What does it take to scale the clean energy transition—both at the bleeding edge of new technology and in the nuts-and-bolts of infrastructure?

Today’s episode dives into the nuanced world of climate finance and infrastructure with Brendan Bell, Chief Operating Officer and Partner at Aligned Climate Capital. Unlike most investors who play in either venture or infrastructure, Align straddles both worlds, backing early-stage companies while also owning and operating clean energy assets.

Brendan shares his unusual path from the Sierra Club to the U.S. Senate, the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, and now into the private sector. Along the way, he offers candid insights into what makes a strong infrastructure investment, how venture-backed technologies eventually scale into bankable assets, and why understanding both sides of the capital stack is critical to accelerating the clean energy transition.

This is a masterclass on the interplay between policy, venture innovation, and hard infrastructure. If you’ve ever wondered how moonshot technologies meet the realities of capital markets and project finance, this conversation will give you the inside view.

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 02:43 – Dual Strategy: Venture vs Infrastructure
• 04:05 – Evaluating Infrastructure Projects
• 06:06 – Career Journey to Aligned Climate Capital
• 07:55 – Inside the Loan Programs Office
• 10:10 – Impact of Early Loans and Technology Bets
• 12:25 – Evolution of the LPO
• 15:42 – Lessons from Oil and Gas
• 22:48 – Current State of Infrastructure Investment
• 24:40 – Community Solar and Storage
• 27:55 – Global Trends and Race for Electrons
• 32:45 – Successful Investment Example
• 34:32 – Team Structure and Investment Philosophy
• 39:48 – Policy and International Markets
• 44:59 – Global Impact on Costs and Adoption

Links

• Brendan Bell | Align Climate Capital
• 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.

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How can we fight climate change by focusing underground?

It turns out one of the biggest untapped climate solutions isn’t in the air—or in the trees, it’s in the soil beneath our feet. Today’s guest has developed a game-changing way to measure and protect soil organic carbon, helping farmers, agribusinesses, and carbon markets work together for climate impact and economic resilience.

Our guest is Chris Tolles, Founder & CEO of Yard Stick PBC.

Some quotes to hook you:

“Soils store way, way more carbon than all the trees and plants and animals combined.”

“If you want to sell soil carbon credits, you’ve got to measure soil carbon—accurately and at scale.”

“Healthy soils aren’t just about climate—they’re about keeping Cheerios on the shelves.”

“Identify the application of your technology that helps someone make money or save money—that’s what all businesses do.”

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Show Notes: Topics

05:50 – What Yardstick does and how the tech works

08:07 – Why soil organic carbon matters for climate and food security

09:31 – Is higher soil carbon concentration always better?

09:31 – Yardstick’s two main revenue streams

14:02 – Climate product or economic solution?

17:21 – How big companies will make the change

30:12 – Is framing as a “climate solution” a dead end?

36:45 – Balancing production and soil health

42:16 – Revisiting emissions per calorie in agriculture

49:10 – Messaging Yardstick to different audiences

Links- Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas- Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn- This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

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Ever wonder how we are going to decarbonize heavy industry? Well, you won't have to wonder much longer. Today's guest has an incredible solution that is 1) drop in, 2) cost parity (or better), 3) has an existing supply chain, 4) overcomes any scarcity concerns, and 5) prevents users from changing anything they do. 

Our guest is Peter Godart, the Co-Founder of Found Energy. 

Some quotes to hook you:

- "We've developed what we call the world's first rechargeable fuel."

- "There's really no other technology that can store energy for this long and then be dispatched as easily."

- "Aluminum is just one of the best materials we have available to actually burn something."

- "If you don't have a green grid, actually exacerbates the issue. At least in the short term, makes things worse."

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📝 Show Notes:
Topics

1:04 Core technology & how it works?

4:58 Why is a new fuel source needed for industrial decarb?

13:00 What is "rechargeable fuel"?

19:08 Path to cost parity w/ fossil fuels

20:56 You can use aluminum waste!? 

26:24 Targe industries & markets

34:36 How to handle the supply chain? 

40:37 Energy density comparison to traditional fuels

50:51 Next milestones for scaling the technology

1:01:50 Timeline for commercial deployment

Links
- Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas
- 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.

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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.

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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

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)
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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 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)
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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)
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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]