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Hey everyone! Today we’ve got a great episode with Tommy Leep from VC, Jetstream. Some of his PortCos include David Energy, Pachama, Rhizome, and past pod guests Pathways & Glacier. 

He’s been on the show in the past with some great advice on fundraising. Check it out — episode 85. 

#85 How to Raise Money for your ClimateTech Startup w/ Tommy Leep, founder of Jetstream VC

Recently there have been a bunch of people shifting their focus or branding to be more inclusive and not always sound ‘pure climate tech’ — Tommy is one of those people. He recently claimed “ClimateTech is Mainstream now.” Because of it, he’s broadening his fund thesis. 

This is the first of at least two conversations on this exact topic (stay tuned for next week’s episode with Grace and Adam from Equal Ventures). 

Topics 

• 00:00 The Shift in Climate Tech Perspectives
• 10:06 Mainstreaming Climate Tech
• 20:03 Investing in Health, Wealth, and Resilience
• 30:08 The Future of Education and Community Building

Links

• Tommy Leep | Jetstream
• 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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Rebecca Hu Thrams, co-founder of Glacier, is on a mission to transform recycling using AI-powered robotics and proprietary physical data to fix one of the biggest inefficiencies in waste management.

Glacier isn’t just another AI company—it’s tackling the physical world problem of waste sorting, giving recyclers and major brands unprecedented visibility into where materials actually go. By deploying intelligent sorting robots, Glacier is not only increasing efficiency but also building a defensible data moat, positioning itself as the source of truth for the circular economy.

With growing consumer demand for sustainability and new regulations like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on the horizon, companies are scrambling for solutions. Glacier’s technology is bridging the gap between recyclers and producers—helping brands measure, track, and improve their sustainability efforts with real, actionable data.

Get the full episode today to hear:

✅ How AI and robotics are unlocking new efficiencies in recycling
✅ Why proprietary physical data is the key to an enduring AI-powered business
✅ How Glacier is helping major brands and recyclers prepare for new regulations
✅ Rebecca’s journey from reluctant founder to leading a climate-tech startup
✅ What the future of circular supply chains could look like with AI-driven insights

Don’t miss a moment! If you want to get the full discussion, become a paid subscriber today or redeem your trial upgrade to test it out. 

Subscribe now

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📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 02:04 Founding Glacier
• 05:54 Understanding Glacier's Role in Recycling
• 14:12 Identifying Opportunities for Disruption in Recycling
• 18:07 The Future of Recycling Efficiency
• 22:08 Challenges in the Recycling Industry
• 23:07 Navigating Risk Aversion in Robotics Investment
• 24:43 Finding Early Adopters in the MRF Industry
• 29:07 Advancements in AI and Robotics
• 35:07 The Future of Connectivity in Recycling
• 37:30 Collaborating with Industry Giants
• 42:44 Scaling Glacier

Links

• Rebecca Hu Thrams | Glacier

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
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• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
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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.

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]

We’re doing something a bit different…🤔

We’re exploring the urgent and evolving landscape of critical minerals with Nicholaus Rohleder from Climate Commodities. Nick, an investor and expert in the field, breaks down how the U.S. went from a leader in mineral production to heavy reliance on foreign sources—and why the time is now for entrepreneurs to help rebuild domestic supply chains.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Rise and Fall of U.S. Mineral Production
• Why Critical Minerals Matter More Than Ever
• Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
• The Capital Market Shift
• U.S. Trade Policy and Tariffs
• The Future of Clean Minerals
• Mistakes Founders Make

Nick teaches a class on this at UPenn, so this is serious value ($$$) — if you’re a investor, policymaker, or entrepreneur looking to understand the critical minerals space, this is for you. 

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Links

• Nicholaus Rohleder | Climate Commodities
• 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.

Topics 

• 01:23 Landscape of Critical Minerals
• 05:06 Historical Context of U.S. Mineral Production
• 09:53 Talent and Knowledge Gaps in the Industry
• 12:10 The Need for Domestic Production
• 20:30 The Key Minerals
• 28:51 Opportunities in the Critical Minerals Value Chain
• 34:32 Technological Innovations and Local Production
• 43:05 Cost Dynamics

[Paywall Begins]

• 44:04 Building Successful Companies in Critical Minerals
• 46:52 Common Mistakes in the Critical Minerals Sector
• 51:52 Current Trends in Capital Investment
• 55:42 Investment Opportunities
• 56:00 Advice for Start-ups in the Sector
• 57:06 Government Involvement and Policy Implications

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]

This week, we’re joined by Todd Bush, an expert in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), with decades of experience supporting oil and gas companies in their decarbonization efforts. Todd has founded and sold multiple companies and is now leading decarbonfuse, a daily newsletter tracking deal activity in carbon capture and industrial decarbonization.

This conversation covers the current state of carbon capture, where the momentum is strongest, the biggest barriers to scaling CCUS, and how policy and investment shifts are shaping the industry. If you’re curious about where the carbon capture market is headed and how it intersects with industries like ethanol, hydrogen, and steel production, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

🔍 Topics Covered in This Episode

**The first movers in carbon capture: ethanol, ammonia, and natural gas
**The difference between Class 2 vs. Class 6 wells and why it matters
**How carbon capture projects get financed and what returns investors expect
**The role of policy (45Q tax credits, permitting hurdles, and regulatory uncertainty)
**Utilization of CO2—who’s buying it and why
**Why Houston and the Gulf Coast are primed to be the epicenter of CCUS
**What’s needed for carbon capture to reach private equity scale 

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Notes & Links:

• decarbonfuse Newsletter
• Energy Tech Nexus | Digital Wildcatters
• Abt the 45Q Tax Credit
• More on Class 6 vs. Class 2 Wells
• Participate in the CleanTechies Listener Survey: Take Survey.
• 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.

Timestamps:
**0:00 Introduction to Carbon Capture 

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]

Yuval Bachar, Founder and CEO of Edge CloudLink (ECL), is on a mission to revolutionize data centers with hydrogen-powered, off-grid solutions.

His journey spans decades, with leadership roles at Cisco, Facebook, and LinkedIn, where he built critical infrastructure for some of the biggest names in tech. Now, he’s pioneering a new wave of sustainable data centers, delivering AI-ready capacity in just nine months—compared to the industry average of three to four years.

Here’s the game-changer: ECL’s modular approach eliminates reliance on traditional power grids, slashes emissions to zero, and generates its own cooling water, making it a groundbreaking solution for the energy-hungry AI revolution.

With data center demand soaring and grid power in short supply, Yuval’s vision could be the key to unlocking the next generation of computing.

Get the full episode today to hear:

• Why traditional data centers are struggling to keep up with AI growth—and how ECL is changing the game
• The secret behind delivering AI data centers in 9 months instead of 3+ years
• How Yuval secured $18M in funding and is now raising $1.2B for large-scale deployments
• The surprising benefits of hydrogen for both cost and sustainability
• Key lessons from scaling world-class infrastructure at Facebook, LinkedIn, and Cisco

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 02:46 Hydrogen-Powered Data Centers
• 10:40 Modular and Rapid Deployment
• 14:01 The Hydrogen Supply Chain
• 26:30 Innovation in Data Centers
• 28:54 Supportive Boardroom Culture
• 32:15 Building Trust and Transparency
• 34:40 Fostering a Culture of Innovation
• 41:13 A Journey Through a Tech Career
• 49:28 Taking the Leap into Entrepreneurship
• 54:57 Vision for the Future

Links

• Yuval Bachar | EdgeCloudLink
• 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 are speaking with Nada Ahmed and Jason Ethier, two of the founding partners at Energy Tech Nexus. Energy Tech Nexus is a Houston-based hub designed to connect EnergyTech startups with the resources they need to grow. This includes access to capital, corporate partners, direct access to pilot opportunities, as well as a community of other founders doing the same thing. 

In this episode, we dive into
**how they're building an innovation powerhouse in the heart of the U.S. energy industry, 
**the evolving role of oil majors in clean tech, 
**and how to navigate the new regulatory landscape of the Trump administration 

---
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Topics:
(today’s show is all public)
**00:00 Intro to Nada & Jason
**01:51 Building the Energy Tech Nexus Community
**10:16 Funding & Supporting Clean Tech Startups in Houston
**14:30 Innovating in Green Chemicals and Advanced Materials
**20:57 Navigating the New Administration's Energy Policies
**29:46 Flaring and Methane Emissions
**32:05 How to Market Climate Tech Under Trump
**36:37 T36:37 How to Jump Start Nuclear Energy
**46:47 Carbon Capture and the Future Role of Oil Majors

Links:
**Nada Ahmed | Jason Ethier
**Energy Tech Nexus
**Check out the Energy Tech Startups Podcast
**Participate in the CleanTechies Listener Survey: Take Survey.
**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.

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
In today’s episode of CleanTechies, we’re joined by Anca Timofte, the CEO and Founder of Holocene, a direct air capture (DAC) company revolutionizing carbon removal through a continuous-loop liquid system. With over a decade of experience in carbon capture—including being one of the first employees at Climeworks—Anca offers unparalleled insight into the challenges and opportunities of building climate solutions.

Anca walks us through:

**How Holocene's low-temp carbon capture slashes energy costs with novel organic chemistry.

**Solid vs. liquid DAC: Why Holocene’s approach is a game-changer for scaling carbon removal.

**Holocene's milestones: Securing Google as a customer and advancing major projects.

**Startup lessons: Co-founder alignment, mission-driven hiring, and thriving in Knoxville.

**Why DAC matters: Tackling legacy and ongoing emissions in a decarbonized world.

---
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Topics:
(time stamps are accurate for the full episode and approximate for the free preview)
**00:00 Intro
**02:51 Understanding Direct Air Capture
**05:54 Business Model and Customer Segments
**08:54 Partnerships and Market Dynamics
**11:48 Scaling and Project Deployment
**15:06 Founding Story and Entrepreneurial Journey
**24:52 Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics
**25:48 Adapting to Political Changes
**27:09 Embracing Uncertainty in Entrepreneurship
**28:30 Bipartisan Support for Carbon Capture
—(Free Version ends here)—
**30:19 Public Perception of Carbon Capture
**32:15 Survival vs. Success in Carbon Capture
**34:01 Building a Team in Knoxville
**39:30 Engaging with the Local Community
**41:07 Hiring Lessons Learned
**43:20 Balancing Parenthood and Entrepreneurship
**45:13 Unexpected Challenges in the Startup Journey
**46:31 Valuing Team Dynamics
**47:26 Resources for Climate Tech Founders
**48:36 Encouragement for Carbon Capture Startups

Links:
**Anca Timofte | Holocene
**Read the DOE report on direct air capture technologies here.
**Participate in the CleanTechies Listener Survey: Take Survey.
**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]

Jane Melia is the CEO and Co-Founder of Harvest Thermal, revolutionizing home heating with heat batteries.

Jane’s journey began with a vision to make home electrification both cost-effective and climate-friendly. Harvest Thermal has developed a patented system that combines heat pumps with thermal storage, reducing household emissions by 90% and energy bills by 30%, all while providing unparalleled comfort.

Here’s the kicker: Jane and her team have successfully navigated the challenges of hardware deployment, secured millions in grant funding, and built a business that’s not only scalable but also grid-friendly and future-proof.

With heating and hot water responsible for 10% of global emissions, Harvest Thermal is tackling one of the toughest climate challenges, turning it into a win for homeowners and the planet.

Get the full episode today to hear:

• How Harvest Thermal is cutting bills and emissions while keeping homes cozy
• The secrets to scaling hardware technology in a competitive market
• Why heat batteries are the key to making electrification affordable and sustainable
• How Jane balances product innovation with deployment strategy to drive impact at scale

Don’t miss a moment! If you want to get the full discussion, become a paid subscriber today or redeem your trial upgrade to test it out. 

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 02:14 Jane Melia's Background and Journey
• 04:36 Understanding Thermal Storage Technology
• 08:22 Consumer Demand for Home Electrification
• 10:18 Key Ingredients for Success in Home Heating
• 12:41 Differentiators in Customer Experience
• 14:06 Geographic Expansion and Market Strategy
• 18:01 Installer Relationships and Deployment Strategy
• 20:22 Balancing Product Development and Deployment
• 22:17 Building a Strong Team for Growth
• 28:57 Fundraising Strategy and Market Positioning
• 36:01 The Role of Policy in Supporting Innovation
• 40:23 Vision for the Future of Home Electrification

Links

• Jane Melia | Harvest Thermal
• 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]

Martin Freimüller, the CEO and Co-Founder of Octavia Carbon, a cutting-edge Direct Air Capture (DAC) company based in Kenya

Martin’s journey began with a deep appreciation for Africa’s potential and the realization that Kenya, with its abundant geothermal energy and skilled talent pool, is the perfect location for DAC. In just two and a half years, Octavia Carbon has developed patented technology, grown to a team of 61 (40 of them engineers), and even built Kenya’s first DAC pilot facility.

Here’s the kicker: they’ve managed to secure millions in prepaid carbon revenue to fund their projects — all before raising their $5M seed round. Octavia’s tech pulls CO2 from the air, stores it underground as minerals, and leverages Kenya’s unmatched renewable energy resources to make the process both cost-effective and scalable.

Reliable and affordable carbon removal is critical to the fight against climate change, and Octavia Carbon is showing that emerging markets can lead the charge.

Get the full episode today to hear:

• How they got customers to prepay millions for their pilot projects
• Why Kenya is the global sweet spot for DAC
• The role clean energy and carbon storage play in shaping Africa’s economy
• What makes Direct Air Capture the hardest engineering challenge in the world—and why Octavia is ready to solve it

📝 Show Notes:

Topics 

• 02:25 Octavia Carbon
• 05:35 Founding Octavia Carbon
• 09:07 Understanding Direct Air Carbon Capture (DAC)
• 13:24 Kenya: The Ideal Location for DAC
• 14:44 The Climate Tech Scene in Africa
• 21:15 Opportunities in Emerging Markets
• 27:45 Navigating Skepticism in DAC
• 30:35 Cost Advantages of Operating in Emerging Markets
• 35:46 Best Practices for Founders in Emerging Markets
• 38:31 Verifying DAC

Links

• Martin Freimüller | Octavia Carbon
• 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]

On today’s episode, we’re speaking with Martin Schichtel, the CEO and Founder of Kraftblock, a thermal energy storage solution for industrial clients that use high heat. 

Today, they’re delivering their 5th project. All of which have been paid for by their customers — yep, you read that right. They have not used equity to pay for these pilot and demonstration projects. 

Their tech takes excess heat or electricity and turns it into heat, stores it in these engineered rocks. When demand is needed, they deliver the power. Reliable and affordable energy storage is the key to the energy transition. 

Get the full episode today to hear….

**How they managed to get their customers to pay for their pilots and demonstration projects
**The role consumer demand for cleanly produced products is having on the world
**The importance of validating the idea WITH CUSTOMERS before you build your pilot
**The energy storage landscape globally

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Topics
(time stamps are accurate for the full episode and approximate for the free preview)

**00:00 Market Education and Heat Storage Innovations
**03:08 The Journey of Kraft Block and Its Technology
**05:51 Transitioning from Technical to Commercial
**09:12 Understanding the Customer Base and Revenue Models
**11:56 Global Demand for Clean Products
**15:11 The Evolution of Thermal Energy Storage
**18:07 Prototyping and Development Challenges
**20:57 The Current State of Energy Storage Industry
**24:08 Market Conditions Driving Change
**26:52 Sustainability and Waste Management in Technology
**28:44 Innovative Material Development for Energy Storage
**31:59 Validation Principles for Hardware Startups
**35:07 Funding Strategies for Hardware Projects
—(Free Version ends here)—
**39:41 Building Trust in Hardware Industries
**42:30 Navigating Speed to Market in Hardware
**45:22 Climate Tech Trends and Political Influences
**49:58 Future of Energy Storage and Startup Opportunities
**53:52 Underrated Climate Founders and Resources

Links

**Martin Schichtel | KRAFTBLOCK
**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Sila

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]