Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups Hydrogen from Natural Gas: $500M Plants + C-Zero’s Solid Carbon Tech Backed by BEV & SK Gas
C-Zero CEO Zach Jones shares how $500M-scale plants, 45V incentives, and backing from Breakthrough Energy Ventures & Engie fuel their mission to decarbonize natural gas with hydrogen & solid carbon.
⭐ My guest today is Zach Jones, cofounder and CEO of C-Zero.
C-Zero converts natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon. The hydrogen provides clean, low-cost energy on demand, while the carbon can be permanently sequestered. Investors include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, SK Gas, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Engie.
Zach is biomedical engineer-turned-CEO with experience at The Economist, Beryllium Capital, EconoMEDics, and East Meets West Foundation.
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🌐 LINKS:
C-Zero – https://www.czero.energy/Zach Jones – https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachjones06/
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🎙️ PODCAST TOPICS:
Why natural gas is thermodynamically clean given its high hydrogen content. Why big energy companies are motivated investors in his venture, where a scaled up plant could cost $500M. The power of extreme focus. The top three things a CEO must do well. How to think about upstream methane emissions. How to crack natural gas without electricity. The need to be a skeptical optimist. Impacts of the federal 45V incentive.
And lots more!
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🌎 ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS FOR IMPACT:
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
Climate CEO peer group community: https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
Live online course about startup capital raising (coaching, peer feedback): https://t.ly/V6xcB
DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): https://t.ly/QCcl5
Entrepreneurs for Impact is led by Dr. Chris Wedding — a 4x founder, 4x Board member, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, occasional monk, father of three, ax-throwing champ, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃