In this episode, Fulbright Scholar Kevin Lu interviews Stenver Jerkku, founder and CEO of Soldera, as part of his research into Estonia's climate tech ecosystem. After working in content design and strategy for climatetech at Salesforce and exploring climate innovation across 21 countries, Kevin is now researching at Tallinn University of Technology where he's examining how founders build successful climate startups in Estonia.

This interview explores:

→ How Estonian entrepreneurs think globally from day one→ Soldera's founding journey and pivot from carbon credits to renewable energy→ Navigating fundraising as a climate tech company in Estonia→ When founders should (or shouldn't) pursue venture capital→ How Soldera leverages AI to automate compliance work→ How EU regulations create business opportunities→ Finding balance between supportive and restrictive policies→ What Estonia could improve to better support climate startups

Key insights include:

→ Climate tech founders need laser focus rather than pursuing multiple opportunities→ Estonia's small market forces founders to think internationally from day one→ Taking VC means accepting responsibility to build a billion-dollar business→ Estonia's fast company formation and digital services are models for Europe→ Maintaining stable business policies helps Estonia attract international founders→ Community-building events could strengthen Estonia's climate tech ecosystem

#ClimateTech #Estonia #VentureCapital

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