Location:
United States
Description:
Interviews by Ryan Grant Little, a climatetech founder and investor that explore the fight against climate change through with founders, investors, activists, academics, artists, and more. #Climate #Climatetech #Cleantech #Sustainability #Environment
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.climatetechpod.com
Email:
hello@climatetechpod.com
Episodes
Cutting Heavy Industry Carbon through AI, with Leise Sandeman of Pathways
3/19/2025
Leise Sandeman is co-founder of Pathways, a company using AI to make heavy manufacturing more sustainable. Based in Copenhagen, she brings deep expertise in steel production and AI to the challenge of industrial decarbonization.
In this episode we talked about:
🏭 How Pathways is building the data layer for sustainable manufacturing, with their software now deployed across hundreds of plants
⚡ The current reality where sustainability teams spend 90% of their time collecting data and only 10% implementing changes
🤝 The "playground" mindset of being a first-time founder and the importance of co-founder trust
🌍 Taking a strong stance on being a "single planet society" while working with diverse perspectives across regions like Texas
#ClimaTetech #manufacturing #sustainability #EPD #LCA
Duration:00:30:55
Climate Investing in Oil Country, with Eric Rubenstein of New Climate Ventures
3/5/2025
Eric Rubenstein is an oil and gas banker turned climate tech investor based in Houston. As founder of New Climate Ventures, he focuses on bridging the gap between traditional energy and climate innovation, bringing a pragmatic perspective shaped by his background in finance and fossil fuels.
In this episode we talked about:
🌡️ The critical need for more power generation capacity and why we need both renewable and reliable energy sources with built-in redundancy
📊 How the ability to measure and monitor carbon impacts drove Eric's interest in technologies like carbon capture, bioplastics, and carbon utilization
🔄 Practical advice for professionals looking to transition into climate tech, emphasizing gradual, deliberate steps and community engagement
🍸 How to turn CO2 into vodka
#climatetech #carbontech #energytransition #renewableenergy
Duration:00:43:27
Packaging Made to Disappear, with Julia Bialetska of S.Lab
2/28/2025
Julia Bialetska is the founder of S.Lab, a Ukrainian company creating sustainable packaging solutions from agricultural waste.
In this episode we talked about:
🌱 How S.Lab transforms agricultural waste into packaging that can be used in food, pharmaceuticals, electronics, furniture and fashion
📊 The impact of EU regulations requiring all packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2030, and why that means companies are rushing to find sustainable alternatives
⚙️ The parallels between today's sustainable materials evolution and the plastic revolution of the last century
🇺🇦 The resilience of Ukrainian startups operating during wartime and the growing recognition they're receiving globally
💰 S. Lab’s impressive pipeline worth approximately 20 million euros in monthly revenue and their current fundraising round of 2.5 million euros
#ClimateTech #SustainablePackaging #Packaging #Mycelium
Duration:00:30:16
Climate Resilience Is a Trillion-Dollar Opportunity with Jannik De Winter of PT1
2/19/2025
Jannik De Winter is an investor at PT1, a Berlin-based VC focused on greening the built environment. He recently co-authored a white paper on adaptation tech—the technologies we’ll need now that we’ve officially blown past 1.5°C. We talked about why climate resilience is an investment opportunity, not just a government expense, and why adaptation tech is still so poorly defined.
We touched on:
🔥 How climate adaptation tech is more than just seawalls and sandbags—it includes urban cooling, climate risk modeling, and even giving EV batteries a second life
💰 The trillion-dollar adaptation funding gap and why most of it isn’t coming from the private sector (yet)
🌍 Why Europe, and especially Germany, is ahead on adaptation policy, and what that means for startups and investors
🚰 The wild inefficiencies in water infrastructure—40% of Italy’s piped water just disappears—and the startups trying to fix it
🛰️ AI-powered disaster detection, from wildfire monitoring via satellite to real-time flood tracking
🎙️ PT1’s upcoming event on adaptation tech in Berlin, plus their podcast series diving into specific adaptation challenges
#AdaptationTech #ClimateFinance #ClimateTech
Duration:00:28:44
The Utility Industry's Secret Weapon with Chris Bernkopf of Podero
2/12/2025
Chris Bernkopf is the founder of Podero, a tech company that helps utilities balance power loads by controlling distributed energy resources like heat pumps, batteries, and EVs. Fresh off a major fundraising round, he's building his remote-first team to expand across Europe while delivering 25% energy savings to customers.
In this episode we talked about:
🔌 How Podero's software enables utilities to aggregate and trade power from customer-owned devices on energy markets
🌏 How growing up watching the same YouTube videos creates a global tribe of like-minded founders
🎯 The value of focused mentorship through programs like Y Combinator in developing founder mindset
💰 Why closing a funding round is just the beginning - it's "registering for the marathon, not finishing it"
🏗️ Building a remote-first company culture with quarterly offsites, virtual coffee chats, and camera-on meetings
#climatetech #energytech #cleanenergy
Duration:00:23:33
A Cool €250 Million to Green Buildings with Jess Clemans of noa
1/29/2025
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
Duration:00:38:06
Tarmo Virki interviews Jana Budkovskaja of Beamline Accelerator
12/18/2024
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
Duration:00:27:55
Hydrogen hubs across the USA with Matthew Krayton of Publitics
12/9/2024
Matthew Krayton is Executive Director of 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
Duration:00:32:35
The world's most advanced portable power with Andreas Sedlmayr of Instagrid
12/4/2024
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
Duration:00:34:09
We have a CO2...shortage(?!) with Rob Van Straten of Skytree
12/4/2024
Rob van Straten is CEO of Skytree, a direct air capture company addressing CO2 shortages while removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. His company works with greenhouses in the Netherlands and North America to capture and utilize CO2 on-site.
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
Duration:00:27:40
If you don’t laugh, you’ll probably cry, with comedian and climate researcher Matt Winning
11/21/2024
"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
Duration:00:43:42
Cultivated caviar and foie gras may soon hit your plate, with Yossi Quint of Ark Biotech
11/5/2024
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
Duration:00:34:12
A kayaker turns her passion into a startup, with Jessica Droujko of Riverkin
10/16/2024
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
Duration:00:30:05
The witty professor: comedy meets academia, with Prof. Max Boykoff of the University of Colorado
10/3/2024
Max Boykoff is a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado. His research focuses on the cultural dimensions of climate change, with a particular interest in how media and various stakeholders communicate about the issue.
In this episode we talked about:
☯️ How firsthand experiences of climate events can contrast with media coverage
🎭 The power of comedy in connecting people to climate change information and ideas
🌏 Cultural perspectives on climate change ranging from Singapore and Jerusalem
🎬 The climate-themed standup comedy video competition he runs
👥 His excitement around younger generations' engagement with climate issues
#ClimateComedy #ClimateEducation #ClimateTech
More:
Climate comedy work from Inside the Greenhouse at CU Boulder
The 10th annual climate comedy video competition
The Media and Climate Change Observatory
Duration:00:35:16
Fixing the chemical industry's emissions problem with Marissa Beatty of Turnover Labs
9/19/2024
Marissa Beatty is the co-founder and CEO of Turnover Labs, a startup developing technology to convert CO2 into valuable chemicals. With a background in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Marissa is tackling the challenge of carbon utilization in the petrochemical industry.
In this episode we talked about:
🧪 Turnover Labs' approach to converting CO2 into useful chemical building blocks
💼 The challenges and opportunities for female founders in the climate tech space
💰 How Marissa secured backing from notable climate tech investors for her pre-seed round
🔬 The importance of corporate partnerships in developing and scaling carbon utilization technologies
🎯 Turnover Labs' strategy for narrowing their focus and identifying potential customers
🤝 Why I’m missing out by not going to Climate Week NYC
#CarbonUtilization #CleanChemistry #ClimateTech #netzero
Duration:00:26:14
A €160 million fund pioneering a science-based approach to VC with Jessica Burley of Planet A Ventures
9/12/2024
Jessica Burley is an investor at Planet A Ventures, a €160 million fund pioneering a science-based approach to venture capital. Jessica is passionate about impact measurement and, as she says: "If there's not a significant positive environmental impact, the deal is off.”
In this episode we talked about:
🔬 Planet A Ventures' use of life cycle assessments to evaluate potential investments
🚫 The fund's in-house science team's veto power on deals lacking significant environmental impact
🤝 Collaboration with Speedinvest and Norrsken VC to create a climate hardware playbook
📊 The importance of impact measurement for businesses to demonstrate sustainability claims
🌡️ How climate risk is increasingly becoming a business risk
🚀 Her optimism in climate tech thanks to transformative technologies and dedicated talent
#VC #Hardware #Sustainability #Investing #ClimateTech
Duration:00:28:14
WebMD co-founder Kittu Kolluri of Neotribe Ventures invests where bits meet atoms
9/4/2024
I spoke with WebMD co-founder and veteran VC Kittu Kolluri of Neotribe Ventures to talk about what he’s investing in, the importance of board governance, and what active investing actually means.
We touched on:
🐉 The potential of technologies like hydrogen, ammonia synthesis, and cold fusion
💼 The role of boards in ensuring good governance and avoiding conflicts of interest
📈 What software VCs need to do to become hardware investors
🤝 The importance of active investing and the value it brings to young entrepreneurs
#climatetech #venturecapital #governance
Duration:00:37:15
Gen Z collabs with Aneta Londa of Moonshot Pirates and the winners of the Shape the Future competition
8/21/2024
Aneta Londa is the founder of Moonshot Pirates, an organization that empowers young changemakers to tackle global challenges. In this episode, Aneta is joined by Annie Zountsa and Elanu Karakus, winners of the Shape the Future Challenge, to discuss their innovative project AEIFLORIA and the impact of youth-driven initiatives.
We talked about:
🏴☠️ How Moonshot Pirates teaches Gen Z to fight climate change through innovation
🏆 How four teenagers found a way to help bees find flowers with AEIFLORIA
🔮 How Moonshot Pirates is going to get involved in the future of food, and how you can help
👭 What it’s going to be like for four founders to meet for the very first time in person
#MoonshotPirates #climatetech #YouthInnovation
Duration:00:35:29
What to do after selling a $100 million company? Start another, with Alex Ivanenko of HyWatts
8/1/2024
I spoke with Alex Ivanenko, the founder of HyWatts, about building “power plants in a box” and about why, after selling a company for more than $100 million, he started another one right away.
In this episode we talked about:
👉 Why traditional power generation philosophies don’t work for renewables
🔋 The high costs of transmission and distribution in the energy grid
💡 The potential for distributed energy solutions in reducing blackouts and fires
🚗 Why EV charging stations are the fastest path to commercialization for startups
📈 The implications of subsidies and regulations on the renewable energy market
#climatetech #renewableenergy #EVcharging
Duration:00:29:03
EV charging must be open-source! With Marco Möller of Pionix
7/25/2024
Marco Möller is a computer scientist, physicist, and serial entrepreneur. He’s passionate about electrical transportation and recently turned his attention to open sourcing the world of EV charging.
In this episode we talked about:
🔋 The company Marco sold to Intel and its impact on climate change through drone technology
🚗 The current state of the EV market in Europe, including growth and price trends
🔌 Common concerns about switching to electric cars and how to address them
⚙️ Marco's new company Pionix and its open-source EV-charger operating system, Base Camp
💼 The stakeholders involved in the EV charging space and the role of collaboration
🕵️♂️ Resistance to open-sourcing EV charging and the industries' changing perspectives on open source
#climatetech #EVcharging #opensource
Duration:00:27:17
