Intro

Welcome to Season Nine of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we’re going behind the scenes of transition infrastructure - speaking with the investors shaping how, where and why climate capital flows. From decarbonisation and energy security to technology maturity and policy gaps, we’re unpacking what it really takes to fund the systems that underpin a net-zero future.

In this episode, our host Jenny Gladman is joined by Laurie Menoud, Founding Partner, and Helen Lin, Partner at At One Ventures - a firm reshaping climate investing through the lens of deep tech, scientific rigour and radically better unit economics.

With backgrounds spanning biotech, physics, finance and microfinance, Laurie and Helen are part of a founding team built on diverse experience and shared conviction. Together, they’re investing in breakthrough technologies that aren’t just greener - they’re fundamentally better, more scalable and economically inevitable.

The conversation explores how At One Ventures uses a “physics fundamentals” framework to de-risk investments, why climate tech must work with, not against, economic logic, and how to navigate the time-cost tradeoffs of scaling hard tech. From bridge rounds to manufacturing missteps, this is a rare look into what actually makes or breaks impact at scale.

It’s also a conversation about trust, humility and the human side of venture. Laurie and Helen share why founder relationships are core to their strategy, and how radical candour, curiosity and alignment can turn investors into true long-term partners.

01:03 - Introduction to Laurie and Helen
03:53 - Since Tom Chi isn’t with us today, can you share a bit of his background?
06:30 - On the economics of climate projects, how do you approach the challenge of ensuring solutions are truly viable?
10:04 - Where have you seen policy act as a major enabler for scaling impact?

11:35 - What key learnings have you seen from founders successfully taking climate tech from early-stage idea to scaled impact?
15:27 - What do you think prevents founders from bringing in the right people at the right time?
18:43 - How important are close working relationships with portfolio companies in providing guidance and support?
23:35 - How has your investment thesis evolved with the market, and where do you see the biggest opportunities over the next 5–10 years?
25:15 - For founders navigating bridge rounds, how do you decide when to support them, and what advice would you give to those approaching investors in that situation?
28:35 - What have you learned from each other?
32:55 - What advice would you give your younger self?

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn.

Find your guests, Laurie Menoud & Helen Lin, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.