CleanTech founder Conor Madigan (Aether Fuels) reveals sustainable fuel tech breakthroughs, smart hiring, & building resilient climate startups.

Join us as Conor Madigan, Founder and CEO of Aether Fuels, shares how their innovative tech is set to decarbonize aviation and shipping by drastically cutting costs and boosting fuel yield from waste streams. A second-time founder, Conor also unpacks his proven strategies for building high-talent, low-ego teams and fostering constructive tension for optimal results.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts

Memorable Quotes:

• "The overall result of that is to cut the capex of a plant by about 50%." — Conor Madigan
  
  
• "Until you've built a big network of your own... it's pretty invaluable to have a top-notch recruiter." — Conor Madigan
  
  
• "If you compare an electrified system versus a fired system, you can boost the output by about 20%." — Conor Madigan
  
  
• "I… try to create a constructive sort of tension inside of an organization by pairing together certain personality traits." — Conor Madigan

In this episode, we discuss:

• 00:53 - Introduction to Conor Madigan and Aether Fuels
• 03:55 - Aether Fuels' core technology and market
• 05:27 - The innovation: cutting CAPEX and boosting yield
• 28:00 - The year-long "funnel" to choose the right climate problem
• 30:59 - Conor's philosophy on team building: high talent, low ego
• 32:00 - Creating constructive tension in R&D vs. Engineering
• 38:35 - Why senior hires need to be "player-coaches" at startups
• 40:30 - Transparent communication during challenging times
• 46:00 - Policy trends and market drivers for SAF
• 49:50 - Cost parity expectations for Aether Fuels' product

Links

• Conor Madigan | Aether Fuels
• 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 show

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Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

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Today, we're speaking with Cole Ashman, the CEO and founder of Pila Energy. 

Pila is democratizing access to battery backup systems through industrial-grade, consumer-priced batteries that are simply plug-and-play. No electricians, no permitting, just reliable power.

Pila's innovative approach is disrupting the home energy market, from enabling demand response programs to making backup power accessible and affordable for everyone. Listen today to hear how they are reshaping energy reliability and demand response access. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts

Select Quotes From This Episode:

• "Controlling loads... shutting off your air condition, technically great, but who wants their AC shut off on the hottest day of the year?" 
  
  
• "We're able to turn entire apartment complexes into batteries by coordinating up to hundreds of these distributed batteries." 

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Links

• Cole Ashman | Pila Energy
• 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 show

If 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. [email protected]

In this episode, we talk with Eric McShane, co-founder and CEO of Electroflow Technology (backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures). Eric is on a mission to revolutionize lithium production, a vital battery material.

We discuss the "Big Beautiful Bill's" impact on the battery industry and how Electroflow Technology's innovative approach addresses the critical need for domestic lithium production, especially given that "99% of this crucial battery material [LFP] is made in China." Eric shares how their unique process transforms brine into LFP, helping the U.S. become competitive again by "building real stuff" and using abundant low-concentration lithium brine resources.

Key Topics:

• BBB's Impact: The "Big Beautiful Bill's" role in boosting U.S. battery capacity and achieving self-sufficiency in materials like lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
• Electroflow's Innovation: Details on Electroflow Technology's unique method for transforming brine into LFP and its benefits.
• Go-to-Market Strategy: Electroflow's plan for market entry and key differentiators.
• Climate Tech Perspective: Eric's insights on being a climate tech founder and the excitement of "building real stuff."
• Future Goals: Electroflow Technology's objectives and plans for utilizing U.S. lithium brine resources.
• Get Involved: How investors and engineers can connect with Electroflow Technology.

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Support the show

If 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. [email protected]

In this episode, we sit down with Nikhil Vadhavkar, co-founder and CEO of Raptor Maps, to uncover how the company is tackling the invisible crisis in clean energy: operational inefficiency across $250B+ worth of solar assets.

Nikhil explains why the solar industry’s problems aren’t just about building more — they’re about getting the existing infrastructure to perform. From labor shortages to rising insurance costs, from underperforming fields to unscalable maintenance methods, Raptor Maps is turning traditional solar operations on its head. 

Their secret? A software platform built on digital twins, computer vision, and robotics that lets field techs do more of what matters.

You'll hear how Raptor Maps found product-market fit by replacing the most dangerous and manual tasks on solar farms with drone- and robot-driven workflows, and how that foundation has evolved into an AI-ready platform used across tens of gigawatts of global deployments. Nikhil shares the journey from MIT and NASA to Y Combinator and utility-scale solar, reflecting on what it means to build something technically excellent, deeply customer-embedded, and truly scalable.

We cover:

• How climate-driven damage (hail, fire) and tariffs are reshaping solar economics
• Why investors are demanding deeper visibility into solar asset performance
• What it takes to operate robots and AI in the middle of nowhere
• And how Raptor Maps built a customer-led culture — even as it scaled

---

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📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 02:51 Shifting Value Toward Operational Assets
• 03:02 Core Challenges in Solar
• 06:26 The Insights Behind Raptor Maps
• 11:06 From Doing a PhD to Raptor Maps 
• 20:31 Creating Scalable Solutions
• 24:44 Shifts in the Ecosystem and Market Positioning
• 31:45 Building Trust Through Industry Collaboration
• 40:36 Looking Ahead

This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If 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. [email protected]

Wow - 250 Episodes! Thank you all for being part of this journey so far. Stick with us as it’s only getting better.

Quotes From This Episode:

• "Operating an electric vehicle in your fleet is insanely cheap..." - Tyler Phillipi
• "Level 3 chargers without utility upgrades... Think garden hose in, fire hose out." - Silas Mähner
• "Amazon and Walmart... are doing the same exact thing from every portion of their fleet because it makes financial sense." - Tyler Phillipi

Announcement! We’re hosting a CleanTechies meetup in San Francisco!

• If you’re around on the 10th of July in San Francisco, join us for a friends of CleanTechies meetup! Register today as space is limited!

In this episode, we speak with Tyler Phillipi, CEO of OptiGrid. OptiGrid revolutionizes EV charging with innovative, easy-to-install units that cut installation time from 18 months to as little as 4 weeks. Partnering with Orange EV, OptiGrid tackles the fleet electrification bottleneck with a "garden hose in, fire hose out" approach, bypassing power constraints. Learn why giants like Amazon and Walmart electrify fleets for financial benefits, and how OptiGrid makes EV charging "dumb easy," driving a quiet revolution.

Topics

• 00:00 Operating electric vehicles in fleets is cheap (Cold Open)
• 00:28 Intro to OptiGrid
• 04:57 OptiGrid's technology 
• 07:52 Why fleets are electrifying despite challenges
• 12:52 OptiGrid's installation process
• 19:07 Advantages of working with Orange EV
• 24:03 Economic drivers for EV adoption
• 30:40 Corporate sustainability commitments and EV adoption
• 32:23 Grid challenges and the role of utilities
• 35:12 Supply chain and battery manufacturing
• 37:38 Tyler's thesis on team building
• 43:36 Getting the best out of people
• 44:45 Future of OptiGrid

Links

• Tyler Phillipi | OptiGrid
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If 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. [email protected]

Matt Ellis (Measurabl): Building a Climate Tech Empire

Join us with Matt Ellis, Founder & CEO of Measurabl, as he shares how they're transforming the green building industry. Discover how they're leveraging data and AI to drive sustainability, navigating policy, and helping building owners lower emissions. Matt dives into building a billion-dollar climate tech company, the importance of constant reinvention, and lessons in fostering a thriving company culture.

In this episode:

• (01:23) Reinventing Measurabl
• (05:57) AI and Data's Impact on Measurabl
• (15:43) Advice for Climate Tech Founders
• (35:42) Lessons Learned in Talent & Team Building
• (48:41) Emerging Trends in Sustainability Data & Business Models

Connect:

• Matt Ellis on LinkedIn | Measurabl Website
• 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 show

If 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. [email protected]

Today, we’re excited to have Tiya Gordon, founder of It’s Electric, back on the pod to discuss their progress since we last spoke in early 2024. She also gives us a big update on what’s happening in the curbside charging space across the US. 

With the federal funding support being pulled, a lot of cities are facing challenges in meeting their electrification goals. It’s Electric is thriving by helping them get curbside chargers in place with ZERO up-front costs. 

As if that wasn’t enough, they also help building owners earn extra revenue. A true win-win solution. 

Tune in for some golden nuggets on what the market is doing now and an absolute master class on how to build a high-performance team at an early-stage clean tech startup. 

Links

**Tiya Gordon | It’s Electric

**Listen to the first episode we did with Tiya - $167

**#167 Urban Charging, Electrifying Cities, Pilots & Partnerships, & More w/ Tiya Gordon (It's Electric)

**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn

**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn to fill your feeds with educational content 

**This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Support the show

If 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. [email protected]

What’s up, everyone! 

Today we’re sharing an episode with Joseph Vellone, the CEO of ChargeScape — a Joint Venture between Ford, Honda, BMW, and Nissan. 

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Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts

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As the grid continues to buckle under the pressure of ever-increasing demand, it’s more important than ever to find ways to manage the existing load. 

However, it’s not all bad. One of the main demand drivers might be the core solution to these demand problems—namely, EVs, when paired with smart charging software. 

You see, all these EVs are essentially backup batteries. Currently, not all are equipped with bi-directional charging, but most new vehicles hitting the roads are. 

So, not only can a smart charging software, managed by utilities, alleviate demand on the grid, it can also pull energy from the vehicles when the time is right (again, when the hardware capabilities are present). 

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Support our Work with a Paid Subscription

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This fundamentally shifts our perspective on vehicles. Instead of a cost center, it could earn you money by purchasing cheap energy, or charging on solar for free, and selling back to the grid at peak demand times. 

This is the type of utopian future we work towards — and the best part, it’s becoming reality in front of us. 

Topics 

**01:35 Revolutionizing EV Charging

**05:21 Joseph Vellone's Journey in Renewable Energy

**07:47 The Unique Opportunity at ChargeScape

**12:00 Transforming the EV Charging Experience

**13:30 Make Money w/ Smart Charging

**18:04 The Future of EVs + Renewable Energy

**20:03 Building a High-Performance Team

**23:10 Managing Startup Intensity Without Burnout

**25:58 How to Successfully Sell to Utilities

**28:50 The Benefits of Having Automakers as Strategic Investors

**31:17 The Role of AI in ChargeScape's Strategy

**33:44 Understanding EV Industry Backlash

**37:59 Resilience of EV Charging Amid Political Pushback

Links

**Joseph Vellone | ChargeScape

**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn |

Support the show

If 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. [email protected]

Today, we’re speaking with Sophie Purdom, Managing Partner of Planeteer Capital. 

After co-creating CTVC with Kim Zou, the climate deals and deep-dives newsletter that has become canon in climate, with 75k+ readers, Sophie announced Planeteer Capital. 

(We discussed on the pod) 

They are going full speed with their investing thesis, investing in companies at the incorporation stage. Something they have been able to do well, given the history and network that Sophie has. 

Aside from teasing the future of Planeteer and discussing their unique advantage, Sophie gave us some insights on where the market is now. 

One thing that surprised us is how, despite all the negative news, more deals are being done year over year than in years past. 

Sophie shares the 4 types of climate tech founders, what they look for picking the right team, and core things to get right when navigating the climate capital stack. 

This interview is one we’ve been chasing down for some time, so we’re glad to finally make it. We hope you enjoy the show! 

Fill out our listener survey. 

If you want to support our work, upgrade to paid today!

Topics 

**2:08 The Current State of Climate Tech
**5:31 Long-Term Impact of the Climate Boom
**8:44 [Check out ErthTech Talent for your Hiring Needs]
**9:28 Identifying Long-Term & Durable Trends
**13:04 Tracking High-Potential Niche Markets
**17:57 How Her View of Venture Investing Has Changed 
**20:20 Where Planeteer Investments
**23:15 The Value Planeteer Adds
**24:30 The Role CTVC Played In Her Ability To Run Planeteer Well
**28:00 Investing at Incorporation
**32:15 How They Support Founders & Incentive Alignment
**35:05 What to Know When Partnering with Incumbents
**39:29 Will Climate Disruptors Scale?
**43:10 The Future Vision of Planeteer Capital

Links
**Sophie Purdom | Planeteer Capital
**Discussing the Planeteer Fund Announcement
**Somil on LinkedIn |

Support the show

If 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. [email protected]

Today’s episode features Felix Krause, founding partner of Vireo Ventures, one of Europe’s leading early-stage energy tech investors. Felix is based in Berlin and brings decades of experience across solar project development, corporate VC, and now independent fund management.

We dig deep into why electrification is the real unlock for climate, and why Felix and his team believe the software that manages energy flows—not new forms of generation—is where VC dollars can make the biggest impact.

Felix also talks candidly about:

• How Vireo built a reputation as a hands-on, brutally honest investor
• Why “doing good and making money” aren’t mutually exclusive
• How to spot founders with true grit and fire in their eyes
• Why Europe is at a critical inflection point for tech sovereignty

We also cover how AI and increasing data availability are quietly enabling new software business models in energy—from optimizing legacy boilers in multifamily buildings to managing distributed assets securely.

If you're wondering how to build (or back) meaningful energy tech in today’s shifting market, this episode is packed with pragmatic insights—and just the right amount of optimism.

Topics

Short Version

• 04:36 Founding Vireo Ventures: The Transition to Investment
• 09:20 Building Relationships with Founders
• 14:20 The Importance of Honesty in Investment
• 17:52 Navigating the Future of Energy
• 22:44 Data and Cybersecurity in Clean Tech
• 25:12 Navigating the Go-To-Market Strategy
• 25:57 Investing in Early-Stage Software Companies
• 27:27 The Role of Data Extraction in Electrification
• 29:55 Understanding Business Models in Climate Tech
• 31:11 Evaluating Software Sales Strategies
• 34:13 AI's Impact on Electrification and Business Models

Links

• Felix Krause | Vireo Ventures
• 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 show

If 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. [email protected]