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…🎧💡
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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
**@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

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Reclaimed lumber is the superpower building material you’ve never heard of (because we’re all up to date on our Rolodex of sustainable building materials, right?).

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. That makes lumber an expensive building material.

But all hope is not lost. In comes Urban Machine. By creating reusable lumber from waste sites, they are increasing the supply of usable lumber, making it not only more available but more local.

Convinced that you should know more about this? Well, you’re in luck. Tune in to todays episode to learn more…🎧💡

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Topics:
**03:14 Building Robots for Lumber
**08:22 Removing Metal
**18:30 Predicting Inventory
**26:27 Challenges of Building a Hardware Company
**28:47 The Economics of Construction
**36:26 The Future of Urban Machine
**40:35 Keys to Success in the Construction Tech Industry
-----

Links:
**Eric Law | Urban Machine
**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 show

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!)

Mycelium is an emerging decarbonized building material due to its sustainability, biodegradability, and strength. It is cultivated by growing fungal networks, also known as mushrooms. Mycelium-based products can be used for insulation, bricks, and packaging.

Today, we have a ClimateTech Entrepreneur making waves with Mycelium. Ilya is CEO & Co-Founder of COMU Labs, bridging the gap between sustainability and affordability in furniture materials. They utilize fungi to transform agricultural waste into robust, machinable and fire-retardant material that looks and behaves like plywood.

Some of what we chatted about:

**How Mycelium can be pressed into high-density boards
**Why their material is substrate agnostic (and what the heck that means 🤔)
**Challenges that still exist with market acceptance
**Building a sustainable and healthy company culture

& more. 🍄
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Topics:
**01:31 Intro
**02:49 Discovering Mycelium
**09:09 Advantages of Mycelium as a Building Material
**11:43 Common Misconceptions about Mycelium
**20:31 Scouting New Talent
**24:58 Challenges Ahead for Comu Labs

-----
Links:
**Ilya Gindin | COMU Labs
**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 show

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!)

Ashwin Salvi is the Co-Founder and COO of AtmosZero. They create electrified boilers to replace traditional fossil-fuel-burning boilers in industrial settings.

Steam touches a huge amount of products that we, as consumers, use every day, and AtmosZero is helping decarbonize that. 

Today, Ashwin shares his story, and we discuss:

• How they solved the cost issue by making a drop-in replacement 
• How they built their pilot at the same scale as their commercial unit 
• The tradeoffs of building in stealth
• How they are building to win even without subsidies 

And much more.

Enjoy the episode!

Resources Mentioned
Book Recommendation: Empires of Light by Jill Jonne
Podcast Recommendations: Founders Podcast by David Senra AND How to Take Over the World by Ben Wilson
Connect with Ashwin Salvi: Email: [email protected]

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Topics:
**01:58 Introduction and Background
**10:03 Creating a Standardized Solution for Decarbonization
**24:03 Return on Investment and Future Plans
**25:42 De-risking and Mass Manufacturing
**29:23 Challenges and Objections
**39:32 First Commercial Deployment
**48:48 Opportunities in Electrical Availability and Funding
**51: 38 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Ashwin Salvi | AtmosZero
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn:
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

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!)

Today, we are talking to Toby Ferenczi from Granular Energy.

In this electrifying (ha!) episode, we finally tracked down the elusive Toby Ferenczi, a man who juggles startups like they're hot potatoes. ⚡️

Toby educates us about the world of electricity transparency and trading.

Did you know you can trade electricity like stocks? Neither did we! And it doesn’t exactly work like that…but it got your interest, didn’t it?? 🤔

From his days at Cambridge to co-founding Granular Energy, Toby has journeyed in solar starting with solar panel materials with this PhDs, working at GE, and later through startup exits.

He even founded a nonprofit for timestamped energy certificates—because, why not?

If you've ever wondered where your electricity comes from or how to make a clean energy choice, this episode is a shocker in the best way possible. 💥
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-----
Topics:
**02:42 Introduction
**05:00 Enabling Customers to Choose Clean Energy
**08:20 The Role of Electricity Markets
**10:43 Journey as an Entrepreneur 
**14:46 Transparency in the Energy Industry
**20:50 Understanding the Utility Business Model 
**25:28 Opportunities to Bypass Utilities
**30:49 Fundraising
**33:50 The Future of the Solar Industry
**43:24 Opportunities in the Market

-----
Links:
**Toby Ferenczi | Granular Energy
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

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!)

Kevin Noertker is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ampaire, a developer of Hybrid Aviation Propulsion Systems to Decarbonize Air Travel Today.

Currently they are scaling up their tech. Their tech is proven to reduce fuel usage by about 50% for small aircrafts (anything with a propeller).

Today, Kevin shares his story and we discuss:

• Aerospace Engineer to Ampaire: His story of co-founding Ampaire. 
• Addressing Existing Stock: Electric aircraft is the future, but their solution helps address the existing stock of aircraft. 
• Bridging the Infrastructure Gap: How fully electric air travel will require massive infrastructure upgrades, so they are building a solution that will work in between.

Enjoy today's conversation!

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-----
Topics:
**1:53 Intro and Background
**7:01 The Impact of NASA Experience
**14:20 The Third Revolution in Aviation
**17:09 Economic and Environmental Benefits
**28:19 Commercialization Process and Milestones
**38:39 Design Considerations for Hybrid Systems
**42:21 Infrastructure and Charging
**42:58 Recharging Electric Aircraft in the Air
**43:18 Adapting Infrastructure for Electric Aviation
**44:54 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Kevin Noertker | Ampaire
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

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!)

Chad Mason is the CEO and Founder of Advanced Ionics, a company that has designed a revolutionary electrolyzer. They did this by designing their technology from scratch.

They are currently scaling up this innovative technology and plan to sell these units, known as stacks, either directly or through licensing agreements.

Today, Chad shares his  journey:

• Early Inspiration: How he first learned about electrolysis at age 5 on a farm in North Dakota.
• Career Path: The various steps in his career that led him to start Advanced Ionics.
• Strategic Location: Why he chose Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the base for his company.
• Corporate Partnerships: How they partner with corporates for capital, pilots, and demand.

Chad also offers his insights on the future of the electrolyzer space, discussing both the tailwinds that are driving growth and the headwinds that present challenges.

Enjoy today's conversation!

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-----
Topics:
**2:00 Intro and Background
**5:13 Utilizing Exothermic Heat for Efficiency
**6:20 Chad's Entrepreneurial Journey
**12:44 Early Inspirations and Career Path
**15:25 Understanding Electrolysis Technology
**18:18 Components and Operation of the Stack
**26:30 Landing Customers
**27:47 The Power of Partnerships and Investments
**31:26 Lessons Learned: Opportunistic with Capital Raising
**40:58 Headwinds and Tailwinds of Hydrogen Industry
**45;36 The Importance of Reliability and Maintainability
**49:10 Talent Acquisition in Wisconsin
**53:16 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Chad Mason | Advanced Ionics
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

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!)

Jesse Henry is the CEO and Founder of Heartland Industries, a company that produces drop-in pellets made of hemp fiber.

These pellets are used as an additive to plastics. They reduce the weight and cost of the products, improve strength, and lower scope 3 emissions.

It's a quadruple-benefit product.

Today, Jesse tells us his story - how he started Heartland - how he's the 3rd generation to work in the fibers industry - how they landed BASF as a partner and investor - and he gives a lot of other insights. Including our favorite, how they produce huge volumes of pellets without owning a milling facility.

Enjoy today's conversation!

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-----
Topics:
**2:15 Intro
**2:55 Jesse's Background & Heartland's Mission
**10:06 The Challenge of Developing Reliable Supply Chains
**13:33 From Powder to Pellets
**16:47 What it Means to be a ClimateTech Entrepreneur Today
**22:03 Partnering with Wood Pellet Mills for Scale and Cost Reduction
**28:34 Run Jesse's Playbook
**31:16 The Finance of Materials Companies
**34:00 The Power of CVCs
**41:10 Opportunities in B2B Marketplaces
**43:27 How to Pick the Right CVCs
**47:02 Next Steps for Heartland 
**54:58 Process Technologies and Software Solutions
**56:11 Focusing Beyond Carbon
**57:46 Takeaway
**54:51 Using Infrastructure to Skip Building
**56:16 Reducing Risk with Each Fundraising Round

-----
Links:
**Jesse Henry 
**Heartland Industries
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

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!)

Rahul broke down the nitty-gritty of how 2150 built (no pun intended) a leading ClimateTech VC fund focused on decarbonizing the built environment.

We talked investing, fund modeling, learning from general VC, FinTech in ClimateTech, & more. This was a VC-fundamental extraordinaire, and super informative for anyone looking to learn more about venture capital.

AND let’s not forget, Rahul spent his holiday with us to do this. Cheers to him.

Enjoy 🥳👏.
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Topics:
**03:025 Introduction
**05:01 Home Decarbonization
**08:19 Government Incentives and Policies
**24:37 The Breakdown of Investments in 2150
**33:29 Intentional Modeling and Entry Prices
**42:05 Finance x Climate
**45:20 The Urban Stack and City Resilience
**47:29 Adding Value Beyond Capital

-----
Links:
**Marian Krueger | remove
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

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!)

Marian Krueger comes to us with his experience investing in 120+ early stage CDR startups, and broke down what we should look for and what’s worth watching in the years ahead.

He’s a leading expert in CDR having invested in Europe, which is the leading CDR ecosystem in the world.

Sitting down with him as a blast, and for our US listeners, this episode is VERY timely with the Biden Administration’s first release on voluntary carbon markets, Enjoy 🥳👏.
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Topics:
**02:41 Introduction
**05:08 Challenges of the Voluntary Carbon Market
**16:30 CDR Startups
**17:53 Impact-Driven Motivation of CDR Founders
**26:32 Gaps in the CDR Space
**32:27 Role of Policy in Carbon Removal
**39:03 Prioritization, Universities, and A-Teams
**42:10 Collaboration and Partnerships
**42:51 Takeaways

-----
Links:
**Marian Krueger | remove
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

Support the show

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!)