CleanTechies Podcast

There’s no sugarcoating it…Trump is bad news for ClimateTech — but thankfully, we have interviewed 200+ ClimateTech Entrepreneurs on how to build politically resilient companies — ensuring the future is greener no matter who the president is. Today we’re distilling those key lessons for you. * Key risks across / what’s on the chopping block * Possible silver linings & some wins * Recognizing the reality of the situation * Examples of likely downside * Choose a new narrative * Key advice to startups * Better / Faster / Cheaper * Bring on Non-Climate Investors * Choose the Right Customers * Involve CVCs* Build in Climate-Friendly States* Help the US Compete with China * Recognize Climate is not Everyone’s #1 Issue We recognize the severity of the situation we are in. But since we are here, we might as well learn from it and continue to do the good work moving forward.🚨 Also — a huge thank you to our paid subscribers for the questions and inspiration for this episode! Want to be a part of future ones? Upgrade to paid now! 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | 🎧 Spotify | 🗣️ Join the Slack ChannelOh! One last thing… These next 4 years are going to have their challenges — join our group chat for paid subs, where you can interact with other founders and get extra insights and behind-the-scenes access. — Become a paid subscriber to join today! 📝 Show Notes:Topics * 00:00 Brief Reactions* 02:53 Key Implications (What’s at Risk & Upsides?)* 06:11 Rural vs Urban Perspectives on Climate Issues* 09:00 Navigating Climate Conversations in a Conservative Context* 11:51 Opportunities and Risks for Climate Tech Under Trump* 15:13 Changing how you Market Your Climate Tech Startup * 21:52 Strategies for Climate Tech Founders Moving ForwardLinks* Cipher: With Donald Trump victory, here are his energy and climate positions* Nature: Big State and Local Wins for Climate and Conservation in the United States* The Hill: 18 House Republicans ask Johnson not to target IRA clean energy tax credits* 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. 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cleantechies.substack.comToday we are joined by Duncan Logan, CEO & Co-Founder of 9Zero. A community platform to bring climate professionals together in person and online so we can work together to solve the climate crisis. Duncan previously founded RocketSpace where he saw many tech startups that would go on to become unicorns. Companies like Uber, FlexPort, and Spotify. Having this experience made him realize the importance of creating a hub for people to collaborate and bump into each other. They are extending this even further by building these hubs in all major climate cities because unlike the 2000’s tech boom, there is no one silicon valley for climate. We need to connect NY, DC, Boston, Houston, London, Berlin, SF, Seattle, and beyond. Duncan brings a lot of experience and some great stories (like the time he met Elon). Check out the episode today. If you are not a paid subscriber, you can get the free preview. To get the entire episode, become a paid supporter today.Every 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!) 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | 🎧 Spotify | 🗣️ Join the Slack ChannelFuture guest suggestions or topics? Leave a comment!📝 Show Notes:Topics * 00:00 The Climate Ecosystem: A Call to Action* 02:01 Duncan Logan: Building Climate Tech Communities* 11:09 9Zero: The Silicon Valley of Climate* 20:14 Connecting Climate Hubs: A Collaborative Approach* 29:45 Navigating Complexity in Climate Tech* 38:50 Leadership in Climate Startups: The Right Team MattersLinks* Duncan Logan | 9Zero* 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.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cleantechies.substack.comJean-Simon Venne is the co-founder and CTO of BrainBox AI, a pioneering company using artificial intelligence to optimize energy use in buildings. With a background in telecom and deep expertise in building mechanics and computer engineering, Jean-Simon has led BrainBox’s efforts to bring scalable, autonomous HVAC systems to the market. In this episode, Jean-Simon discusses his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of scaling AI in the built environment, and how BrainBox AI leverages deep learning to decarbonize buildings and support grid efficiency.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cleantechies.substack.comArjun Jairaj is an investor at noa, a London-based VC firm focused on early-stage ventures in the built environment across North America and Europe. With experience spanning private equity, startup founding, and advisory roles, Arjun has worked in India, the UK, and beyond, including founding a shared economy startup called Plonk. At noa, he focuses on real estate, construction, energy, and mobility, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and climate technology.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cleantechies.substack.comToday we have the opportunity to interview one of the most energetic and inspiring people in climate tech. Liz Dennett, the CEO and Founder of Endolith. If you recognize the name Endolith, it may be because we had Moji Karimi of Cemvita on for episode 200. Endolith recently spun out of Cemvita to form its own independent company. They are solving a huge problem in the electrification puzzle — copper extraction. By 2050 we will need more copper than in the history of mankind due to the electrification of industry and developing countries. If we don’t solve this, it could lead to geopolitical conflicts. Endolith’s technology uses microbes to eat crushed rocks and poop out copper (I mean, I did say explain it to me like I’m 5). They add this to existing mining operations to increase output by ~10%. Solving this problem will help us get closer to meeting the rising copper demand. And this is a good thing for many reasons. Not the least of which is, as countries gain reliable access to electricity, women and children are the primary beneficiaries. That’s a world I want to work for. In today’s conversation, we’ll cover:* The role of copper in electrification* Her journey to CEO of Endolith* Why copper could be the thing wars are fought over (not water)* The innovation behind microbial mining* The balance between generating hype and focusing on scientific advancementsLet’s dive in. (Full topics at the bottom 👇) 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | 🎧 Spotify | 🗣️ Join the Slack Channel(PS: if you want to see her adorable dog — go watch on YouTube — SOOO CUTE! 🐶)If you’re a free subscriber, get the full (and uninterrupted) episode by upgrading to paid today. Every 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!)Topics: * 00:00 The Importance of Coppe* 02:49 Liz's Journey to Endolith* 06:06 Microbes and Metal Recovery* 08:49 Deep Tech Startup Challenges* 12:11 Spinning-Out of Endolith from Cemvita* 14:53 The Impact of Copper on Society* 18:04 Geopolitics and Copper* 20:57 Electrification and Global Outcomes* 25:40 Speaking Truth to Power* 28:26 The Complexities of Clean Energy Access* 30:44 Areas to Decarbonize Mining* 32:36 Partnering with Mining Incumbents* 35:55 Balancing Hype and ‘Doing Science’* 40:39 The Role of Politics in Green Mining* 45:11 Recycling & the Future of MineralsLinks* Liz Dennett | Endolith* 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.

A while ago, we released a survey to collect people's feedback on NY Climate Week 2024. Well… the results are in! And we are here to recap them. If you want to know…**What people thought the best events were (and why) **As well as the worst… (namedropped… 😬) and why **Favorite topics **Topics people want to see more next year**What everyone’s goal was, and did they achieve it? **What people will do differently next year**And takeaways from your favorite CleanTechies hostsWe enjoyed making this, and we think you’ll enjoy listening. Let us know how we did!Topics 0:00 Introduction to the NY Climate Week Survey Results1:03 Highlights of Favorite Events2:31 Factors Contributing to Event Success3:53 Least Favorite Events8:08 Key Topics Discussed11:51 Goals of Attendees20:30 Broader Feedback and Suggestions for Improvement23:19 Takeaways LinksConnect 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. 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cleantechies.substack.comArjun Jairaj is an investor at noa, a London-based VC firm focused on early-stage ventures in the built environment across North America and Europe. With experience spanning private equity, startup founding, and advisory roles, Arjun has worked in India, the UK, and beyond, including founding a shared economy startup called Plonk. At noa, he focuses on real estate, construction, energy, and mobility, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and climate technology.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cleantechies.substack.comNOTE: if you’re a free subscriber, you can get the full ~50-minute conversation by upgrading to paid today. 🌎 Welcome back to CleanTechiesThe #1 Podcast For ClimateTech Entrepreneurs* Discussions 2x / week 🎙️* Bonus content on many episodes 🙋* Monthly show with Somil & Silas 🤓* Community 🤝ClimateTech Investor? Entrepreneur? Maybe an aspiring one? Service p…

Bucket List: - Do a live podcast recording ✅ Thanks to Extantia, one of THE leading ClimateTech funds in Europe, we recorded our first live podcast with Co-Founder, Partner, & LinkedIn Top Voice Yair Reem. It was FOAKing awesome. And no, it wasn’t awesome just because we got to do a live podcast, but because so many of you showed up to listen!! Shoutout to all of the CleanTechies that came through; we’re sufficiently motivated to do another 🚀.No frills this time, the pizazz was in the recording, here’s the info you need:In today’s recording of our live discussion, you can hear us break-down everything regarding FOAK financing for hardware climate tech startups:* Intro to Yair * What the F**K is FOAK * How to “Do FOAK” * How offtake agreements are game-changers & the largest open-source offtake directory* Finding commercialization talent * The danger of spinning out deeptech too soon* How founders and investors can break through the noise Every 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!)While you listen, here’s some links for ya:* Connect with Yair* Follow Extantia* Check out the last episode we did with Extantia* Connect with Somil & Silas * Follow us on LinkedIn* Subscribe on YouTube * Upgrade to PaidAnd before you go, here’s one more photo for ya: See y’all at the next CleanTechies Live Podcast Recording ☕️ 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

NYCW 2024 was a DOOZY…filled with plenty of good and crazy times that we equally don’t really remember. It went by in a blur, but so much happened in the week that we need to break it down with all you CleanTechies out there.Listen to the ep to hear about:* What events we liked — Third Sphere, Political Risk Event, Climate Capital Summit, New Climate Futures * The events we didn’t like — VC hangouts & loud bar meetups * Our biggest takeaways — There needs to be better collaboration across events; and the UNGA & NYCW are competing for the best climate talent* Our biggest gripes — Too much posturing and getting stuck in echo chambers; too much noise — not enough signal * What we are going to do differently next year — hosting more of our own events / attending fewer ones & finding places where the real debates are happening * Our hot takes 🔥:* FOAK financing isn’t real* Dealflow isn’t an alpha for VCs anymore* Startups need to pursue generating PE-quality returns to succeed 👉 AND…last but not least, stay tuned to hear the recording of our first live podcast (coming later this week)…👀👉 If you’ve made it this far, you must really be interested in a better NYCW experience…fill out the post-Climate Week survey 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