Climate Cowboys

Today, we are joined by Adam Goff, the SVP of Strategy at 8 Rivers, a technology portfolio developer. Think of it like a venture studio but specifically for technology (often chemistry) instead of companies.

(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) 

He talks us through how that looks and how they commercialize the products, and we also spend a lot of time discussing the role and importance of policy when it comes to clean tech. 

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

---
🌎 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:
**2:10 Intro
**4:00 Climate x Policy
**10:00 How to Pass Legislation Faster
**12:40 History and Structure of Eight Rivers
**18:00 The Process of Proving New Tech
**22:15 Their Current Technologies
**28:30 Raising Money for a Tech Developer
**33:20 Commercialization and Revenue Generation
**36:45 Selecting your First Site
**39:40 How to Understanding Global Regulatory Markets
**42:30  Systematizing Building a Hardware Climate Startup
**44:00 Future Plans for Eight Rivers

-----
Links:
**Adam Goff | 8 Rivers
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

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]

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.

Are you a regular listener? If you take 7 min to give us some feedback, it will drastically help us improve the content for you.

Today, we are talking with Helena Merk from Streamline

Unlike the grant landscape, today’s conversation is very clearly packed with value - in particular…

* How Streamline saves months of time to pick and apply for grants 💸

* What is “The Palo Alto Effect” 🤔

* How they are scaling their product outside of climate tech and expanding their market size 📈

There were a number of really impactful moments while recording this episode with Helena, so I hope you enjoy!

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

The Guest: Helena Merk

We are calling it now: Helena/Streamline’s product is going to be one of the most important tools of the next 3-5 years to quicken the pace of deployment of capital.

Helena is gaining a name for herself in the climate landscape tackling a massive unlock of value for the startups and scaleups applying for the flood of recent government grants. Without a tool like this, much of the grants and philanthropic capital will never get deployed.

Ever since she was a child, Helena has been involved in tech. She built her first app in grade school. At the start of her career, she got involved in veterinarian work until eventually she realized, influenced by her upbringing in Silicon Valley, that her impact, fixing one elephant foot at a time, could not be scaled.

After graduating from Duke and having completed several tech internships, she ended up going into software engineering at Smartcar. Unable to “escape” the influences of her upbringing, she ended up getting into YC with her startup Glimpse, a video conferencing tool that was later acquired by Twine.

Wanting more impact and now with an exit under her belt, she set out to tackle climate change. After meeting her co-founder, Douglas Qian, they would first start Spirals and later on pivot to Streamline Climate.

The Company: Streamline Climate

Grant Writing & Application, Software, Generative AI

One-liner: Streamline Climate simplifies and accelerates the grant application process for clean tech companies, using software and AI automation.

Context: Currently there are billions of dollars of non-dilutive grant funding available (in the US alone) to help fund the companies fighting climate change. However, accessing this money is like pulling teeth… generally unpleasant. Applying for these grants can take months and a small mistake can render your application pointless.

What: Using AI and Software, Streamline Climate is helping grant teams/individuals identify which grants to apply for, and then supporting them to win those grants. From assisting to writing the grants to ensuring all the boxes are checked ✅.

Traction: They have been working with a handful of customers for the past ~year. If you’re wondering how popular it is… they had a LOT of people on the waitlist.

Future: Assuming their tech is accurate and without halucinations, it’s reasonable to assume Streamline Climate is set up for a strong run as the timing could not be better. So many companies in the climate fight are feeling the pain of going through the grant writing process that they are most certainly looking for reliable software to help.

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 1:30 Introduction and Overview

* 1:55 Streamline's Mission and Services

* 3:03 Crash Course on Grants

* 5:57 Streamlining the Grant Process

* 11:28 Customer Types

* 12:37 Choosing the Right Grants

* 14:12 Streamline's Business Model

* 14:38 Finding the MVP and Paying Customers

* 16:26 Lessons from Building Spirals

* 17:55 Training the AI Model

* 19:55 Addressable Markets Beyond Grants

* 25:33 Finding a Co-Founder

* 26:51 Go-to-Market Strategies

* 42:25 Fundraising Journey

* 41:27 VC Funding and Grant Writing

* 44:40 Inbound Processes and VC Decision-making

* 45:30 Exciting Announcement!

Links

* Helena Merk | Streamline Climate

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

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

Leave a comment with what you learned in today’s episode! 💭

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

There are a plethora of national and local grants available to help companies solving the climate problem, but landing one is a herculean effort. Writing them takes months and can result in absolutely nothing. Half of the battle is picking the right grant to apply for. Well, Helena Merk and her team at Streamline Climate are solving that.

(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you)

Their AI powered tech helps companies identify which grants to apply for and then helps them land them by ensuring every t is cross and i dotted.

Aside from telling us what they are doing, we also got to hear the story of how Helena met her co-founder Douglas Qian and how growing up in Palo Alto impacted her career decisions, among other things.

Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎

---
🌎 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 | https://cleantechies.substack.com/podcast
🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel 

Topics:
**3:03 Crash Course on Grants
**5:57 Streamlining the Grant Process
**12:37 Choosing the Right Grants
**19:55 More TAM
**25:33 Finding a Co-Founder
**26:51 GTM Strategies
**42:25 Fundraising Journey
**41:27 VC Funding and Grant Writing
**44:40 Inbound Processes and VC Decision-making

Links:
**Helena Merk | Streamline Climate
**Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X 

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]

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, VC edition.

Today, we are talking to Nick Findler & Chad Rickaby from ClimateDoor

The major topics we covered were…

* What is “Growth-as-a-Service” and how it applies to Climate VC

* How AI is transforming the venture space and streamlining operations

* What it is like founding a company with your childhood best friend 🤝

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

The Guest: Nick Findler

* Nick Findler has secured over $100M for global ventures in the green transition

* His entrepreneurial journey includes roles at Stardust Solar, a solar installation training and education platform, and Forrest Innovations, eradicating mosquito-borne diseases

* Beyond traditional sustainability, Nick integrates Artificial Intelligence within ClimateDoor for operational efficiency and innovation

The Guest: Chad Rickaby

* Chad Rickaby is a global advocate for sustainable business growth with a background in government relations and international trade

* His strategic collaborations with governments, Indigenous communities, investors, and climate financing entities have led to millions in funding for businesses

* Chad's expertise in political science, public policy, and international markets positions him as a key figure in sustainable development

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The “VC”: ClimateDoor

ClimateDoor is a Growth-as-a-Service (GaaS) firm dedicated to powering the next stage of growth for companies within the clean economy with business development, sales, capital raising, government grants, and ESG advisory.

They partner with companies at the Seed and Series A stages to help them propel to the next level.

Having embraced Generative AI, they are a great example of how AI is modernizing operations even in the venture space.

They are also a thought leader and active player in the Canadian venture ecosystem.

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 00:00 Introduction and Background

* 07:14 Overview of Climate Door

* 13:27 The story of Polar Beer Taps

* 16:10 Advantages of "Growth-as-a-Service"

* 23:24 Canadian Venture Ecosystem

* 26:20 Blending Capital Sources in Climate Tech

* 29:30 Navigating Fundraising and Building Investor Relationships

* 35:01 Streamlining Operations with AI

* 39:51 Hiring Advice for Early Stage Companies

* 42:57 Fundraising Advice for Bridge Stage Companies

* 49:03 Challenges in Finding Value Spots in Climate

Links

* Nick Findler | Chad Rickaby | ClimateDoor

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

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

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, VC edition.

Today, we are talking to Tobias Egle from M Ventures

Tobias has a science-to-venture background, which made this a slightly different conversation than most of our VC episodes. The major topics we covered were…

* His personal experience of going from PhD to venture

* Decarbonizing the electronics manufacturing industry. With a specific focus on semi-conductors

* Concrete examples of how AI is being used to advance the sustainable materials discovery process

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

The Guest: Tobias Egle

* Tobias Egle is currently a Venture Investor at M Ventures, the Corporate Venture arm of Merck.

* He studied Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering at Harvard, where he completed his PhD. During that time, he also had attempted, with a peer, to start a company. That time gave him a taste of entrepreneurship.

* As he sought to find his path, he ended up sort of by accident, landing in venture.

* Today, he’s investing in deep tech investment with M Ventures, where a part of what he invests in is the decarbonization of the semiconductor industry and electronics manufacturing at large.

* Having the perspective of someone earlier in their career is quite refreshing.

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The VC: M Ventures

M Ventures is the Corporate Venture arm of German Pharma giant, Merck. The fund has allocated over €600m, was set up in 2009, and now has over 90 investments.

They focus their investments across the sectors that intersect with their work in pharma, but also have a portion they allocate towards sustainability. In the world of semiconductors, there is a huge opportunity for further decarbonization of the manufacturing process.

Another example is technology that can detect, capture, and destroy PFAS. A topic that hit the news heavily in the past few months.

They start investing at early stages unlike many CVCs.

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 01:21 - Introduction and Background

* 04:32 - Transitioning from Academia to Venture Capital

* 07:48 - Getting into Venture Capital

* 10:52 - Focus Areas of M Ventures

* 17:05 - Decarbonizing Electronics and Life Sciences

* 23:37 - Challenges of PFAS Removal

* 31:45 - Gaps in Deep Tech Founders

* 40:45 - The Impact of AI in Climate Solutions

* 46:55 - Adaptation and Climate Resilience

* 48:10 - Grid Resiliency and Renewable Integration

* 51:40 - Transitioning from R&D to Product and Business Development

* 53:00 - Designing for Manufacturability in Hard Tech

* 56:26 - Sustainable Supply Chain in Electronics Manufacturing

* 57:42 - Team Building and Hiring for Startups

* 01:01:34 - Getting into VC and Starting a Company

Links

* Tobias Egle | M Ventures

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

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

Asks 👋

* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.

* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, reach out!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.

Today, we are talking to Trevor Best from Syzygy

Today, we really got the juice for you 🍹

* For us energy nerds, Trevor breaks down how their light-powered chemical reactors are 30x more energy efficient when compared to conventional reactors 🥵

* For the aspiring founders, he walked us through his super data-driven approach to picking a technology to bet it all on ♠️

* For those scaling, he broke down their headcount through each of their fundraises as well as their strategic investment partner strategy

Honestly — Trevor is kick-ass, and what they are building is super cool - especially if you’re an innovation junkie like me 🤪

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

The Guest: Trevor Best

In university, Trevor completed a Triple Major that covered International Business, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Technology, setting him up well for his future endeavors. Being from Houston, naturally started his career in the Energy industry working with Baker Hughes.

During his eight years here, he worked on the innovation team to come up with new technologies. Given all this exposure he possessed a strong foundational knowledge of the chemicals industry.

Trevor states openly that he had three other failed attempts at starting a company. As you’ll pick up in the interview, it’s clear he wanted to be an entrepreneur from a young age.

Over time, he started having ‘Energy Lunches’ with his Co-Founder, Suman Khatiwada, PhD, to dissect startup ideas. Often, these were technical and based on research papers. Having learned from past failures, they put together a framework of Tech Comparison, Market, and Impact, which they used to kill ~80 ideas before they got to one they couldn’t kill.

Through a research paper published by a Rice University professor, they dug into the details. On the surface, it wasn’t much to look at, but after seeing further unpublished data, they found this catalyst technology was 30x more efficient than current industry standards, and they knew it was go time. They cashed in all their chips and started building.

Today, Trevor is the CEO of the company, and they are nearing the major inflection point to get past TRL 8.

The Company: Syzygy

Industrial Decarbonization, Green Chemicals, Green Hydrogen, SAF

One-liner: Developing chemical reactors that are 30x more energy efficient than current industry standards, using a new photocatalyst technology, thus massively reducing global emissions produced from the production of goods… (imagine putting that on your resume)

Context: Nearly all of the world's products are built using secondary materials, which are produced through catalyzing raw materials. This is done using chemical reactors, which today are primarily powered through heat combustion.

What: The Syzygy technology uses light (photocatalyst) instead of heat and is 30x more energy efficient.

Busienss Model: They licence out their IP and provide chemical reactors that they produce, making it a high margin business. However, there are product guarantees to take into consideration, meaning this is only possible when the tech is air tight.

Traction: When Trevor and Suman found the tech it was at TRL 3. From there a team of four took it to TRL 5. Fast forward, they have a team of 100 and have gotten to TRL 8. Once they get to TRL 9, hopefully later this year, they will blow the doors off of this thing. If they run into issues, it will be a rough road.

Future: Given their partnerships with some of the biggest chemical and energy industry corporates, they are well positioned to capitalize should all go well with their current demonstration.

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 1:30 Trevor's Story

* 4:00 What is Photocatalyst

* 9:40 The Idea Framework (Tech, Market, Impact)

* 12:55 How to Come Up w/ Ideas

* 17:30 Their Tech (Catalyst & Reactor)

* 24:45 ~5x Reduction in Energy Use

* 27:00 Impact on Everyday Life

* 29:35 Traction

* 32:50 From TRL3 to 8

* 36:05 Business Model

* 38:42 Fundraising Mistakes & Lessons

* 43:15 Culture | Missionaries > Mercenaries 

Links

* Trevor Best | Syzygy

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

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

Leave a comment with what you learned in today’s episode! 💭

🗓️ Asks

Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.

Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, reach out!

Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, VC edition.

Today, we are talking to Russell Sprole from Virta Ventures

In this episode, some of the biggest ideas we discuss are…

* Marketplace models in climate, specifically the current potential of a hydrogen energy marketplace

* The limitless potential of AI to impact climate tech, particularly in the built environment and the management of distributed energy resources.

* Why Russell is bullish on the electrification of transportation

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

The Guest: Russell Sprole

* Russell Sprole is Managing Partner of Virta Ventures, bringing over 12 years of experience in investing and operational roles

* Russell was CFO at Full Harvest, the leading B2B marketplace for produce in North America. At Full Harvest, he led finance, accounting, HR, and legal and often many other hats as the team scaled from 5 to over 60 people and Full Harvest raised over $45 million in capital. 

* Prior to Full Harvest, Russell was VP of Business Development and Business Operations at RePower through its successful sale to Soligent and VP of Strategy of Product at Admirals Bank, focused on the bank’s rapidly growing solar and home improvement lending business. Russell also led FP&A and Sales Operations at Stem (NYSE: STEM) during a critical early growth period for the company, which debuted on the public markets in 2021. 

* Prior to Stem, Russell spent four years at SunPower developing and financing hundreds of megawatts of solar across all three business lines - utility, commercial, and residential.

* Russell holds an MBA from Wharton Business School and a BA from Yale University.

🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this linkto schedule your demo and get a 10% discount! 🚨🚨🚨

The VC: Virta Ventures

Virta Ventures focuses on pre-seed and seed stage climate tech companies working to decarbonize energy, mobility, the built environment and food/agriculture. They target equity-light businesses - typically SaaS, marketplaces, software-enabled services, and fintech/insurtech.

Virta Ventures aims to partner with founders from “day zero” — leaning on their operating and investing expertise to get startups through the early stages.

Don’t get it confused — they aren’t a SaaS VC. They invest in “equity-light”innovation that enables hardware—bits powering atoms.

Their four focus areas are:

* Support the development and management of our energy grid

* Lower barriers and costs for electrifying transportation

* Decarbonize our existing building stock—residential, commercial, and industrial

* Speed up the transition to regenerative agriculture

Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing!

📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 4:00 Starting Virta Ventures 

* 10:22 Equity Light Solutions 

* 13:50 Software Solutions in Antiquated Industries 

* 17:07 Common Equity Light Business Models 

* 22:55 Investing in Tiba 

* 28:33 Investing in Crowded vs. Nascent Markets 

* 34:41 Lessons from Full Harvest 

* 47:46 Investing in Hydrogen Marketplaces 

*  1:01:52 The Impact of AI on Climate Tech 

* 1:06:54 Effective Practices of Portfolio Companies 

* 1:08:33 Opportunities in the Electrification of Transportation 

* 1:11:12 Fundraising Advice for Climate Tech Founders 

Links

* Russell Sprole | Virta Ventures

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

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

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Reminder 🔔 that we have another CleanTechies in-person networking event on January 11th

Contact Somil or Silas on LinkedIn to be included and receive details on the location.

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.

Today, we are talking to Ken Munson from Rhythmos

In this episode, some of the biggest ideas we discuss are…

* Ken's career from architecture to entrepreneurship and a discussion on the importance of veteran entrepreneurs staying in the arena

* Why customer experience is key to EV success

* His tactical tips on selling to utilities and understanding their perspective

Overall, Ken brings a lot of mature and actionable advice, given how many reps he has as an entrepreneur.

Ask yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month?

📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack Channel

The Guest: Ken Munson

* Industry Expertise: Ken Munson is a distinguished leader in the clean technology and electric vehicle sectors, with a career spanning over two decades. His journey began in architecture, but a shift towards entrepreneurship led him to the clean technology industry. Ken's experience ranges from biotechnology and agriculture to renewable energy, where he has consistently focused on sustainable and innovative solutions. His leadership roles in various companies, including Sun Verge Energy, have been pivotal in pioneering grid-edge energy storage and solar technology integration.

* Professional Journey: Ken's entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found and lead multiple companies, including Sun Verge Energy and Rhythmos. His decision to join Rhythmos as CEO was driven by a keen interest in addressing the challenges of integrating electric vehicles into the utility grid. His expertise in business development and innovative technology applications has significantly contributed to advancing sustainable energy solutions in the industry.

* Focus on Innovation: Throughout his career, Ken Munson has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation, particularly in clean technology and sustainable energy solutions. At Rhythmos, he is at the forefront of utilizing AI to optimize electric vehicle charging and grid management, showcasing his dedication to pioneering technologies that not only enhance energy efficiency but also drive environmental sustainability. Ken's visionary approach continues to influence the evolution of the electric vehicle and clean technology landscapes.

The Company: Rhythmos

EV Charging Infrastructure, GridEdge, Energy Efficiency

One-liner: Revolutionizing EV Charging Efficiency with AI-Driven Grid Integration Solutions.

Function: Rhythmos specializes in developing next-generation managed charging services for electric vehicles, focusing on integrating EVs seamlessly into the utility grid using advanced AI algorithms.

Origin: Rhythmos was founded to address the growing need for efficient integration of electric vehicles into the power grid. Recognizing the challenges in grid management due to the increasing adoption of EVs, Rhythmos set out to create innovative solutions that harmonize EV charging with grid capabilities.

Problem / Solution: The traditional approach to EV charging puts a strain on the utility grid, leading to inefficiencies and potential overloads. Rhythmos tackles this challenge by using AI to predict optimal charging times, thereby balancing the grid load and reducing costs. Their technology allows for intelligent charging management that adapts to grid conditions and user needs, ensuring efficient energy use and cost savings. This approach not only enhances the sustainability of EV charging but also paves the way for a more robust and adaptable energy infrastructure.

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📝 Show Notes:

Topics

* 1:40 Intro to Ken

* 3:00 Going from Architect to Entrepreneur to Rhythmos

* 12:00 What Grid Edge Is

* 14:45 What Rhythmos is Doing, Why, and How it Works

* 21:30 How Rhythmos is Helping Solve the Infrastructure Problem

* 24:50 Their Customer Types (Utilities & Commercial Fleets)

* 27:48 How They do Incremental Data Access Tech to Fill the Gaps to the Utility

* 31:20 The ROI of Using Rhythmos

* 32:15 Advice on Selling to Utilities

* 36:45 How to Hire Good SalesPeople

* 42:30 On Deciding to Go Back Into the Arena

Links

* Ken Munson | Rhythmos

* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas

* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.

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

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Reminder 🔔 that we have another CleanTechies in-person networking event on January 11th

Contact Somil or Silas on LinkedIn to be included and receive details on the location.

🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.

NextWave Partners is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.

Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.

🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!

🌎 Welcome back to the first CleanTechies PodLetter, VC edition of 2024! 🎊

Today, we are talking to Jay Kapoor of VSC Ventures

In this episode, some of the biggest ideas we discuss are:

* How labor shortages and legacy industries are driving the need for industrial automation

* How storytelling plays a vital role in helping founders succeed

* Why augmentation, rather than replacement, is the key to successfully integrating climate into automation

* How you should think about your cap table as a climate entrepreneur

In short, a must-listen for every climate founder ‼️

On this episode, we interview Jay Kapoor, General Partner at VSC Ventures. VSC Ventures is a Seed-stage VC fund focusing on climate adaptation and industrial automation. Their central thesis is that although starting a company is becoming easier, its becoming harder and harder to get noticed. Their solution? Storytelling. Confused? Listen to this episode – you won’t be disappointed.

Jay needs no introduction – he has a podcast himself, comes from a VC and media background, and left a lasting impression on us as one of the most well-spoken guests we've ever had.
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🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview.  
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🚨🚨🚨 Shoutout to our sponsor Net Zero Insights — Net Zero Insights is the leading market intelligence platform on climate information with all the latest you need on funding rounds, VCs, and the climate tech ecosystem. Use this link to schedule your demo and get a 10% discount!! 🚨🚨🚨
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📺 👀 Prefer to watch: Subscribe on YouTube.

Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. 

Topics:
**5:50 Focus on Industrial Automation
**9:39 The Intersection of Industrial Automation and Climate
**15:26 Augmentation vs Replacement in Automation
**17:23 The Importance of Good Storytelling in Automation
**20:03 Jay’s Accidental Transition to Climate Investing
**25:40 Engaging with Government and Incumbents
**34:28 Founder/Market Fit: Founders from The Industry
**40:24 Impact on Fundraising and Time Horizons; Fund Size
**47:50 The Importance of Choosing the Right Investor
**50:47 Changing Cap Table Construction
**58:28 The Evolution of VCs' Value Prop
**1:02:20 The Role of PR in Climate Investing
**1:06:43 Founder vs Company Journey; Paint Jet's Story
**1:11:53 The Power of Storytelling in Pitch Decks
**1:17:06 Hiring and Building a Team
**1:20:53 Identifying Founders Willing to Adapt

Links:
**Connect with Jay | VSC Ventures
**Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas
**Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewable

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