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.
Jeff Johnson is managing director at Temasek, where he leads the US-based Sustainable Investing team. Temasek was incorporated in 1974 and is an investment company headquartered in Singapore.
Supported by 13 offices across nine countries, Temasek owns about $382 billion or US$287 billion portfolio as of March 31st, 2023, mainly in Singapore and the rest of Asia. We have a great discussion in this episode about what the charter of the Sustainable Investing Team is, how Jeff found himself doing the work that he's doing today, what criteria they look for when they make investments, and, of course, how their investments fit into the broader climate tech landscape and the energy transition overall.
Enjoy the show!
In this episode, we cover:
- [2:10] An overview of Temasek
- [4:13] Different lines of business at the firm and where sustainable living sits
- [8:44] Jeff's background and career history
- [18:58] The CEO's mindset for Temasek's approach
- [21:44] Jeff's role at the firm
- [24:22] Lessons he learned about the space and future projections for Temasek's impact
- [26:26] The balance between thesis-driven investments vs opportunistic ones
- [33:55] Temasek's direct and fund investments
- [38:39] The firm's performance measurements and market entry points
- [46:51] Temasek's role in debt financing
- [51:07] The types of companies and projects best suited for Temasek's capital
- [56:48] Jeff's response to folks who are worried about the risk of investing in climate tech
- [58:51] The need for a balance between experience and beginner's mindset in picking winners
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Episode recorded on Oct 13, 2023 (Published on Nov 8, 2023)
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
