Who Writes The First Check in Climate?

How do you secure that first yes from a climate investor?

And how do you build the conviction needed to write the first check?

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Co-hosted by Climate Drift and VCo2, this brutally honest conversation features three of the sharpest minds in early-stage investing, Hampus Jakobsson (Pale Blue Dot), Jonny Everett (Marble), and Andreas Klinger (Prototype Capital), to lift the curtain on how decisions are made when there’s barely a product, let alone traction.

You’ll learn:

→ Why traction isn’t what gets deals done

→ What “founder-problem fit” really means

→ The checklists behind venture decisions

→ How to cut through the noise and get noticed

→ … and more!

This conversation is gold if you’re raising a first round, backing pre-seed startups, or trying to figure out how to stand out in a crowded fundraising market.

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⌛TIMESTAMPS

00.00 Introduction

01:28 What Hampus Looks For

02:31 Investors Can Be Fast

04:11 Checklist to Build A Startup

06:25 An Investor's Checklist

17:27 Matching People and Ideas

22:50 Market Shifts 2025

35:19 Getting Investor Attention

40:48 Planning for Returns

42:19 What is a Good Investor?

47:38 Planning Future Rounds

52:35 The Dynamics of Fundraising

56:02 Honesty in Rejections

1:02:04 Engineering Momentum

1:05:09 Seek a No

1:10:06 Building Real Relationships

1:13:35 Getting Noticed by Marble

1:16:22 The Upside of Failure

1:17:52 Closing Thoughts

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Pale Blue Dot: https://paleblue.vc/

The Drop: https://thedropconf.com/

Prototype: https://www.prototypecap.com/contact/

Andreas' Channel:  ⁨@prototypecap⁩ 

Marble: https://marble.studio/about

Climate Drift: https://www.climatedrift.com/

VCo2: https://climateventuresvco2.substack.com/

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📚 STARTER PACK

We have prepared this Starter Pack as your crash course in early-stage climate investing, the people doing it, the psychology behind it, and the playbook that gets the first check over the line. Enjoy!

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💚 LEAVE A REVIEW

Apple Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/HIDcg

Spotify - https://shorturl.at/yDTfR

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climateventuresvco2.substack.com