CleanTechies Podcast
Welcome 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. ----- Support the show more directly via our Substack where we also publish writing on the episodes we record. https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe ----- 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 ----- Interested in Advertising: info@cleantechiespod.com ----- 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.
Show episodes
#148 SAF, Green Hydrogen, Light Reactors | Decarbonizing the Chemical Industry World w/ Trevor Best (Syzygy)
The 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
In 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 ep
#146 AI-Powered Savings: Optimizing EV Charging Costs on the Grid w/ Ken Munson (Rhythmos)
Today, 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 utilit
#145 Climate x Industrial Automation, Climate Storytelling, Changing Cap Table Construction, & More w/ Jay Kapoor (VSC Ventures)
On 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? Storytelli
#144 Gen AI in Water Design, Energy Efficient Infrastructure, Digitizing Design & More w/ Adam Tank (Transcend)
In 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 infr
#143 The Future of Carbon Markets: Transparency, Local Impact, & Retail Investors | Sudhu Arumugam, CYNK
In 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 th