CleanTechies Podcast

What happens when a successful restaurateur decides to tackle climate change? Tim Sperry, CEO and founder of Carbon Limit, joins us to share his incredible journey from the restaurant business to creating a carbon capture technology company. With a mix of passion and business acumen, Tim offers valuable advice on finding the right investors, joining industry organizations, and navigating the regulatory space.Discover how Carbon Limit's innovative carbon-capturing concrete works and the potential it holds for reducing air pollution. Tim gives us an in-depth look at the company's transition from manufacturing to an IP play, licensing their unique materials and formula. We also explore the unit economics of licensing technology and the potential of generating carbon credits.Learn from Tim's experience with Techstars, fundraising, and the importance of mentorship and maintaining relationships throughout his entrepreneurial journey. From strategic grants to creative financing, Tim's insights and advice are invaluable for anyone interested in the climate tech space. Don't miss this engaging conversation about Carbon Limit's mission to create and commercialize carbon capture technology for the built environment.📺 👀 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/mwkn8zk5Links:**Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-sperry-57b14aa/**Carbon Limit Website: https://www.carbonlimit.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-----Other episodes you might enjoy:From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)Mineral Availability, Sustainable Mining, & ClimateTech Supply Chain Challenges w/ Nick RohlederEndings, Endineering, Circular Economy, & the Customer Experience w/ Joe MacleodThe Future of Clean Energy, Materials/Mfg, & the Circular Economy with Author, Peter LeydenCleaning up Steel Production with Boston Metal's Adam Rauwerdink 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

Ever wondered how we could tackle the global plastic waste crisis, especially with the increase in takeout packaging during the pandemic? Today, we're thrilled to have James Wilson, founder, and CEO of ReUser, join us to share his innovative solution that focuses on reusable containers for dining institutions. James opens up about his journey in discovering the issue of takeout packaging waste and how it led him to create ReUser.In our conversation, we explore the challenges associated with sustainable packaging, recycling, and user experience. James emphasizes the importance of understanding human behavior in creating a successful reusable container program, and how ReUser leverages technology to incentivize students to return their containers. We discuss the financial and environmental benefits of reusable containers, highlighting the potential for cost savings and reduced emissions.As we wrap up, James shares insights into the billion-dollar market opportunity, ReUser's partnerships with reusable container companies, and their goal of becoming the operating system for reuse. We delve into the powerful role that gamification and customer loyalty play in promoting sustainable behavior, and how ReUser aims to expand its reach to other sectors such as hospitals and corporate campuses. Join us for this insightful conversation about an innovative solution to a pressing environmental challenge.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:0:00 - Cracking the Code on Reusable Containers6:14 - Solving the Problem of Sustainable Packaging16:03 - Improving Reusable Takeout Container Return Behavior24:58 - From Idea to MVP31:42 - Student Feedback for Business Model Improvement36:32 - Sustainable Reusable Packaging and Cost Savings42:32 - Online Incentives for Sustainable Behavior50:30 - Reusable Packaging's Billion-Dollar Market57:24 - Promoting Reusable Packaging Adoption----- Links: Connect with James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-wilson-3a832b88/ Check out reUser: https://www.reuser.app/Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/emailFollow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner----- Other episodes you might enjoy:* #16 Using all the CaCao Plant with Shannon Neumann from CaPao* #58 The Future of Clean Energy, Materials/Mfg, & the Circular Economy with Author, Peter Leyden* #57 Soap, Carbon Capture, Boilers, and PropTech w/ Jaeson Cardiff (Clean02)* #43 A Deep Dive Into the Grid, the Intermittency Problem, & Where do We go from Here w/ Bhaskar Ray (QCells) 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

In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with Manik Suri (@ManikVSuri) the Founder and CEO of Therma, an IoT device + software company that helps any organization using refrigeration to reduce cap ex and as a by-product, reduce the dirty energy assets on the grid. We cover his background, the problem and solution they are working on, and then go through building the business with a heavy focus on the work of raising money. Manik has a really interesting background having been a top achiever academically, going on to PE, and then government prior to launching Therma. 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: **1:20 Intro and Origin of Interest in Climate**4:02 The Problem**7:22 Electricity bill**11:38 The Solution**13:52 Cost and ROI**16:13 The Origin of the Idea**24:07 How his work in PE and Gov Influenced him**27:55 Carbon Abatement**31:13 Advice for Raising Capital**41:11 VC Issues & Thoughts on the Macro Environment**44:19 Discussion on VC Investing broadly**48:31 The Future----- Links: **manik@hellotherma.com **Manik on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ManikVSuri **Therma Website: https://www.hellotherma.com/our-company **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----- Other episodes you might enjoy:**Most Recent Episode: Building a Smart AC company to help Solve Climate Change w/ Ran Roth (Sensibo)**Similar Topic: Electrifying Homes, Home Air-Quality & Health, Merging Blue & White Collar Talent w/ DR Richardson (Elephant Energy)**Something Totally Different: How to Raise Money for your ClimateTech Startup w/ Tommy Leep, founder of Jetstream VC 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

Today we speak with Ran Roth, the Co-Founder and CTO of Sensibo, an IoT device company that connects your AC units to various services to help you use your AC unit more efficiently. Ran started with a tech background, focused on data and with his co-founder, decided he wanted to start a business. They didn't specifically focus on climate, but did want to do something good for the world. Of course, as implied, they eventually ended up building a ClimateTech company. In today's conversation, we discuss how they got started, their experience raising funds back in wake of the death of CleanTech 1.0, and the future of indoor climate control. Punchy episode with a lot of great content. 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: **1:07 Intro**2:43 How he got into Sensibo**6:56 Stats: 1/3 of energy goes into heating and cooling globally**12:30 How the tech works**17:21 How they started**19:48 Going from software to hardware**22:23 When they took off & the funding process**26:21 Financial Model**28:57 Advice for Utility Partnerships**31:54 Indoor climate / air quality & health**34:36 Talent**37:00 Future of indoor climate control**39:58n Final thoughtsLinks: **Ran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ran-roth/**Sensibo Website: https://sensibo.com/pages/smartac-usa**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/**Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/email**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/**HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner----- Other episodes you might enjoy:**Most Recent Episode: Extracting Precious Metals from Catalytic Converters to Solve Climate Change w/ Greg Pendura (Regenx)**Similar Topic Episode: Electrifying Homes, Home Air-Quality & Health, Merging Blue & White Collar Talent w/ DR Richardson (Elephant Energy)**Something Totally Different: How CorporateVCs are Playing a role in the Climate Revolution w/ Erik Terjesen (Silicon Foundry) 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

In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with the CEO of publicly traded, Regenx, Greg Pendura. Regenx is a metals recycling company recovering precious metals from catalytic converters and selling it on the market or providing the service directly to OEMs. Greg explains the problem they are solving, how they are solving it, the back story of the company, how they funded the project, and where he sees the future going. If you dream of a future where everything can be broken down and made into either the same or another product, this is a great episode 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: **1:19 Intro to Greg**6:03 The Problem**14:38 The Solution**17:14 Offtake of the Materials**21:39 Total Recovery**24:28 Business Model**34:22 The R&D Process**38:58 Funding**50:54Final Thoughts----- Links: **Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pendura-301bb01b1/**Regenx Website: https://www.regenx.tech/**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----- Other episodes you might enjoy:From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)Mineral Availability, Sustainable Mining, & ClimateTech Supply Chain Challenges w/ Nick RohlederEndings, Endineering, Circular Economy, & the Customer Experience w/ Joe MacleodThe Future of Clean Energy, Materials/Mfg, & the Circular Economy with Author, Peter LeydenCleaning up Steel Production with Boston Metal's Adam Rauwerdink 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

In this episode Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with Andreas Lehner (@lehner_a) about what he's doing with his new company PowerBlocks to capture methane that is just being flared, using that energy to power data centers or bitcoin mining, how he got interested in Climate, how to build an MVP with a hardware business, a short discussion around AI and the energy grid, and how he stays focused on one thing at a time.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:**1:19 What he's doing today and his backstory.**19:47 Bitcoin & Climate Compatibility.**25:50 How to win a pilot project?**31:27 How they finance the projects.**34:28 Should AI be allowed to touch the energy grid?**43:44 What is their funding mostly used for?-----Links:andreas@powerblocks.coConnect with Andreas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lehnerandreas/PowerBlocks Website: https://powerblocks.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-----Other episodes you might enjoy:#74 Utilizing Carbon in Everyday Products w/ Aaron Fitzgerald of Mars Materials#83 From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)#2 Reimagining Carbon as a Useful Product w/ Apoorv Sinha (Carbon Upcycling Technologies)Support the show 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

Today we have a really energetic (no pun intended) conversation with Andy Frank, the founder of Sealed.They are an energy efficiency company that pays for home infrastructure upgrades and then gets paid back over time by their customer. The more efficiency they produce, the more they make which creates a great incentive structure.We discussed a lot but the best part for me was going through how he built the company from an idea, to an MVP, and eventually to a very robust and successful business.The most impactful advice he shared was about speaking with your customers to understand what they need and what they will buy. There is a lot of other advice in there, but that was the most impactful thing on their success.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:(2:03) Andy's Climate Journey(7:12) Early Career & Finding his clarity of Purpose(12:15) The initial seed of Sealed(16:27) What Sealed Does(29:28) Raising money initially(33:49) Real proof & the Business taking off(44:37) Getting the real funding(46:47) Fundraising from different people(49:28) Future view(54:45) IRA Homes Program(59:17) Talent-----Links:Connect with Andy: Check out Sealed: Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/Join the Slack Channel: Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner 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

In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with Anas Al Kassas the founder and CEO of INOVUES where they are helping solve heat loss for buildings. Their tech is essentially a retrofit solution to single-pane glass that can be achieved at scale. They are also partnering with other companies such as solar glass and tinting services to act as a platform for them to sell their tech. The key things in this conversation are 1) how their tech works 2) how he got started and the process of going through accelerators and getting the initial round of funding, 3) how the IP process works and his experience there, and 4) how they are using creative financing models to remove the friction from buying. 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: (00:17) Intro & how he got the Idea for the Tech(10:00) What INOVUES doing(13:30) How their tech works(19:30) How they. get the glass installed at scale(24:00) Building the business & funding(35:30) IP, the Process, and Learnings(40:45) Universities and IP(43:00) Funding the business continued(47:45) Managing partnerships(53:00) Financing options to their clients(56:00) Final thoughts-----Links: Connect with Anas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaskassas/Inovues Website: https://www.inovues.com/Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/emailFollow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner__________We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / info@next-wavepartners.com 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

Today we had a really fun, but also impactful, and very transparent conversation, one that is slightly different than a lot of the guests we've had on. Someone who is a lot earlier in her journey of building her company. I wanted to have her on as an opportunity to showcase the life of someone deep in the grind of building their startup with the hope to one day make a massive impact on climate change. There are so many startup founders out there in the midst of building their projects. And certainly, there can be moments of doubt and uncertainty. We wanted to have today's episode to show you that you're not alone - you're not the only one with those feelings of uncertainty and insecurity. Hopefully, it's a bit of encouragement and grounding to reality so you remember that nothing is perfect - and everyone is out there figuring it out. Today's episode is with Alina Liu who is the founder of Disco, a Chrome extension that shows a re-sale option for the product you're currently looking at. I encourage you to reach out to Alina and connect with her. To any founders listening, it's important that you all support each other so we can help solve climate change together. 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://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/email----- Topics: **1:42 Intro and backstory**3:10 Going from big-ish tech to founding a climate startup**13:40 Building the company and getting started**18:12 Advice to others starting out**22:05 Starting Disco**27:00 How to Maintain Mental Energy**29:10 Raising from Friends and Family**35:24 Experience as a solo female-founder**38:49 Future, Excitement, and Closing Thoughts----- Links: **Connect with Alina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinacliu/ **Get Disco: https://www.usedisco.io/**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----- Other episodes you might enjoy:**#23 ClimateTech VC Investing w/ Heidi Lindvall (Pale Blue Dot)**#74 Utilizing Carbon in Everyday Products w/ Aaron Fitzgerald of Mars Materials**#83 From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)**#2 Reimagining Carbon as a Useful Product w/ Apoorv Sinha (Carbon Upcycling Technologies) 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

Today we are joined by Ryan Begin. One of the founding members of Divert. Divert is building food waste to energy plants that have achieved the scale to become profitable, scalable, and impactful in combating climate change. This is a truly inspiring story as it took them about 13 years to get to the point of proving their technology and perfecting the business model in a way that they could then get serious funding. Serious funding refers to, them now hitting a point of getting funding from Private Equity groups. In particular, Infrastructure funds. In the conversation, we go through how Ryan got into the space and left the defense space to be part of the founding team at Divert. We talk about the challenges and the milestones along the way. Then in the latter half, we discuss a lot about the financing of their business, how to get to the point of attracting Infrastructure Funding, and how important talent is to the success of your business. Genuinely engaging conversation and insights from Ryan. Enjoy this conversation 🌎Topics: * 1:43 Intro and how he came from Defense to Climate* 6:10 His CleanTech 1.0* 8:56 How the process looks and what they do* 15:52 Their business Model* 25:23 Once they have the waste* 29:11 Carbon Credits?* 30:39 Early days of the company* 37:53 Financing (PE vs VC + Revenue Quality + TAM + Infrastructure Play)* 44:15 How to Prove Growth and Quality of Revenue* 47:08 Talent* 52:12 The futureLinks: * Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/divertfounder/ * Divert Website: https://divertinc.com/*   * Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/* Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/email* Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ * HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner-----* #39 Helping Commercial Kitchens Reduce Food Waste and Save Money* #62 Solving Fresh Food Inventory Management with Johannes from Afresh* #83 From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)* #71 Demystifying Alternative-Protein and How its Made with Sharyn Murray from Good Food Institute (GFI) 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