Climate CEOs (formerly Entrepreneurs for Impact): Scaling Climate Tech Startups

Hear 5 themes from Sept. 10th EFI CEO & investor discussion on AI in climate tech in practice. Additionally, discover 7 ways AI is a climate champion, along with 14 example companies. (From my newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com)

Vikas Enti, Co-founder and CEO of Reframe Systems, is on a mission to transform home construction with robotic micro-factories for net-zero homes. He shares how his team is building affordable homes 2.5 times faster and 30% cheaper while tackling a labor shortage in the industry. The discussion also covers Reframe's impressive $20 million funding round aimed at innovating sustainable housing solutions. Beyond tech, Vikas touches on the balance of personal fulfillment and professional ambitions in the climate-tech landscape.

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI for entrepreneurs, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my newsletter. Join 40,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

AI-powered agtech infrastructure is growing climate-friendly crops while boosting farmer profitability—backed by horticultural expertise and data science.🎧 Episode SummaryIUNU is a Seattle‑based ag‑tech startup using AI‑driven computer vision and autonomous sensors—via its LUNA platform—to monitor greenhouse crop growth in real time, optimize operations, and boost farm productivity across 100 facilities in 18 countries.They've raised over $60 million to scale up, including a recent $20M round led by our friends at S2G Investments. Adam Greenberg is the CEO and co-founder. As a servant leader, he believes that "true leaders base their success on the success of those around them." Amen, brother! His prior roles include consulting for Fortune 100 companies, volunteering with youth programs, and co-founding Pure Blue Tech (a reverse osmosis water tech co). 🔑 HighlightsHow they recently raised $20 million in a challenging market by demonstrating strong market pull from customersWhy they help farmers, retailers, and breeders with real business benefits before mentioning their environmentally friendly attributesWhat he means by Chief Translation OfficerHow great leaders create an environment where everyone is willing to go the extra mileThe inverse correlation between high-impact work and personal balanceHow Wim Hof breathing and meditation keep him healthy and sane🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer GroupBecome an EFI Climate CEO Fellow—North America’s top invite-only peer community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.👉 https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com📨 Get Our 4-Minute NewsletterFor entrepreneurs and investors: 5 quick points on climate data, CEO to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments—drawn from 400+ climate CEOs and 25 years of meditation practice.👉 https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/⭐ Leave a ReviewNo sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review to help others discover it.👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews🎙️ About the HostDr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups and leadership on LinkedIn:👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding

Learn 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI tips, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my newsletter. Join 20,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

In this engaging conversation, Sorin Grama, the CEO and co-founder of Transaera and an MIT-trained engineer, dives into innovative air conditioning solutions. He discusses how metal-organic frameworks can cut HVAC energy use by 40%, promoting sustainability. Sorin reflects on past experiences, including developing refrigeration for rural Indian farmers, and sheds light on the increasing demand for efficient cooling solutions amid climate change. His insights on leadership and community collaboration in the climate tech arena are truly inspiring.

Discover the journey of a nine-time founder turned low carbon investor. Delve into groundbreaking sustainable aviation fuel that boasts a 95% reduction in greenhouse gases. Learn about building resilient climate businesses that thrive amid policy shifts. Explore the transformative power of nature through a unique sweat lodge experience in Costa Rica. Plus, gain insights on using AI as a cultural asset within organizations.

In this engaging conversation, Brad Feld, co-founder of Foundry Group and Techstars, shares insights from his four decades as a venture capitalist. He emphasizes his 'give first' philosophy, advocating for mentorship without expectation. Brad discusses the resilience required for startup founders navigating climate tech challenges and the importance of learning from failures. He reveals how non-transactional mentorship can create thriving communities and highlights the necessity of building long-term relationships in an increasingly transactional world.

Learn these 5 quick insights in climate & clean energy, startup investment, AI tips, and mindfulness in leadership — straight from my newsletter. Join 20,000 who get it. https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com

Learn how Realta Fusion raised a giant Series A VC round to commercialize university tech for affordable fusion energy in industrial heating. 🎧 Episode SummaryKieran Furlong, Co-Founder and CEO of Realta Fusion, joins host Dr. Chris Wedding to reveal how his team is commercializing a breakthrough approach to fusion energy, spinning out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Realta’s “CosmoFusion”—compact, scalable, and modular—aims to bring affordable, zero-carbon energy to hard-to-abate sectors much sooner than the world expects.Kieran shares why their recent funding round was oversubscribed, details the world record 17 Tesla magnetic field their team achieved, and demystifies the practical steps from deep science to the first-of-its-kind commercial fusion plant. He digs into how Realta’s engineering mindset speeds up the path to market, why industrial heat (not just electricity) is an overlooked fusion product, and how the company is tackling public perception, regulation, and customer partnerships head-on.🔑 Key TakeawaysRealta Fusion’s CosmoFusion approach centers on building compact, modular, and scalable fusion plants—right-sized for private industry, not just distant grid-scale promises.Their team achieved a world-record 17 Tesla magnetic field strength in plasma containment, a major technical milestone for fusion’s viability.Realta targets delivering industrial heat directly to energy-intensive sectors (like petrochemicals and data centers), unlocking decarbonization beyond the electric grid.The business model: ‘build-own-operate’ for the first commercial plant, with future expansion to OEM and global partnerships, rather than risky licensing.Realta’s cost curve strategy borrows from the modular scaling seen in wind and solar, aiming for rapid cost declines as more units are built.Fusion’s safety profile is fundamentally different from fission: no long-lived radioactive waste, no runaway reactions, and intrinsic fail-safety—the technical and public education challenge is a top priority.Regulators in the US, UK, and Japan are already treating fusion differently from fission, making a faster, cheaper path to market possible.The fusion industry benefits from bipartisan support and national interest in reshoring high-precision manufacturing and energy security.Kieran’s advice for founders: set your personal red lines (e.g., defense work) early and align your team before pressure hits; build healthy routines (like biking year-round in Wisconsin!); and learn from big project management history.Recommended reads: “How Big Things Get Done,” “Energy and Civilization” by Vaclav Smil, and “The Prize” by Daniel Yergin.🌎 Join EFI’s Climate CEO Peer GroupBecome an EFI Climate CEO Fellow — North America’s top invite-only community for growth-stage CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. Capped at 100 CEOs and Mentors representing $40B in market value or investment assets.👉⁠ ⁠https://www.entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠⁠📨 Get Our 4-Minute NewsletterWritten for entrepreneurs and investors, we cover five quick points on climate data, CEOs to know, investor spotlights, AI insights, and mindfulness moments, drawn from working with 400+ climate CEOs and investors and 25 years of meditation practice.👉⁠ ⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/⁠⁠⭐ Leave a ReviewThis podcast has no sponsors—just real conversations with climate leaders. If you found it valuable, please take a minute to leave a review so more people can discover these stories.👉⁠ ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/guides/where-can-people-leave-podcast-reviews⁠🎙️ About the HostDr. Chris Wedding is a CEO coach, investor, serial founder, board member, professor, and occasional monk. Follow daily insights on climate tech startups, leadership, and finance on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwedding/