CleanTechies Podcast

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition. Today we are talking about recommerce. We are keen to get your thoughts on this new format so let us know if you want to see anything in particular in these longer-form write-ups. Let’s get into it. What you’ll find in today’s PodLetter…* Building an Impact-Focused AND Scalable Venture * Aligning Supply & Demand* Financial Incentives* Using Non-Impact-Focused VCs* Takeaways* Show Notes* Carveouts💡Building an Impact-Focused AND Scalable Venture A big part of solving the climate issue is reducing waste. Through speaking with our guest today, we learned that ~80% of products that get returned end up in the landfill 🤯. That blew my mind. Well, thankfully, our guest is helping solve that problem while also saving her clients up to 50% on their reverse supply chain costs (sending a good from customer to vendor). Our guest is CEO and Co-Founder of LiquiDonate, Diz Petit. She has had an inspiring journey as a social impact entrepreneur. Starting as the 15th employee at Postmates, she played a crucial role in building the operations and customer service teams. In this role, she eventually ended up leading the sustainability initiatives for Postmates after they were acquired by Uber. This experience in product management and her passion for social impact led her to co-found LiquiDonate with a former colleague. LiquiDonate is a software tech solution that enables businesses to donate excess inventory to nonprofits and schools around the world. This diverts the waste and saves the corporates money. To date, they have diverted 2,069,508 pounds of waste from landfills. 💪🌎Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing if you’re not already. We also always appreciate a share. 📩Aligning Supply & DemandWhen dealing with donating, the supply chain is incredibly complex given that although the products may be useful and in good condition, it can be hard to find the buyers for secondhand goods. A huge part of their success was working with all parties to manage the alignment of the demand with the supply. Enjoying the PodLetter? Share it with a few friends who are working in a similar space ⏩Financial IncentivesIt’s a theme that has come up many times in the show and is equally relevant here. While LiquiDonate is an impact company, they are able to get non-impact-focused companies to sign up with them because they are creating a financial incentive to divert waste. It’s become abundantly clear that in order to have a real shot at massive growth you need to build in these financial incentives to your climate companies. 🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.Using Non-Impact-Focused VCsThey intentionally raised from non-climate VCs to show that even though they are an impact-focused business, they are still a venture-scale company able to get conviction from traditional VCs. They wanted to show that this was not just some tree-hugger-only market (my words not hers). While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Climate-venture backed by traditional VCs, it is rare for a founder to seek that out intentionally. This is something I think other climate founders should look to as an example. While having alignment is super important in raising, you also should think about the non-climate VCs that you could raise from. It is worth noting that this would be easier for software-related business like LiquiDonate compared to hardware.That’s all for the major notes today. Have been a bit short on time this week and wanted to spend more time with family during Turkey Week 🦃 - Silas✍️ Takeaways:Diz had some really great points and was really clear in her message which makes takeaways fun. Here are ours. * Spend a lot of time talking to the market. This might seem old hat, but it’s worth pointing out — the only way they were able to understand the needs of their clients and how the different components of the supply chain interacted with each other was to speak with their potential and existing customers to understand their pain points and needs. * Set the right metrics. When building an impact company, it is important to set metrics that help ensure you are actually making an impact. When deciding on those impacts, lean towards the ones that can more clearly be aligned with financial incentives.* Match Supply & Demand. As we learned, the key to success for LiquiDonate was matching the supply with the right demand. We can take this lesson forward to upcycling and recycling of materials. Identifying waste streams with the proper materials to act as feedstock for producers will be key. * Realistic TAM. Your TAM might actually be lower than you realize if you are only selling to impact-focused brands. If part of your sales process involves appealing to the altruistic and impact-focused aspect of your customers, you’ll have a fraction of the TAM as your realistic TAM. The takeaway here is to not limit yourself to only impact-motivated customers. Identify co-benefits that serve as financial incentives in order to prevent your TAM from being reduced.* Consider non-climate-VCs. As noted above, you should be building a business that, while measured on impact metrics internally, is not incapable of being funded by a traditional VC. Of course, you want to ensure that your VC will bring the right value, but don’t rule out traditional VCs. What they did with intentionally raising from a traditional VC is prove that their impact company was scalable and venture-backable. 📝 Show Notes:Topics* 2:33 Diz & Her Story* 6:25 Why Entrepreneurship?* 8:02 How to Identify the End User* 16:25 Why Would Someone Use Their Software?* 18:25 What CSOs Think About This* 21:45 Metrics* 25:36 Things that Surprised Her* 28:49 Their Fundraise Experience* 32:54 Advice to Founders Links* Connect with Diz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/disneypetit * LiquiDonate: https://liquidonate.com/ * For all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs, check out our sponsor NextWave Partners.* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas🚨 Carveouts:SilasOn Wednesday, I had the opportunity to sit on a panel at Columbia Business School to offer advice to MBA students on how to recruit for climate jobs. Two main things stood out to me:* There is still an underlying narrative that working in climate requires a person to be highly altruistic and set aside the objectives of making money. Many of the students expressed concern about working in climate for fear of taking a much lower salary and being unable to pay their school loans. This demonstrates the need for us to be shouting from the rooftops that… 📣 “The Climate Revolution will only be successful if we tie carbon reduction and financial success!!! !!!” - okay so maybe that’s a bit aggressive, but it’s true.If buyers, investors, talent, and regulators think that making REAL money in climate is not going to happen, we are going to be missing a huge portion of participants in this fight.* There is a lack of clarity and guidance for young talent to enter into climate. Many folks have very misguided assumptions about the space and how to land a role in the space. This tells me there is no real ecosystem set up to guide them through this journey.It’s my belief that the way to solve this issue is to have MANY more people sharing their journeys. At some point, someone will set up a really well-organized system for navigating the various areas and ecosystems inside of climate (and maybe they will find consensus on what ClimateTech really means). For now, it needs to be crowd-sourced.So, that’s my CTA for you - get out there and make some content about the niche you’re in and passionate about!SomilThis week, I had the chance to speak with a guest with significant developmental finance experience who now invests in climate. The developmental finance → climate finance pipeline is one that fascinates me. I want to use my carve-out to highlight the similarities and why we should spend time looking to successes in development finance as learnings from climate:* They share several similarities as they both aim to derisk the development of solutions that pure market forces have failed to support* Both fields also recognize the importance of committing financial resources to support long-term projects since many of these developments do not succeed in a VC-friendly timeline.* There is a shared need for innovative partnerships and policies given that the economics-of-scale for many of these technologies do not take effect unless a company has significant market share.* Developmental finance as stakeholders greatly resemble family offices and impact VCs — metrics used by both can be subjective to the causes these groups focus on. That can make having a general fundraising strategy difficult if you intend to be selective with the people you are trying to raise from.If you found this insightful, stay on the look-out for ep 138; more of this to come! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

🌎 Welcome to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition… (did we just make a new category 🤯)As a recap, we are rolling out a new format for you with a written component to the podcast episode that is being shared. In addition, we have some carveouts at the bottom. What you’ll find in today’s PodLetter…* “Crowdfunding” Energy Development* A Financial Way to Protest* Community-Based Approach* From GoFundMe to GoFundMe Angel Check* Making Grants Easy (Kind of)* How You Can Get Involved* Takeaways* Show Notes* Carveouts💡”Crowdfunding” Energy Development Navigating how to scale existing climate technologies remains as muddled as ever. With the influx of VC dollars into the climate sector, many are wondering why we haven't seen a more rapid acceleration in the adoption of climate solutions. Enter our guest, Will Wiseman, the Co-Founder and CEO of Climatize, a revolutionary platform that is empowering community-driven solar projects to scale effectively.Climatize is a crowdfunding platform that enables anyone, from retail investors to qualified institutions, to invest in and support renewable energy projects in their communities. By democratizing access to renewable energy investments, Climatize is leveraging a growing trend of community-based approaches to fill the financing gap in particular for smaller ticket projects where large PE investors are not participating. To date, Climatize's efforts are already making an impact on the renewable energy landscape. The platform has successfully funded multiple community solar projects, generating clean energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. As Climatize continues to expand its reach, it is poised to play a pivotal role in scaling community solar projects and accelerating the transition to a sustainable future. Oh, and they have already distributed returns to their users. Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing if you’re not already. We also always appreciate a share.A Financial Way to ProtestWill considers himself someone who has always been an environmentalist, and he experienced firsthand a large number of climate protests while living in Europe. This is when it hit him there must be something wrong if the apparent most effective thing these people could do was make a cardboard sign and protest. This started him down the path of building Climatize. Seeing this makes us wonder why there are not more accessible ways already, for the public at large to participate in the climate revolution without giving into the old O&G technique of shifting the responsibility to the consumer. There is likely an opportunity to take that general public sentiment and turn it into something more tangible. A potential opportunity there. Community-Based ApproachOne of Will’s observations is that the journey of an environmentalist can feel very isolated and lonely. A core vision for Climatize is creating a community around deploying capital for the average investor. They are exploring ways to help show who is invested in which projects so that you can get to know people who are interested in the same problems and alleviate that isolation. One thing we’ll be thinking about is how a platform like this can really help to influence those folks who are skeptical of renewables in a positive way. How could they be against it when they can see the financial returns of these projects in short periods of time?Enjoying the PodLetter? Share it with a few friends who are working in a similar space ⏩From GoFundMe to GoFundMe Angel CheckOnce he knew he wanted to build this product, they utilized existing technology to prove the need. (WHAT WERE THE EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES) This was especially important because their product is at the intersection of two highly regulated markets: (WHAT ARE THE REGULATED MARKETS). They first created a GoFundMe for a Kenyan solar project. This ended up catching the attention of the Co-Founder of GoFundMe, resulting in their first angel check. By doing something on a small scale, using existing technology, they were able to prove the customer demand for such a product, this helped in their next stage. It also served as an initial method of getting in front of the future customers of their own platform. 🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you. NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified. Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact. Making Grants Easy (Kind of)After getting this early traction, they then turned to grants. What worked for them in the grant application process was first having proved the need and concept on a small scale. This made it possible to talk about what the technology is, not what it will be. In addition, they were able to obtain pro-bono legal help to go through the regulatory process. It took them about 1 year of back and forth with paperwork to get things set up.These two zero-cost tools helped them to move one day closer to a full-fledged two-sided marketplace. You might consider these non-traditional means early on in your startup journey. How You Can Get InvolvedIf you are interested in learning more about Climatize, you can visit the company's website or download the app. You can also follow Climatize on social media for updates on the company's progress.✍️ Takeaways:There were a handful of good nuggets that Will shared as advice to founders. * Make it easy to use. If your user experience is not solid and your interface is not accessible and easy to understand, you are not going to get customers. Keep it simple and understandable for your users and you will experience growth. * Calculate the ROI of your fundraising process for a morale boost. Fundraising is hard and especially demotivating. When he started pitching for their equity raise, he often felt discouraged by the nos. Eventually, he realized it’s just a sales process and you don’t close everything. He did the math and realized that each conversation is worth about $4,000. So he began to see each one as $4,000. This helped him put things into perspective. This is perhaps our favorite piece of advice of his.* Hire “ready” talent early on. In the early days, they hired an army of interns and it was, in his words, a big mistake. In the end, he was spending a lot of time hand-holding. Hiring experienced talent would have saved him time and energy he could have devoted to growing the business. Ensure you are hiring talent that is “ready” to do the job on day one. * Co-founders SHOULD think differently. He stated the importance of having a Co-founder who does not think about everything the same way as you. There should be healthy debate and different viewpoints on a lot of things so that you challenge each others’ assumptions and come to a better product in the end. 📝 Show Notes:Topics* 2:26 His Career Journey* 6:42 How he Looks at Impact Work * 8:04 FinTech Founding as an Engineer* 13:13 Why PE Isn't Filling the Need* 16:40 How they "Pitch" to Consumers* 20:12 Hiring & Talent * 26:08 Building the Product* 28:26 Advice to Founders* 32:29 Future Challenges* 34:59 On Making it "Real" to Climate Deniers Links* Connect with Will * Climatize.Earth * For all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs, check out our sponsor NextWave Partners. * This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast. * Connect with Somil | Connect with SilasRandom Dots* Today’s episode is similar to what Kevin Kyer is doing at pyrpose.io only with a focus on the US market. * Some of the topics around how to ‘sell’ to consumers is reminiscent of the episode with Jeff Chapin from Haven Energy. Specifically on selling for the need not just selling on the ‘basis of solving climate change’. 🚨 Carveouts:SilasIt’s been a full week of content so I’ll keep this one short. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to sit on a panel at Columbia Business School to offer advice to MBA students on how to recruit for climate jobs. Two main things stood out to me and serve as my main takeaways. * There is still an underlying narrative that working in climate requires a person to be highly altruistic and set aside the objectives of making money. Many of the students expressed concern about working in climate for fear of taking a much lower salary and being unable to pay their school loans. This demonstrates the need for us to be shouting from the rooftops that… 📣 “The Climate Revolution will only be successful if we tie carbon reduction and financial success!!! !!!” - okay so maybe that’s a bit aggressive, but it’s true. If buyers, investors, talent, and regulators think that making REAL money in climate is not going to happen, we are going to be missing a huge portion of participants in this fight. * There is a lack of clarity and guidance for young talent to enter into climate. Many folks have very misguided assumptions about the space and how to land a role in the space. This tells me there is no real ecosystem set up to guide them through this journey.It’s my belief that the way to solve this issue is to have MANY more people sharing their journeys. At some point, someone will set up a really well-organized system for navigating the various areas and ecosystems inside of climate (and maybe they will find consensus on what ClimateTech really means), but for now, it needs to be crowd-sourced. If we are all picking a niche in the space and making our content for that space, we will see a lot of people learning how to navigate properly. So, that’s my CTA for you - get out there and make some content about the niche you’re in and passionate about! SomilThis week I started working on an investment thesis within a specific area of climate. While I can’t do into the details, it was a reminder of how complicated the investing game can be and how meticulously you have to diligence your hypothesis.For generalist investors or even industry-focused investors with broad industries, vetting a technology requires extensive outreach to one’s network. This reinforces the importance of networking.In today’s carve-outs, I’m walking through the 3 (non-investing related) areas that you should be building up your network if and when you decide to transition to climate investing:* Technology — whether it is hardware, software, deeptech, or some other type of innovation, there will be people who have built a somewhat similar technology even if in a different space and for a different application (think a robot that picks apples from orchards and a robot that automates an assembly line); having a good variety of technology innovation represented in your network can keep you versatile in a time where climate is all but just software* Policy — if you haven’t hard it already, the IRA is game changing for most climate companies; for that reason, getting connected with experts who are working with policy-aligned investors will go a long way in giving you someone to chat to when vetting whether a climate technology has a tailwind legislation* Science — climate has a lot of FOAKs that are both exciting in their potential but also necessary to verify to prove merit in; experts in specific areas of innovation will be able to guide you for which questions to ask and what research to conduct in order to verify the innovativeness of a new technologyThese are not simple nor entirely comprehensive, but most people I talk to usually are overly indexed in one of these and negligent of the other two. In climate, that is not an option. The best investors are pulling together different resources and areas of the capital stack to fund and support climate companies. Building up your network in this way over the long-term can prepare you to do the same. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Why you should listen:* Learn about what a Head of Science does in VC* Hear how this hardware-focused investor evaluates hardware investments* Find out what VC can learn from scienceNot already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.In this episode, Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interviews Iris Ten Have about her journey into VC from a science background, what ie means to be a Head of Science in VC, how to successfully build in hardware, and more.   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: * 6:25 Academia to venture* 15:46 What helped her prepare for VC* 18:42 How Extantia started* 25:33 What makes a successful hardware investment* 30:16 How to get your pre-orders for your MVP* 36:05 Evaluating decarbonization potential* 44:38 Advice to founders* 48:36 What VCs can learn from scientists* 51:11 Biggest challenges for funds----- Links: * Connect with Iris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-ten-have/* Extantia: https://extantia.com/* 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: @somilagg----- Other episodes you might enjoy:* Most Recent Episode: #131 Selling to Utilities, The Disruptor Mistake, Clean Your Camp, Carrot vs Stick Regs, & More w/ Michael Jung (ICF Climate Center)* Similar Topic: #117 Early Stage Hiring Decisions, Heeding the Lessons from CleanTech 1.0, Energize's $300m Growth Fund Close, & More w/ Eileen Waris (Energize Capital)* Something Totally Different: From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)Resources / Events / Carveouts: We wanted to start adding some of the other resources that we are aware of in the climate space each episode. These will not always be the same so be sure to check them out each episode. * Event: upcoming in November, on the 9th, the CleanTechies Podcast will be hosting a meetup in Union Square in NYC. This will be an ongoing event on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 5-7 p.m. It’s a very chill objective for now and we will see how it goes. This is being hosted in partnership with 4Ward.VC and it is members only (Paid members of 4Ward.VC’s community). You can join their community here.* Voiz Academy: this is a community that helps you upskill and land a job at a climate tech company or a sustainability role. If interested you can check them out here: * Climate Career Accelerator Program* Voiz Academy Sustainability ProgramsHave a resource you use and want to share, send it our way info@cleantechiespod.com Thank you for listening/reading/supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Why you should listen:* Learn the tips of selling your tech to Utilities * How to consider equity and inclusion as you build * Hear Michael’s ideas of where to build in climateNot already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with Mike Jung from the ICF Climate Center.Given Mike's work across a wide variety of clients currently + his experience in the utility space, we had a lot of interesting things to talk about. Of all the things, perhaps the most interesting, were his insights on selling to utilities. So, if you're selling to utilities, listen up this one is for you. 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:* 2:07 Introduction and career* 15:55 What does ICF do?* 25:09 utilities* 28:24 on selling to utilities* 32:22 selling to regulators?* 37:47 showing consumer interest in getting the utilities to buy* 40:23 Carrot or stick regulatory practices* 45:23 The funding landscape* 48:13 Advice to founders – be aware of equity and inclusion, be aware of how you are pitching your business, and be conscious of your storytelling to attract talent* 54:08 Ideas to build in climate - Hard to Abate Sectors  * 57:28 Sweaty Climate Startups - Community Action Agencies Show Summary:Given Michael’s deep expertise working across, utilities, consulting, and a substantial part of his career in utilities, his insights around how to sell to utilities and the considerations to keep in mind while doing so, are by far the most valuable part of this conversation. The clip below gives you a bit of a taste. Key Takeaways:* “Work in your camp make an impact there” - when Mike said this, it really hit me. There are a lot of folks looking to ‘work in climate’ when they could likely start making an impact in their current role. Consider this before looking for a job in climate (at least for now given the current job market). * Find ways to keep utilities in mind - they will have to replace the old infrastructure, electrify the future, and be aware of industrial electrification. These were some things that came to mind as he was talking and I think it’s a key 🗝️ to think about as you are building a climate tech startup. If you can solve their problem in a way they are familiar with, they will certainly become buyers. * 32:22 Selling to utilities | This section was by far my favorite part of the discussion. * “Regulator is the buyer” - This may have been obvious to others but for me this was really insightful and gives me a new lense to look at the startups we advise. * #1 EV #2 building decarbonization #3 clean energy. Across these three areas, he sees the potential need to use a stick and not a carrot to incentivize adoption given that he sees a massive opportunity for adoption here. * ~46:10 Storytelling to get talent. His point about using storytelling is really great. I think about how he pitched ICF in the intro - it took what most ppl would see as just another consultancy, and really pointed out the cool aspects of it. Consider this when pitching your startup from a talent perspective. * 48.10 Be aware of how you are pitching. If you are pitching in a way that seems too ‘innovation-focused’ you might actually be tanking your chances because Utilities are meant to ‘keep the lights on’ not to ‘build fast and break things’. Consider the buyer during the pitch. Understand their needs well. * Equality and inclusion in your journey of building. Ensure you are considering this while you build. His thoughts on this made me remember again how poorly the climate tech revolution is partaking in making a more equitable outcome for so many underprivileged groups. * Focus on hard-to-abate sectors. (~52:00) He sees this as the biggest area for new startups. Look into this space, study it, and over the coming months, you might strike a golden opportunity to make an impact and a buck 💸. * ~55.10 Community Action Agencies. This was quite interesting. Maybe not a hugely scalable startup, but if you understand the local area well and have a good network, you might be able to leverage that to build this to get buy-in from the community. Links:* Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejung/ * ICF Climate Center: https://www.icf.com/climate-center * 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: @silasmahnerResources / Events / Carveouts:We wanted to start adding some of the other resources that we are aware of in the climate space each episode. These will not always be the same so be sure to check them out each episode.* Event: upcoming in November, on the 9th, CleanTechies will be hosting a meetup in Union Square in NYC. This will be an ongoing event on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 5-7 p.m. It’s a very chill objective for now and we will see how it goes. This is being hosted in partnership with 4Ward.VC.You can join their community here. | Email Info@cleantechiespod.com to get on the invite.* Voiz Academy: this is a community that helps you upskill and land a job at a climate tech company or a sustainability role. If interested you can check them out here:* Climate Career Accelerator Program* Voiz Academy Sustainability ProgramsHave a resource you use and want to share, send it our way info@cleantechiespod.comThank you for following CleanTechies. Please share to help spread the word.Other episodes you might enjoy:* Most Recent Episode: #130 Financing Emerging Clean Technologies, The Incentive of Repeat Transactions, Hiring a Founding Team, & More w/ Kevin Kyer (Pyrpose.io)* Similar Topic: Helping Utilities Utilize Wasted Data with Sean Murphy of PingThings* Something Totally Different: #116 Consultative VC, Understanding Customers (as a VC), Developing Industry Networks for Your PortCos, & More w/ Rick Zullo (Equal Ventures) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Why you should listen:* Learn how to hire a founding team* Find out the secret to properly structured incentives to achieve repeat transactions when working in emerging markets* Learn how to communicate your offering to non-climate-nerdsNot already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Kevin Kyer, the Co-Founder, and CEO of pyrpose - a direct lending platform that, using the crowdfunding laws, allows individuals to lend to companies creating clean solutions in order to deploy their technology, the user is also getting a return on their money. They specifically focus on emerging markets because of how high the cost of capital is and the unwillingness of large lending institutions to operate in those markets currently. 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: * 1:59 Intro and career* 8:48 What is Pyrpose?* 15:22 How do they approach marketplaces?* 18:04 What he’s learned from consumers and sellers* 20.57 Why their work is important* 25:59 Roadmap and GTM* 29:01 Experience raising on this model* 32:26 Thoughts on crypto and climate* 35:49 Picking a founding team* 42:41 How they find talent* 45:46 Advice to founders regarding product market fit* 49:16 Climate-specific product market fit advice* 52:23 Ideas – Building Something elseShow Summary:Imagine a future where each of us could play a part in shaping the planet’s climate-conscious trajectory. That's the vision Kevin Kyer, co-founder, and CEO of Pyrpose, expounds in today’s conversation. With a journey that spans from internet marketing to renewable energy and ultimately, to pioneering climate tech by financing it. Kevin provides an eye-opening look at the intersection of technology and our shared responsibility towards the environment. In this robust discussion, we delve into how Pyrpose is revolutionizing the climate tech sector by using the crowdfunding regulatory methodology, built on top of blockchain technology, to lend working capital to small and medium-sized CleanTech businesses. This method helps make a positive environmental impact and fosters a direct and tangible connection between investors and these companies. Kevin also shared his honest thoughts on carbon marketplaces, the concept of regenerative finance, and the compelling opportunity it presents for investors to engage with communities globally. Aspiring founders and investors will glean valuable insights as Kevin shares his experience assembling a startup team and navigating the tight capital markets. This ep is packed with actionable advice and forward-thinking perspectives. It also offers a glimpse into the future of climate technology, underscoring the potential—and necessity—of collaboration within the climate tech community. 🎧 Listen in and discover how you can play a part in the global energy transition and make a lasting impact on our planet by directly investing in emerging CleanTech projects.Links:* Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmkyer/ * pyrpose.io * Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/* Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/* Twitter: @silasmahner / @somil_aggResources / Events / Carveouts: We wanted to start adding some of the other resources that we are aware of in the climate space each episode. These will not always be the same so be sure to check them out each episode. * Event: upcoming in November, on the 9th, Silas will be hosting a meetup in Union Square in NYC. This will be an ongoing event on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 5-7 p.m. It’s a very chill objective for now and we will see how it goes. This is being hosted in partnership with 4Ward.VC and it is members only (Paid members of 4Ward.VC’s community). You can join their community here.* Voiz Academy: this is a community that helps you upskill and land a job at a climate tech company or a sustainability role. If interested you can check them out here: * Climate Career Accelerator Program* Voiz Academy Sustainability ProgramsHave a resource you use and want to share, send it our way info@cleantechiespod.com Other episodes you might enjoy:* Most Recent Episode: * Similar Topic: * Something Totally Different: Thank you for listening/reading/supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Why you should listen:* How to succeed in building your company from a seasoned ClimateTech and energy investor* How to successfully expand your thesis and launch a new fund* Learn the best ClimateTech industries of the futureNot already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Jason Blumberg from Earth Foundry. Earth Foundry came out of Energy Foundry, who after a successful decade of investing in energy technologies is expanding its scope to other areas of climate tech.Jason Blumberg is the co-founder and Managing Director of Earth Foundry. As a former consultant and founder in the energy space, he has sat on the boards of many companies and has a wide array of knowledge about energy and beyond to share with us. 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: * 1:21 Intro + career* 2:25 How Energy Foundry Became Earth Foundry* 6:32 Changing Thesis* 9:40 Lessons from a decade of energy VC* 21:14 Raising a fund* 22:55 Being a repeat fund manager* 31:23 How Discipline Became Fund Success* 34:30 Energy VC vs. general VC* 38:56 Best cleantech industries to invest* 57:08 Advice to foundersLinks: * Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonblumberg/* Earth Foundry: https://www.earthfoundry.com* 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: (@silasmahner) & (@somil_agg)Other episodes you might enjoy:* Most Recent Episode: #128 Branding & Marketing Your ClimateTech Startup w/ Anna Konstantinova (AnnaKo.Co)* Similar Topic: #116 Consultive VC, Understanding Customers (as a VC), Developing Industry Networks for Your PortCos, & More w/ Rick Zullo (Equal Ventures)* Something Totally Different: #120 Serial Entrepreneur Fundraising, the IRA & Home Electrification, IRA-Dependent Business Models, & More w/ Jeff Chapin (Haven Energy)Thank you for listening/reading/supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Why you should listen:* To get a basic intro to marketing and branding as a climate tech founder/operator* Learn some tips on branding and recruitment/talent acquisition * Find out when you should bring on someone to help you with your brand Not already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Anna Konstantinova about her advice to climate tech companies in relation to marketing and branding. Really helpful episode for our listeners from someone who has spent a lot of time helping founders and climate brands make their work digestible to the correct target audience. 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: * 3:10 Intro & Career* 12:53 Why a Brand Matters* 17:54 How to Position Brand to People Uninterested in Climate Change* 26:36 Are There General Archetypes* 28:42 When to "Set" Brand* 31:32 Tips on Branding During Fundraise* 36:39 Personal Branding for Founder is Also Important* 43:03 When to Get Help to Pass the Plateau* 49:20 Hiring & BrandLinks: * Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaknova/ * AnnaKo.co * 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: (@silasmahner) & (@somil_agg)Other episodes you might enjoy:* Most Recent Episode: #127 Scalable Carbon Capture, Building as a Non-Deeptech Founder, Creative Business Models, & Navigating Funding Challenges w/ Luke Shors (Capture6)* Similar Topic: #76 Endings, Endineering, Circular Economy, & the Customer Experience w/ Joe Macleod* Something Totally #65 Different: Decentralizing Agriculture & Societal Resilience with Eddy from Eden Green TechnologiesCoHost.AI Write Up:Are you ready to discover the transformative power of branding within the climate tech space? Join our conversation with Anna Konstantinova, a seasoned expert who passionately decodes the complexities of crafting unique brand identities. Prepare to be enlightened as we traverse the often overlooked yet crucial aspect of branding and marketing in climate tech companies. As we chat with Anna, we unravel the significance of a compelling brand presence and how it's much more than just being memorable. It's about forging a connection with people that resonates at their core. We delve into the importance of understanding your target audience and articulating the brand's role in their lives. Anna further underscores the necessity for a human touch within climate brands, paving the way for brands of the future. Our insightful discussion doesn't stop at branding. We also explore its pivotal role in a startup - from fundraising to pitching, and how to effectively deliver your message. By examining the influence of video games on our perception of life events, the challenges of scaling a business, and aligning purpose, economics, and motivation to inspire change. So, buckle up for a thought-provoking episode where we demystify the power of branding and its critical role in the realm of climate tech!Thank you for listening/reading/supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Why you should listen:* Learn about a new breakthrough carbon capture model * How you can build a deep tech company as a non-deep-tech founder* How to raise from both public and private funding sourcesNot already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.Show Notes:In this episode, Silas Mähner (@silasmahner) and Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interview Luke Shors, co-founder of Capture6. Capture6 is a direct air carbon capture company, applying its innovative technology and business model to revolutionize the way that carbon capture takes place. One of their claims to fame is their approach to being efficient with water usage and creating beneficial byproducts from their capture process. Luke himself is not a deep tech founder and shares great insights on how he navigated building a deep tech company in climate.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/mwkn8zk5Topics: * 1:32 Introduction & early career* 6:53 Starting as a public benefit company* 12:50 Being a climate founder without a deep tech background* 16:28 Capture6 differentiator* 20:01 Economic advantage of direct air capture* 31:15 Price of Capture6's carbon* 36:11 Navigating GTM* 40:22 Messaging in public vs. private funding* 50:37 Advice for founders* 54:00 If he started a company today, he would…Links: * Connect with Luke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-shors/* Capture6: https://capture6.org * 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: @silasmahner, @somilagg Other episodes you might enjoy:* Most Recent Episode: #126 The Value-add of Specialist VCs, Engaging with Corporate Partners, Advice to Founders & Aspiring VCs, Defending Your Moat, & More with Grant Allen (SE Ventures)* Similar Topic: From Restaurants to ClimateTech: Building a Carbon Capture Concrete Company w/ Tim Sperry (Carbon Limit)* Something Totally Different: #93 Hard Truths About VC, Raising Advice, & Small Fund Limitations w/ Susan Su (Toba Capital)CoHost.AI write up:Get ready to challenge everything you know about carbon capture with Luke Shores, the minds behind the revolutionary direct-air carbon capture company, Capture6. These trailblazers are pushing boundaries, reimagining what's possible and breaking the mold with their innovative approach. Join us as we delve into the story of Capture6.Luke shed light on their groundbreaking methodology and how they're transforming the traditional carbon capture processes. They're not just recycling solvents or storing CO2, they're creating beneficial byproducts and making strides in efficient water usage. Discover how their ingenious use of an electrochemical process to produce sodium hydroxide and their strategy of leveraging the economics of brine and freshwater management is making carbon removal more cost-effective.Luke takes us through the exhilarating journey of building a deep tech company - the challenges, the victories, and the invaluable lessons learned along the way. We talk about the hurdles of acquiring funding for decarbonization projects and share essential advice for founders in the climate space. From fundraising to talent management to securing community buy-in, there's a wealth of knowledge waiting for you in this episode. By the end, you'll gain a new perspective on responsible engineering and ocean alkalinity enhancement. So, sit back, tune in, and prepare for an enlightening discussion.Thank you for listening/reading/supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Why you should listen:* Discover the role of Specialist VCs in climate change solutions with SE Ventures* Learn about SE Ventures and its innovative climate and industrial tech investments* Gain insights on collaboration with large companies and startup wisdomNot already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post.Show Notes:In this episode Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Grant Allen, General Partner at SE Ventures. They are a uniquely positioned Specialist VC with a single LP, Schneider Electric. They function like a typical VC, with autonomy from Schneider Electric as a whole, but can also leverage Schneider's vast global network to add value beyond capital and help their portfolio companies to succeed.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/mwkn8zk5Topics:* 1:32: Intro & Career* 5:16: Relationship w/ SE* 9:09: How SE Ventures Started* 11:43: SE Thesis: Double Bottom Line* 19:46: Why the Check Size* 23:36: Milestones to Get a Check* 26:39: How To Manage Collaboration* 33:35: Areas He's Bullish On* 37:34: Building Incentive-Free Biz Models* 42:03: Advice to Founders* 44:31: How to Scale* 47:51: How to Vet Big Incumbents* 51:44: Advice to VC Aspirants* 56:11: How to Develop a Thesis* 59:15: If He Started a Biz Today He Would…Links:* Connect with Grant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantallen/* SE Ventures: https://www.seventures.com/home.jsp* Climate Capital Summit: https://www.climatecapitalsummit.com/ * 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: @silasmahner, @somil_aggOther episodes you might enjoy:* Most Recent Episode: #125 Revolutionizing Heating and Cooling with Smart Radiators, Facing Rejection, and Building Hardware like Software with Marshall Cox (Kelvin)* Similar Topic: #93 Hard Truths About VC, Raising Advice, & Small Fund Limitations w/ Susan Su (Toba Capital)* Something Totally Different: #103 Revolutionizing Takeout: Tackling Plastic Waste Crisis with Reusable Containers and Gamification w/ James Wilson (reUser)CoHost.AI Write Up:Ever wondered how venture capital firms are combating climate change? Here's your chance to find out. Grant from SE Ventures guides us through a voyage into the thriving world of venture capital funds and their crucial role in climate change solutions. His journey from traditional financial models to corporate VC models is certainly a tale worth hearing. Founders and aspiring business leaders, take note! We delve deeper into how SE Ventures and Schneider Electric, its parent company, have a unique synergy that accelerates the adoption of crucial technology for climate change solutions. Learn about SE Ventures, a venture fund supported by Schneider Electric, and the crucial 'air gap' that ensures alignment with founders and speedy action. The 'double bottom line' approach and value delivery framework of SE Ventures are nothing short of revolutionary. In the final fold of our conversation, Grant shares his investment experiences in mobility companies, thoughts on government’s role in residential electrification, and the importance of self-sustaining business models. We also navigate the potential advantages of collaborating with large companies, provided you manage the relationship effectively. And for those young investors and startups out there, Grant's words of wisdom are a must-hear: humility, rapid learning, and understanding the complexity of the climate change space are key. So pull up a chair and let's get started!Thank you for listening / reading / supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

Not already a subscriber…subscribe today and support us either financially or through sharing the post. 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/mwkn8zk5Topics:* 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 weekLinks: * 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_AggYou 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.Thank you for listening / reading / supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe