#223 Everything You Need to Know About ClimateTech Politics (DoE, DoD, GovTech, Partnerships, & More) w/ Nate Loewentheil (Commonweal Ventures)
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
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