CleanTechies
Welcome to the CleanTechies Podcast, the #1 Podcast for Climate Tech Entrepreneurs----- Support the show more directly via our Substack where we also publish writing on the episodes we record. https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe ----- Interested in Advertising: info@cleantechiespod.com
#257 Betting on $2 Trillion in Climate Infrastructure & Lessons from the DOE Loan Programs Office | Brendan Bell (Aligned Climate Capital)
What does it take to scale the clean energy transition—both at the bleeding edge of new technology and in the nuts-and-bolts of infrastructure?
Today’s episode dives into the nuanced world of climate finance and infrastructure with Brendan Bell, Chief Operating Officer and Partner at Aligned Climate Capital. Unlike most investors who play in either venture or infrastructure, Align straddles both worlds, backing early-stage companies while also owning and operating clean energy assets.
Brendan shares his unusual path from the Sierra Club to the U.S. Senate, the Depa...
#256 Soil Health, Carbon Markets & Measuring the Hidden Climate Solution Beneath Our Feet | Chris Tolles (Yard Stick PBC)
How can we fight climate change by focusing underground?
It turns out one of the biggest untapped climate solutions isn’t in the air—or in the trees, it’s in the soil beneath our feet. Today’s guest has developed a game-changing way to measure and protect soil organic carbon, helping farmers, agribusinesses, and carbon markets work together for climate impact and economic resilience.
Our guest is Chris Tolles, Founder & CEO of Yard Stick PBC.
Some quotes to hook you:
“Soils stor...
#255 Burning Aluminum is Clean & Replaces Fossil Fuels | Peter Godart (Found Energy)
Ever wonder how we are going to decarbonize heavy industry? Well, you won't have to wonder much longer. Today's guest has an incredible solution that is 1) drop in, 2) cost parity (or better), 3) has an existing supply chain, 4) overcomes any scarcity concerns, and 5) prevents users from changing anything they do.
Our guest is Peter Godart, the Co-Founder of Found Energy.
Some quotes to hook you:
- "We've developed what we call the world's first rechargeable fuel."
- "There's really no other technology that can store en...
#254 The Path to Cost Parity Between Sustainable Fuels & Fossil Fuels | Conor Madigan, Aether Fuels
CleanTech founder Conor Madigan (Aether Fuels) reveals sustainable fuel tech breakthroughs, smart hiring, & building resilient climate startups.
Join us as Conor Madigan, Founder and CEO of Aether Fuels, shares how their innovative tech is set to decarbonize aviation and shipping by drastically cutting costs and boosting fuel yield from waste streams. A second-time founder, Conor also unpacks his proven strategies for building high-talent, low-ego teams and fostering constructive tension for optimal results.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts<...
#253 The Plug-and-Play Battery Solution for Modern Home Energy | Cole Ashman (Pila Energy)
Today, we're speaking with Cole Ashman, the CEO and founder of Pila Energy.
Pila is democratizing access to battery backup systems through industrial-grade, consumer-priced batteries that are simply plug-and-play. No electricians, no permitting, just reliable power.
Pila's innovative approach is disrupting the home energy market, from enabling demand response programs to making backup power accessible and affordable for everyone. Listen today to hear how they are reshaping energy reliability and demand response access.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Yo...
#252 The Big Battery Bill: What the OBBB Means for Batteries in America | Eric McShane (Electroflow Technologies)
In this episode, we talk with Eric McShane, co-founder and CEO of Electroflow Technology (backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures). Eric is on a mission to revolutionize lithium production, a vital battery material.
We discuss the "Big Beautiful Bill's" impact on the battery industry and how Electroflow Technology's innovative approach addresses the critical need for domestic lithium production, especially given that "99% of this crucial battery material [LFP] is made in China." Eric shares how their unique process transforms brine into LFP, helping the U.S. become competitive again by "building real stuff" and using abundant low-concentration lithium brine...
#251 How to Fix a Quarter Trillion Solar Assets at Scale | Nikhil Vadhavkar (Raptor Maps)
In this episode, we sit down with Nikhil Vadhavkar, co-founder and CEO of Raptor Maps, to uncover how the company is tackling the invisible crisis in clean energy: operational inefficiency across $250B+ worth of solar assets.
Nikhil explains why the solar industry’s problems aren’t just about building more — they’re about getting the existing infrastructure to perform. From labor shortages to rising insurance costs, from underperforming fields to unscalable maintenance methods, Raptor Maps is turning traditional solar operations on its head.
Their secret? A software platform built on digital twins, computer vision, and robotics...
#250 How This Company Installs Level 3 Chargers Without Utility Upgrades | Tyler Phillipi (OptiGrid)
Wow - 250 Episodes! Thank you all for being part of this journey so far. Stick with us as it’s only getting better.
Quotes From This Episode:
Announcement! We’re hosting a CleanTechies meetup in San Francisco!
If you’r...#249 Why There's a Trillion-Dollar Green Building Boom Happening | Matt Ellis (Measurabl)
Matt Ellis (Measurabl): Building a Climate Tech Empire
Join us with Matt Ellis, Founder & CEO of Measurabl, as he shares how they're transforming the green building industry. Discover how they're leveraging data and AI to drive sustainability, navigating policy, and helping building owners lower emissions. Matt dives into building a billion-dollar climate tech company, the importance of constant reinvention, and lessons in fostering a thriving company culture.
In this episode:
#248 Without Federal Funding, How are Cities Deploying Curbside Charging? | Tiya Gordon (It's Electric)
Today, we’re excited to have Tiya Gordon, founder of It’s Electric, back on the pod to discuss their progress since we last spoke in early 2024. She also gives us a big update on what’s happening in the curbside charging space across the US.
With the federal funding support being pulled, a lot of cities are facing challenges in meeting their electrification goals. It’s Electric is thriving by helping them get curbside chargers in place with ZERO up-front costs.
As if that wasn’t enough, they also help building own...
#247 Could EVs + Demand Response Solve Grid Flexibility? | Joseph Vellone (ChargeScape)
What’s up, everyone!
Today we’re sharing an episode with Joseph Vellone, the CEO of ChargeScape — a Joint Venture between Ford, Honda, BMW, and Nissan.
-----
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts
-----
As the grid continues to buckle under the pressure of ever-increasing demand, it’s more important than ever to find ways to manage the existing load.
However, it’s not all bad. One of t...
#246 Sophie Purdom on Closing a $55M Fund I, the Future of Planeteer, & The 4 Types of Climate Founders
Today, we’re speaking with Sophie Purdom, Managing Partner of Planeteer Capital.
After co-creating CTVC with Kim Zou, the climate deals and deep-dives newsletter that has become canon in climate, with 75k+ readers, Sophie announced Planeteer Capital.
(We discussed on the pod)
They are going full speed with their investing thesis, investing in companies at the incorporation stage. Something they have been able to do well, given the history and network that Sophie has.
Aside from teasing the future of Planeteer and discussing their unique advantage, Sophie gave us some insights on whe...
#245 The Future of Electrification & the Opportunity of Europe | Felix Krause (Vireo Ventures)
Today’s episode features Felix Krause, founding partner of Vireo Ventures, one of Europe’s leading early-stage energy tech investors. Felix is based in Berlin and brings decades of experience across solar project development, corporate VC, and now independent fund management.
We dig deep into why electrification is the real unlock for climate, and why Felix and his team believe the software that manages energy flows—not new forms of generation—is where VC dollars can make the biggest impact.
Felix also talks candidly about:
How Vireo built a reputation as a han...#244 $1bn Pipeline for Solid State Transformers | Haroon Inam & Michael Wood III (DG Matrix)
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts
In This Episode:* What is a Solid State Transformer * How Solid State Transformers are Reshaping the Energy Industry* How They Built a $1bn Pipeline
Sponsors:
Goodwin: The Law Firm of Choice for ClimateTech Entrepreneurs
ErthTech Talent: Affordable CleanTech Search Firm
What’s up, everyone!
Today, we have a great episode with Haroon Inam & Michael Wood III from DG...
#243 Battery Storage Supply Chains & Future in US-China Trade War | Danny Lu | Powin
Follow on YouTube | Listeners Survey
Check Out Our Sponsors!
* Goodwin: The Law Firm of Choice for ClimateTech Entrepreneurs
* ErthTech Talent: Affordable CleanTech Search Firm
What’s up, everyone!
Today, we have a great episode with Danny Lu from Powin. Powin is a leading provider of BESS, w/ 8 GWh of systems built and 9 in the pipeline.
As the Trump admin pushes for more drilling and a seemingly anti-clean energy policy (despite that not b...
#242 The 3 Most Common Mistakes Climate Founders Make | David Brekke, Goodwin
In This Episode:
The story of him co-launching the Goodwin climate practiceWhat’s happening in climate tech right now? (Market update)The 3 Biggest Mistakes Climate Founders MakeCheck Out Our Sponsors!
Goodwin: The Law Firm of Choice for ClimateTech EntrepreneursErthTech Talent: Affordable CleanTech Search FirmWhat’s up, everyone!
Today’s episode is special since we’re speaking with David Brekke from Goodwin. In case you somehow missed it, Goodwin is the sponsor of our podcast, so yes, this is sponsored...
#241 The Biz Model Making eFuels Pencil Out | Joe Rodden (Lydian)
Follow us on YouTube
---------
Today, we have a great episode with Joe Rodden from Lydian. And we are talking all things eFuels and their story.
Lydian uses Co2, Water, and abundant Green Energy to create eFuels/SAF. And because of their flexible run method, they can do it profitably, consistently.
In the recent past there has been a huge demand for SAF that has been hard for major airlines to procure. In part because the technology was not there, but mostly because there were no plants up...
#240 Bulldozing in a New Era of Climate Tech Investing & Tech-Enabled Investing | Andrew Chan from Atas VC
Today, we have a great episode with Andrew Chan from Atas Ventures.
Surprise surprise…we’re continuing the conversation about the climate tech vibe shift, climate tech 3.0, climate risk…whatever you want to call it.
However, our conversation with Andrew Chan of Atas Ventures is a little bit different. Andrew has, from the very beginning, thought about climate investing from first principles, placing profitability and tangible impact at the core of his strategy. He refers to this next wave as "Climate 3.0," an evolution beyond traditional impact investing towards applied technologies like robotics, IoT, and advanced energy...
#239 Climate Risk, a New Era for Climate Tech | Grace & Adam from Equal Ventures
📺 Watch on YouTube
What’s up, everyone!
Today we have a great episode with Grace Penders and Adam Chadroff from Equal Ventures. If you're not familiar with Equal, I recommend checking out episode 116 where we had on Rick Zullo, the Founder of Equal.
Today, we're continuing the conversation about the climate tech vibe shift. However, our conversation with Equal is a little bit different. Equal has, from the very beginning, had a thesis broader than just climate. One of those other areas is insurance. This is an area that is increasingly intersecting with climate...
#238 ClimateTech is Mainstream, so is The Vibe Shift | Tommy Leep (Jetstream)
📺 Watch on YouTube
Hey everyone! Today we’ve got a great episode with Tommy Leep from VC, Jetstream. Some of his PortCos include David Energy, Pachama, Rhizome, and past pod guests Pathways & Glacier.
He’s been on the show in the past with some great advice on fundraising. Check it out — episode 85.
#85 How to Raise Money for your ClimateTech Startup w/ Tommy Leep, founder of Jetstream VC
Recently there have been a bunch of people shifting their focus or branding to be more inclusive and not always sound ‘pure climate tech’ — Tommy is one of th...
#237 Using Robotics to Transform Recycling & Building Data Moats with Hardware w/ Rebecca Hu Thrams (Glacier)
Rebecca Hu Thrams, co-founder of Glacier, is on a mission to transform recycling using AI-powered robotics and proprietary physical data to fix one of the biggest inefficiencies in waste management.
Glacier isn’t just another AI company—it’s tackling the physical world problem of waste sorting, giving recyclers and major brands unprecedented visibility into where materials actually go. By deploying intelligent sorting robots, Glacier is not only increasing efficiency but also building a defensible data moat, positioning itself as the source of truth for the circular economy.
With growing consumer demand for sustainability and new re...
#236 Critical Minerals: A Master Class on How to Win w/ Nicholaus Rohleder
We’re doing something a bit different…🤔
We’re exploring the urgent and evolving landscape of critical minerals with Nicholaus Rohleder from Climate Commodities. Nick, an investor and expert in the field, breaks down how the U.S. went from a leader in mineral production to heavy reliance on foreign sources—and why the time is now for entrepreneurs to help rebuild domestic supply chains.
Key Topics Covered:
The Rise and Fall of U.S. Mineral ProductionWhy Critical Minerals Matter More Than EverOpportunities for EntrepreneursThe Ca...#235 This $100 BILLION Industry Is Hiding in Plain Sight! Big Oil's Bet on Carbon Capture
This week, we’re joined by Todd Bush, an expert in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), with decades of experience supporting oil and gas companies in their decarbonization efforts. Todd has founded and sold multiple companies and is now leading decarbonfuse, a daily newsletter tracking deal activity in carbon capture and industrial decarbonization.
This conversation covers the current state of carbon capture, where the momentum is strongest, the biggest barriers to scaling CCUS, and how policy and investment shifts are shaping the industry. If you’re curious about where the carbon capture market is headed and how...
#234 The Future of Cleaner Data Centers & Lessons from 20+ Years at Meta, LinkedIn, & Cisco w/ Yuval Bachar (EdgeCloudLink)
Yuval Bachar, Founder and CEO of Edge CloudLink (ECL), is on a mission to revolutionize data centers with hydrogen-powered, off-grid solutions.
His journey spans decades, with leadership roles at Cisco, Facebook, and LinkedIn, where he built critical infrastructure for some of the biggest names in tech. Now, he’s pioneering a new wave of sustainable data centers, delivering AI-ready capacity in just nine months—compared to the industry average of three to four years.
Here’s the game-changer: ECL’s modular approach eliminates reliance on traditional power grids, slashes emissions to zero, and generates its own cool...
#233 The Climate Disruptors You Haven’t Heard of (Yet)—Inside Energy Tech Nexus w/ Nada & Jason
In This Episode
We are speaking with Nada Ahmed and Jason Ethier, two of the founding partners at Energy Tech Nexus. Energy Tech Nexus is a Houston-based hub designed to connect EnergyTech startups with the resources they need to grow. This includes access to capital, corporate partners, direct access to pilot opportunities, as well as a community of other founders doing the same thing.
In this episode, we dive into
**how they're building an innovation powerhouse in the heart of the U.S. energy industry,
**the evolving role of oil ma...
#232 The Carbon Capture Startup Google Bet Big On—And Why It’s a Cheaper | Anca Timofte (Holocene)
In This Episode
In today’s episode of CleanTechies, we’re joined by Anca Timofte, the CEO and Founder of Holocene, a direct air capture (DAC) company revolutionizing carbon removal through a continuous-loop liquid system. With over a decade of experience in carbon capture—including being one of the first employees at Climeworks—Anca offers unparalleled insight into the challenges and opportunities of building climate solutions.
Anca walks us through:
**How Holocene's low-temp carbon capture slashes energy costs with novel organic chemistry.
**Solid vs. liquid DAC: Why Holocene’s approach...
#231 How to Cut Costs AND Eliminate Emissions in Homes [BY 90%+] w/ Jane Melia (Harvest Thermal)
Jane Melia is the CEO and Co-Founder of Harvest Thermal, revolutionizing home heating with heat batteries.
Jane’s journey began with a vision to make home electrification both cost-effective and climate-friendly. Harvest Thermal has developed a patented system that combines heat pumps with thermal storage, reducing household emissions by 90% and energy bills by 30%, all while providing unparalleled comfort.
Here’s the kicker: Jane and her team have successfully navigated the challenges of hardware deployment, secured millions in grant funding, and built a business that’s not only scalable but also grid-friendly and future-proof.
With h...
#230 This Founder Built a $5M Climate Tech Startup in Africa (Here’s How!) w/ Martin Freimuller (Octavia Carbon)
Martin Freimüller, the CEO and Co-Founder of Octavia Carbon, a cutting-edge Direct Air Capture (DAC) company based in Kenya
Martin’s journey began with a deep appreciation for Africa’s potential and the realization that Kenya, with its abundant geothermal energy and skilled talent pool, is the perfect location for DAC. In just two and a half years, Octavia Carbon has developed patented technology, grown to a team of 61 (40 of them engineers), and even built Kenya’s first DAC pilot facility.
Here’s the kicker: they’ve managed to secure millions in prepaid carbon reve...
#229 How to Make Money on Pilot Projects w/ Martin Schichtel (KRAFTBLOCK)
On today’s episode, we’re speaking with Martin Schichtel, the CEO and Founder of Kraftblock, a thermal energy storage solution for industrial clients that use high heat.
Today, they’re delivering their 5th project. All of which have been paid for by their customers — yep, you read that right. They have not used equity to pay for these pilot and demonstration projects.
Their tech takes excess heat or electricity and turns it into heat, stores it in these engineered rocks. When demand is needed, they deliver the power. Reliable and affordable energy storage is the key to...
#228 How to Invest in ClimateTech in 2025 like a Day 1 Investor w/ Joshua Posamentier (Congruent Ventures)
Joshua Posamentier is the co-founder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused exclusively on climate tech. With a background in physics and a career that began in the semiconductor industry, Josh transitioned into climate investing after holding various roles at Intel and Prelude Ventures. Widely regarded as an OG in the climate tech space, Josh has been investing in climate solutions since well before the current wave of interest, making him one of the most experienced voices in the field. His deep technical expertise, combined with over a decade of focused climate investing, has...
ClimateTech Wrapped 2024
Our reflections and musings as we close out the year...
Topics
01:28 2024's Top CleanTechies Episodes
07:37 Insights
12:49 Reflections on Branding and Storytelling
20:22 Milestones and Achievements in 2024
26:12 Key Lessons for Climate Tech Startups
34:59 Future Outlook
Support the show
If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.
70+ Placements 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech) The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary) 90-day placement guaranteeIt's really hard...
#226 What Working With Governments to Tackle Climate Change Looks Like w/ Julia Kumari Drapkin (ISeeChange)
Julia Kumari Drapkin is the CEO and founder of ISeeChange, a data platform that combines resident-generated insights with AI to address climate adaptation challenges. Julia’s background as a climate science reporter, covering disasters like Hurricane Katrina, inspired her to bridge the gap between people’s lived experiences and actionable climate solutions. Her expertise in storytelling and data-driven insights shapes ISeeChange's people-first approach to building climate resilience.
ISeeChange leverages ground-truth data—stories, photos, and observations—from residents and combines it with sensor, satellite, and proprietary AI models. The platform delivers actionable insights to cities, counties, and utilitie...
#225 Solving Sulfur Waste while Capturing Carbon & Producing Sulfuric Acid & Hydrogen w/ Owen Cadwalader (Travertine)
Learn how this carbon capture startup also produces green chemicals AND hydrogen -- how they funded their first demo plant -- their secrets to building a resilient business model -- and what he would advise Trump's admin in order to help keep climate on track while also competing with China.
Listen Time: Full Show 58:31 (no ads) | Free Preview 37:14
On today’s episode, Owen Cadwalader, the COO of Travertine, delivers one of the most value-dense episodes we’ve ever released.
Hear how they are solving the massive sulfur waste problem while also captur...
#224 How to Scale up Anode Manufacturing in the US w/ Gleb Yushin (Sila Nanotechnologies)
Hear the story of how Sila Nanotechnologies has successfully developed, taken to market, and scaled up a new Anode technology for the battery industry. -- Learn the importance of Job Creation in landing funding -- Understand why CleanTech is actually bi-partisan -- and Understand where the puck is going with the battery industry.
Listen Time: Full Show 1:09:26 (no ads) | Free Preview 41:27
On today’s episode, Gleb Yushin, the CTO of Sila Nanotechnologies, pours out the wisdom he has from 14 years working on and scaling up Sila Nanotechnologies to the point where their Anode te...
#223 Everything You Need to Know About ClimateTech Politics (DoE, DoD, GovTech, Partnerships, & More) w/ Nate Loewentheil (Commonweal Ventures)
Nate Loewentheil is the founder and managing partner of Commonweal Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on solving America's biggest challenges through entrepreneurship. Nate’s career spans angel investing, politics, and public policy. Previously, he served in the Obama White House, advising President Obama on emerging technologies such as clean energy and broadband expansion. His background includes roles in the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, founding the Roosevelt Institution, and advising startups during his time running venture investments for a family office.
Commonweal Ventures invests in pre-seed and seed-stage companies tackling generational challenges such as climate change, competition wi...
#222 Exposing the O&G Carbon Capture Lie & How Skytree is Doing it Right w/ Rob van Straten, CEO)
Hear the CEO of Skytree explain how you MUST build for scale to achieve impact in a timely manner -- how O&G have been releasing their captured Co2 for years -- why their biggest investor is a huge Greenhouse Operator -- the importance of co-locating your carbon capture tech with the demand -- his journey into climate -- and a few more hot takes.
Listen Time: Full Show 57:04 (no ads) | Free Preview 41:09
On today’s episode, Rob van Straten, the CEO of Skytree captures our attention with his deep wisdom on how to...
#221 Blended Finance is Going to Save ClimateTech (& Why We Need More of It) w/ Amy Duffuor (Azolla Ventures)
Amy Duffuor is a co-founder and General Partner at Azolla Ventures and Managing Director at Prime Impact Fund, Azolla's predecessor vehicle. She has a diverse background that spans immigration research, management consulting, impact investing, and renewables investment banking. Amy began her career studying marginalized West African migrants and later pursued an MPhil in Migration Studies at Oxford University. Transitioning into management consulting, she worked on supply chain and procurement projects in London and Southeast Asia, where she developed a passion for climate change solutions. Her experience running venture accelerator programs in Southeast Asia for impact-driven startups inspired her to...
#220 How This Top Investor Believes ClimateTech Startups Can Still Exit
Listen Time: Full Show 38:51 (no ads) | Free Preview 31:19
Today, we are speaking with Shaun Abrahamson from Third Sphere.
Third Sphere is a leading ClimateTech investor that also has a debt strategy for high-volume production startups in the hardware space. They have backed companies like ChargeLab, ClimateBase, Gradient, OneWheel, Therma, Revivn, & Wasted (check out the episode we did with Revivn).
This is Shaun’s third time on the pod — if this is your first time hearing him, you’ll understand why because he is very thoughtful.
During NY Climate Week, the Third Sphere te...
#219 How to Win in ClimateTech Under Trump
There’s no sugarcoating it…Trump is bad news for ClimateTech — but thankfully, we have interviewed 200+ ClimateTech Entrepreneurs on how to build politically resilient companies — ensuring the future is greener no matter who the president is.
Today, we’re distilling those key lessons for you.
Key risks across / what’s on the chopping block Possible silver linings & some wins Recognizing the reality of the situation Examples of likely downside Choose a new narrative Key advice to startups Better / Faster / Cheaper Bring on Non-Climate Investors Choose the Right Customers Involve CVCsBuild in Climate-Friendly StatesHelp the US Compe...#218 Building THE Global Climate Collaboration Community & Lessons from the 00's Tech Boom | Duncan Logan (9Zero)
Today we are joined by Duncan Logan, CEO & Co-Founder of 9Zero. A community platform to bring climate professionals together in person and online so we can work together to solve the climate crisis.
Duncan previously founded RocketSpace where he saw many tech startups that would go on to become unicorns. Companies like Uber, FlexPort, and Spotify. Having this experience made him realize the importance of creating a hub for people to collaborate and bump into each other.
They are extending this even further by building these hubs in all major climate cities because unlike the 2000’s te...
