CleanTechies

Discover innovative strategies in electric vehicle battery swapping as a startup dives into its unique playbook. Hear how they pivoted to focus on commercial fleet operators to tackle market challenges. The discussion also highlights their creative financial approaches and exciting future plans for consumer EV infrastructure. This breakdown serves as a guide for hardware climate startups looking to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Today, our guest is John de Souza. Co-founder of Ample Inc. A startup betting that battery swapping is the future. If you're at all like me, you're thinking that sounds bat shit crazy. Well, listen to today's episode, and you'll realize it's the opposite. It's the only logical conclusion to EVs. We can't gloss over this -- John is special. This is his 4th major startup endeavor, and it's clear that it is because he brings a level of maturity and wisdom that very few founders do. He could have ridden off into the sunset, but he decided to stay in the arena because it's what he does. I guarantee you will learn a lot from John today. I'm not even going to thank you for tuning in today because you're doing yourself a favor by listening to this episode.   ---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Become a paid Subscriber to get access to the Slack CommunityTopics (free preview time stamps are slightly different) 03:26 John's Career & Entrepreneurial Origins05:20 The Inspiration for Ample09:06 Battery Swapping13:51 OEM Partnerships16:15 A Universal Battery Module18:38 Integration w/ OEMs & Production Lines22:54 Deployment & Scale23:22 Business Model & Global Expansion24:47 Ample's GTM Strategy: (Partnering with Uber and Commercial Fleets)28:07 Efficiency & Cost Control: In-House Battery & Swapping Station Production—(end of free preview)—(get the full episode by becoming a paid subscriber on our Substack today! https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe LinksJohn de Souza | Ample Inc.Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedInFollow CleanTechies on LinkedIn@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Drew D'Alelio, Co-Founder and Investor at Connecticut Innovations, shares his insights on managing a $100M Climate Tech fund. He discusses the significance of a triple bottom line, balancing job creation, financial returns, and environmental impact. Drew highlights the complexities of evaluating climate tech investments amid infrastructure challenges. He also emphasizes Connecticut's advantages in manufacturing and its collaboration with Yale and UConn to foster innovative solutions, ensuring sustainability while supporting local startups.

Woo Hoo! Episode #200 🎉🎉🎉We are thrilled to release our 200th episode with the one and only Moji Karimi. Moji is a co-founder of Cemvita, the biotech powerhouse that has also birthed GoldH2 and Endolith (now individual companies). This is the free version of the episode. To get the full thing, go to our Substack and become a paid subscriber. Any paid tier gets full access to the episode. Today, Moji shares with us,His journey into entrepreneurship and Cemvita What in the world they do and what they've done so far The basics of the biotech space Then we talk a lot about the future of biotech -- specifically, how we will start taking nature's lead in engineering industrial production We even discussed what a Trump administration could look like for the climate sector It's a wonderful conversation full of value. Enjoy! TOPICS:**02:22 Dinner with George Mitchell**05:39 Personal Journey & Origin of Cemvita**08:05 Sustainable Oil Production**13:01 Understanding Biotech & Synthetic Biology**15:46 Success in Biotech & Tips for Fundraising**19:44 End of Free Episode--In the full episode--**Considerations if Trump gets in**Disruption in Fundraising | Focus on Cost**What is a Durable Biotech Biz Model**Using Waste as a Feedstock**Redesigning Biotech Processes**Approaching Different Investors**Future Applications of Biotech**Finding the Right Cos and InvestorsLINKS:**Connect with Moji | Follow Cemvita**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Vivin Hegde is a visionary in the built environment space — from leading innovation efforts at Hilti to co-founding Zacua Ventures, Vivin is on a mission to redefine how we think about construction and infrastructure. In this episode, he dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of investing in the built environment, sharing his journey from managing corporate venture capital at Hilti to launching Zacua Ventures, where he backs early-stage startups focused on decarbonization, productivity, and infrastructure resiliency.Vivin unpacks:**The importance of "gentle disruption" in the construction industry 🛠️**The strategic shift from corporate innovation to independent VC investing 💼**How global perspectives inform better investment decisions 🌍**The key traits he looks for in founders, especially in the construction tech space 👥Topics:**02:04 Intro**03:08 Defining the Built Environment**04:56 Automation and Robotics in Construction**08:40 Sales and Building Relationships**24:59 Supporting Startups at the Earliest Stages**26:35 Investing Globally to Fund the Best Entrepreneurs**31:55 The Importance of Sector Specialization**42:53 The Role of Data Centers in the Digital Age**44:27 The Potential of Mass Timber in Construction**45:48 Addressing Challenges in the Design Space**47:22 Impressing Investors: Deep Understanding, Knowledge, and Learning AgilityLinks:**Vivin Hedge | Zacua Ventures**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Kieran White, Co-Founder of Curo, has a unique journey that began by hustling his way into Tesla at 18. In this insightful discussion, he reveals how Curo assists EV fleet owners in accessing reliable charging without the burden of building infrastructure. Kieran dives into the challenges of climate tech entrepreneurship and shares innovative strategies for maximizing existing charging assets. Tune in for his valuable insights on navigating the evolving landscape of electric vehicle charging and the impact of policy and incentives on the industry.

Hey everyone! Today’s episode is a special issue. We are unpacking Susan Su’s recent article “What a second Trump presidency would mean for climate investing”. She originally posted this on her Substack, Climate Money but we wanted to unpack it for those who prefer to learn by audio. The first ~20 minutes of today’s episode are public, but you’ll need to be a paid subscriber to access the remaining 17 minutes. Get the full episode and support our work while doing so by going to CleanTechies.Substack/Subscribe Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Edo is a rockstar individual — from tackling the lack of green employer incentive problem to building climate tech communities across the USA, Edo joins us to share his journey from working in sustainability at Apple to founding Elements World, making it possible for employers to hit their sustainability targets through their employees. He discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in addressing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by leveraging the often-overlooked potential of employee-related activities, such as business travel, commuting, and work-from-home practices.He breaks down:Their shift from a B2C to a B2B model 📈Shares insights on fundraising challenges 💰The importance of gaining traction before approaching investors 💵The role of AI in optimizing their offerings 🤖--Topics:**02:31 Introduction and Background**05:23 Understanding the Employer Problem**09:16 Transition from B2C to B2B**13:13 Working at Apple and Decision to Found Elements World**16:43 Fundraising Journey**22:26 Using AI in Climate Tech**27:26 Building and Scaling the Team**33:06 Creating ClimateTech Communities**35:44 Future Goals and Closing Thoughts--Links:**Edo Perry | Elements World**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X **This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Today we speak with Ravi Kurani, CEO and Founder of Sutro (water IoT device company -- exited to Sani Marc). Aaand the creator and host of Liquid Assets, a Podcast interviewing the leading voices in WaterTech. Between Ravi's background as a founder in the water, his familiarity with the water ecosystem, and now his opportunity to interview the leaders in the water space, he's a great person to have on regarding all things water. We feel that we got a hell of a deal here. We get to have one conversation that is worth thousands.Enjoy today's conversation about all things water, tech, policy, circularity, financing, and more. Oh, and if you are not already, go check out Liquid Assets wherever you get your podcasts (or just go to LiquidAssets.cc) Topics:**2:28 Intro**4:10 Learnings from Liquid Assets Podcast**8:09 The Categories of Water**11:20 Where Innovation Is**13:27 Energy x Water (Policy)**16:26 Upgrade to Paid Ad**18:01 GTM in Water**21:55 Power Dynamics and Wastewater**24:04 Telecom Parallel**24:52 Circularity x Water x Infrastructure**26:33 Owning Wastewater**28:45 Geo-Specific Challenges**31:04 Water Isn't Priced Right**32:20 KPIs for Success in Water**34:13 Global Water Hubs**35:35 Why Water is Close Knit**36:49 Startup Ideas**37:59 Water Needs New Financing ArmLinks:**Connect with Ravi Kurani | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuraniravi/ **Follow Liquid Assets | https://www.liquidassets.cc/ **Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Support the showEvery ClimateTech Entrepreneur needs a reliable partner for their legal needs. Why settle for less than the best? 💪🏽Reach out to Goodwin Law today; the law firm of choice for hundreds of ClimateTech Entrepreneurs worldwide. They have you covered from funding docs to offtake contracts to IPO and M&A support. GoodwinLaw.com (and tell them CleanTechies sent you!)

Matthias Muehlbauer, Founding Partner at OnePointFive, discusses beating MBB in sustainability, future of work in climate, power of bootstrapping, and tips for getting a job in climate. Topics include workforce transition, mid-career pivoters, embedded sustainability, and training 100k sustainable professionals by 2030.