Inevitable Capital Series: Melissa Cheong, Blackhorn Ventures
This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress.
Melissa Cheong is the managing partner of Blackhorn Ventures.
Blackhorn Ventures funds companies that are using technology to create unprecedented resource productivity in areas like construction, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, water, and energy.
In this episode, Melissa discusses her journey from being an LP in a private family office to a general partner in a venture firm. We also talk about her sustainability journey, how, and why, and when she came to care about this problem, and when that intersected with her professional pursuits.
In this episode, we cover:
- [01:49]: Origins and overview of Blackhorn Ventures
- [08:31]: How Melissa thinks about climate and climate equity
- [12:58]: Joining Blackhorn as a GP after being an LP
- [18:29]: How Blackhorn evaluates opportunities: IMP Framework, ESG and DEI policies
- [21:12]: How the LP base has diversified over time
- [26:15]: Blackhorn's four primary verticals: transportation, built environment, energy, and supply chain logistics
- [28:36]: Considering impact in parallel to the commercial thesis
- [30:40]: Frustration with the market and institutional capital allocation
- [32:09]: Optimism about new market entrants, particularly from Europe and Asia
- [33:28]: How traditional investors evaluate climate opportunities
- [36:14]: Melissa's views on, and experience with, placement agents
- [39:27]: AI and other areas Melissa is particularly excited about right now
- [41:14]: Melissa's parting advice to LPs and companies
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Episode recorded on June 5, 2023
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant