The Keep Cool Podcast E68: Investing in water with Tom Ferguson, Founder and Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures
Nick is joined by Tom Ferguson, Founder and Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures, one of the first venture capital firms focused on investing in startups driving innovation in water-focused applications and industries.
Despite touching nearly everything on Earth, water is an under-discussed, under-invested in, and under-resourced category. As a result, innovation in the space often lags other areas that get more attention, whether fintech, crypto, or AI. At the same time, water is one of several categories that could see the most disruption due to climate change. Hence, Tom & team are on a mission to not just invest well in water but to grow the category as a whole. As part of their conversation, Nick & Tom also discussed:
- Scope & Definition: Nick & Tom spend time breaking down and decomposing what is even meant by ‘water’ when we try to understand it as an industry.
- Portfolio Companies: Tom runs through seminal examples of several portfolio companies that underscore the types of companies Burnt Island Ventures invests in and the impact they’re targeting
- Storytelling and Intangibles: Nick & Tom stress the need for better storytelling in the water sector to attract more investment and public interest.
Timestamps:
00:01:23 - Tom's Journey into Water Investment
00:03:23 - Breaking Down the Water Investment Landscape
00:06:09 - Challenges in Water Sector Investment & Reframing the Industry
00:13:07 - Burnt Island Ventures' Mission
00:15:51 - Highlighting Portfolio Companies
00:22:03 - FundOne Portfolio Overview
00:27:00 - The Overlooked Importance of Water in Various Sectors
00:34:17 - The Importance of Storytelling + The Role of Investors in Water Sector
00:37:00 - Cross-Cutting Issues in Climate and Energy
00:39:53 - The Role of Water in Climate Adaptation
Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and investing in water and what the ‘water’ category as a whole even entails and represents. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.
Learn more about Burnt Island Ventures on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.burntislandventures.com/
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