CleanTechies Podcast
296 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 8 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsWelcome to the CleanTechies Podcast where we interview ClimateTech Founders and VCs to share their advice and journeys with other Founders and VCs with the goal of helping others succeed.
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Support the show more directly via our Substack where we also publish writing on the episodes we record. https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe
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To get involved in the CleanTech revolution, suggest topics/guests, or discuss in more detail any of these topics, join our Slack Channel | https://tinyurl.com/ysb8fwu3
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Interested in Advertising: [email protected]
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Silas is a ClimateTech and ESG headhunter. He grew up in a very anti-climate-change part of the country in rural Wisconsin. When he got out on his own he realized the incredible benefits of climate technologies in addition to the realities of Climate Change. He then launched CleanTechies in 2021 to help raise awareness of the various benefits of climate technology.
Somil is a product manager at the Schmidt Futures Foundation. Born on Earth Day, he somehow got it into his head that he wanted to be a “ClimateTech VC” when he was 14. Since then, he has spent time running his own impact newsletter, investing at an early-stage VC firm, and founded an AgTech company called Agcess. He joined the CleanTechies podcast in 2023 as co-host to double down on its mission of spreading ClimateTech awareness in the world.
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Episodes
#175 Micromobility, Software Best Practices, Creative Business Models, Seasonality & More w/ Chinmay Malaviya & Charlie Depman (Ripepanda)
April 30, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBSomil chats with Chinmay Malaviya and Charlie Depman, CEO and CTO of Ripepanda, expanding access and usage of e-bikes, e-scooters, and micro mobility through employer sponsored subscriptions. Chinmay and Charlie bring a lot of startup and industry experience and were able to speak not only about their growth but ALSO breakdown the technical designs that help them be successful in micromobility. We talked about: How Ripepands offers benefits platform for employers to subsidize employee tra...
#175 Micromobility, Software Best Practices, Creative Business Models, Seasonality & More w/ Chinmay Malaviya & Charlie Depman (Ridepanda)
April 30, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBSomil chats with Chinmay Malaviya and Charlie Depman, CEO and CTO of Ridepanda, expanding access and usage of e-bikes, e-scooters, and micro mobility through employer sponsored subscriptions. Chinmay and Charlie bring a lot of startup and industry experience and were able to speak not only about their growth but ALSO breakdown the technical designs that help them be successful in micromobility. We talked about: How Ridepanda offers benefits platform for employers to subsidize employee tra...
#174 Hardware Playbook, Science in VC, DeepTech Success Stories, Environmental-Based Returns, & More w/ Jessica Burley (Planet A)
April 28, 2024 09:00 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MBWhat if Investors Only Made Money if they *actually* helped save the planet? Welp... folks, we have the show for you because that's exactly what Planet A is doing. Somil and Silas speak with Jessica Burley, a Berlin-based investor at the fund. On top of learning how they are *actually* walking the talk, we found out how they use Carbon Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in their investing due diligence process. Tune in to get the whole thing today! 🌱🌎 --- 🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to...
🚨 SPECIAL EP: #173 Breaking Down GGRF and $20B into ClimateTech w/ Franz Hochstrasser (Raise Green, S2 Strategies)
April 24, 2024 14:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBThe Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) is a generational government program deploying $27B into clean energy projects across the US. But what is the bill really? Franz Hochstrasser is an expert in financing projects in low-income areas and has a wealth of experience working on climate for the government - both of which are KEY for GGRF. Franz started his career “giving his 20s” to the government, and with that doing some amazing work as the Special Advisor to the Special Envoy for Clima...
#172 AI x Production, Learning from Tesla, Transitioning to Iron, Battery Technology & More w/ Vivas Kumar (Mitra Chem)
April 22, 2024 20:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBSomil chats with Vivas Kumar, CEO of Mitra Chem, the first lithium-ion battery materials manufacturer focused on shortening the lab-to-production timeline by over 90%, addressing the largest barrier to innovation: R&D and scale-up speed. Vivas was a phenomenal orator and if you take a second to learn about Mitra Chem, it’s easy to see why. By combining their knowledge of iron-based cathodes with an AI and data enhanced production capacity, they are able to manufacture quicker and more reli...
#171 Regenerative Farming, Carbon Credits, Smallholders, Global Protocols & More w/ Josh Knauer (ReSeed)
April 18, 2024 14:00 - 59 minutes - 40.6 MBIn this episode, Somil chats with Josh Knauer, CEO of ReSeed, bringing carbon credits directly from farmers to the market. They focus on the oldest form of carbon capture – vegetation. They support farmers in taking their protective and restorative farming practices, validating them, and then creating the mechanisms to sell those credits to interested parties. We talked about: His strategy to differentiate these credits compared to the rest of the market, What works for them, How he’...
#170 Computer Vision x AgTech, Precision Spraying, Herbicide Usage, & More w/ Tom Gauthier (AgTechLogic)
April 15, 2024 09:00 - 50 minutes - 34.5 MBEach year, about 1 billion pounds of chemicals are sprayed on crops in the US alone - globally, that number is around 5.6 billion. Our guest today is AgTechLogic, and they are solving this problem. They do this by helping Farmers retrofit their existing machinery with precision sprayers that use computer vision to identify weeds and spray only on the weeds in a concentrated way that kills the weeds and won't overlap with the crops. Today, nearly all farmers use broadcast spraying, or spr...
#170 Computer Vision x AgTech, Precision Spraying, Fertilizer Usage, & More w/ Tom Gauthier (AgTechLogic)
April 15, 2024 09:00 - 50 minutes - 34.5 MBEach year, about 1 billion pounds of chemicals are sprayed on crops in the US alone - globally, that number is around 5.6 billion. Our guest today is AgTechLogic, and they are solving this problem. They do this by helping Farmers retrofit their existing machinery with precision sprayers that use computer vision to identify weeds and spray only on the weeds in a concentrated way that kills the weeds and won't overlap with the crops. Today, nearly all farmers use broadcast spraying, or spr...
#169 Urban Mining, Actual Solar Panel Lifespan, End of Life Engineering, & More (Adam Saghei)
April 03, 2024 09:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBAre you curious about what happens to solar panels when they are no longer usable? Maybe your crazy uncle's statements from last Thanksgiving about how solar doesn't work are still echoing. Well, look no further. Today, we are speaking with Adam Saghei, Founder of WeRecycleSolar, and we are discussing the end of life for solar panels. How circular can we make the supply chain? What can OEMs learn about their products' end-of-life? What is the REAL lifespan of a solar panel? How is this rea...
#169 Urban Mining, Solar Panel Lifespan, End of Life Engineering, & More w/ Adam Saghei (WeRecycleSolar)
April 03, 2024 09:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBAre you curious about what happens to solar panels when they are no longer usable? Maybe your crazy uncle's statements from last Thanksgiving about how solar doesn't work are still echoing. Well, look no further. Today, we are speaking with Adam Saghei, Founder of WeRecycleSolar, and we are discussing the end of life for solar panels. How circular can we make the supply chain? What can OEMs learn about their products' end-of-life? What is the REAL lifespan of a solar panel? How is this rea...
#168 Advice for Project Finance, AI x Climate, CleanTech 1.0, Late Stage Investing, & More w/ Mike Jackson (Earthshot Ventures)
March 31, 2024 20:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBIn this episode, I sit down with Mike Jackson, Managing Partner at Earthshot Ventures. Earthshot Ventures calls themselves carbon generalists and invest from Seed to Series B. They mainly invest in software and “stepchange” hardware with a preference to double down on existing portfolio companies. Mike’s story is great because of how intentional he has excelled at every stage and in multiple sides of building in climate. He is a successful founder from cleantech 1.0, a rockstar investing ev...
#167 Urban Charging, Electrifying Cities, Pilots & Partnerships, & More w/ Tiya Gordon (It's Electric)
March 26, 2024 20:00 - 50 minutes - 35.1 MBIn this episode, we actually have a bit of a flashback for you – I sit down to chat with Tiya Gordon, co-founder and COO of It’s Electric, creating curbside EV charging specifically built for cities. Before I even go into what we talk about, I’d like to shout out what Tiya has done in the few months since recording this episode in December: She was part of the Green Economy Action Plan, a landmark green jobs plan for NYC Has appeared on NPR, Was awarded the 2023 Top 10 Innovator award f...
#166 Hybrids & EVs, Alternative Fuels, Technology Maturity, Diverse Teams & More w/ Logan Grizzel (MUUS Climate Partners)
March 22, 2024 18:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBIn this episode, Somil chats with Logan Grizzel, partner at MUUS Climate Partners, the climate tech venture capital arm of MUUS & Co. investing at the convergence of decarbonization and technological innovation. This episode probably broke the quotable clip record we have – Logan was a great mix of knowing how to communicate his thoughts and genuinely having such unique insight having worked on alternative fuels at Toyota, then going into grid strategy and now spending time as a Climate VC,...
#165 Iterating Hardware, Productizing Solar Procurement, Efficiency Mindset, & More w/ Mike Hall (Anza)
March 19, 2024 12:00 - 52 minutes - 35.9 MBWhat happens when successful CleanTech 1.0 founders step up to the plate again? Anza happens and it's magical. Today, Somil & Silas are interviewing Mike Hall, a Co-Founder of Anza, a company they spun out of Borrego, his and his brother's first venture. At Borrego, they developed software to streamline and improve the way they chose which solar panels to use for projects. Realizing this was a problem for everyone, they spun it out in 2023 and were off to the races. Enjoy this episode w...
#164 Net-Zero Cement, Surviving the Startup Valley-of-Death, Timing a Pivot, & More w/ Ryan Gilliam (Fortera)
March 14, 2024 09:00 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBIn this episode, Silas and Somil chat with Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera, a company focused on paving the way to zero CO2 cement backed by leading investors including Khosla Ventures and Temasek. What makes Fortera so exciting is that they’ve successfully raised all the way to their Series B, making them one of not many later stage companies in climate. We talked about his experience fundraising, the ins-and-outs of their tech, how to win over customers, his experience working with project ...
#163 Rockefeller’s $1B for Climate, Nature-Based Solutions, Philanthropic Capital, & More w/ Thomas Belazis (Rockefeller Foundation)
March 11, 2024 10:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBToday, we are speaking with a representative of the legendary Rockefeller Foundation. For those unaware, this foundation is one of the oldest well-organized institutions of its type and has been responsible for a massive number of efforts over the past 100 years. Our guest is Thomas Belazis, Director of Innovative Finance. He runs their Climate & Impact Investing arm. Some of the notable things we cover today are... Their $1bn Climate and Net Zero Commitments How they end up unlocking...
#162 Impact Metrics Liability, Navigating Reporting, Profit-First, & More w/ Zécca Lehn (Responsibly Ventures)
March 07, 2024 15:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB**Check out the new takeaways section at the end of the episode!!** In this episode, Somil and Silas chat with Zecca Lehn, GP of Responsibly Ventures, backing U.S. PreSeed startups in both Social and Sustainable Tech. He uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guidepost for his investments. We breakdown the specifics of his investing thesis including what is “customer love” and what it means to be ethical in investing, Zecca is especially good at using data and data reporting...
#161 Bylon, Recyclable Fibers, Ag Waste to Threads, Innovating Past Mistakes, & More w/ Oliver Shafaat (Sci-Lume Labs)
March 05, 2024 10:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBFast fashion is destroying the world. Imagine if we could make threads that are fully recyclable ... over and over... Well, that's what Oliver Shafaat is trying to do with Sci-Lume Labs. They use agricultural feedstock, and are using low-heat methods so they aim to be able to achieve cost parity. What they are working on is difficult, but would be world changing. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎 --- 🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the au...
#160 Climate Philanthropy, Reducing Carbon Removal Cost, Anti-GHG, & More w/ Adam Fraser (Terraset)
February 29, 2024 10:00 - 52 minutes - 36.3 MBIn this episode, Somil chats with Adam Fraser, CEO at Terraset, the “anti-GHG” 501c3. Philanthropy in climate is a hot topic – leading up to this episode we were getting questions left and right about the future of this space. And it’s because there’s seemingly so much money that could be in the space but isn’t yet. That is the problem Adam and Terraset are trying to solve. It couldn’t have been a more timely show. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎 --- 🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack t...
#159 Slashing Trucking Emissions by 90% TODAY, Biodiesel, Scaling up Manufacturing, & more w/ Lori Dunn (Optimus Technologies)
February 24, 2024 04:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBIf you LOVE technology that allows for decarbonization TODAY, then Somil & Silas' conversation today with Lori Dunn from Optimus Technologies will interest you. Discover how Optimus is revolutionizing the transport sector by producing bolt-on systems that allow truck drivers to utilize 100% biodiesel and reduce their overall emissions by up to 90%. Learn from Lori how they are navigating the challenges of funding, team alignment, and strategic planning for the future. Join us as we ex...
#158 Product-Led ClimateTech, Exiting to Big Tech TWICE, Being a Climate Papa, & More w/ Ben Eidelson (Stepchange, Climate Papa)
February 22, 2024 14:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBIn this episode, I chat with Ben Eidelson, Co-founder & GP of Stepchange, an early-stage venture fund that invests in product-led companies that will make a “step change”, pun intended, I’m guessing?, impact on climate. When editing the episode, Alex, our executive producer, told us he could already tell one of our best episodes yet. I very much agree. This turned out to be the VC meets product meets content special I was hoping it would be. We discuss all things product in climate, Ben be...
#157 Onshoring Battery Production, Getting to Bankability, Waterless Cathode Materials, & More w/ Virginia Klausmeier (Sylvatex)
February 19, 2024 17:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBToday we speak with Virginia Klausmeier, President & CEO of Sylvatex, a company aiming to commercialize technology that was originally developed by her father. The technology is a waterless method to produce Cathode Active Materials (the chemicals that go into the production of various types of batteries). We cover a lot of things. The primary topics being Onshoring Battery Production, Getting to Bankability, and How their Technology works. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎 --- 🌎 Want the full PodL...
#156 Digitizing Supply Chains, Finding the Right Investors & an Oversubscribed Round, Important Materials in Climate, & More w/ Leise Sandeman (Pathways)
February 15, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MB(Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) In this episode, Somil and Silas chat with Leise Sanderson, founder and CEO of Pathways. Pathways is an AI platform that simplifies environmental impact analysis for the materials and manufacturing supply chain. I’m a built environment junkie, so this was…really fun. Materials are the main cost driver of construction which means they will be especially difficult to decarbonize. Tools like Pathways make it easier to identi...
#155 Climate Investing Outside of Major Tech Hubs w/ Ryan Jeffery (Gener8tor)
February 11, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBSilas speaks with Ryan Jeffery, Sr. Managing Director of the Sustainability Accelerators at Gener8tor, a collection of Accelerators that serve the rest of the country outside of SF, NYC, and Boston, where the majority of VC dollars go. (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) Ryan started as a founder. Later, he became a VC and eventually ended up in Gener8tor running the sustainability-focused accelerators because of his desire to be closer to the founders an...
#155 Supporting Underrepresented Founders, Hardware MVP & Scaling, Partnering w/ Corporates, & More w/ Ryan Jeffery (Gener8tor)
February 11, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBSilas speaks with Ryan Jeffery, Sr. Managing Director of the Sustainability Accelerators at Gener8tor, a collection of Accelerators that serve the rest of the country outside of SF, NYC, and Boston, where the majority of VC dollars go. (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) Ryan started as a founder. Later, he became a VC and eventually ended up in Gener8tor running the sustainability-focused accelerators because of his desire to be closer to the founders an...
#154 How Transect Automates Site Selection and Environmental Due Diligence to Save Developers Months w/ Robin Laine
February 08, 2024 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MBIn this episode, Silas and Somil chat with Robin Lane, CEO and founder of Transect, a product that aids and expedites site selection for infrastructure projects. For Silas and I, this was an exciting mix of infrastructure meeting technology. Robin has been doing this for a while, so she had a lot to tell us about her experiences with developers, rolling Transect out to market, how she grew as a founder alongside her company, and what she sees for the future. (Take the CleanTechies Listen...
#154 Automated Site Selection & Environmental Due Diligence for Developers, Permitting Challenges, the Cost of Solar, & More w/ Robin Laine (Transect)
February 08, 2024 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MBIn this episode, Silas and Somil chat with Robin Lane, CEO and founder of Transect, a product that aids and expedites site selection for infrastructure projects. For Silas and I, this was an exciting mix of infrastructure meeting technology. Robin has been doing this for a while, so she had a lot to tell us about her experiences with developers, rolling Transect out to market, how she grew as a founder alongside her company, and what she sees for the future. (Take the CleanTechies Listen...
#153 The Most Valuable Data in ClimateTech, Confusing AI with Efficiency, the Power of Tea, & More w/ Peter Sun (Climactic)
February 05, 2024 16:00 - 1 hour - 47.3 MBIn this ep, we chat with Peter Sun, founding team at Climactic, an early stage fund investing in ClimateTech, specifically focused on efficiency in software which has a lot to do with, you guessed it, AI. We dive into the nuances of how AI is impacting climate tech, where the opportunities for software are in decarbonization, and Peter’s journey joining the founding team. As someone who personally is wary of putting AI in every conversation, Peter had real insight into the ins-and-outs of w...
#152 Policy x IRA, Carbon Capture, Commercializing DeepTech, Hardware Headwinds & More w/ Adam Goff (8 Rivers)
February 01, 2024 11:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MBToday, we are joined by Adam Goff, the SVP of Strategy at 8 Rivers, a technology portfolio developer. Think of it like a venture studio but specifically for technology (often chemistry) instead of companies. (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) He talks us through how that looks and how they commercialize the products, and we also spend a lot of time discussing the role and importance of policy when it comes to clean tech. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎 --- 🌎 Wan...
#151 Winning Grants w/ AI, The Palo Alto Effect, Expanding Your TAM, & More w/ Helena Merk (Streamline Climate)
January 28, 2024 12:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBThere are a plethora of national and local grants available to help companies solving the climate problem, but landing one is a herculean effort. Writing them takes months and can result in absolutely nothing. Half of the battle is picking the right grant to apply for. Well, Helena Merk and her team at Streamline Climate are solving that. (Take the CleanTechies Listeners Survey to help us better serve you) Their AI powered tech helps companies identify which grants to apply for and then h...
#150 AI Fund Operations, Canada x Climate VC, "Growth-as-a-Service", & More w/ Nick Findler & Chad Rickaby (ClimateDoor)
January 24, 2024 10:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBClimate Tech founders needs lots of different financing options and styles of support – ClimateDoor is an example of a niche’d styles of venture support that I hope we see more of in ClimateTech VC. ClimateDoor is a style of venture builder called “Growth-as-a-Service”, functioning similarly to a late stage accelerator. We dive into the nuances of their model, the Canadian VC ecosystem, what its like founding a company with your childhood best friend and more. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎 -----...
#149 PFAS, Sustainable Semiconductors, Water Consumption, & More w/ Tobias Egle (M Ventures)
January 18, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 48.1 MBOur guest today is Tobias Egle, an investor at M Ventures, the Corporate Venture arm of Merck. Tobias joins us today to speak about deep tech investing, specifically around materials innovation and the decarbonization of electronics manufacturing. A topic that has been in the news a lot recently is PFAS, and given his work, he was able to speak about the issues with PFAS as well as how to get rid of it. He also provided some advice to highly technical founders when it comes to team build...
#148 SAF, Green Hydrogen, Light Reactors | Decarbonizing the Chemical Industry World w/ Trevor Best (Syzygy)
January 15, 2024 12:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBThe chemical industry is ~$4.7t globally. The reason is that nearly everything we use is produced using secondary products that are created from catalyzing raw materials in some way. This is currently done using combustion (heat) powered reactors, and our guest today is commercializing a new way to do that. A way that is 30x more efficient than cutting-edge combustion reactors. Co-founder & CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics, Trevor Best, joins us to discuss the journey of coming across the technolo...
#147 Scaling "Equity-Light" Climate Tech: Marketplace Solutions, Equity-Light vs. Software, and Electrification of Transportation w/ Russell Sprole (Virta Ventures)
January 12, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.4 MBIn this episode, we chat with Russell Sprole, founder and managing partner of Virta Ventures. Virta Ventures invests at the early stages focusing on “equity-light” companies. We dive into the nuances of marketplace models, the potential of AI in climate tech, his journey with Full Harvest, and more. This is a great episode for software enthusiasts interested in its place in the climate tech ecosystem. As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode! https://linktr.ee/clea...
#146 AI-Powered Savings: Optimizing EV Charging Costs on the Grid w/ Ken Munson (Rhythmos)
January 09, 2024 11:00 - 52 minutes - 36 MBToday, Ken Munson, CEO of Rhythmos, shares his story of becoming an entrepreneur, including the wins and losses. He also discusses what Rhythmos is doing in grid-edge technology. He explains what GridEdge Tech is, the importance of experienced entrepreneurs staying in the arena, and the intricacies of selling to utilities. Munson also delves into the future of grid technology and sustainable energy solutions. Enjoy the Episode! 🌱🌎 --- 🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our s...
#145 Climate x Industrial Automation, Climate Storytelling, Changing Cap Table Construction, & More w/ Jay Kapoor (VSC Ventures)
January 05, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBOn this episode, we interview Jay Kapoor, General Partner at VSC Ventures. VSC Ventures is a Seed-stage VC fund focusing on climate adaptation and industrial automation. Their central thesis is that although starting a company is becoming easier, its becoming harder and harder to get noticed. Their solution? Storytelling. Confused? Listen to this episode – you won’t be disappointed. Jay needs no introduction – he has a podcast himself, comes from a VC and media background, and left a lastin...
#144 Gen AI in Water Design, Energy Efficient Infrastructure, Digitizing Design & More w/ Adam Tank (Transcend)
December 26, 2023 22:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBIn this enlightening episode, Silas and Somil are speaking all about Water and Wastewater Infrastructure with Adam Tank, the CCO and Co-Founder of Transcend Infrastructure. Adam shares his journey into the water industry and the creation of Transcend, a software platform that automates the design process for water infrastructure projects. He discusses the challenges and opportunities in the industry, including the need for more innovative and sustainable solutions. Tank emphasizes the impo...
#143 The Future of Carbon Markets: Transparency, Local Impact, & Retail Investors | Sudhu Arumugam, CYNK
December 23, 2023 11:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBIn this enlightening episode, Silas and Somil delve into an engaging conversation with a visionary in the realm of carbon markets, Sudhu Arumugam, the CEO and Co-Founder of CYNK. CYNK is an early-stage company based out of Nairobi and Singapore, and they are building a block-chained tied marketplace specifically for the African voluntary carbon markets. Many debate the need for another carbon marketplace, but one thing is certain: trust in this space has been hard to find, and what CYNK i...
#142 Lessons, Thoughts and Advice From Running a Climate Tech Podcast w/ Ryan Grant Little (Another Climate Tech Podcast)
December 20, 2023 02:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MB🌎 Today Somil & Silas had the opportunity to do something slightly different today since we did an episode with Ryan Grant Little, the Creator and Host of Another Climate Tech Podcast. He has conversations that are more topical with his guests who are, in many cases, people he already knows. Ryan has a really fascinating background as a Founder, Investor, and Consultant. He found his way to climate via some of the impact work he was doing in Canada. Since all three of us are used to interv...
#141 Winning Pilots, First Customers, Arena Electrification, & More w/ Chris Richardson (Uptake Alliance, ADL Ventures)
December 17, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MB🌎 On this episode, Somil interviews Chris Richardson, Executive Director of Uptake Alliance and Partner at ADL Ventures where he leads their energy and transportation practices. Uptake Alliance is the newest rockstar member of the NYS entrepreneurial ecosystem that connects organizations with startups solving specific problems they face to tackle “piloting to death.” We talk about the relationship between pilots and commercialization, specific opportunities in climate tech, and other pieces...
🔒 #140 Big Oil Bogeyman, Watching Your Satellites Launch, Biz Model First, & More w/ Dan Katz (Orbital Sidekick)
December 12, 2023 11:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBSubscriber-only episode 🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview. Today Silas had the opportunity to interview Dan Katz, the Co-Founder and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, where they are building, and launching Hyperspectral Satellites to help catch methane leaks in pipelines, and hopefully one day, identify geographies that have critical minerals underneath the surface. He started in the aerospace indust...
#140 Using Satellites to Stop Methane Leaks & Climate Change, Business Model First, The O&G Bogeyman, & More w/ Dan Katz (Orbital Sidekick)
December 12, 2023 11:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MB🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview. Today Silas had the opportunity to interview Dan Katz, the Co-Founder and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, where they are building, and launching Hyperspectral Satellites to help catch methane leaks in pipelines, and hopefully one day, identify geographies that have critical minerals underneath the surface. He started in the aerospace industry building satellites fo...
🔒 #140 The O&G Bogeyman, Watching Your Satellites Launch, Biz Model First, & More w/ Dan Katz (Orbital Sidekick)
December 12, 2023 11:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBSubscriber-only episode 🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview. Today Silas had the opportunity to interview Dan Katz, the Co-Founder and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, where they are building, and launching Hyperspectral Satellites to help catch methane leaks in pipelines, and hopefully one day, identify geographies that have critical minerals underneath the surface. He started in the aerospace indust...
#140 Big Oil Bogeyman, Watching Your Satellites Launch, Biz Model First, & More w/ Dan Katz (Orbital Sidekick)
December 12, 2023 11:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MB🌎 Today, Silas had the opportunity to interview Dan Katz, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, where they are building, and launching Hyperspectral Satellites to help catch methane leaks in pipelines, and, hopefully, one day, identify geographies that have critical minerals underneath the surface. He started in the aerospace industry, building satellites for other organizations. In the wake of the frothy space exploration market, Dan and his colleague believed they could also build ...
#139 The Climate Tech Opportunity, Developmental Finance in Climate, & More w/ Jamil Wyne (Climate Tech Bootcamp, Riffle Ventures)
December 09, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 61 MB🌎 Today, we are talking to Jamil Wyne of Climate Tech Bootcamp & Riffle Ventures. In this episode, you will find: Why direct access to customers and revenue generation are crucial for success in the climate tech space How Jamil shaped Climate Tech Bootcamp with individuals with deep subject matter expertise and a builder's mindset A walkthrough of his leading report “The Climate Tech Opportunity” published by the Oxford Climate Tech Initiative Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 --- 🌎 If you'd like t...
#138 Reverse Vending Machines, Regulation & Demand, Demonstrating Traction, & More w/ Paweł Ciesielski (MaasLoop)
December 05, 2023 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MB🌎 Today we are joined by Pawel Ciesielski, the Co-Founder and CEO of MaaS Loop, a Poland-based company building reverse vending machines to help collect various recyclables. He has a background in marketing, branding, and trend projection where he specifically helped demonstrate what the world could look like in 10 or 20 years from a climate perspective. Due to the high cost of talent and the EU's regulations around bottle deposit costs, smaller businesses require a solution to help them...
#137 Scaling a Logistics Heavy Business, Bootstrapping, The Rigatoni List, The Recommerce OG, & More w/ John Fazzolari (Revivn)
December 01, 2023 10:00 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MB🌎 In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) speaks with John Fazzolari (@fazz), the co-CEO and co-founder of Revivn, a hardware lifecycle management company that helps corporates repurpose their used electronic devices. John has a fascinating story of building this company and despite us only recording for about 30 min, we covered a lot of ground. From why they bootstrapped the company, to his Rigatoni list for hiring purposes, to using operational complexity as a moat, to ensuring your...
#136 Hardware as an AI Moat, Design for Finance with the Climate Capital Stack, & More w/ Shaun Abrahamson (Third Sphere)
November 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB🌎 NYCW was a pivotal moment for many of us current or aspiring climate professionals. It brought together large swaths of diverse talent, all working in different assets to solve the climate crisis. Many of these gatherings were headlined by some of the smartest minds in climate and climate tech. An implicit goal we’ve had at the CleanTechies Podcast since then is to have as many speakers from the week as we can. I’m excited to introduce the speaker of one of the most popular talks at NYCW ...
#136 Hardware as an AI Moat, Design for Finance with the Climate Capital Stack, & More
November 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter, go to our substack to see all the written content that supplements the audio interview. NYCW was a pivotal moment for many of us current or aspiring climate professionals. It brought together large swaths of diverse talent all working in different assets to solve the climate crisis. Many of these gatherings were headlined by some of the smartest minds in climate and climate tech. An implicit goal we’ve had at the CleanTechies Podcast since then i...
#135 Saving Corporates 50% on their Reverse Supply Chain, Getting Non-Profits Goods, & More w/ Diz Petit (LiquiDonate)
November 22, 2023 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.8 MB🌎 In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Diz Petit the Founder & CEO of LiquiDonate. They have an amazing solution to help manage corporate waste in a way that get's it into the hands of non-profits who need the materials. In doing this, they are also reducing their reverse supply chain costs by about ~50%. Diz was a great guest and had a lot of great insights to share. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 --- 🌎 If you'd like to see the full PodLetter,...