CleanTechies Podcast #125 Revolutionizing Heating and Cooling with Smart Radiators, Facing Rejection, and Building Hardware like Software with Marshall Cox (Kelvin)
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Show Notes:
In this episode, Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interviews Marshall Cox about his journey into being a climate tech founder, the impact of getting a Ph.D. on his journey, how he faced rejection, and how to build hardware like software.Overall, a super good episode packed full of insights. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter. Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5
Topics:
* 1:30 Intro & Having a scientific background as a founder
* 6:00 Impact of PhD on entrepreneurship
* 8:32 Radiators vs. smart radiators
* 12:28 market barriers
* 13:59 Balancing impact vs. bottom-line
* 15:30 Fundraising history
* 18:27 Facing rejection
* 27:06 New vision for Kelvin & hurdles for implementation
* 38:56 Expanding into new hardware products
* 43:13 How to make building in hardware like building in software
* 44:59 Advice for founders
* 49:30 Thoughts on NYC climate week
Links:
* Connect with Marshall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshallcox79/
* Kelvin: https://kel.vin
* Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/
* Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/
* HMU on Twitter: @Somil_Agg
You might enjoy:
* Most Recent Episode: #123 Driving Adoption in Hard-to-Abate Sectors, Why Not an IP Play, Fundraising for an R&D Shop, Partnering w/ Large Corporates, Hiring PhDs, & More w/ Jeff Erhardt (Mattiq)
* Similar Topic: From Harvard, to D.E. Shaw, to Obama Administration, to Refrigeration w/ Manik Suri (Therma)
* Something Totally Different: Re-Engineering the World because the Future is Decarbonized w/ Matt Ward (4Ward.VC)
CoHost.AI Write Up:
What if you could revolutionize the way we think about heating and cooling in our homes? That's exactly what our guest, Marshall Cox, CEO of Kelvin (formerly Radiator Labs), set out to do. He shares his journey from a problem-solving tenant to an environmental technology entrepreneur, developing a game-changing hybrid electrification heating and cooling technology for legacy buildings. We'll explore how his venture promises to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and increase cost and efficiency. Marshall unravels the intricacies of radiator heat, illuminating the promising world of 'smart radiators'. With the advent of low-cost electronics and radio technology, he's made strides in bringing this innovation to the market. He also discusses the market barriers that need to be overcome and stresses the significance of understanding the bottom line of stakeholders when creating an impact-driven business. It's a fascinating exploration of how technology can help us be more eco-friendly and cost-effective.Finally, we delve into the nitty-gritty of entrepreneurship, as Marshall reflects on the complexities of fundraising, maintaining a vision, and mitigating technology risks in hardware. He shares candid insights on the challenges of communicating with different capital-giving groups, staying the course with an unconventional product, and the importance of networking with trusted advisors. But this is more than just a journey, it's a call to action. Learn how you could be part of the solution as we unpack the lessons, trials, and triumphs of Kelvin's quest to revolutionize the heating and cooling sector.
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