Climate Cowboys

Today we went live with Ben Shwab Eidelson and Anay Shah about the launch of their recent podcast Stepchange.

We covered:

* the inspiration,

* how people have received it so far,

* what they hope to achieve,

* how much time it takes to create this,

* a sneak peek of the first episode (for those who have not heard),

* and how it’s changed their outlook on investing.

Watch/listen - and let us know if you’d like us to do more things like this with other podcasters.

Check out the show:

Connect with Ben and Anay

If you missed this one and want to join us next time, be sure to download the Substack app.

In this episode:

* How Jane is transforming home heating with Harvest Thermal’s innovative heat battery technology

* A masterclass on cutting bills and emissions while delivering unparalleled comfort

* The future of home electrification and why thermal storage is key to scaling clean energy solutions

Listen Time: Full Show 43:02 (no ads) | Free Preview 30:39

Have you filled out our Subscriber Survey yet? We’ve put in thousands of hours to create this project — won’t you spare 5 min to help us make the show even better?

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.

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

📝 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.

In this episode:

* How Martin is leveraging the country’s geothermal energy to pioneer Direct Air Capture

* A masterclass on how Octavia secured millions in prepaid carbon revenue

* The future of DAC and Kenya’s role and why Kenya’s unique energy resources, geology, and talent make it the global hub for carbon removal innovation

Listen Time: Full Show 43:02 (no ads) | Free Preview 30:39

Have you filled out our Subscriber Survey yet? We’ve put in thousands of hours to create this project — won’t you spare 5 min to help us make the show even better?

On today’s episode, we’re speaking with 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

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.

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

📝 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.

In this issue:

* Martin’s journey of noticing the opportunity for commercial energy storage (high heat) and how he founded the company.

* A masterclass on how to get customers to pay for your pilot project.

* A summary of the energy storage landscape.

Listen Time: Full Show 57:21 (no ads) | Free Preview 34:49

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

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.

Sponsor Message: 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!)

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

📝 Show Notes:

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 Silas on LinkedIn

* Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn

* William Kamkwamba (the CleanTech OG that Martin would love to have dinner with)

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

Joshua Posamentier is the co-founder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused exclusively on climate tech. With a background in physics and a career that began in the semiconductor industry, Josh transitioned into climate investing after holding various roles at Intel and Prelude Ventures. Widely regarded as an OG in the climate tech space, Josh has been investing in climate solutions since well before the current wave of interest, making him one of the most experienced voices in the field. His deep technical expertise, combined with over a decade of focused climate investing, has given him a unique perspective on the evolution of the sector from its early clean tech days to today’s thriving climate tech ecosystem. Josh’s experience includes navigating the highs and lows of the market, from the early 2010s downturn in clean tech investing to today’s booming climate sector, providing invaluable insight to founders.

2024…what a year. We saw some big wins…and some big losses in ClimateTech this year. The future is uncertain, but we’ll be here like we always have to tell the stories of the best of the best fighting for a better planet.

A huge thank you to all the CleanTechies out there. We couldn’t be more happy with our growth, our (new) community of supporting, paid subscribers, and every single person who engaged with us…your support keeps us going.

From the CleanTechies team, here’s to an even better 2025 🥂

Sponsor Message: 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!)

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

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

* 01:28 2024's Top CleanTechies Episodes

* 07:37 Insights

* 12:49 Reflections on Branding and Storytelling

* 20:22 Milestones and Achievements in 2024

* 26:12 Key Lessons for Climate Tech Startups

* 34:59 Future Outlook

Links

* 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.

If you’re seeing this, you’re a paid subscriber! Thank you for your support of this project. We can’t do it without you.

Don’t miss out! Given that you’re a paid subscriber, you get access to our WhatsApp backchannel discussions. Hit us up to join.

Julia Kumari Drapkin is the CEO and founder of ISeeChange, a data platform that combines resident-generated insights with AI to address climate adaptation challenges. Julia’s background as a climate science reporter, covering disasters like Hurricane Katrina, inspired her to bridge the gap between people’s lived experiences and actionable climate solutions. Her expertise in storytelling and data-driven insights shapes ISeeChange's people-first approach to building climate resilience.

In this issue:

* How to use multiple revenue streams to ensure success as a climate startup

* How the Trump admin could accomplish it’s goals (re-industrialization) while also helping advance climate

* How climate founders need to approach their attachment to their tech

Listen Time: Full Show 58:31 (no ads) | Free Preview 37:14

On today’s episode, Owen Cadwalader, the COO of Travertine, delivers one of the most value-dense episodes we’ve ever released.

Hear how they are solving the massive sulfur waste problem while also capturing carbon and producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen.

In a short time, they are on track to build their first plant, producing ~100 tons a year near Rochester, NY. They have also navigated the startup landscape masterfully.

There is a lot to learn here.

Some of the discussion topics:

* How to interact with the chemical industry

* How to reframe CO2 emissions as waste

* How to get the Trump admin to back climate

* The sulfate waste landscape

Sponsor Message: 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!)

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

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

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

* 00:00 Intro

* 02:54 Owen's Journey to Tech

* 06:08 Travertine’s Tech

* 08:53 Multiple Revenue Streams

* 12:06 Customer Base and Market Challenges

* 14:55 Environmental Impact of Sulfate Waste

* 17:47 Navigating the Chemical Industry Landscape

* 21:09 Pricing Strategies & Market Competition

* 29:22 Identifying Beachhead Markets in Climate Tech

* 30:48 Navigating Political Landscapes for Climate Tech

—(Free Version ends here)—

* 32:13 Building Resilient Climate Tech Businesses

* 34:04 On-shoring

* 35:59 Global vs Local Impact of Resource Extraction

* 36:29 The Future of Carbon Dioxide Removal

* 37:52 Focusing on Outcomes Over Technology

* 40:43 Funding Strategies for Climate Tech Projects

* 43:05 Advocating for Continued Innovation Funding

* 45:22 Reframing CO2 as Industrial Waste

* 50:00 Lessons from Fundraising in Climate Tech

Links

* Owen Cadwalader | Travertine

* 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.

In this issue:

* A masterclass at how to produce and bring to market a new battery component.

* Serious lessons on how to fund your pilot commercial production facilities — the key ingredient “Job Creation”

* Why you should build a battery tech startup

Listen Time: Full Show 1:09:26 (no ads) | Free Preview 41:27

On today’s episode, Gleb Yushin, the CTO of Sila Nanotechnologies, pours out the wisdom he has from 14 years working on and scaling up Sila Nanotechnologies to the point where their Anode tech is in millions of batteries around the world.

Not many companies reach this scale and even less so among climate companies. The lessons he has for you will benefit you massively.

There are incredibly potent lessons on:

* A successful GTM strategy for a battery chemical (Anode in this case)

* How to fund your small and commercial scale production facilities.

* Why there will likely be bi-partisan support for clean technology

* Key lessons on team building and talent acquisition

Sponsor Message: 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!)

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

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

* 00:00 Intro

* 02:57 The Journey of Gleb Yushin

* 05:49 Founding Sila Nanotechnology

* 09:03 The Role of Silicon in Battery Production

* 11:53 Scaling Up Production

* 15:12 Market Integration and Collaboration

* 18:09 Challenges in Manufacturing

* 20:51 Future of Battery Technology

* 24:03 The Importance of Job Creation

* 34:51 Rapid Iteration and Automation in Production

—(Free Version ends here)—

* 38:05 Funding Strategies and Equity vs. Debt

* 42:08 Government Support and Job Creation in Clean Tech

* 45:57 Bipartisan Support for Clean Technology

* 51:46 Talent Acquisition and Team Building in Startups

* 01:02:10 Challenges and Trends in the Battery Industry

* 01:04:32 Startup Opportunities in Battery Recycling and Supply Chain

Links

* Gleb Yushin | Sila Nanotechnologies

* 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.

Nate Loewentheil is the founder and managing partner of Commonweal Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on solving America's biggest challenges through entrepreneurship. Nate’s career spans angel investing, politics, and public policy. Previously, he served in the Obama White House, advising President Obama on emerging technologies such as clean energy and broadband expansion. His background includes roles in the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, founding the Roosevelt Institution, and advising startups during his time running venture investments for a family office.