Why you should listen: ** How to succeed in building your company from a seasoned ClimateTech and energy investor **How to successfully expand your thesis and launch a new fund **Learn the best ClimateTech industries of the future Show notes: In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) & Somil Aggarwal ( @somil_agg ) speak with Jason Blumberg from Earth Foundry. Earth Foundry came out of Energy Foundry, who after a successful decade of investing in energy technologies is expanding its sco...
Oct 15, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 129
In this episode, Silas Mahner (@silasmahner) & Somil Aggarwal (@somil_agg) speak with Anna Konstantinova about her advice to climate tech companies in relation to marketing and branding. Really helpful episode for our listeners from someone who has spent a lot of time helping founders and climate brands make their work digestible to the correct target audience. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episod...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 128
Why you should listen: **Learn about a new breakthrough carbon capture model **How you can build a deep tech company as a non-deep-tech founder **How to raise from both public and private funding sources Show Notes: In this episode, Silas Mähner (@silasmahner) and Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interview Luke Shors, co-founder of Capture6. Capture6 is a direct air carbon capture company, applying its innovative technology and business model to revolutionize the way that carbon capture takes place. O...
Oct 08, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Why you should listen: Discover the role of Specialist VCs in climate change solutions with SE Ventures Learn about SE Ventures and its innovative climate and industrial tech investments Gain insights on collaboration with large companies and startup wisdom In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) & Somil Aggarwal ( @somil_agg ) speak with Grant Allen, General Partner at SE Ventures. They are a uniquely positioned Specialist VC with a single LP, Schneider Electric. They function like a...
Oct 01, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 126
In this episode, Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interviews Marshall Cox about his journey into being a climate tech founder, the impact of getting a Ph.D. on his journey, how he faced rejection, and how to build hardware like software. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter . Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel . https://tinyurl.com/...
Sep 27, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 125
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks with Tee Ganbold, the Co-Founder of OpenESG on what she's doing in the ESG tech space. They have created an incredible tool that operates like ChatGPT but is specifically designed and trained on corporate sustainability data. Instead of spending time researching a company's ESG data and commitments, you can simply ask OpenESG and you have detailed data at your fingertips, along the precise references to the underlying data. Tee has a great st...
Sep 24, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 124
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) & Somil Aggarwal ( @somil_agg ) speak with Jeff Erhardt from Mattiq. Jeff had a ton of insights and we are glad to share them with you today. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📆 Book a time w/ Silas during Climate Week in NYC (IRL) : https://calendar.app.google/STXX7pMNmsWRsafd6 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter . Want to be part of the community and ...
Sep 17, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 123
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) & Somil Aggarwal ( @somil_agg ) speak with Saif Hameed, the CEO and Founder of Altruistiq, a leading Carbon Emissions accounting software. The conversation is full of insights because Saif has an incredible background, diverse career exposure, and a very good handle on the overall ESG & Sustainability space. Some of the key topics are, how ESG is an incorrect usage of terminology, how Scope 1,2,3 emissions were created as frameworks for gove...
Sep 14, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 122
In this episode Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) & Matt McGraw ( @mjm11 ), Co-Founder and GP of Anthro Ventures. In the ep we cover his story, their focus, why being a VC is a hard job, how ClimateTech is essentially re-industrializing the world & why that's a good thing, he offered his advice to founders, and we closed off by discussing the role of CT startups in the governance and ESG movement towards a more equitable future. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📆 Book a time w/ Silas during Climate We...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 121
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) & Somil Aggarwal ( @somil_agg ) speak with Jeff Chapin, the Co-Founder of Haven Energy. We heard how he raised the funding for Haven with 2 pitches. He taught us how the IRA aids home electrification. His thoughts on building IRA-dependent businesses. We finish up with his advice to founders. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📆 Book a time with Silas in NYC During Climate Week 🌱 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summar...
Sep 06, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 120
In this episode Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) interviews Eric Rubenstein about his journey into climate tech, the importance of partnering with Energy Majors in the Climate Revolution, the role of Houston in that movement, Eric's discovery framework, and his ideal founder traits. Overall, a super good episode packed full of insights. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter ....
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 119
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) and Cody Finke (@ cody_finke ), the Co-Founder of Brimstone discuss Cody's journey into climate and how they are revolutionizing the cement space. They have created a cement product that has just been approved as certified Portland Cement - This is the main cement used in the construction of buildings. The best part, it's carbon neutral in many cases negative (depending on the energy source used). This is a truly revolutionary technology and we can'...
Aug 22, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 118
In this episode Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) and Eileen Waris (@eileen_waris) have a conversation about her experience, what they are doing at Energize Capital (FKA Energize Ventures), the state of climate tech VC, advice to founders, and a lot more. We had the pleasure to speak with them on the day they changed their name and announced the close of their second growth fund ($300m) Reach out to Eileen: ewaris@energizecap.com Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫...
Aug 15, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 117
In this episode Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) and Rick Zullo ( @Rick_Zullo ) discuss, Rick's career trajectory to VC, the thesis behind Equal Ventures, his thoughts on the CTVC's H1 Funding report, and his advice to founders and VCs. This episode is densely packed with value as Rick has clearly thought a lot about these problems. Perhaps my favorite takeaways are 1) that he views VC as more Consulting with Equity than banking and 2) was how they develop industry connections and understanding so ...
Aug 08, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 116
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks w/ Jeff Hendler Co-Founder and CEO of Logical Buildings (@ logicalbldgs ) about his journey from Wall Street, to the Utility, to founding a Smart Building company. We also cover how their Grid Rewards program works, how a company like this can be competitive, and what he sees as the next big challenge to solve. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode...
Aug 02, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 115
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) and Somil Aggarwal (@ Somil_Agg ) have a discussion about two things. First, their thoughts and reaction to the H1, 2023 Funding Report by CTVC Second, a conversation around the transferable tax credits created by the IRA and what areas we think are the biggest areas for growth or opportunity because of those. Hope you enjoy this episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episo...
Jul 27, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 114
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks w/ Stephen Brittain from Insurtech Gateway ( @Ideas_Gateway) . They are incubating Impact Risk Mitigation and Insurance Companies / Products. On the back end, they invest and connect these companies with partners in the insurance space and other VCs. Today's conversation is a bit high-level but has many great insights. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 113
In this episode Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks w/ Alex Blum ( @AlexBlum4Austin ) Co-Founder and CEO of Applied Bioplastics ( @abioplastics ) about his journey into founding the company, their experience commercializing the tech, their business model, and his advice to other founders doing something similar. In addition to having some great stories and things to say, Alex is also quite funny so it's a triple whammy episode. If you're a founder creating alternative plastic chemistry, you sho...
Jul 23, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 112
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks w/ Heidi Lindvall ( @HeidiLindvall ) a founding partner of Pale Blue Dot ( @PaleBlueDotVC ). This is Heidi's second time on the show and in today's episode, we focus on what they are doing to level up. They are a 3-year-old fund now, and we cover what they are doing to continue maturing their network and processes. A lot of value in those parts of the conversation for new-ish CT VCs. Another really interesting thing is their perspective on en...
Jul 19, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 111
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks w/ Sanjeev Mankotia, the Founder and CEO of GaeaStar. They are on their way to solving the issue of single-use plastic pollution with their 3D printed, clay-cup solution. You might think it sounds crazy, but once you hear the episode, you can understand how this is very much within reach. It's a fascinating episode with a lot of value for companies building hardware ClimateTech startups. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe ...
Jul 16, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 110
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks w/ Albert Bielinko ( @bielinko ) a Partner at Telstra Ventures. Albert leads their CT investments and speaks to us today about many things, from how he started in coal to end up in climate. How they have helped their portfolio companies generate over $450m USD in sales through their channel partnerships. What the LP sentiment on CTVC is and his thoughts on the talent landscape? This is full of quite a lot of value. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀...
Jul 09, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 109
In this episode Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks w/ Julie Kring, ( @KringJu ) the founder of Khepra to discuss her journey into ClimateTech, how they are making biochemicals for AgriTech use cases out of sawdust, and her advice to founders doing similar things. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter . Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Sl...
Jul 02, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Today Somil ( @somil_agg ) and Silas (@ silasmahner ) have a discussion reacting to the news about Planeteer and more broadly on the topic of thought leaders and ClimateTech. We welcome Somil as a guest that you are likely to see more frequently as we intend to do more content like this. So, please let us know if you enjoy it. ** Checkout Somil's Newsletter, SIP: https://sip.beehiiv.com/ **📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . **📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the e...
Jun 26, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 107
What if there was a way to revolutionize data storage for companies and organizations while also promoting sustainability and transparency? Join us as we chat with Alan Ransil from Filecoin Green, an initiative by Protocol Labs that aims to do just that by utilizing the power of blockchain technology. Throughout the episode, we explore how Filecoin Green creates verifiable carbon credits, tracks trust, and accelerates the flow of information in the decarbonization process. Alan shares his experi...
Jun 25, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Ever wondered how CleanTech investments and business models are shaping the industry? In this episode, we're joined by Alex Mitchell, founder of Full Turn Capital, to explore the ins and outs of investing in the climate tech space. From understanding the potential of pre-seed and seed stage businesses to creating long-term competitive advantages, we discuss it all with Alex. Dive into the challenges and opportunities of investing in early-stage startups, as well as how to craft compelling pitche...
Jun 18, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 105
What happens when a successful restaurateur decides to tackle climate change? Tim Sperry, CEO and founder of Carbon Limit, joins us to share his incredible journey from the restaurant business to creating a carbon capture technology company. With a mix of passion and business acumen, Tim offers valuable advice on finding the right investors, joining industry organizations, and navigating the regulatory space. Discover how Carbon Limit's innovative carbon-capturing concrete works and the potentia...
Jun 11, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Ever wondered how we could tackle the global plastic waste crisis, especially with the increase in takeout packaging during the pandemic? Today, we're thrilled to have James Wilson, founder, and CEO of ReUser, join us to share his innovative solution that focuses on reusable containers for dining institutions. James opens up about his journey in discovering the issue of takeout packaging waste and how it led him to create ReUser. In our conversation, we explore the challenges associated with sus...
Jun 04, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 103
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks with Manik Suri ( @ManikVSuri ) the Founder and CEO of Therma, an IoT device + software company that helps any organization using refrigeration to reduce cap ex and as a by-product, reduce the dirty energy assets on the grid. We cover his background, the problem, and the solution they are working on, and then go through building the business with a heavy focus on the work of raising money. Manik has a really interesting background having been...
May 28, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Today we speak with Ran Roth, the Co-Founder and CTO of Sensibo, an IoT device company that connects your AC units to various services to help you use your AC unit more efficiently. In today's conversation, we discuss how they got started, their experience raising funds back in the wake of the death of CleanTech 1.0, and the future of indoor climate control. Punchy episode with a lot of great content. Enjoy the Episode! 🌎 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube . 📫 Interested in written su...
May 22, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 101
In this episode, Silas Mahner ( @silasmahner ) speaks with the CEO of publicly traded, Regenx, Greg Pendura. Regenx is a metals recycling company recovering precious metals from catalytic converters and selling it on the market or providing the service directly to OEMs. Greg explains the problem they are solving, how they are solving it, the back story of the company, how they funded the project, and where he sees the future going. If you dream of a future where everything can be broken down and...
May 17, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 100
