CleanTechies

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 showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less. 70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guarantee It's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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 showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less. 70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guarantee It's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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 showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less. 70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guarantee It's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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 showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less. 70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guarantee It's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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 showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less. 70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guarantee It's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

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.

Dimitry Gershenson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Enduring Planet. A fractional CFO and Non-Dilutive Funding service for ClimateTech Entrepreneurs. As for funding, they provide working capital for founders who have landed grants or who have government contracts. It's great to see more Climate-Specific service providers to help continue supporting the ecosystem. Today, Dimitry shares his story, and we discuss:**The importance of and when to hire a fractional CFO**Funding underrepresented founders **The importance of Catalytic Capital**The Grant Funding Gap and Solving itAnd much more. Enjoy the episode!Resources Mentioned: **Climate Curious**Streamline Climate**Pacific Northwest Climate WeekEmail Dimitry: dimitry@enduringplanet.com---🌎 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 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **2:3 Introduction and Overview of Enduring Planet's Services**4:10 The Importance of Supporting Climate Entrepreneurs**8:47 The Gap in the Ecosystem for Finance Expertise in Climate Tech**10:23 The Need for Early Financial Planning and Analysis**12:31 The Importance of Getting Finance in Order Early**14:51 Timeline for Bringing in Fractional CFO and Hiring Full-Time Finance Talent**17:22 Navigating Finance Challenges in Hardware Climate Tech**18:18 Introduction and Pricing**19:18 Lending and Transparency**46:17 Building Local Climate Communities**50:47 Addressing Capital Gaps in the Climate Ecosystem----- Links: **Dimitry Gershenson | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgershenson/ **Enduring Planet | https://enduringplanet.com/**Follow CleanTechieSupport the showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less. 70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guarantee It's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com

In our third installment of sustainable building materials, we’re taking another look at lumber.We’ve already called reclaimed lumber “the superpower building material you’ve never heard of”.As a refresher, lumber, processed wood from trees, is a versatile and widely used building material known for its strength, durability, and workability.So why isn’t there more of it in our buildings? Well, as great as lumber is, usable lumber from our buildings only comes from a few places — in the USA, it comes mainly from the Northwest and Southeast. For this reason, lumber is an expensive building material.But all hope is not lost. Last week, we covered Urban Machine, a company turning waste wood reusable by removing objects from it.This week, we’re covering Cambium - a hot 🔥 startup pioneering regenerative, local supply chains for wood by converting waste wood into reusable assets for the lumber industry. Not only do they have their own white-labeled wood called Carbon Smart Wood, but they have an innovative SaaS platform that can function as the source of truth for the entire supply chain.Convinced that you should know more about this? Well, you’re in luck. Tune in to todays episode to learn more…🎧💡---🌎 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🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel-----Topics:**02:10 Introduction**06:24 Challenges in the Lumber Supply Chain**14:04 Deciding on the Founder Venture-Fact Operating Model**16:26 Guaranteeing Offtake and Ensuring Supply**19:03 The Value of Waste Wood**29:03 Competing with Incumbents**34:09 Scaling the Local Approach**45:32 Advice for Founders-----Links:**Ben Christensen | Cambium**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**Support the showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less. 70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guarantee It's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. hello@erthtechtalent.com