SOSV Climate Tech Podcast

In this discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024), Bret Kugelmass, the CEO and co-founder of the nuclear fission startup Last Energy, which focuses on developing small nuclear reactors, talks about:

• The potential of nuclear power to provide abundant, inexpensive energy with minimal environmental impact.

• Kugelmass emphasizes nuclear energy's efficiency and reduced environmental cost compared to traditional energy sources. He addresses common criticisms of nuclear energy, particularly focusing on the exaggerated concerns about radiation and the real challenges of cost and time to delivery.

• The conversation also touches on regulatory hurdles and the need for innovation in nuclear technology deployment.

• Kugelmass advocates for a future where nuclear energy significantly contributes to solving global energy demands sustainably, in a future where humanity will need 10 times the amount of today's energy to afford everyone the lifestyle of today's most developed countries.

The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

• Bret Kugelmass, Chief Executive Officer, Last Energy

Moderator

• Candice Ammori, Founder and CEO, Climate Vine

Credits

• Producer: Ben Joffe 

• Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

• Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

• Intro Music: EL Waili

• Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonization

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In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) moderated by Dr. Pae Wu of IndieBio and SOSV, corporate venture capitalists Brandon Middaugh from Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Taehong Huh from GS Futures, and Aditya Sharma from Honda Innovations discussed their strategies for investing in climate tech startups.

• They emphasize the importance of early engagement with startups, strategic alignment with corporate goals, and the necessity for startups to understand their market and competition.

• They highlight the challenges of scaling up technology in the climate sector, particularly the capital intensity and longer timelines associated with hardware innovations.

• They advise startups on navigating corporate structures and leveraging intellectual property effectively.

• The conversation underscored the evolving role of corporate venture capital in fostering innovative climate technologies and the collaborative approach required to drive significant advancements in decarbonizing industries.

The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

• Brandon Middaugh, Senior Director, Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft

• Taehong Huh, Managing Partner, GS Futures

• Adity Sharma, Principal, Honda Innovations

Moderator

• Dr. Pae Wu, CTO, IndieBio; General Partner, SOSV

Credits

• Producer: Ben Joffe 

• Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

• Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

• Intro Music: EL Waili

• Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonization

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In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) focused on measuring and attributing climate impact and moderated by Hampus Jakobsson of Pale Blue Dot, investors from various climate tech-focused funds discussed the importance of impact measurement in startups and investment decisions.

• The challenges and methodologies of impact assessment.

• The role of legislation in Europe

• The correlation between high impact and high returns.

• Perspectives on setting impact KPIs.

• The influence of investors on startups.

• The complexities of attributing impact across the value chain.

The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

• Agnes Svensson, Chief Impact Officer, Norrsken VC

• Jessica Burley, Investor, Planet A

• Elena Stark, Impact Associate, AENU

• Morgan Sheil, Head of Impact, World Fund

Moderator

• Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner, Pale Blue Dot

Credits

• Producer: Ben Joffe 

• Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

• Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

• Intro Music: EL Waili

• Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonization

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) moderated by Tim De Chant, Senior Climate Reporter at TechCrunch, panelists Christina Karapataki from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Shuo Yang from Lowercarbon Capital, and Duncan Turner from HAX and SOSV discussed the current state and future of climate tech venture capital.

• The challenges and opportunities in the sector, noting a decrease in deal counts but robust fundraising, with venture capital and private equity firms holding significant "dry powder."

• The scrutiny in Series B and C funding rounds, the faster pace of seed and pre-seed investments, and the impact of recent economic uncertainties on investor behavior.

• The importance of building large, profitable companies to combat climate change.

• The role of technology in bridging the commercialization gap.

• The need for new investment structures to support CapEx-heavy projects.

• The global scope of climate tech, emphasizing the need for local partnerships in emerging markets and the potential influence of U.S. elections on the investment climate.

The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

• Christina Karapataki, General Partner, Breakthrough Energy

• Duncan Turner, Managing Director, HAX; General Partner, SOSV

• Shuo Yang, General Partner, Lowercarbon Capital

Moderator

• Tim de Chant, Senior Climate Reporter, TechCrunch

Credits

• Producer: Ben Joffe 

• Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

• Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

• Intro Music: EL Waili

• Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonization

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024), Andrew Ponec, Co-founder and CEO of Antora Energy, discusses with Casey Crownhart, Climate Reporter at MIT Technology Review, the challenges and innovations in industrial heating.

• Antora Energy is electrifying heavy industry with thermal energy storage and raised over 200 million dollars in funding.

• Ponec explains that industrial heat accounts for a significant portion of global emissions, primarily from fossil fuels.

• Antora Energy initially explored various energy storage solutions before developing thermal batteries, leveraging cheap and abundant renewable energy sources.

• These batteries efficiently store and provide heat, aiming to replace fossil fuel dependency in industries.

• The conversation also covers the economic and safety aspects of thermal batteries, their integration into industrial applications, and the potential expansion into high-temperature processes like cement and steel production.

The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speaker

• Andrew Ponec, Co-founder and CEO, Antora Energy

Moderator

• Casey Crownhart, Climate Reporter, MIT Technology Review

Credits

• Producer: Ben Joffe 

• Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

• Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

• Intro Music: EL Waili

• Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonization

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this panel discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024) moderated by Dr. Sabriya Stukes, Chief Scientific Officer at SOSV's IndieBio New York program, founders Beth Esponnette of unspun, Gilberto Loureiro of SMARTEX, and Onur Eren of GOZEN discussed innovative approaches to sustainable fashion.

• The conversation focused on leveraging technology to reduce waste and emissions in the fashion industry.

• Beth highlighted unspun's on-demand manufacturing model that minimizes fabric waste and promotes efficient production.

• Gilberto discussed SMARTEX's use of advanced technology to enhance quality control and reduce defects in textile manufacturing.

• Onur emphasized GOZEN's development of new materials that offer sustainable alternatives to traditional textiles.

• The panel also touched on the challenges of scaling sustainable practices and the role of government regulation in promoting industry-wide sustainability.

The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

• Beth Esponnette, Chief Product Officer and Chair, unspun

• Gilberto Loureiro, CEO & Co-Founder, SMARTEX

• Onur Eren, Co-Founder, GOZEN

Moderator

• Sabriya Stukes, PhD, Partner, SOSV; Chief Scientific Officer, IndieBio NY

Credits

• Producer: Ben Joffe 

• Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

• Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

• Intro Music: EL Waili

• Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonization

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this discussion from SOSV's 2024 EarthDay+ sessions (Apr 22-26, 2024), the CEO and co-founder of Form Energy, Mateo Jaramillo, talks about:

• Form Energy's advancements in energy storage, with their unique iron-air battery technology designed for multi-day energy storage, which is more cost-effective and durable than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

• How this technology supports the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, enhancing reliability and reducing costs.

• How Form Energy, which has raised close to a billion dollars, is shifting from R&D to manufacturing and preparing for large-scale production and deployment, with plans to expand into European markets by 2026.

• The broader impact of the Inflation Reduction Act and the potential of such technologies to significantly contribute to global energy transitions.

The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

• Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and Co-Founder, Form Energy

Moderator

• Ben Joffe, Partner, SOSV

Credits

• Producer: Ben Joffe 

• Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-4-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

• Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

• Intro Music: EL Waili

• Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech #energy #decarbonization

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this discussion from the 2023 SOSV Climate Tech Summit (Sept 26-27, 2023), the founders of Span and Quilt talk about the electrification of homes.

They discuss the challenges of expanding the grid and the confusion homeowners face when transitioning to electrification. They also mention the importance of building relationships with contractors and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides subsidies for electrification. Both speakers express their excitement about the future of electrification.

This conversation is moderated by Emily Pontecorvo, Staff Writer at Heatmap. The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

Moderator

Credits

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In this discussion from the 2023 SOSV Climate Tech Summit (Sept 26-27, 2023), three startup founders discuss the importance of climate data and measurement.

The conversation touches on the challenges and opportunities in their respective industries. It is moderated by Devin Coldewey, Writer at TechCrunch. The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

Moderator

Credits

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In this discussion from the 2023 SOSV Climate Tech Summit (Sept 26-27, 2023), three scientists working at notable venture funds: Clea Kolster, Partner and Head of Science at Lowercarbon, Ken Caldeira, Senior Scientist at Breakthrough Energy and Susan Schofer, Partner and Chief Science Officer at SOSV’s HAX program, discuss the importance of having Phd scientists on venture capital teams and how they play a role in translating technical research into marketable solutions.

They also touch on the relationship between science and investment in their respective firms, the need for diverse expertise, and the transition from academia to investing. Overall, they emphasize the importance of combining technical knowledge with market understanding to make informed investment decisions in the field of climate tech.

This conversation is moderated by Tim DeChant, Senior Climate Reporter at TechCrunch+. The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

Speakers

Moderator

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