75. Emily Fritze, The Westly Group - Growth Environment for Industrial, Energy, Buildings, and Mobility Innovation
Oct 23, 2023
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Explore growth stage ecosystem for industrial, energy, buildings, and mobility innovation. Learn about lessons from investing in software and hardware-enabled software. Understand The Westly Group's approach to climate tech investing. Discover trends in growth stage venture capital investments and focus on digitization, sustainability, and mobility.
The Westly Group prioritizes climate tech investing and disruptive technologies for industrial growth.
Entrepreneurs should focus on profitability-driven investments, strategic timing, and engaging storytelling for fundraising success.
Deep dives
Emily Fritsi's Varied Background Shapes Her Venture Capital Journey
Emily Fritsi's extensive experience in policy, politics, and venture capital has uniquely positioned her at the Wesley Group. Transitioning from roles in energy and climate initiatives in the Obama White House to directing investments in energy, mobility, and industrial sectors, Emily's path reflects a blend of regulatory, political, and technical expertise. This diverse background informs the Wesley Group's evaluations of companies in regulated industries subject to governmental policies and actions.
The Wesley Group's Strategic Focus on Decarbonization and Technological Disruption
The Wesley Group, established by Steve Wesley in 2007, emphasizes climate, sustainability, and decarbonization investments. With a $300 million fund focusing on energy, mobility, and industrial sectors, including early-stage seed investments, the group evaluates companies across various stages. Prioritizing decarbonization, sustainability, and disruptive technologies like automation and digitization, the Wesley Group navigates the evolving landscape of industrial innovation.
Insights into the Growth Stage Venture Capital Environment
Discussing the landscape of growth stage venture capital, Emily Fritsi highlights a shift towards profitability-driven investments and market adaptability. Amidst a climate of reduced deal values and cautious investor strategies, growth-stage companies demonstrating profitability see continued interest. The market demands companies to prioritize capital efficiency, extend runways, and anticipate potential flat or down rounds, reflecting a shift towards sustainable growth metrics and market stability.
Offering guidance to entrepreneurs navigating the fundraising process, Emily Fritsi underscores the importance of strategic timing, clear communication, credibility establishment, and visual storytelling. Emphasizing the need for establishing momentum and engaging storytelling techniques, she encourages founders to convey deep market understanding. Incorporating elements of ESG impact assessment and market research, founders are advised to leverage pitch decks for enhanced visual narratives, fostering investor engagement.
Emily shares a macro outlook on the growth stage ecosystem aligned to sectors in industrial tech, mobility, buildings, and energy, discusses lessons learned investing in these sectors for both software and hardware-enabled software (“bits meet atoms”) business models, and outlines how The Westly Group approaches climate tech investing as its evolved over the last couple of decades.
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