CleanTechies #225 Solving Sulfur Waste while Capturing Carbon & Producing Sulfuric Acid & Hydrogen w/ Owen Cadwalader (Travertine)
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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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
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.
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