleanTechies ⚽

• When: Friday, Sep. 27th @ 5:30 pm
• Where: Near Sunset Park in Brooklyn (final location shared if approved)
  • Register here: https://lu.ma/duovm34k

We’re very excited to see you all there 😎!

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

NY Climate Week is ####ing insane — event after event after event. 

If you’re not careful, you’ll waste an entire week of work and sleep — and get nothing out of it. 

We are here to give you our two cents… or rather, 35 min of advice on how to get the most out of your climate week experience. 

This is for you regardless if this is your first or fifth climate week. 

We broke it down into:

• Before - How to prep
• During - What to keep in mind during the chaos
• After - Mastering the follow-up 

Have a listen and comment with your advice for all the other CleanTechies. 

🚨🚨🚨 ALSO… here is the list of events we’re attending during NYCW. Don’t be a stranger — we’ll be more excited to say hi than you can handle. 

Events We're Attending

Good luck out there! 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

We’re back with another episode featuring Jonathan, a founder shaking up the battery tech industry!

Jonathan, a UC Berkeley Chemical Engineering grad, spent years in wastewater treatment before realizing the key driver of adoption was economics. In 2017, he and his co-founders, frustrated with their jobs, started their own company after working in thin film membrane industries.

(Psst! This is a free version of the episode. To get the whole enchilada, become a paid subscriber on our substack)

Today they are building Coreshell, a company helping replace the use of Graphite in batteries while also making us less reliant on China, the main global supplier of Graphite. 

In this episode, we cover:

• The lack of true innovation in battery tech over the last 20 years.
• How luxury EVs focus on range, while China slashes prices.
• How Coreshell’s tech could reduce reliance on China’s graphite monopoly.
• The EU’s take on battery recycling vs. US policy.

Join us for more insights!


🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey
📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

• Jonathan Tan | Coreshell
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

In this episode, we are joined by Till Stenzel, Partner at SET Ventures, a European venture capital firm that has been in operation in 2007 which makes them one of the first climate VCs out there. They invest $2-$5M in rounds that range from $3-10M at the Series A/A+ stage. SET Ventures focuses on innovative business models and typically like to lead or co-lead rounds. Their investments range over 6 focus areas: distributed energy systems, digital utilities, AI & enabling technologies, built environment, industrial energy management, and mobility & transport.

On a personal note, Till takes us on a fascinating ride through his career, from his early inspiration drawn from Amory Lovins and the Rocky Mountain Institute, to his venture into renewable energy projects across Northern Africa during the early solar boom, and his pivotal role at E.ON, where he navigated their corporate energy strategy towards renewables. In the age old debate of investing in the “now” of tech — tech we already have commercializable vs. investing in the future (i.e. more expensive breakthroughs), Till believes in the now, saying I quote “we don’t really need major science and energy breakthroughs to turn our energy system carbon free.” Mind blowing — listen to the ep to find out why.

He talks about:

• How Europe's regulatory environment is shaping the energy transition
• The challenges of scaling EV and grid technologies
• Why the future of freight electrification might be closer than we think

Enjoy!

---
🌎 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
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

Topics 

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:28 Innovative Business Models 
• 24:45 The Impact of Europe's Regulatory Environment
• 26:39 Challenges Faced by Utilities
• 32:15 The Power of Storytelling and Education

Paid Version Starts

• 35:27 Exit Modeling and Fund Strategy
• 48:57 Looking Forward for SET Ventures
• 50:21 Helpful Resources in Climate Tech

Links

• Till Stenzel | SET Ventures
• Connec

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

This is a masterclass on investing in the future 🌍💰.

Today, we're sitting down with Peter Sofer, Investment Partner at Clean Energy Ventures (CEV). Based in Austin, Texas, Peter tackles investing in the toughest-to-decarbonize sectors. CEV is known for backing companies that could be the only game in town for the long haul, with potential to achieve multi-gigaton greenhouse gas reductions.

Peter’s journey is packed with insights, from his time at the Environmental Defense Fund to leading Clean Energy Ventures' second fund, targeting $305 million in Seed and Series A investments.

This episode dives into an issue not often discussed in detail — the future of climate tech amid political and economic uncertainty. Peter breaks down how the evolving political landscape and macroeconomic factors will influence the availability of non-dilutive funding, and why a company's storytelling is critical for fundraising success. 

In this conversation, we explore:

• How Clean Energy Ventures chooses companies that are addressing the most challenging sectors
• The potential impact of a new administration on climate tech, especially around the IRA 
• His thoughts on geopolitical tensions, China’s dominance in renewables, and the future of onshoring production 

---
🌎 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
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

Topics 

• Clean Energy Ventures' Investment Philosophy 
• Challenges of Hard-to-Decarbonize Sectors 
• Navigating Political and Economic Uncertainty 

Paid Version Starts Here

• Onshoring vs. Global Competition 
• Evaluating Startup Success
• Exit Landscape for Climate Tech Startups 
• Empowering the Next Generation of Climate Entrepreneurs 

Links

• Peter Sopher | Clean Energy Ventures
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today’s episode is special to me! When I first learned about ClimateTech, I dreamed of building a Venture Studio in the space. Although I didn’t even know what a Venture Studio was back then, I quickly realized that founder-market fit is crucial for success. While I’m not there yet, I started my own recruitment firm to gain the freedom and impact I wanted in a field with a huge need for affordable services.

Maybe one day, I’ll follow in Ben’s footsteps. But for now, this conversation with Benjamin, who co-founded Ouishare in France and has been building companies ever since, was incredibly fulfilling. We dive deep into his latest venture, Marble, discussing what they do, how their business model works, and how they’re funded. We also explore how to find the right co-founder and the role of policy in advancing ClimateTech.

There’s so much more to uncover, and I’m excited to have him back on one day. Enjoy the show!

---
🌎 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
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

Topics 

• Intro 
• Ben's Background
• What They Do
• Fundraising for Marble
• Challenges of Building in Climate
• Finding a Co-Founder

—(end of free preview)—

• Policy and Regulation in Climate Tech
• Key Opportunity Areas in Climate Tech

Links

• Benjamin Tincq | Marble
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

We don’t always have climate philanthropic-learning orgs on, but when we do, it’s always a banger 💥

We're sitting down with Karl Burkart, the Co-Founder and Deputy Director of One Earth. One Earth funds advanced scientific research and technology applications to address the climate crisis at scale across three pillars: 

• Renewable energy transition
• Nature conservation
• Regenerative agriculture

Karl's journey is nothing short of fascinating, starting from his early days as an architect focused on sustainable design in the Bay Area and is now leading One Earth.

This episode explores an issue that doesn’t get enough love in climate tech — biodiversity and nature. Right now, the issues are in how biodiversity is measured, valued, and integrated into markets. Karl breaks down how and why biodiversity is becoming an investable space, particularly through monitoring and verifying the health of ecosystems. It’s so promising that Fortune 500s get into this space 💰.

---
🌎 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
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

Topics 

• 01:03 Background
• 04:22 From Architecture to Sustainability to Climate Change
• 08:16 Transition to LA
• 10:34 The Role of Media and Content Creation in Climate Change
• 16:09 One Earth and its Three Pillars
• 21:55 The Need for More Funding and Support in Climate Solutions
• 24:22 The Potential Impact of a Change in Administration on Climate Philanthropy
• 27:33 The Role of Philanthropy and Impact Investing in Climate Solutions

—(end of free preview)—

• 29:29 Nature Tech x AI
• 37:15 Biodiversity in Climate Solutions
• (get the full episode by becoming a paid subscriber on our Substack today! https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe 

Links

• Karl Burkart | One Earth
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

This is a special breakdown of Ample’s strategic playbook and how you can apply it to your hardware climate startup. The full version of this episode is only available to our paid subscribers — soo… if you’re looking for a reason to become a paid sub… here is your chance 😉

Become a paid subscriber today by clicking here: 👇 https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Links

• John de Souza | Ample Inc.
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today, our guest is John de Souza. Co-founder of Ample Inc. A startup betting that battery swapping is the future.

If you're at all like me, you're thinking that sounds bat shit crazy. Well, listen to today's episode, and you'll realize it's the opposite. It's the only logical conclusion to EVs.

We can't gloss over this -- John is special. This is his 4th major startup endeavor, and it's clear that it is because he brings a level of maturity and wisdom that very few founders do. He could have ridden off into the sunset, but he decided to stay in the arena because it's what he does.

I guarantee you will learn a lot from John today. I'm not even going to thank you for tuning in today because you're doing yourself a favor by listening to this 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
🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack Community

Topics 

(free preview time stamps are slightly different) 

• 03:26 John's Career & Entrepreneurial Origins
• 05:20 The Inspiration for Ample
• 09:06 Battery Swapping
• 13:51 OEM Partnerships
• 16:15 A Universal Battery Module
• 18:38 Integration w/ OEMs & Production Lines
• 22:54 Deployment & Scale
• 23:22 Business Model & Global Expansion
• 24:47 Ample's GTM Strategy: (Partnering with Uber and Commercial Fleets)
• 28:07 Efficiency & Cost Control: In-House Battery & Swapping Station Production
  —(end of free preview)—
• (get the full episode by becoming a paid subscriber on our Substack today! https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe 

Links

• John de Souza | Ample Inc.
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• @Silas &

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Drew D’Alelio is an Investor at Connecticut Innovations, the government investing arm of the state of Connecticut, who helps manage and co-founded the state’s $100M climate tech fund. He plays a pivotal role in managing their $100M Climate Tech fund with a triple bottom line of returns, climate mitigation and adaptation, and CT jobs.

His passion for sustainability was sparked by witnessing the impacts of climate change firsthand in Florida, where his family is from. Over the years, he has developed a deep expertise in mobilizing capital for climate solutions, including structuring investments for solar projects at the U.S. Development Finance Corporation.

At Connecticut Innovations, they focus on leveraging the state’s strengths in manufacturing, materials science, and engineering to support early-stage companies that align with Connecticut’s decarbonization goals. Drew’s unique approach to venture capital combines financial acumen with a deep commitment to public service, ensuring that each investment not only generates returns but also fosters innovation and job creation within the state.

We talk about:
**How they manage their triple bottom line: creating jobs, making money, and having a positive impact on the planet
**The complexities in evaluating climate tech investments in infrastructure and second-order effects
**Connecticut's strengths in manufacturing and a tight-knit ecosystem that facilitates quick connections
**Their close collaboration with Yale and UConn to support early-stage climate tech innovation and commercialization

TOPICS:
**03:01 Connecticut's Climate Tech Fund
**07:46 The Triple Bottom Line
**14:35 Facilitating Partnerships
**23:24 University Collaborations
--In the full episode--
**Connecticut's Strengths and Industries
**Engaging with Universities and Startups
**Exciting Sectors: Sustainable Fuels and Carbon Sequestration
**Aviation and Synthetic Hydrocarbons
**Skepticism and Second Order Effects
**42:21 Why Move to Connecticut

LINKS:
**Drew D’Alelio | Connecticut Innovations
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Woo Hoo! Episode #200 🎉🎉🎉

We are thrilled to release our 200th episode with the one and only Moji Karimi. Moji is a co-founder of Cemvita, the biotech powerhouse that has also birthed GoldH2 and Endolith (now individual companies).

This is the free version of the episode. To get the full thing, go to our Substack and become a paid subscriber. Any paid tier gets full access to the episode. 

Today, Moji shares with us,

• His journey into entrepreneurship and Cemvita 
• What in the world they do and what they've done so far 
• The basics of the biotech space 
• Then we talk a lot about the future of biotech -- specifically, how we will start taking nature's lead in engineering industrial production 
• We even discussed what a Trump administration could look like for the climate sector 

It's a wonderful conversation full of value. Enjoy!
TOPICS:
**02:22 Dinner with George Mitchell
**05:39 Personal Journey & Origin of Cemvita
**08:05 Sustainable Oil Production
**13:01 Understanding Biotech & Synthetic Biology
**15:46 Success in Biotech & Tips for Fundraising
**19:44 End of Free Episode
--In the full episode--
**Considerations if Trump gets in
**Disruption in Fundraising | Focus on Cost
**What is a Durable Biotech Biz Model
**Using Waste as a Feedstock
**Redesigning Biotech Processes
**Approaching Different Investors
**Future Applications of Biotech
**Finding the Right Cos and Investors

LINKS:
**Connect with Moji | Follow Cemvita
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Vivin Hegde is a visionary in the built environment space — from leading innovation efforts at Hilti to co-founding Zacua Ventures, Vivin is on a mission to redefine how we think about construction and infrastructure. 

In this episode, he dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of investing in the built environment, sharing his journey from managing corporate venture capital at Hilti to launching Zacua Ventures, where he backs early-stage startups focused on decarbonization, productivity, and infrastructure resiliency.

Vivin unpacks:

**The importance of "gentle disruption" in the construction industry 🛠️
**The strategic shift from corporate innovation to independent VC investing 💼
**How global perspectives inform better investment decisions 🌍
**The key traits he looks for in founders, especially in the construction tech space 👥

Topics:
**02:04 Intro
**03:08 Defining the Built Environment
**04:56 Automation and Robotics in Construction
**08:40 Sales and Building Relationships
**24:59 Supporting Startups at the Earliest Stages
**26:35 Investing Globally to Fund the Best Entrepreneurs
**31:55 The Importance of Sector Specialization
**42:53 The Role of Data Centers in the Digital Age
**44:27 The Potential of Mass Timber in Construction
**45:48 Addressing Challenges in the Design Space
**47:22 Impressing Investors: Deep Understanding, Knowledge, and Learning Agility

Links:
**Vivin Hedge | Zacua Ventures
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today, we are speaking with Kieran White. Co-Founder of Curo.

At Curo they help EV Fleet owners secure reliable charging without the need to build their own infrastructure. 

This has the double benefit of allowing existing infrastructure owners to maximize their assets. 

Today’s call is super fun. We discuss:

• How he hustled his way into a job with Tesla at 18, even tho they claimed to only hire 21 and older 
• The effect this exp had on him and how it led to him launching Curo 
• How they help fleet owners find reliable charging without building infrastructure 
• And how they help existing charging owners maximize their infrastructure 

Enjoy the show!

Topics:
**01:56 Intro
**04:23 Journey to Entrepreneurship
**06:20 The Problem Kero is Solving
**08:22 Challenges and Ops in EV Charging
**17:05 Policy, Incentives, and the Future of the Industry
**19:33 Navigating Ideas / Staying Focused
**23:52 Growth Hacks
**27:07 Tracking Progress / Systematizing
**30:17 Dealing with New Ideas
**32:57 Climate Startup Ideas
**34:26 Future of EV Charging
**38:38 Fundraising Advice & Closing Thoughts

Links:
**Kieran White | Curo
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Hey everyone! 

Today’s episode is a special issue. We are unpacking Susan Su’s recent article “What a second Trump presidency would mean for climate investing”. She originally posted this on her Substack, Climate Money but we wanted to unpack it for those who prefer to learn by audio. 

The first ~20 minutes of today’s episode are public, but you’ll need to be a paid subscriber to access the remaining 17 minutes. Get the full episode and support our work while doing so by going to CleanTechies.Substack/Subscribe 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Edo is a rockstar individual — from tackling the lack of green employer incentive problem to building climate tech communities across the USA, Edo joins us to share his journey from working in sustainability at Apple to founding Elements World, making it possible for employers to hit their sustainability targets through their employees. 

He discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in addressing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by leveraging the often-overlooked potential of employee-related activities, such as business travel, commuting, and work-from-home practices.

He breaks down:

• Their shift from a B2C to a B2B model 📈
• Shares insights on fundraising challenges 💰
• The importance of gaining traction before approaching investors 💵
• The role of AI in optimizing their offerings 🤖

--
Topics:
**02:31 Introduction and Background
**05:23 Understanding the Employer Problem
**09:16 Transition from B2C to B2B
**13:13 Working at Apple and Decision to Found Elements World
**16:43 Fundraising Journey
**22:26 Using AI in Climate Tech
**27:26 Building and Scaling the Team
**33:06 Creating ClimateTech Communities
**35:44 Future Goals and Closing Thoughts

--
Links:
**Edo Perry | Elements World
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X
**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today we speak with Ravi Kurani, CEO and Founder of Sutro (water IoT device company -- exited to Sani Marc). Aaand the creator and host of Liquid Assets, a Podcast interviewing the leading voices in WaterTech.

Between Ravi's background as a founder in the water, his familiarity with the water ecosystem, and now his opportunity to interview the leaders in the water space, he's a great person to have on regarding all things water.

We feel that we got a hell of a deal here. We get to have one conversation that is worth thousands.

Enjoy today's conversation about all things water, tech, policy, circularity, financing, and more.

Oh, and if you are not already, go check out Liquid Assets wherever you get your podcasts (or just go to LiquidAssets.cc) 

Topics:
**2:28 Intro
**4:10 Learnings from Liquid Assets Podcast
**8:09 The Categories of Water
**11:20 Where Innovation Is
**13:27 Energy x Water (Policy)
**16:26 Upgrade to Paid Ad
**18:01 GTM in Water
**21:55 Power Dynamics and Wastewater
**24:04 Telecom Parallel
**24:52 Circularity x Water x Infrastructure
**26:33 Owning Wastewater
**28:45 Geo-Specific Challenges
**31:04 Water Isn't Priced Right
**32:20 KPIs for Success in Water
**34:13 Global Water Hubs
**35:35 Why Water is Close Knit
**36:49 Startup Ideas
**37:59 Water Needs New Financing Arm

Links:
**Connect with Ravi Kurani | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuraniravi/
**Follow Liquid Assets | https://www.liquidassets.cc/
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today, we are talking to Matthias Muehlbauer of OnePointFive.

We have the pleasure of covering one of our good friends, Matthias Muehlbauer at the powerhouse firm OnePointFive. Matthias is a Founding Partner at the firm, where their activities range across two operations:

**They provide diligence and climate advisory services
**They train sustainability professionals

They’re bringing a level of success and professionalism that is beating MBB (top 3 consulting firms) at the sustainability game.

From operating such a dynamic business from day 1, Matthias has picked up a lot of great knowledge about the space:

**The Future of Work in climate
**Where sustainability is headed
**The power of bootstrapping
**What you need to know to be successful in getting a job in climate

Convinced that you should know more about this? Well, you’re in luck. Tune in to todays episode to learn 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:
**03:12 About OPF
**12:22 Differentiating Ed in the Market
**13:49 From Expert Network to Education
**15:45 Workforce Transition
**18:43 Mid-Career Pivoters
**27:16 Bootstrapping & Being Nimble
**31:02 Embedded Sustainability in the Workforce
**40:14 Clean Energy and the Future of Fossil Fuels

-----
Links:
**Matthias Muehlbauer | OnePointFive
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X

This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Dimitry Gershenson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Enduring Planet. A fractional CFO and Non-Dilutive Funding service for ClimateTech Entrepreneurs. As for funding, they provide working capital for founders who have landed grants or who have government contracts. 

It's great to see more Climate-Specific service providers to help continue supporting the ecosystem. 

Today, Dimitry shares his story, and we discuss:
**The importance of and when to hire a fractional CFO
**Funding underrepresented founders
**The importance of Catalytic Capital
**The Grant Funding Gap and Solving it

And much more.

Enjoy the episode!

Resources Mentioned:
**Climate Curious
**Streamline Climate
**Pacific Northwest Climate Week

Email Dimitry: dimitry@enduringplanet.com

---
🌎 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:
**2:3 Introduction and Overview of Enduring Planet's Services
**4:10 The Importance of Supporting Climate Entrepreneurs
**8:47 The Gap in the Ecosystem for Finance Expertise in Climate Tech
**10:23 The Need for Early Financial Planning and Analysis
**12:31 The Importance of Getting Finance in Order Early
**14:51 Timeline for Bringing in Fractional CFO and Hiring Full-Time Finance Talent
**17:22 Navigating Finance Challenges in Hardware Climate Tech
**18:18 Introduction and Pricing
**19:18 Lending and Transparency
**46:17 Building Local Climate Communities
**50:47 Addressing Capital Gaps in the Climate Ecosystem

-----
Links:
**Dimitry Gershenson | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgershenson/
**Enduring Planet | https://enduringplanet.com/
**Follow CleanTechie

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

In our third installment of sustainable building materials, we’re taking another look at lumber.

We’ve already called reclaimed lumber “the superpower building material you’ve never heard of”.

As a refresher, lumber, processed wood from trees, is a versatile and widely used building material known for its strength, durability, and workability.

So why isn’t there more of it in our buildings? Well, as great as lumber is, usable lumber from our buildings only comes from a few places — in the USA, it comes mainly from the Northwest and Southeast. For this reason, lumber is an expensive building material.

But all hope is not lost. Last week, we covered Urban Machine, a company turning waste wood reusable by removing objects from it.

This week, we’re covering Cambium - a hot 🔥 startup pioneering regenerative, local supply chains for wood by converting waste wood into reusable assets for the lumber industry. Not only do they have their own white-labeled wood called Carbon Smart Wood, but they have an innovative SaaS platform that can function as the source of truth for the entire supply chain.

Convinced that you should know more about this? Well, you’re in luck. Tune in to todays episode to learn 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:
**02:10 Introduction
**06:24 Challenges in the Lumber Supply Chain
**14:04 Deciding on the Founder Venture-Fact Operating Model
**16:26 Guaranteeing Offtake and Ensuring Supply
**19:03 The Value of Waste Wood
**29:03 Competing with Incumbents
**34:09 Scaling the Local Approach
**45:32 Advice for Founders
-----
Links:
**Ben Christensen | Cambium
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Reclaimed lumber is the superpower building material you’ve never heard of (because we’re all up to date on our Rolodex of sustainable building materials, right?).

Lumber, processed wood from trees, is a versatile and widely used building material known for its strength, durability, and workability.

So why isn’t there more of it in our buildings? Well, as great as lumber is, usable lumber from our buildings only comes from a few places — in the USA, it comes mainly from the Northwest and Southeast. That makes lumber an expensive building material.

But all hope is not lost. In comes Urban Machine. By creating reusable lumber from waste sites, they are increasing the supply of usable lumber, making it not only more available but more local.

Convinced that you should know more about this? Well, you’re in luck. Tune in to todays episode to learn more…🎧💡

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-----

Topics:
**03:14 Building Robots for Lumber
**08:22 Removing Metal
**18:30 Predicting Inventory
**26:27 Challenges of Building a Hardware Company
**28:47 The Economics of Construction
**36:26 The Future of Urban Machine
**40:35 Keys to Success in the Construction Tech Industry
-----

Links:
**Eric Law | Urban Machine
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X
**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

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It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Mycelium is an emerging decarbonized building material due to its sustainability, biodegradability, and strength. It is cultivated by growing fungal networks, also known as mushrooms. Mycelium-based products can be used for insulation, bricks, and packaging.

Today, we have a ClimateTech Entrepreneur making waves with Mycelium. Ilya is CEO & Co-Founder of COMU Labs, bridging the gap between sustainability and affordability in furniture materials. They utilize fungi to transform agricultural waste into robust, machinable and fire-retardant material that looks and behaves like plywood.

Some of what we chatted about:

**How Mycelium can be pressed into high-density boards
**Why their material is substrate agnostic (and what the heck that means 🤔)
**Challenges that still exist with market acceptance
**Building a sustainable and healthy company culture

& more. 🍄
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----- 

Topics:
**01:31 Intro
**02:49 Discovering Mycelium
**09:09 Advantages of Mycelium as a Building Material
**11:43 Common Misconceptions about Mycelium
**20:31 Scouting New Talent
**24:58 Challenges Ahead for Comu Labs

-----
Links:
**Ilya Gindin | COMU Labs
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X
**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Ashwin Salvi is the Co-Founder and COO of AtmosZero. They create electrified boilers to replace traditional fossil-fuel-burning boilers in industrial settings.

Steam touches a huge amount of products that we, as consumers, use every day, and AtmosZero is helping decarbonize that. 

Today, Ashwin shares his story, and we discuss:

• How they solved the cost issue by making a drop-in replacement 
• How they built their pilot at the same scale as their commercial unit 
• The tradeoffs of building in stealth
• How they are building to win even without subsidies 

And much more.

Enjoy the episode!

Resources Mentioned
Book Recommendation: Empires of Light by Jill Jonne
Podcast Recommendations: Founders Podcast by David Senra AND How to Take Over the World by Ben Wilson
Connect with Ashwin Salvi: Email: ashwin@atmoszero.energy

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----- 

Topics:
**01:58 Introduction and Background
**10:03 Creating a Standardized Solution for Decarbonization
**24:03 Return on Investment and Future Plans
**25:42 De-risking and Mass Manufacturing
**29:23 Challenges and Objections
**39:32 First Commercial Deployment
**48:48 Opportunities in Electrical Availability and Funding
**51: 38 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Ashwin Salvi | AtmosZero
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn:
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today, we are talking to Toby Ferenczi from Granular Energy.

In this electrifying (ha!) episode, we finally tracked down the elusive Toby Ferenczi, a man who juggles startups like they're hot potatoes. ⚡️

Toby educates us about the world of electricity transparency and trading.

Did you know you can trade electricity like stocks? Neither did we! And it doesn’t exactly work like that…but it got your interest, didn’t it?? 🤔

From his days at Cambridge to co-founding Granular Energy, Toby has journeyed in solar starting with solar panel materials with this PhDs, working at GE, and later through startup exits.

He even founded a nonprofit for timestamped energy certificates—because, why not?

If you've ever wondered where your electricity comes from or how to make a clean energy choice, this episode is a shocker in the best way possible. 💥
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-----
Topics:
**02:42 Introduction
**05:00 Enabling Customers to Choose Clean Energy
**08:20 The Role of Electricity Markets
**10:43 Journey as an Entrepreneur 
**14:46 Transparency in the Energy Industry
**20:50 Understanding the Utility Business Model 
**25:28 Opportunities to Bypass Utilities
**30:49 Fundraising
**33:50 The Future of the Solar Industry
**43:24 Opportunities in the Market

-----
Links:
**Toby Ferenczi | Granular Energy
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Kevin Noertker is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ampaire, a developer of Hybrid Aviation Propulsion Systems to Decarbonize Air Travel Today.

Currently they are scaling up their tech. Their tech is proven to reduce fuel usage by about 50% for small aircrafts (anything with a propeller).

Today, Kevin shares his story and we discuss:

• Aerospace Engineer to Ampaire: His story of co-founding Ampaire. 
• Addressing Existing Stock: Electric aircraft is the future, but their solution helps address the existing stock of aircraft. 
• Bridging the Infrastructure Gap: How fully electric air travel will require massive infrastructure upgrades, so they are building a solution that will work in between.

Enjoy today's conversation!

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-----
Topics:
**1:53 Intro and Background
**7:01 The Impact of NASA Experience
**14:20 The Third Revolution in Aviation
**17:09 Economic and Environmental Benefits
**28:19 Commercialization Process and Milestones
**38:39 Design Considerations for Hybrid Systems
**42:21 Infrastructure and Charging
**42:58 Recharging Electric Aircraft in the Air
**43:18 Adapting Infrastructure for Electric Aviation
**44:54 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Kevin Noertker | Ampaire
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Chad Mason is the CEO and Founder of Advanced Ionics, a company that has designed a revolutionary electrolyzer. They did this by designing their technology from scratch.

They are currently scaling up this innovative technology and plan to sell these units, known as stacks, either directly or through licensing agreements.

Today, Chad shares his  journey:

• Early Inspiration: How he first learned about electrolysis at age 5 on a farm in North Dakota.
• Career Path: The various steps in his career that led him to start Advanced Ionics.
• Strategic Location: Why he chose Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the base for his company.
• Corporate Partnerships: How they partner with corporates for capital, pilots, and demand.

Chad also offers his insights on the future of the electrolyzer space, discussing both the tailwinds that are driving growth and the headwinds that present challenges.

Enjoy today's conversation!

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-----
Topics:
**2:00 Intro and Background
**5:13 Utilizing Exothermic Heat for Efficiency
**6:20 Chad's Entrepreneurial Journey
**12:44 Early Inspirations and Career Path
**15:25 Understanding Electrolysis Technology
**18:18 Components and Operation of the Stack
**26:30 Landing Customers
**27:47 The Power of Partnerships and Investments
**31:26 Lessons Learned: Opportunistic with Capital Raising
**40:58 Headwinds and Tailwinds of Hydrogen Industry
**45;36 The Importance of Reliability and Maintainability
**49:10 Talent Acquisition in Wisconsin
**53:16 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Chad Mason | Advanced Ionics
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Jesse Henry is the CEO and Founder of Heartland Industries, a company that produces drop-in pellets made of hemp fiber.

These pellets are used as an additive to plastics. They reduce the weight and cost of the products, improve strength, and lower scope 3 emissions.

It's a quadruple-benefit product.

Today, Jesse tells us his story - how he started Heartland - how he's the 3rd generation to work in the fibers industry - how they landed BASF as a partner and investor - and he gives a lot of other insights. Including our favorite, how they produce huge volumes of pellets without owning a milling facility.

Enjoy today's conversation!

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-----
Topics:
**2:15 Intro
**2:55 Jesse's Background & Heartland's Mission
**10:06 The Challenge of Developing Reliable Supply Chains
**13:33 From Powder to Pellets
**16:47 What it Means to be a ClimateTech Entrepreneur Today
**22:03 Partnering with Wood Pellet Mills for Scale and Cost Reduction
**28:34 Run Jesse's Playbook
**31:16 The Finance of Materials Companies
**34:00 The Power of CVCs
**41:10 Opportunities in B2B Marketplaces
**43:27 How to Pick the Right CVCs
**47:02 Next Steps for Heartland 
**54:58 Process Technologies and Software Solutions
**56:11 Focusing Beyond Carbon
**57:46 Takeaway
**54:51 Using Infrastructure to Skip Building
**56:16 Reducing Risk with Each Fundraising Round

-----
Links:
**Jesse Henry 
**Heartland Industries
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Rahul broke down the nitty-gritty of how 2150 built (no pun intended) a leading ClimateTech VC fund focused on decarbonizing the built environment.

We talked investing, fund modeling, learning from general VC, FinTech in ClimateTech, & more. This was a VC-fundamental extraordinaire, and super informative for anyone looking to learn more about venture capital.

AND let’s not forget, Rahul spent his holiday with us to do this. Cheers to him.

Enjoy 🥳👏.
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Topics:
**03:025 Introduction
**05:01 Home Decarbonization
**08:19 Government Incentives and Policies
**24:37 The Breakdown of Investments in 2150
**33:29 Intentional Modeling and Entry Prices
**42:05 Finance x Climate
**45:20 The Urban Stack and City Resilience
**47:29 Adding Value Beyond Capital

-----
Links:
**Marian Krueger | remove
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Marian Krueger comes to us with his experience investing in 120+ early stage CDR startups, and broke down what we should look for and what’s worth watching in the years ahead.

He’s a leading expert in CDR having invested in Europe, which is the leading CDR ecosystem in the world.

Sitting down with him as a blast, and for our US listeners, this episode is VERY timely with the Biden Administration’s first release on voluntary carbon markets, Enjoy 🥳👏.
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-----
Topics:
**02:41 Introduction
**05:08 Challenges of the Voluntary Carbon Market
**16:30 CDR Startups
**17:53 Impact-Driven Motivation of CDR Founders
**26:32 Gaps in the CDR Space
**32:27 Role of Policy in Carbon Removal
**39:03 Prioritization, Universities, and A-Teams
**42:10 Collaboration and Partnerships
**42:51 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Marian Krueger | remove
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Today, we speak with Arvin Ganesan, an ex-Obama-Admin EPA and ex-Apple Energy Procurement executive. His career is fascinating, from finance to Policy to Energy Tech CEO.

He offers us a lot of insight into their technology, how it works, and specifically how it plays well with utility models of making money.

Towards the end, he mentioned the unknown of the commercialization path. He pointed out that it's not important to pick a model of commercialization with a tech like this because so many variables can dictate the best path to commercialization when the tech is proven past the pilot scale.

Lots of good stuff is in today's episode!

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Topics:
**2:37 Why Cheap and Accessible Energy Storage Matters
**2:37 Why Cheap and Accessible Energy Storage Matters
**17:30 Fourth Power's Utility-Scale Thermal Battery
**21:58 Fast and Efficient Energy Storage and Discharge
**27:10 Building Fourth Power
**32:04 The Power of People
**37:24 Maintaining Culture with Growth
**42:21 Opportunities in the Utility Market
**47:04 Startup Opportunities in Agriculture Decarbonization
**49:01 The Importance of Mentorship
**52:19 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Arvin Ganesan | Fourth Power
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Michael Kearney started off this podcast defending the political durability of the IRA…and he had us convinced. If that doesn’t have you hooked, I don’t know what will! 

Building for deeptech founders is HARD…like folding a fitted sheet hard.

And that’s why we need someone like Mike to do it. Mike himself did his undergrad and Ph.D. at MIT, so he’s knows the MIT innovation ecosystem like the back of his hand (The Engine is an MIT spin-out). In between, he spent his time drawing power from the Sun…well not literally…he worked on grid-scale renewable energy at Ambri in corporate development. 

Now, he’s focused solely on supporting “Tough Tech” founders (side note, that’s definitely a favorite term of this podcast now). 

Mike clearly loves doing really easy things…right?
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🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel

-----
Topics:
**02:29 Introduction
**03:50 Political Durability of the IRA
**07:46 Supporting Tough Tech Startups
**16:06 Scaling from Early-Stage Innovation to Large-Scale Deployment
**26:30 Building in the Field
**28:35 The Investment Model of Engine Ventures
**30:41 Commercializing Technology 
**36:46 The Changing Nature of Competition in Clean Energy 
**45:20 Room for Innovation
**51:36 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Engine Ventures | Michael Kearney
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

There are a few key things Climate Entrepreneurs should know. This guest brought up a bunch of them. 

It is incredible to see how successful they are in a crowded space. Today, he shared with us many of the things that helped them succeed. 

• How to align all stakeholders in the sales process 
• Building a product so simple the user can be up-skilled without specialized training 
• Building a culture of pragmatism
• Speaking Return-on-Investment

Enjoy today's episode, and let us know your favorite moment in the comments (anywhere).

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📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 
🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 
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-----
Topics:
**2:27 Intro and Background
**3:05 The Problem They Solve
**5:39 Global Emissions from Industry
**11:44 Ideation and Idea Validation
**13:37 Company Status and Growth
**14:56 Challenges and Milestones
**16:38 How / When to Pivot
**18:16 Standing out in a Crowd
**22:53 Market Positioning and Challenges
**25:38 Pragmatism-First Culture
**30:38 Principles and Habits for Success
**32:38 Future Plans and Opportunities
**37:00 Climate Startup Ideas
**37:48 Closing Remarks and Call to Action
**38:41 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Saleh ElHattab | Gravity
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

What do you get when you put Chris Rock, Timothée Chalamet, Greta Thunberg, & Marc Andreessen together? -- You get Tom Ferguson! The King of Water VC!

(Warning! Tom is hilarious, so cancel your comedy cellar tickets because you won't need them)

Today, we had the chance to speak with Tom, the founding partner of Burnt Island Ventures. They are the leading VC investor in all things water.

They became this by compounding their network for years with some of the best water networks, including Imagine H2O.

One notable thing he pointed out is, the IRA didn't include any investment into water infrastructure. 🤯

Tune in to get the whole thing today! 🌱🌎

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🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel 

-----
Topics:
**5:00 Introduction
**8:10 Why Sustainability
**10:34 Time with Imagine H2O
**16:13 Other Considerations for BIV
**19:27 Story behind the Name BIV
**20:55 MBA and Business School
**27:22 Focus on Building Team
**31:32 Pricing in Velocity of Sales Process
**38:35 Compounding Network as a VC’s Moat
**47:24 Biggest Problems in Water
**56:17 Companies that BIV work with
**1:00:42 Startup Opportunity; Water Testing Market
**1:04:19 Takeaway

-----
Links:
**Tom Ferguson | Burnt Island Ventures
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

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Allison Wolff | Vibrant Planet

Vibrant Planet is basically bringing the tech knowledge from the early FAANG days and applying that to land tender and wildfire resistance. Their platform is a prioritization system for land management restoration by providing real-time scenario planning, monitoring, and reporting. These assessments can help with qualifying projects for conservation finance.

Allison brings a rolodex of experience working with top companies on sustainability, including Google, Meta, Netflix, eBay, Project Drawdown, & more and is now applying that knowledge with other star-studded experts to solve the wildfire risk problem.

----
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Links:
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**Somil & Silas on LinkedIn

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

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Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Recently, the MCJ Podcast experienced huge backlash for having Big Oil players on the show. This prompted us to bring back a past guest, Shaun Abrahamson from Third Sphere.
----
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 ----

Shaun last joined us on episode 136 to talk about Navigating the Climate Capital Stack and how to Design for Finance (especially in the context of hardware).

Today we dive into two macro topics.
#1 Partnering with Big Oil --AND-- #2 Repricing Climate Risk

There are several subtopics under these big umbrellas (check topic timestamps). All of these were highly interesting to me, and I think they will be to you as well.

Tune in to get the whole thing today! 🌱🌎

---
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Links:
**Shaun Abrahamson | Third Sphere
**Episode 136 - Hardware as an AI Moat, Design For Finance with the Climate Capital Stack, & More w/ Shaun Abrahamson (Third Sphere)
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**Somil & Silas on LinkedIn

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Somil chats with Chinmay Malaviya and Charlie Depman, CEO and CTO of Ridepanda, expanding access and usage of e-bikes, e-scooters, and micro mobility through employer sponsored subscriptions.

Chinmay and Charlie bring a lot of startup and industry experience and were able to speak not only about their growth but ALSO breakdown the technical designs that help them be successful in micromobility.

We talked about:

• How Ridepanda offers benefits platform for employers to subsidize employee transportation
• Why micromobility faces business model and reputation challenges like Byrd’s bankruptcy despite rising demand for micromobility
• How they balance optionality and user choice will still focusing on scaling their inventory 
• Analyzing historical data to project future growth and consider seasonality 
• Accepting seasonality and overcoming challenges is crucial in the micro-mobility industry
• How they design software for micro-mobility
• & much more

As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!

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🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
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Topics:
**03:23 Micromobility and its Reputation
**12:10 Employer Business Model
**20:43 Balancing Bike Production and Consumer Choice
**23:42 Accepting Seasonality
**28:55 Lessons from Foodpanda
**32:40 Transitioning to Lime and the Transportation Space
**35:21 Designing Software for Micro-Mobility
**46:23 Advice for Founders

-----
Links:
**Ridepanda | Chinmay Malaviya | Charlie Depman
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

What if Investors Only Made Money if they *actually* helped save the planet?

Welp... folks, we have the show for you because that's exactly what Planet A is doing.

Somil and Silas speak with Jessica Burley, a Berlin-based investor at the fund.

On top of learning how they are *actually* walking the talk, we found out how they use Carbon Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in their investing due diligence process.

Tune in to get the whole thing today! 🌱🌎

---
🌎 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
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🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel

-----
Topics:
**01:29 Introduction and Background
**02:22 The Role of Life Cycle Assessments in Investing
**8:44 Article 9 and the European Regulatory Landscape
**10:27 Interest in Climate Tech Investing Outside of Europe
**12:54 The Increasing Pace of Climate Tech Innovation
**13:33 Jess's Journey to Climate Tech Investing
**17:35 Transitioning from a Small Fund to a Larger Fund21:43 The Role of Brand and **Value in Climate Tech Investing
**24:44 Sector Expertise and Operational Support in Investing
**26:23 Geothermal Drilling for Renewable Heating
**28:46 Investment Opportunities in Climate Tech
**30:45 The Hardware Playbook: Investing in Hardware Startups
**42:53 The German Climate Tech Ecosystem
**49:18 Building Genuine Relationships in the Climate Tech Ecosystem
**51:34 Takeaways
--- Evaluating Life Cycle Assessment in Investment Decisions
--- The Importance of the Hardware Playbook in the Investment Ecosystem
--- De-risking Talent in Startups

-----
Links:
**Jessica Burley | Planet A
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) is a generational government program deploying $27B into clean energy projects across the US. But what is the bill really?

Franz Hochstrasser is an expert in financing projects in low-income areas and has a wealth of experience working on climate for the government - both of which are KEY for GGRF. 

Franz started his career “giving his 20s” to the government, and with that doing some amazing work as the Special Advisor to the Special Envoy for Climate Change, Deputy Associate Director at the Council of Environmental Quality, and at the USDA.

Since then, Franz founded Raise Green where he democratizes the ability to invest in climate solution projects. Through this, he is an expert in sustainable finance for inclusive growth and financing projects for low-income residents. 

He joined S2 Strategies to navigate GGRF and other landmark legislative movements. And it was an absolute blast to have him on.

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

Somil chats with Vivas Kumar, CEO of Mitra Chem,  the first lithium-ion battery materials manufacturer focused on shortening the lab-to-production timeline by over 90%, addressing the largest barrier to innovation: R&D and scale-up speed.

Vivas was a phenomenal orator and if you take a second to learn about Mitra Chem, it’s easy to see why. By combining their knowledge of iron-based cathodes with an AI and data enhanced production capacity, they are able to manufacture quicker and more reliably than many of their competitors. 

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.  
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📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
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-----
Topics:
**04:18 Starting as an Entrepreneur
**06:41 Near-Shoring
**10:18 Transitioning to Iron-Based Materials
**11:00 Trends and Challenges with Nickel, Cobalt, and Lithium
**14:49 Working at Benchmark's Mineral Intelligence Group
**24:50 Financing and Business Models in Climate Solutions
**27:32 Adapting Technology for Local Context
**31:31 Shifting from Innovation to Supply Chain
**35:13 Integration of AI and Automation in Production
**41:41 Longevity and Outlasting Competition
**44:08 Reducing Organizational Costs
**43:21 Finding the Right People
**45:23 The Importance of Curiosity and Motivation
**47:54 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Vivas Kumar | Mitra Chem
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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!

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🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
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🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
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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 show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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. 🌱🌎

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-----
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 show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
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• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
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It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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. 🌱🌎

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🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies
📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube
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-----
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