How a $4 B Deep‑Tech Fund Tackles Emissions with DCVC
Episode description
Zack Bogue is co‑founder and co‑managing partner at DCVC, a $4 billion deep‑tech venture firm spanning 13 funds. In late 2024, DCVC launched DCVC Climate, a dedicated vehicle backing technologies that slash emissions in heavy industry, hasten the energy transition, and bolster climate adaptation. In this episode, Zack unpacks how the firm’s strategy evolved, how his journey—from Colorado outdoors‑kid to Harvard environmental‑science major to Silicon Valley deal‑maker—shaped his worldview, and what it takes to build a capital‑efficient deep‑tech portfolio that moves the climate needle.
In this episode, we cover:
- [01:53] What DCVC is and Zack’s role
- [02:41] Why DCVC focuses on deep tech
- [04:04] Zack’s path from Harvard to VC
- [12:34] DCVC’s playbook: applied AI, capital-light, climate-aligned
- [15:01] Launching a climate-only fund
- [20:06] Measuring impact beyond CO₂
- [25:55] Navigating policy shifts and returns
- [31:41] Bridging the Series B funding gap
- [32:56] Solving FOAK financing challenges
- [37:57] DCVC’s bets: geothermal, micro-reactors, SAF, and more
Episode recorded on March 28, 2025 (Published on April 17, 2025)
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant