Introduction

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. 

David Helgason is a partner at Transition. Transition is a venture firm that partners with Seed and Series A founders to accelerate the climate transition. They've come together as founders, investors, operators, engineers, and scientists from across the world with a single mission: building an abundant and resilient society that can thrive within our finite planet.

Prior to starting Transition, David was Co-founder of Unity Technologies, and served as the CEO until 2014. He's still on their board of directors. With his background in the gaming industry, David took interest in green gaming, before stretching that interest into mitigating and adapting to climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy. We have a great discussion in this episode about David's journey, the work that he's doing at Transition, how he got started in climate, what types of companies and projects are most interesting to him and his team, and how he sees transition evolving and playing out for all of us.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [02:43]: Introduction to Transition
• [05:07]: David's background in the video game industry
• [07:01]: His journey into climate tech investments, starting with angel investments
• [10:47]: His decision to focus on climate, and the choice of venture for climate impact
• [14:07]: Challenges faced by generalist venture firms when investing in climate tech
• [17:03]: Transition's approach to impact measurement using the Planetary Boundaries framework
• [19:08]: Risk assessment and capital intensity in Transition's investment process
• [23:10]: Exploration of the future of climate tech and the potential for every company to be a climate company
• [26:54]: The role of incumbents and collaboration in the energy transition
• [28:50]: The challenges and opportunities of working with oil majors
• [31:59]: The role of individuals in the transition
• [33:15]: Advice for those interested in working on climate tech problems.
• Resource Mentioned: Planetary boundaries - Stockholm Resilience Centre

Get connected: 

• David Helgason LinkedIn
• Jason Jacobs X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective

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Episode recorded on Sep 28, 2023 (aired on Oct 11, 2023) 

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant