Climate CEOs: Scaling Startups Climate VC: $395M in Exits & 5 Unicorns (+ MAGA Messaging for Climate Folks)
Josh Felser (Climactic & Freestyle Capital) shares lessons from 5 unicorns, $395M in exits, & why climate investing needs fresh narratives.
Climactic is an early-stage venture fund investing in the energy, AI, automation, and robotics sectors to address climate change and its effects.
It is backed by folks like Chris Sacca, Reid Hoffman, Mio Partners, and StepStone.
Prior to Climactic, Josh co-founded Freestyle Capital, where he sourced or invested in the unicorns: Airtable, Patreon, Betterup, and Intercom.
He was a pioneer in the early days of the Internet where he co-founded Spinner, the first Internet music startup, acquired by AOL for $320M, and Crackle, a viral video startup, acquired by Sony for $65M.
Josh’s commitment to the environment is long-standing; he started a nonprofit app in 2014 to connect influencers (NBA, Guns N Roses, Mark Ruffalo, Al Gore, Evan Williams) to the most important climate actions from the leading nonprofits.
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Here are six topics we covered in the podcast:
Origins with Rock Stars and Presidents
Josh Felser co-founded ClimateX, connecting users to 100+ environmental nonprofits with partners like Al Gore, Guns N’ Roses, and the NBA.
Why He Left Traditional VC
After success at Freestyle Capital, COVID and a five-month role in California’s government led Josh to shift from consumer tech to climate venture, realizing business’s role in systemic change.
Climactic’s Evolution
Josh and Raj Kapoor launched Climactic as a B2B climate tech fund, later narrowing their focus to AI and automation for enterprise sustainability and profitability.
Two Portfolio Bets
Climactic invested in Grit (robotics for faster, cheaper solar installs) and Copper (battery-integrated induction stoves for apartment electrification).
Climate Messaging in the MAGA Era
Josh advocates re-framing climate language—e.g., using “conservation” over “environmentalism”—to resonate with conservative audiences without losing authenticity.
Personal Wellness
Josh finds balance through humor, avoiding the 5 AM club, emotional resilience, and grounding reminders like a Buddha statue at his Stinson Beach home.
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🔗 PODCAST SHOW LINKS:
Climactic - https://www.climactic.vc
Josh Felser - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshfelser
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🤔 PODCAST HOST:
Dr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Daily LinkedIn posts on climate tech startups, CEOs, and finance here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding