Jess Clemans is an investor at noa, a VC that is raising its second €250M fund focused on making the built environment more sustainable.

In this episode we talked about:

🎯 Why noa prioritizes founder quality over business ideas or market attractiveness when making investment decisions

💰 How customer acquisition costs for solar installations can reach an eye-watering $10k, while local SMBs achieve much lower costs through word-of-mouth

👷 The critical shortage of skilled labor for solar installation in Europe and innovative approaches to address this through upskilling programs

#climatetech #solarenergy #venturecapital #builtenvironment

Matthew Krayton directs communications and engagement for MACH2, the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub. As someone who both works in-depth on the policy side but who is also focused on execution, Matt is working to establish regional clean hydrogen hubs across several states. 🇺🇸

In this episode we talked about:

🏭 How the Mid-Atlantic region's existing industrial infrastructure, including unused pipelines, could be repurposed for hydrogen transport

💼 The hub's goal to create over 20,000 new jobs, many of them union positions, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 million tons annually

🌊 The critical role of renewable energy development, particularly offshore wind, in scaling clean hydrogen production

⚡ The importance of IRA tax credits in making clean hydrogen economically viable at scale

#CleanHydrogen #CleanTech #ClimateTech #Hydrogen

Rob van Straten is CEO of Skytree, a direct air capture company addressing CO2 shortages while removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

In this episode we talked about:

🌱 How Skytree's direct air capture technology helps greenhouses meet their CO2 needs while contributing to carbon removal

🏗️ The challenge of scaling DAC to gigaton levels - requiring 300 container ships worth of units with current technology

💰 Why carbon removal is already economically viable, but needs a wider cost gap with emissions to drive adoption

🌎 The reality that climate change threatens humanity more than the planet itself, which has survived previous climate disasters

#climatetech #directaircapture #carboncapture

It’s the holidays and, in the spirit of sharing, I swapped episodes with Tarmo Virki, founder and host of NatureBacked podcast in Tallinn. I’m airing one of my favourite of his interviews: his conversation with Jana Budkovskaja, CEO of Beamline Acccelerator.

They talked about:

🌲 Jana's evolution from aspiring panda-rescuer to cleantech accelerator founder

🔬 Why deep tech startups need non-equity funding in their early stages to bridge the gap between lab and market

♨️ An innovative project using abandoned mines for low-temperature heating systems in the Estonian village of Kiikla

🚀 Why startups, not governments or corporations, are best positioned to drive climate innovation

#climatetech #cleantech #deeptech #baltics

Andreas Sedlmayr is co-founder and co-CEO of Instagrid, makers of portable power stations for mobile workforces with heavy power needs. His company has grown from €500k to €30M+ in revenue and recently achieved B Corp certification while expanding into North America.

In this episode we talked about:

☠️ Why diesel and gas generators are silent killers

🇩🇪 What it means to revive Germany’s strong tradition of industrial innovation

🇺🇸 Why hiring local leadership was crucial for US expansion and how cultural nuances matter more than you might think

💼 How to expand smartly after raising $95 million

🌱 Why achieving B Corp certification was important to prove their commitment to social and environmental best practices

#climatetech #cleanenergy #sustainabletech #batteries

"I was sitting at a cafe in Prague with my headphones on and just laughing like a crazy person." -Ryan, watching Matt’s TEDx talk.

Matt Winning is an environmental researcher and stand-up comedian who combines his expertise in climate change with humor to engage audiences.

In this episode we talked about:

🌍 How climate change became Matt's focus due to its urgency and lack of widespread attention

🎭 Using comedy as a tool to start conversations about climate change and make people comfortable discussing the topic

📚 Matt's book "Hot Mess" and its portrayal of climate action as a choose-your-own-adventure

🔬 The importance of active decision-making in addressing climate change at all levels

🎤 Matt's upcoming projects, including a new comedy show and a children's book about climate change

#Standup #Comedy #Climate #ClimateTech

Yossi Quint is the founder and CEO of Ark Biotech, a startup focused on computational bioprocessing in the cultivated meat industry.

In this episode we talked about:

🧬 Ark's role in accelerating the development of cultivated meat products

🏭 How the bioeconomy could reshape traditional geographic advantages in food production

🌍 The global landscape of cultivated meat regulation and its impact on industry growth

🇺🇸 The potential consequences of state-level bans on cultivated meat in the US

💼 The decision to pursue entrepreneurship over activism for maximum impact

#CultivatedMeat #CleanMeat #AltProteins #BioProcessing #ClimateTech

Jessica Droujko is a passionate kayaker and lover of rivers. So it’s fitting that she should combine that passion and her PhD from ETH Zürich to launch Riverkin, a startup that monitors river health.

In this episode we talked about:

🌊 How rivers shape landscapes and their importance in global ecosystems

🔬 How Riverkin monitors water levels and sediment flows

🏞️ Jessica's adventures on some of the world's most interesting rivers, including the Boiling River in Peru

🚣‍♀️ The balance between responsible tourism and river conservation. Think: Grand Canyon

🌍 The River Collective's mission to create changemakers through events like the Students for Rivers camp

🔌 Opportunities for citizen science in river monitoring through mini hydrological stations

#ClimateTech #Rivers #Water