Climate Cowboys

Today we are joined by Matt Ward the founder and CEO of the 4 Ward VC Accelerator. 

Today we covered a lot of things and it was a super fun conversation coming from yet another incredible individual who had no true background in Climate but decided to make it his life. 

Key topics are...

• How a mechanical engineer can build a ClimateTech Accelerator
• Why he chose to be part of the ClimateTech space / how everything will be re-engineered to be carbon neutral or low carbon
• In his words what it takes to be a ClimateTech entrepreneur 
• Why he's bullish on Ag & Food, Alt Materials, & Up-cycling & Recycling models

Really free-flowing conversation so dive in - if you're looking for specific topics you can find the topic markers in the show notes.

Topics: 

• 4:30 Changing from engineering -
• 7:05 Journey to ESG
• 9:12 ClimateTech Space
• 14:25 Bottle Necks
• 23:04 How they vet members
• 26:02 Tech Breakthroughs - is it necessary?
• 29:52 Process working with them
• 37:32 future / what he's interested in (Ag & Food, Alt Materials, Up-cycling or recycling Models)
• 44:29 Decarbonization as the Default

Links: 

• Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwardio/
• 4Ward VC Website: https://4ward.vc/
• The Startup Tank: https://4ward.vc/the-startup-tank-climate-investor-pitch-show/
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/
• Join the Slack Channel:  
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: 
• HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner

__________

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]

Hello everyone and welcome back to the CleanTechies Podcast where we interview ClimateTech Founders and VCs to discuss their advice, experience, and all things Building and Climate Investing. 

In today's conversation, we speak with Erik Terjesen a Partner at Silicon Foundry. What is Silicon Foundry? With a name like that you know it's cool. In essence, they are a consulting service that works with Corporate VCs to help them find strategic investment opportunities. So, their clients are corporates. Big places like Walmart, BP, or Shell could be examples. 

Some of my favorite topics from today's episode are, 

• Where the supply chain gaps are in the ClimateTech space 
• He spoke about how they maintain collaboration through systems 
• And he also offered some advice to startups in the space since he sees a lot of pitches and knows a lot of the mistakes startups are making 
• There was also a section where he broke down the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act - commonly referred to as the IRA 

Alright, enjoy the conversation with Erik...

Topics: 

• 5:25 what led Erik to Climate
• 9:04 - how corporate VCs operate
• 12:54 - what they do at Silicon Foundry
• 17:16- the process for their clients
• 41:11 - IRA breakdown
• 44:50 - Where supply chain gaps are
• 48:31 - Advice for startups 

Links: 

• Erik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-terjesen-b172b6/
• Silicon Foundry Website: https://sifoundry.com/
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/
• Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/email
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ 
• HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner

__________

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]

Welcome back and Happy New Year! 

Today we are joined by Nadav Steinmetz the Founder of Nomea a ClimateTech Venture Capital Firm investing in Seed and Pre-Seed companies throughout the UK, Europe, and Israel. Nadav has a diverse background having been born in Belgium, raised in Israel, studied University in the States, and now living in London. He has worked at a variety of places including Blackstone. 

The 4 key areas we covered today are...

1. Nadav's background and entrance into climate
2. All about Nomea, their remit, experience setting up, how they operate, and his advice to others seeking to set up a ClimateTech VC Fund
3. His advice to ClimateTech founders  
4. Finally, Nadav's future outlook 

Really great conversation and a great way for us to kick off our new focus. 

Topics: 

• [3:47] Intro to Nadav & how he founded 1 for the World
• [9:49] Raising his first fund, their remit, how they differentiate, and his advice to others setting up a fund
• [25:21] Nadav's advice to founders generally, specific tips for pitching, and operational advice
• [37:46] His outlook on the market in the coming years, what he's excited about, bubbles, and adaptation vs mitigation investing

Links: 

• Nadav on LinkedIn:
• Nomea Website:
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners:
• Join the Slack Channel: 
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn:
• HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner

__________

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]

Welcome back to another episode of the CleanTechies Podcast. This is episode 76 of the show and we are thrilled to have you joining us. 

If you're a ClimateTech Founder seeking introductions to capital or potential partnerships or are interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out: [email protected]

Today we are joined by an individual who focuses a bit more on a philosophical item. On something that we tend to be uncomfortable with, in western society; Endings. Joe Macleod, Author, Speaker, and Founder of AndEnd is an expert in endings and Endineering. 

Today, Joe lays out the importance of thinking about the end-of-product life experience from both a practical and customer experience perspective. 

It's important because (1) we need to be aware of what happens to the product when its use is done. (2) We need to incentivize consumers to be part of solving the circular economy. And (3) by doing these, the consumer becomes an advocate and it can spread to legislation and other corporations.

We hope you enjoy this episode of the show and that it helps you to reflect a bit as this year comes to a close. Perhaps it will make it into one of your new year's routines. 

Topics:

• 5:45 The design life cycle (Beginning and Ending)
• 14:40 The Protestant & Industrial Revolutions shifting us away from the topic of "Endings"
• 21:51 How some companies are focused on endings and how others can improve
• 34:09 The 8 types of endings & how manufacturers get the product back to the factory
• 41:18 Cataloging our items to become aware of our possessions
• 43:40 Legislation and Endings. (Visible or Invisible Endings) 
• 58:07 Advice to young professionals deciding on their next steps

We hope you enjoy today's episode - please reach out with any specific questions or discussion points. If you're interested in being a show sponsor you can reach me at [email protected]

LINKS:

• andEnd Website
• Joe's Ted Talk
• Ends. Why we overlook endings for humans, products, services and digital. And why we shouldn’t
• Endineering. Designing consumption lifecycles that end as well as they begin.
• His training course on how to become an endineer
• Mentioned in the show:
  • His writing about Apple's end-of-user experience
  • Stuffstr
  • Marie Kondo's book, Declutter

__________

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]

Welcome back to another episode of the CleanTechies Podcast. This is episode 75 of the show and we are thrilled to have you joining us.
---
If you're a ClimateTech Founder seeking introductions to capital or potential partnerships or are interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out: [email protected]
---
Today we have a great conversation with Al Subbloie the Founder and CEO of Budderfly.

Budderfly is one of the fastest-growing full-service commercial building efficiency companies. They help commercial building owners upgrade to efficient equipment and switch to solar by removing the biggest barrier to entry which is almost always cost.

Through their partnerships, with strong financial institutions they pay for the upfront CapEx of the upgrades and then the building owner just keeps paying the monthly bill. However after the upgrades are done and Budderfly takes a premium for providing the service, the bill is actually lower than it was before.

The amount they can improve efficiency so much that even with their model they are able to reduce the total monthly cost of energy.

These types of innovations are super fascinating and much needed to reduce all barriers to entry.

Without any further delay, please enjoy this conversation with Al Subbloie.

Topics: 

• Intro to IoT and how it works 
• 6:20 the Problem 
• 16:30 Brands care & ESG reporting
• 25:55 how they handle the capital process
• 37:00 Where the $0 CapEx model works 
• 43:30 Regulatory issues
• 46:20 educating the market 
• 48:45 closing off 

We hope you enjoy today's episode - please reach out with any specific questions or discussion points. If you're interested in being a show sponsor you can reach me at [email protected]

LINKS:

• Budderfly Website
• Al Subbloie on LinkedIn
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
• Join the Slack Channel  
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• HMU on Twitter (silasmahner)

Welcome back to another episode of the CleanTechies Podcast. This is episode 74 of the show and we are thrilled to have you joining us. 

If you're a ClimateTech Founder seeking introductions to capital or potential partnerships or are interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out: [email protected]

Today we are joined by Aaron Fitzgerald the CEO and Co-Founder of Mars Materials. At Mars Materials they are creating a clean acrylonitrile (ACN) alternative that is used in materials that every person on the planet (nearly all) uses every year. Uses include carpet, carbon fiber products, waste treatment, and keyboards among other things. 

Conventionally, acrylonitrile is made from fossil fuels and their tech replaces the feedstock with other materials making it a much cleaner material. Their tech came out of NREL and is a way of sequestering carbon into these everyday materials helping reduce their carbon impacts of them. 

In addition to this being a conversation about incredible technology, Aaron's story is also very compelling so I'm glad to be able to share this discussion for that as well. Hopefully, it will inspire many. 

Without any further delay, please enjoy this conversation with Aaron Fitzgerald. 

Topics:

• 9:31 - Types of Carbon Capture
• 11:20 - The argument against Carbon Capture
• 13:35 - What Mars does and who they sell to 
• 25:08 - How they started the company out of NREL and that process for others interested
• 34:30 - The fundraising process and journey
• 47:40 - How he goes about educating himself
• 51:33 - How others can get into this space 
• 54:43 - Future of carbon space

We hope you enjoy today's episode - please reach out with any specific questions or discussion points. If you're interested in being a show sponsor you can reach me at [email protected]

LINKS:

• Mars Materials Website
• Aaron on LinkedIn
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
• Join the Slack Channel
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner

__________

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]

Welcome back to another episode of the CleanTechies Podcast. This is episode 73 of the show and we are thrilled to have you joining us. 

If you're a ClimateTech Founder seeking introductions to capital or potential partnerships or are interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out: [email protected]

Today, we are joined by Bruce Usher. Currently a professor at Columbia, past CEO of EcoSecurities Group, and Author of Investing in the Era of Climate Change. 

Bruce spoke with us about a variety of things ranging from the change of sentiment among the investing community and the general public in the past 20 years since he's been in this space longer than most. We spent a lot of time talking about the different types of solutions that are currently there and what needs to be innovated. Finally, we spoke about what he saw at COP27 and the IRA. 

Generally a really insightful conversation from the perspective of someone who has been in this space for longer than most. 

Topics:

• 3:47 - Intro to Bruce and how his brother was effectively the catalyst to get him into ClimateTech
• 10:45 A summary of his book and the key topics covered
• 17:11 - Why Bruce thinks it's realistic for us to solve climate change rather than optimistic
• 20:37-  Summary of COP27 - the good & the disappointing + a discussion on flexibility to meet the needs of each country
• 32:38 - Which industries have the tech to decarbonize and which are still working on the clear solutions to decarbonize fully
• 42:24 - How the investment sector's and various others' outlook has changed over the past 20 years
• 50:30 - What successful policy will look like

LINKS:

• Check out his book, Investing in the Era of Climate Change
• Bruce on LinkedIn
• Our Sponsor, NextWave Partners
• Join the Slack Channel
• CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• Silas on Twitter

__________

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]

Hello everyone and welcome back to CleanTechies the Podcast. This is episode 72.

If you are a climate tech founder with specific questions you'd like us to ask -- OR -- looking for capital and strategic partner introductions, please reach out to me via the Slack Channel or LinkedIn and we are glad to help in any way we can.  

Today we are joined by Graham Stewart the founder of Fiber52 which has a method of dyeing cotton which is significantly more sustainable. 

Graham was born and raised in one of the world's (at the time) largest textile manufacturing towns in the UK. If I caught it correctly he was actually born in one of the factories/warehouses. He went on to spend his life in this industry. 

In today's conversation, he walks us through his background, entrance to sustainability, how he built Fiber52, and then into a lot about what they are doing and other things surrounding the sustainable textile industry. 

Overall, this was a fascinating conversation where I learned so much about an industry I have never explored before. Hopefully, they will grow this technology and make a strong impact on reversing climate change. 

Enjoy the episode and please share it with someone interested in sustainable fashion. 

Topics:

• [10:37 - 13:16] The process of how textiles are traditionally made
• [13:39 - 15:55] How sustainable textiles are made
• [16:37 - 18:59] The business model, transparency across the value chain, challenges, and benefits
• [33:18 - 37:35] Graham's thoughts and comments on Fast Fashion
• [40:16 - 44:19] Getting into the textile space for young professionals and the return of the apprenticeship model

We hope you enjoy today's episode - please reach out with any specific questions or discussion points. If you're interested in being a show sponsor you can reach me at [email protected]

LINKS:

• Fiber52 Website: https://www.fibre52.com/
• Connect with Graham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamrstewart/
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/
• Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/email
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ 
• HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]

Hello everyone and welcome back to CleanTechies the Podcast. This is episode 71.

If you are a climate tech founder with specific questions you'd like us to ask -- OR -- looking for capital and strategic partner introductions, please reach out to me via the Slack Channel or LinkedIn and we are glad to help in any way we can.  

If you're unfamiliar with Alternative Proteins, this episode should be a good place for you to start - especially if like me, you're not a white-coat scientist.

Today Sharyn Murray from Good Food Institute (commonly referred to as GFI) joined us to speak about Alternative Proteins and what they are doing at GFI.

Sharyn is highly knowledgeable in this space and was able to really shed light on a lot of things inside this space from how the proteins are grown (in a way understandable to a non-scientist), the infrastructure required to grow the industry, how local farmers will be affected, and many other things. 

An incredible episode that should be especially helpful for anyone interested in the Alternative Protein space. 

TOPICS:

• [3:20 - 5:40] - Intro to Sharyn & Effective Altruism
• [6:20 - 8:24] - moving to GFI & differentiating herself
• [9:30 - 13:34] - GFI & the Origin
• [14:10 - 18:01] - Terminology of Alt Protein Space
• [20:14 - 23:49] - Adoption, taste & price, regulatory issues, and cost parity
• [27:06 - 28:44] - Carbon impact of the space - 20% of Global GHG, & the alternative is 98% carbon emissions-free
• [30:01 - 32:42] Regenerative Farming or Alt-Protein
• [33:23 - 36:46] - How are alt proteins made (for non-science people)
• [37:23 - 39:54] - Missing infrastructure 
• [40:17 - 44:19] - How farmers are affected by this shift / helping them / affects of climate change
• [49:20 - 52:26] - The Alt Protein ESG reporting framework from GFI / FAIRR
• [53:14 - 55:02] - Conventional and Disruptive orgs enter space
• [55:40 - 57:32] - The grant program: who can apply, how, and the target outcomes
• [57:57- 59:02] - How to get into Alt-Protein space - advice for early career individuals
• [59:15 - End] - Closing

We hope you enjoy today's episode - please reach out with any specific questions or discussion points. If you're interested in being a show sponsor you can reach me at [email protected]

LINKS:

• GFI Website: https://gfi.org/
• Connect with Sharyn:
• Bruce's TED Talk:
• Oxford Study:
• Nature study:
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners:
• Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/email
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ 

Hello everyone and welcome back to CleanTechies the Podcast. This is episode 70.

If you are a climate tech founder with specific questions you'd like us to ask -- OR -- looking for capital and strategic partner introductions, please reach out to me via the Slack Channel or LinkedIn and we are glad to help in any way we can.  

Today we are joined by Jan Skjoldhammer the founder and CEO of NoviOcean. NoviOcean is a wave energy technology company that is developing, what they believe to be, a technology that will truly crack the wave power industry. 

In the conversation we discuss...

• (5:50 - 7:02) How he went from being a pilot to founding a wave power company
• (10:26 - 12:47) How the technology works and how they combined the best of all wave power technology
• (23:30 - 27:40) The layout and siting of the projects and the benefits of co-locating the projects with Offshore Wind
• (32:51 - 34:33) How the tech can also help reduce damage from waves onshore
• (40:49 - 42:45) The importance of mobilizing regulators at a speed appropriate for the speed of climate change

We hope you enjoy today's episode - please reach out with any specific questions or discussion points. If you're interested in being a show sponsor you can reach me at [email protected]

• NoviOcean Website: https://noviocean.energy/
• Connect with Jan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-g-skjoldhammer-8807996/
• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/
• Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/email
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/ 
• HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner

__________

We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected]