The Tech 4 Climate Podcast

From living in rural Honduras to Facebook and now funding climate tech, meet Dimitry Gershenson, Founder and CEO of Enduring Planet

Ep.#43 Dimitry Gershenson, Founder and CEO of Enduring Planet - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp

PART 1: Meet the founder:

During this new episode of our Founder Series, we are sitting down with Dimitry Gershenson, Co-founder and CEO of Enduring Planet. Dimitry built Enduring Planet to be a fintech lender focused exclusively on the new climate economy in order to provide fast and simple, founder-friendly capital to climate entrepreneurs, both big and small. His company lends to startups and SMBs through a product called revenue-based financing which requires no collateral, no personal guarantees, and no dilution.

Above all, it was designed to be easy and fast for entrepreneurs so they can apply in ten minutes, get a term sheet in a week, and get funded in 30 days.

I was excited to speak with Dimitry, who discovered his passion for sustainability while working in Honduras. Realizing the possibility of improving livelihoods while meeting climate and environmental goals, Dimitry got a master's in Energy and Resources at Berkeley University before working at Facebook to build a program improving access to energy in emerging markets helping get people electricity for the first time and helped get access for credit to women entrepreneurs that were building ecommerce businesses on the platform. He then transitioned to Enduring Planet, a smallholding company with a variety of portfolios, where he eventually pitched the idea to create Enduring Planet to specifically fund climate-focused companies.

In this episode, we will learn more about the main players and needs in the climate finance landscape today, the global amount needed to reach net-zero versus how much is currently deployed, and the main challenges and opportunities in the market to accelerate the capital deployment. Together we will cover how Enduring Planet was created, what gaps Dimitry found in the market that inspired him to focus on revenue-based financing, and how his solution compares to others in the market.

Finally, Dimitry will share his founder's journey in building Enduring Planet, what keeps him up at night and how you can get involved.

PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our

site)

During the second part of the talk, Dimitry will give his secret sauce for early-stage founders looking to fundraise by giving his tips for increasing the odds of success. Finally, he will share how he has managed to maintain a good work-life balance as a busy CEO and some of the books he has learned from.

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From Goldman to Kleiner and the launch of G2VP, this Aussie has been at the forefront of support for entrepreneurs at the growth stage who are unlocking new paths to environmentally and socially responsible economic growth. Meet Ben Kortlang, Partner @ G2VP 

Ep.#42  Ben Kortlang, Partner @ G2 Venture Partners (G2VP) - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup basecamp

PART 1: Meet the investor

In today’s episode, we are speaking with  Ben Kortlang, Partner at G2VP. G2 Venture Partners is a venture and growth firm focused on emerging technologies driving sustainable transformation across traditional industries. The firm focuses on supporting entrepreneurs at the growth stage who are unlocking new paths to environmentally and socially responsible economic growth.

I was excited to have Ben on the show, a self-described “aussie, forced environmentalist” who grew up surrounded by nature and no electricity in the Australian bush, has spent his last 20 years proving that companies could be profitable and sustainable in business to win big. Prior to starting G2VP, Ben spent 7 years at Goldman Sachs and then joined the Silicon Valley VC ecosystem in 2008 with Kleiner Perkins where he started the Green Growth Fund focused on growth-stage sustainable industrial technology companies until 2020. 

In this episode, Ben will share his view of the US climate tech ecosystem, the fundamentals that drive the market today compared to the early days of the Cleantech era 1.0, and the US advantages/weaknesses compared to the EU and rest of the world. Then, he will discuss the framework G2VP developed to back winning growth stage companies in sustainable industrial tech and how they support their growth with their “G2VP Growth toolkit” .

Together, we will go on to explore the climate tech sectors with promising impact/cash returns and the areas he believes have exciting potential for investment, growth, and impact. Afterward, Ben will share his view on the climate crisis today, why all the nature-based and tech solutions are important to solve the climate crisis, and how you can be involved with G2VP today.

Part 2: My secret sauce:

In the second part of the show, Ben will give his secret sauce for founders looking to pitch to investors successfully and share the key metrics investors are looking for when making their investment decisions. Lastly, Ben will cover how he tackles challenges to maintain a healthy work-life balance and share a few inspiring reads for climate tech founders. 

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive contents & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

From an off-the-grid community in the Bahamas and a multinational consumer goods company, to founding a product insights startup. Meet Lizzie Horvitz, Founder, and CEO of Finch.

Ep.#40   Lizzie Horvitz, Founder and CEO of Finch - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp

PART 1: Meet the founder:

During this new episode of our Founder Series, we are sitting down with Lizzie Horvitz, Founder and CEO of Finch. Finch was designed to decode products environmental impacts and incentivise consumers to make better purchasing decisions.To do this, they rate products based on their environmental impacts on a scope of 1-10 and inform people of which products they should be looking for, and which ones they should avoid. 

I was excited to speak with Lizzie, who, since the age of 16, has been in love with climate mitigation, and even spent her sophomore year of high school living in an off-the-grid community in the Bahamas. Having worked for both inspiring non-profits, and a multinational consumer goods company, s After completing her MBA and a masters in environmental management from Yale, Lizzie went on to become the COO for a smart reusable takeaway container company in based in Singapore, where she developed a love for entrepreneurship that was crucial to the journey and development of Finch. 

 In this episode, we will learn more about the main players and needs in the sustainable product landscape today, the importance of function and quality, and the role Gen Z are playing in demanding more ethical products.Together we will cover the initial challenges of building Finch,  the current certification mechanisms for rating cleaner products, and the rise and dangers of greenwashing.We will also go deeper into the Finchs browser extension, how they select and review their products and the business case for why sustainability makes sense. Finally, Lizzie will share why they dont believe in using carbon offsets for consumer products and how the community can help them. 

PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)

During the second part of the talk,  Lizzie will give her secret sauce for early-stage founders looking to fundraise by relating her own fundraising journey with Finch. Finally, she will share how she has managed to maintain a good work-life balance as an entrepreneur and some of the podcasts she has learned from. 

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

Satellite builder, rocket designer, and now co-founder of one of the fastest growing CO2 removal companies. Meet Kelly Hering, CTO & Co-Founder at Charm Industrial.

Ep.#40   Kelly Hering, CTO & Co-Founder at Charm Industrial - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp  

PART 1: Meet the founder:

During this new episode of our Founder Series, we are sitting down with Kelly Hering, CTO & Co-Founder at Charm Industrial. Charm Industrial, one of the fastest-growing carbon removal technology companies, is on a mission to return the atmosphere to 280 ppm CO₂ profitably. To do this, they are taking cellulosic biomass, which already captures 100+ Gt CO₂/year, and is turning it into bio-oil before injecting it underground to store it for millennia.  

I was excited to speak with Kelly, a Brown-educated mechanical engineer who is not only passionate about building things, but also about women's studies and getting more women involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Prior to Charm Industrial, Kelly designed satellites at Planet, a leading provider in global satellite imagery, and worked as a rocket designer at Astra, both of which gave her invaluable experience in Iterative design and bringing tech to market quickly.

 In this episode, we will learn more about Charms' unique process for capturing carbon and storing it permanently, where they sit in the current carbon offset market and who their big buyers are. Together we will also cover how the market is ensuring CO2 offsets are certified or ensured, and what the real impact carbon offsetting could or should have in the fight against climate change.  We will also go deeper into how Charm selects the biomass they use for their processes, where they store their carbon, and their business model.

PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY - More info on our site)

During the second part of the talk, Kelly will share her thoughts on the war-like effort needed to channel the climate crisis as well as what she has learned from her co-founders during Charms fundraising journey. Finally, she will share her secrets and tips for founders trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp        👉  https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

The VC firm which is supporting the companies that will positively

impact how we move, create, eat, & live. Meet Christina O’Conor,

Partner @ Congruent Ventures

Ep.#39 Christina O’Conor, Partner @ Congruent Ventures - Tech4Climate

Podcast by Startup basecamp

PART 1: Meet the investor

In today’s episode, we are speaking with Christina O’Conor, Partner @

Congruent Ventures. Congruent Ventures, who last year closed their

second fund of $175M, are helping create the climate startups that will

“positively impact how we move, create, eat, and live.” Their focus

areas are early-stage startups working in Mobility & Urbanization,

The Energy Transition, Food & Agriculture and Sutainable Production

& Consumption.

I was excited to have Christina on the show, a “climate-obsessed”

individual who has spent 17 years dedicated to the nexus of climate tech

and finance. Prior to joining Congruent Ventures, Christina was one of

the early employees at the UN’s PRI (Principles for Responsible

Investment), which is currently the largest, global initiative for

mainstreaming ESG issues into investment decision-making & ownership

practices. Following this, Christina was head of ESG and sustainable

development at Wellington Management, where she gained experience

identifying feasible climate solutions.

In this episode, Christina will share her view of the US climate tech

ecosystem, the climate innovation pockets around the world which are

ahead of the US, and the funding gap for early-stage founders. Then, she

will discuss the framework they create with founders of different

metrics they can track related to their core KPI’s.

Together, we will go on to explore the climate tech sectors with

promising impact/cash returns and the areas she believes has exciting

potential for investments, growth, and impact. Following that, Christina

will share her view on the climate crisis today, why sales channels and

business models are important, and how you can be involved with

Congruent Ventures today.

Part 2: My secret sauce:

In the second part of the show, Christina will give her secret sauce for

founders looking to pich to investors successfully and share why it is

important to love what you do. Lastly, Christina will cover how she

tackles challenges to maintain a healthy work-life balance and share a

few inspiring reads for climate tech founders.

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our

Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️ 🌎

Access to exclusive contents & learn more about Tech 4 Climate

Podcast by Startup Basecamp 👉 https://startupbasecamp.org/the-tech-4-climate-podcast/

From using food waste to feed insect larvae for industrial fish feed, to launching a reforestation startup and one-stop reforestation shop, meet the incredible man behind Drone Seed.

Ep.#38   Grant Canary Founder and CEO of DroneSeed - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp

PART 1: Meet the founder:

During this new episode of our Founder Series, we are sitting down with Grant Canary, Founder and CEO of DroneSeed. DroneSeed is on a mission to make reforestation scaleable and mitigate the worst effects of climate change. To do this, they are using heavy lift drone swarms to reforest after wildfires.  Droneseed has also recently acquired subsidiary Silvaseed, which has expanded to be the largest private seed bank on the west coast. The company is now a one-stop-shop for reforestation, providing seed, seedlings, aerial seeding, and financing via carbon credits.

I was excited to speak with Grant, an incredible entrepreneur passionate about nature, Water polo, climate change, and sustainability whose career began as a consultant in the energy sector across the US, China, and Denmark. Following this, Grant then started a successful foodtech startup in Colombia that used food waste to feed insect larvae to create industrial fish feed. This startup was later acquired prior to starting Droneseed.

In this episode, we will learn more about the carbon offset market for reforestation, its exciting growth today, the certification mechanism that ensures carbon is stored, and the greenwashing controversy that can come with big emitters leveraging carbon offsets.  Together we will cover the initial challenges of building Droneseed, their lessons learned along the journey, and the company’s need for developing an integrated model from the seeds to offset. We will also go deeper into the potential and opportunities that drone assisting wildfire reforestation efforts has in the climate crisis, especially if it is made available at scale. Finally, Grant will share the next steps necessary in achieving his vision and how you can get involved.

PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY=> More info on our site)

During the second part of the talk,  Grant will give his secret sauce for early-stage founders looking to fundraise by relating his own successful fundraising journey with Droneseed. Finally, he will share some of the books he learned from and his own work-life balance tips for busy founders.

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp  

Part 1: Meet the investor:

In today’s episode, we are speaking with Erin Beilharz, Managing Director of the CleanTech Hub @ Lufthansa Group. The CleanTech Hub is seeking to push the boundaries of aviation by driving and accelerating the change towards a cleaner and more sustainable aeronautics industry. Supported by the entire Lufthansa Group, the Hub empowers startups through technology projects, partnerships, knowledge transfer, and acceleration programs. So, if you have an idea about how to create impact in aviation through technology in the areas of alternative fuels, aircraft hardware, digitalization, waste reduction, new clean propulsion, and more …they will make sure you get support.

I was excited to have Erin on the show, an incredible woman who is passionate about nature, travel, and putting people together to create an impact on the environment. After studying in Canada and spending the first 7 years of her career in Asia, Erin joined the Lufthansa Group in 2017. In 2021she then took the position of CleanTech Hub Director in order to support tech founders who are building the aviation of tomorrow.    

In this episode, Erin will share her extensive knowledge of the aviation industry, its sustainability challenges, and the technology opportunities and nature-based solutions which can be deployed today to directly impact climate change.  

Then, she will cover in detail how they select and support founders and how they measure the impact that they base their onboarding decisions on. She will go on to highlight underdog areas in the aviation environment in which she sees exciting potential for investments, growth, and impact.

Following that, Erin will share her view on the climate crisis today, what's next for the CleanTech Hub and how you can be involved in this growing cleaner aviation movement.  

Part 2: My secret sauce:

In the second part of the show, Erin will give her secret sauce for founders and corporates looking to get “Lufthansa ready”, and pitch successfully to the CleanTech Hub program. Lastly, Erin will cover how she tackles challenges to maintain a healthy work-life balance and share a few inspiring authors for Climate Tech founders. 

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp

A journalist, communication expert in politics, and now founding partner in a 350M fund supporting climate tech founders meet the incredible Danijel Višević. 

Ep.#36  Danijel Višević Founding Partner @ World Fund - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup basecamp

PART 1: Meet the investor

In today’s episode, we are speaking with Danijel Višević, Founding Partner @ World Fund.  World Fund is a European Climate Tech VC investing in startups (from Seed to Series B) that have the potential to save at least 100Mt of CO2e per year. Their focus areas are key emitting sectors such as Energy, Food & Agriculture, Manufacturing, Buildings, and Transport. Through these focus areas, they aim to fill two significant investment gaps in climate tech: when it goes from lab to market and when it leaves the pilot stage to scale.

I was excited to have Danijel on the show, a unique person driven by “the love of life”, who has an unusual career path that led him to co-found a 350M climate tech fund. Danijele worked as a journalist and a communication expert in politics for the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, before investing in and supporting early-stage climate tech founders through the World Fund.    

In this episode, Danijel will share his view of the European Climate Tech ecosystem, the gap between R&D and funding, and the challenges and opportunities that lie in Europe for accelerating capital deployment and directly impacting climate change.

Then, he will cover in detail how they select and support founders and how they measure the impact that they base their investment decisions on. Together we will go on to highlight underdog areas in the climate tech ecosystem in which he sees exciting potential for investments, growth, and impact.

Following that, Danijiel will share his view on the climate crisis today and how you can be involved in the growing climate tech movement and the World fund.  

Part 2: My secret sauce:

In the second part of the show, Danijiel will give his secret sauce for founders looking to fundraise and avoid red flags to pitch investors successfully. Lastly, Danijiel will cover how he tackles challenges to maintain a healthy work-life balance and share a few inspiring authors for Climate Tech founders. 

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp  

A self-described Geek who supports and backs mission-driven tech entrepreneurs focusing on the full stack of the urban environment, meet the incredible Christian Hernandez.

Ep.#35  Christian Hernandez Partner & Co-Founder @ 2150 - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp.

PART 1: Meet the Investor:

In today’s episode, we are speaking with Christian Hernandez, Partner & Co-Founder @ 2150.  The fund is considered the largest EU/UK fund focused on sustainability of the built environment. They support and back mission-driven tech entrepreneurs who are solving some of the largest problems facing the planet today, and focus on the full stack of the urban environment, where most of the world's CO2 emissions and resource waste are arising.

I was excited to have Christian on the show, a self-described Geek, who started coding at 12 years old back in 1993. He is also a serial VC and a dad of an upcoming Astro Biologist. Christian got an MBA at Wharton, worked during the early days of Microsoft, Facebook, was head of new markets at Google and launched a  250M fund with White Star Capital. Finally, he co-founded 2150 to invest in and support early-stage tech founders who are building the world of 2150.    

In this episode, Christian will share his extensive knowledge of the built environment, it’s challenges, and the tech which can be deployed today to have a direct impact on climate change.  

Then, he will cover in detail how they select and support founders and how they measure the impact that they base their investment decisions on. He will go on to highlight underdog areas in the urban environment in which he sees exciting potential for investments, growth, and impact.

Following that, Christian will share his view on the climate crisis today and how you can be involved in the growing climate tech movement.  

Part 2: My secret sauce:

In the second part of the show, Christian will give his secret sauce for founders looking to fundraise and pitch investors successfully. Lastly, Christian will cover how he tackles challenges to maintain a healthy work-life balance and share a few inspiring authors for Climate Tech founders. 

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp

Meet the winner of our last pitch competition who is producing carbon-negative chemicals for the flavor & fragrances industry through bioengineered micro-organisms.

Ep.#34 Benjamin Ng Co-Founder @ AromatEco - Tech4Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp

PART 1: Meet the founder:

In this new episode of Founder Series, we are sitting down with Benjamin Ng, Co-Founder @ AromatEco, who were the winners of our last Quarterly Pitch competition back in December 2021. AromatEco is bioengineering micro-organisms by giving them the ability to produce carbon-negative chemicals. AromatEco helps household brands become more sustainable by providing them with renewable flavors and fragrances solutions. In the long run, their vision is to decarbonize the entire petrochemical industry with their nature-based solution. 

I was excited to speak with Ben, an incredible young bioengineer from Imperial College who is passionate about dancing and gaming and who even found himself dancing in a Mick Jagger music video clip. After several startup failures, from which he learned a lot, Ben met his cofounders who were studying and developing the microorganism in the labs prior to the launch of AromatEco in late 2020.  In this episode, we will learn more about the chemical industry landscape and its heavy impact on the planet. Together we will cover the initial challenges of building their technology and nailing down the mechanisms to genetically modify bacterias to produce targeted chemicals at scale. We will also go deeper into the potential of their unique technology to reduce the cost of chemical production by 50% with a natural-based solution,  their approach of a decentralized production model, and their go-to-market strategy initially targeting high-value chemicals. Finally, Benjamin will share the next steps necessary in achieving their vision and how you can get involved.

PART 2: My secret sauce: (AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY=> More info on our site)

During the second part of the talk,  Benjamin will give his secret sauce for early-stage founders looking to fundraise and the importance of going out of the labs to network. Finally, he will share some of the books he learned from and his own work-life balance tips for busy founders.

🚨 OUR COMMITMENT🚨

When we reach 1000 subscribers we will plant 1000 trees with our Partners.🌱

Help us to reach this 1st goal.

Share 1 episode with a friend.❤️  🌎

Access to exclusive content & learn more about Tech 4 Climate Podcast by Startup Basecamp