CleanTechies Podcast

00:00 – Intro & Sponsors: Lehmann's Terms, Climate Finance Solutions, and EarthSearch.
03:09 – Welcome to Keep Cool: Nick van Osdol flips the script and interviews Silas.
04:07 – The Evolution of Climate Tech: Shedding the 1.0 vibes and returning to "CleanTech."
08:52 – Silas’s Origin Story: From rural Wisconsin to renewable energy recruiting in NYC.
13:33 – Disrupting Recruitment: Why Silas founded EarthSearch to offer executive-level search for early-stage startups without the massive fees.
18:30 – The End of ZIRP: Why the hiring market has shifted to slow, intentional, and skills-based recruiting.
30:24 – Building Culture: Why early-stage startups shouldn't be afraid to hire bored, senior talent.
37:19 – The Call to Adventure: How to position your startup to attract highly motivated individuals.
43:59 – Companies to Watch: Silas shouts out Helix Earth Technologies and OptiGrid.
51:35 – Flipping the Table: Silas asks Nick what keeps him motivated to write and podcast about climate.
53:56 – The Value of Writing: Why authentic, human storytelling matters more than ever in the age of AI.


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00:00 – Intro: Coral's $7.5M Seed Round and mission.
02:46 – What is Coral?: The FinTech platform for energy-efficient building upgrades.
04:46 – The Pain Point: Why HVAC experts don't want to be "rebate experts."
06:15 – The Financing Mechanism: How Coral advances funds to make the rebate instant.
08:19 – Contractor Benefits: Saving time, avoiding bad reviews, and winning more deals.
11:44 – The Economics of Rebates: Why most incentives come from local utilities trying to lower grid demand.
15:43 – The Origin Story: Quitting jobs to solve the $8,000 savings bottleneck for homeowners.
21:00 – Mission Alignment: Balancing climate goals with helping small businesses grow.
24:17 – The "Chicken and Egg" Funding: Using early VC dollars to prove the rebate float model.
31:24 – Depoliticizing Clean Tech: Leading with comfort, safety, and pure energy savings.
36:09 – Co-Founder Dating: How Samir and Nizar built trust before building a company.
42:37 – Pragmatism and Empathy: Why climate founders must be chameleons to succeed.
46:27 – Raising Capital: Why they pitched FinTech VCs instead of traditional Climate funds.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

00:00 – Intro: Andrew Beebe’s background in Cleantech since 2002.
03:34 – Obvious Ventures & Fund V: Deploying a new $360M fund.
04:59 – The Next Vintage: Why the tourists are gone and the real builders remain.
08:23 – The Branding Problem: Why "Climate Tech" mirrors the 1990s Internet boom.
16:30 – Global Markets vs. US Politics: The inevitability of the energy transition.
20:46 – The AI Energy Crisis: Utilities facing 50% demand growth from data centers.
25:53 – Generative Science: How AI is accelerating materials science and geothermal exploration.
28:20 – Local Politics: Why hyperscalers must win over local communities to build.
34:01 – Texas as a Mecca: Why low-regulation red states are building the most clean energy.
38:56 – Physical AI & Autonomy: From robotic shipping vessels to electric aviation.
47:01 – The Hardware Playbook: Why you want to be a buyer (not a seller) on a plummeting cost curve.
51:50 – The Ultimate Arbitrage: Making money when you know the transition is inevitable.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

00:00 – Intro: Cody Finke returns to the podcast.
04:30 – The "Rock Refinery": Moving beyond cement to co-produce aluminum and critical minerals.
05:39 – The Physics of Scale: Why cost parity is impossible with small reactors.
08:12 – The History of Co-Production: From whale oil to Standard Oil's catalytic cracking.
12:39 – "Bad Geologic Luck": Why traditional limestone cement plants can't co-produce.
18:54 – De-Risking Deep Tech: How Brimstone uses off-the-shelf components to build a massive patent moat.
28:33 – Fundraising Strategy: Raising ~$90M and executing pilot plants.
33:44 – PR for Founders: When to stay in stealth and when to reveal your grand vision.
38:18 – The $189M DOE Grant: Winning the money under Biden, losing it under Trump, and why it wasn't a disaster.
45:54 – Geopolitics & Manufacturing: Why critical materials and heavy industry must return to democratic countries.
50:28 – The Ultimate Climate Strategy: Why capitalism only rewards lower costs, not moral outcomes.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe

00:00 – Intro: The $500M deal with Jupiter Power.
02:15 – Landon’s Background: Lessons from Tesla and Northvolt.
06:30 – The "Magnet Hire": How to attract A-Players by hiring one star first.
12:00 – Why Sodium-Ion?: The cost and supply chain advantage over Lithium.
18:45 – The Jupiter Power Deal: How they negotiated a massive off-take agreement.
24:10 – "Engineering Bankability": Selling the manufacturing roadmap, not just the cell.
32:00 – Supply Chain: Why Peak Energy avoids conflict minerals and China reliance.
41:00 – The Grid Challenge: Why batteries need to last 25 years in the desert.
48:00 – Scaling Speed: How to move faster than traditional industrial giants.
53:00 – Hiring: The specific traits Landon looks for in executives.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe