

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/
***
📚 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