Spencer M.

Check out my recent post on why President Trump is the forcing function for us to solve the “Missing Middle” and catch the industrial Tsunami of onshoring coming to the US!

84

9 Comments

A SAFE and convertible note had a baby and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati was the midwife- out popped the D-SAFE! 👶🏽🎉 A new #climatetech funding instrument was announced by Elemental Excelerator last week. One of the company’s main goals is to support smaller, up and coming companies during the awkward “Scale Gap” phase between #VC funding and natural growth. It’s called the #DSAFE (Development Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and it aims to aid the process by giving companies a small amount of cash to overcome initial risks and expenses during the developmental stages of a product launch or company. How does it work? D-SAFE has a redemption clause meaning companies can choose to have their payments offered as a loan or convert to equity at the investor’s discretion. Funders and companies will have clear communication and expectations about where the money is going and how it will be applied to either the company or the projects at hand. Financiers and companies will work together with more #transparency, and that’s a great boon for #startups and VC alike. As of this month, Elemental has already invested using D-SAFE in eight different companies, including Dimensional Energy and Origen — both companies investing in innovative and out-of-the-box solutions to environmental issues! Seems like a win-win on the surface. What do you all think about the D-SAFE? Alfredo Coppola Momoka Ueda Tim Wagner Stephen D. Torres Olya Irzak Natsuho Toyama Noriya Tarutani Shin Ogawa

15

6 Comments

Indoor farming has attracted over $6 billion in investments since 2019: It's a year-round method of crop production that optimizes space through its use of vertically stacked layers. It’s projected to grow (10% by 2032, reaching $96 billion*), yet many are struggling to deliver returns. Notably, AppHarvest recently filed for bankruptcy after reporting a net loss of $177 million, highlighting the challenges in achieving profitability in this sector. ⬆️On the up - Plenty® is one to watch - they are flush with funding from SoftBank and have formed a JV with Abu Dhabi-based Mawarid Holding Investment .They are building a network of indoor farms, likely starting with an indoor strawberry farm in Abu Dhabi. If successful, it would help elevate indoor farming as a more marketable proposition - particularly in locations that are too dry for traditional farms. Indoor farming has appeal for sure..but they an infrastructure-heavy, pricey endeavor that has proven incompatible with venture exit time frames. This begs the question around the sustainability of funding models in industries focused on longer-term growth. #VentureCapital #IndoorFarming #Investment #Sustainability #Agriculture *Statista

14

Excited to announce our investment in Alta Resource Technologies alongside Leonardo Banchik (Voyager Ventures) with participation from Orion Resource Partners, Overture Ventures, and WovenEarth Ventures. Rare earths are critical in products from magnets to ceramics and it's important for the US to develop its own supply chain. While the US has some of the best rare earth resources, separating them has historically proven expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Alta through it's computationally designed and optimized proteins allows the US to bring back rare earth production with a cleaner, lower capex, and lower opex solution - and that's just the beginning. Congrats to Nathan Ratledge and the entire Alta team. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gbGnAJn3

60

4 Comments

I'm so excited to continue supporting Prolific Machines, Inc., and the incredible Deniz Kent, PhD ,Max Huisman, and Declan Jones. Today's cellular biology processes are incredibly expensive, inefficient, imprecise, and sometimes purely ineffective. These processes are used from everything from making antibodies to treat diseases, to fermentation used to make high-value nutritional proteins in baby formula, to whole cuts of cultured meat. Prolific has developed a biology platform that leverages light to guide cell behavior and optimize performance over time using AI. By combining light, bioengineering, hardware, and AI in fundamentally new ways, Prolific can help pharmaceutical, nutritional, and therapeutics companies get to market faster, less expensively, and more efficiently — ultimately in hopes of helping improve outcomes — a mission any of us can get behind. Mark Cuban Peter T. Frederick Blackford Cooper Rinzler David Adelman Darco Capital Breakthrough Energy Michael Schulson Kevin Love Tobias Harris Breyer Capital Charles Besser Brennan Besser Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants https://lnkd.in/ea2TqdQk

159

17 Comments

🔥 Thrilled to see Hydrolix crushing it with a $35M Series B! 🔥 Data is the new oil, but too much gets discarded due to prohibitive storage costs. Hydrolix cracks this with its streaming #datalake platform that leverages object storage, decoupled compute, indexing, & compression. As Marty Kagan puts it: 'We’re cheaper than cold storage and faster than hot storage' Hydrolix’s streaming data lake platform is a game-changer for #AI, #observability, & #security workloads. 💥 Real-time query performance at terabyte scale 💰75%+ savings on log mgmt & 4x more data retained  ☁️ Stateless & containerized for seamless scaling with Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3, Google Cloud GCS, Microsoft Azure Blob 💡 Had the early conviction (first investor) that data is key to unlocking AI & enterprise workloads. It's proving right. Huge thanks to Marty Kagan Hasan Alayli for letting me early on their journey to build an impessive company 🙏 Super pumped to have awesome Aaron Perman at S3 Ventures leading this round along with other strong existing investors - Nava Ventures (Manish Patel) Wing Venture Capital (Peter Wagner) Oregon Venture Fund (Matt Compton Scott Grout) and others 💪 Onwards! 🚀🚀🚀 #cloud #data #ai #ml #llm #largelanguagemodels #analytics #security #loganalytics #datalake #datawarehouse https://lnkd.in/g5i6afP5

42

7 Comments

At R7, we felt it was kind of silly for scientists to spend millions of hours per year, manually counting spores in a petri dish. We partnered with Reshape Biotech last year to provide a full-stack automation platform capable of streamlining everything from plate filling to diagnostics, slashing time-to-market by 10x and cutting costs by up to 70%. 🌟 Vision 🔬 : To build a new generation of lab equipment – and the infrastructure behind it – so that scientists and technicians can dramatically accelerate their work. Carl-Emil Grøn Magnus Madsen

128

8 Comments

Excellent blog post on the realities of Climate & VC. While these are "tough times for the transition," there are also many opportunities. Significant capital will continue to flow, with Corporate VCs playing a larger role in financing this transition. Through this process, they will strengthen their LP positions in funds tackling climate challenges. I receive weekly calls from large Holding & Corporate VCs seeking introductions to Climate / Energy / Infra VC Funds. When I ask about their target sub-verticals within Climate / Energy, they often mention that they default to focusing on specific regions due to limited resources and coverage. In other words, rather than evaluating whether a DACH VC is better positioned for solar or grid-tech compared to a Nordic or US VC, they simply pursue whichever regions they can access—a haphazard approach at best. I always advise LPs to evaluate VCs within their operating market context. Since sourcing is crucial in venture capital, Holding Cos. and Family Offices should carefully assess a VC's location, regulatory context, and market environment before investing and building a portfolio of Funds. I've heard "I wish I had discovered this VC / region sooner" far too many times... * At ComposeVC's Built World Fund, we do not invest in Climatetech or Energytech directly, only as it relates to our Built World thesis.

10

🚨 🚘 An exciting day here at 8090 Industries as we ‘roll out’ our latest investment in ENSO - 2023 Earthshot Prize Finalist, to revolutionize a stagnant industry undergoing the largest shift since its inception, with no solution in place, an aging workforce, lacking ingenuity and a business model out of touch with the dynamic needs of its customers - TIRES. World, meet Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, the industrialist pioneering a new dawn for the tire industry. But first, a quick history lesson: __________________________ In 1898, Franklin "Frank" Seiberling, jobless, with a wife and three children, borrowed $3,500 for a down payment from his brother-in-law, to purchase an old strawboard factory in Ohio, to open a rubber company. A science and history nut, he named it after Charles Goodyear, the pioneer of vulcanization, the main method of how rubber was produced. Over the next decade, they brought mechanization and technology to the cumbersome and time-consuming process of hand building tires — enabling one man to produce 60 tires in ten hours as opposed to five tires built by hand in a day. His Seiberling State machine revolutionized tire building and led to an explosion in tire production output. By 1907 - it caught the attention of Henry Ford who purchased 1,200 sets of tires for the Model T. And as they say, the rest is history. By 1913 - Over half the tires made in the U.S. were manufactured on Seiberling’s machines. By 1916 - The The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company became the largest tire producer in the world. _____________________ Today much has changed. @Goodyear is no longer the largest tire producer and tire manufacturers no longer own the direct relationship to fleets. That capitalistic, swashbuckling energy and entrepreneurial spirit that built Goodyear and pioneered the tire industry is in short supply, just when it needs it most as a global transition towards EVs compels the greatest growth opportunity for the tire industry in over a century. Led by Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, Enso produces tires perfectly fit for a world increasing run on EVs - that are tailored to endure the heavy weight and torque, last longer, cheaper and increase range by more than 10% today while bringing circularity to the supply chain and data through owning the direct relationship with fleets.  Don’t just take our word for it, some of the largest fleets in the world from Amazon to city cab fleets in Europe are already running on Enso tires and this is just the beginning. 👀 Stay tuned. Much to come! cc Kerem Ozmen Wes Mendenhall Filip Vurdelja Haluk Sabanci Dincer Grant Brown Ishan Meswani Garuth A. Andrew Irwin #climatetech #decarbonization

119

20 Comments

We (Climate VC) need to stop making excuses for the growth trajectories of our companies There’s a reason why Matthew Stotts and I chose the venture capital asset class to focus on - it has to GROW fast. And there are a lot of fast-growing, money-making opportunity areas with huge problems that could benefit from highly motivated well-funded and skilled teams looking to build a large company. If you need to make an excuse or caveat for any of the statements in the previous paragraph, you’re in the wrong asset class The good thing about VC is it grows fast and BIG. The clock is ticking on our biggest problem areas - let’s get to work!

11

Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) illustrates the current "readiness" of #ClimateTechs + their potential impact on carbon reduction. As shown, many techs are at an early stage of being able to have a material impact. Concerningly, some tech funds recently returned capital back to investors recently + closed their funds - citing inability to fund capital intensive techs, found in areas like ClimateTech. This in part may be contributing to the $2 trillion shortfall in ClimateTech, that Deloitte estimates. What this may mean for the future? - The migration of LPs to global, super VC funds within ClimateTech, given the large capital pools needed to fund tech development - Greater specialization from smaller funds, energizing more niche elements of the ClimateTech market - but also altering their / LP's risk profile - A greater role to be played by debt financing in funding growth entities at an earlier stage - impacting cashflow dynamics Will be an interesting space to watch moving forward. We at The Proptech Connection are constantly working with all parts of the Proptech ecosystem. From the leading LPs, funds, techs and adopters in market, providing an independent view. Reach out to us today to find out how we can help. #InvestorTrends #Strategy #Global Ivo van Breukelen Stuart Daun Kiki C. Ethan Ward

9

2 Comments

🚀 Exciting News! 🚀 I'm thrilled to announce that MoreVC has led an $8M A-round funding for Gavan, a pioneering FoodTech start-up. This marks our third investment in the foodtech sector, supporting sustainable, flexible, and affordable solutions for the food industry. Gavan's innovative plant protein-based fat solution, Fatrix®, is set to revolutionize the European food market. This funding will enable Gavan to establish a new pilot production facility in Europe, focusing on the bakery and dairy sectors. Fatrix is a game-changer, offering a clean-label, plant-based fat that can replace butter in a wide range of products. It helps food manufacturers achieve superior nutriscores by reducing total and saturated fat content, while providing exceptional sensory value. I am honored to join Gavan's board as the Chairperson following this investment. Working closely with the talented Gavan team, we aim to make a significant impact on the $253B fats and oils market, promoting sustainability and healthier food options. As a former CEO of a foodtech company and an investor, I am deeply aware of how food and agriculture play a dominant role in our livelihood. This investment is about contributing to a healthier, more sustainable future for all. A big thank you to our co-investors Lever VC, EIT Food, DarkBoot Group, and Hagai Stadler for their support and belief in Gavan's vision. We look forward to seeing Gavan's continued growth and success in the European market. #FoodTech #Innovation #Sustainability #Investment #MoreVC #GavanTechnologies #Fatrix Itai Cohen Hagai Stadler Baruch Dach Ronen Smooha Allen Hazan

80

13 Comments

The Washington Post just posted an article about "mushrooms as the darling of sustainability" and showcased various industrial applications of fungi. Among other, they showcased the pioneering work of our friends on MycoWorks with philip ross, and Ecovative - the mycelium technology company, both paving the way for fungal applications for a more sustainable trajectory. It was also mentioned how scientific researchers are "pioneering new ways for fungi to better manage environmental problems such as transforming food waste into novel edible materials, eliminating toxins like heavy metals at contamination sites, devouring plastic pollution, or improving soil as an impressive organic fertilizer". I caught one new solution that was new to me - PACT Outdoors makes kits for backpackers with mycelium tablets that breaks down 💩 quickly, killing bacteria that can disturb ecosystems. The usecases of mycelium and fungi are - endless! https://lnkd.in/diZPyqYY #Fungi #Mycelium #Biotechnology #Pioneeers #NewFuture

71

4 Comments

📢 Some big news this week that marks another pivotal step in the evolution of carbon markets… The Biden administration, led by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, will be unveiling the first broad US government guidelines on the use of carbon credits as part of decarbonization strategies. It’s a much needed step that will promote high-integrity carbon markets, and boost corporate confidence in using carbon credits. The Bloomberg article's sources suggest the upcoming framework will align with the government’s stance that: “voluntary carbon markets have a role in reaching net zero, as long as they promote high-integrity emissions reductions and channel meaningful amounts of capital into nature-based projects today as well as carbon-removal technologies in the future.” And that is the key. There is no silver bullet for the climate crisis. Whatever the critics may say about carbon credits, more transparency, clarity and official endorsement on their use will serve to unlock billions of much needed corporate dollars for carbon projects. Couple this news with recent initiatives by major tech companies like the Symbiosis Coalition of Google, Meta, Microsoft and Salesforce and we’re starting to stride in the right direction. Read more and sign up for the live stream: https://lnkd.in/ddDRA8yd #carbonmarkets #carboncredits #naturalcapital #climateaction #breakingnews

19

2 Comments

Over my past 7-8 years of focus on the insect and the aquaculture industries, I found many parallels. Both industries are highly innovative, investment heavy, requiring a savvy mix of engineering, biology and "livestock" management expertises, and while one has a head start, they are both at their beginning.  I found the below article to relay well the main conditions of success in insect farming, but also in aquaculture start-ups: - Gathering a complementary team. A gap in one of the expertise will make it complicated to either bring the animals to harvest size or to do it economically - Pivoting cultures: from "start-up energy" to "fine tune" mentality.  - Building in steps: there are always learnings from the previous versions built. Building in steps is a must to be ahead technologically and economically. Scale comes second. - It starts with the product: does it match and will continue to match the market's expectations (quality & price). In both industries, the smoke might now start to clear on the most financed projects of the past decade, and I have been impressed by Innovafeed's ability to make the right initial and growth choices. I look forward to hearing more about IF in 2025, 2026 and the many years to come! https://lnkd.in/ebhv32iB

101

5 Comments

Throw back Thursday! 😊Excited to look back at 2023 through the publication of our Catalyst Fund Impact Report! The report spotlights the hard work of our portfolio companies after a year of work with them, as they continue to build game-changing solutions from precision agriculture technologies to water access solutions or waste management tools. 👉 Dive into our portfolio companies' impact to date, our theory of change, and how we empower bold founders to build a climate-resilient future for millions of Africans. 👉 Learn about our gender lens investing approach, sustainability focus, and how our startups are driving green growth and positioning Africa as a leader in climate action. 👉 Explore spotlights on select portfolio companies and discover how Catalyst Fund's hands-on venture building accelerates the path to scale for early-stage climate tech in Africa 👉 See the recognition our fund has earned to date and join us in investing for a climate-resilient future on the continent. Sand to Green, Bekia inc, Visual and AI Solutions (VAIS), Assuraf | Insurance, Simply, Eight Medical | Techstars ‘23, Farmz2U, Farm to Feed, Octavia Carbon, PaddyCover, Agro Supply, NoorNation, Scrapays, THOLA, Earthbond, Zebra CropBank, Medikea, Keep IT Cool, Tolbi Link to download the report: https://lnkd.in/ejJjH6aD

35

8 Comments

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 2024 has shown promising signs of recovery in the AgTech VC sector, with two consecutive quarters of increased deal value, reaching $1.6 billion in Q3. The shift toward larger, more strategic investments highlights the sector’s resilience and potential, even amidst challenges. The remarkable funding rounds, such as Monarch Tractor’s $133 million Series C and Carbon Robotics’ $70 million Series D, underscore the transformative innovation shaping the industry. At Rouge International & Rouge Ventures, we are proud to support this renewed momentum, standing alongside a community of visionaries dedicated to advancing sustainable agricultural solutions. This year, we’ve seen startups addressing critical challenges through breakthroughs in precision ag, ag biotech, and more. Their achievements inspire us and reaffirm our commitment to fostering impactful AgTech innovations. As 2024 draws to a close, we express our gratitude to the startups, investors, and broader community who have supported our journey. Together, we’ve built a vibrant ecosystem addressing global challenges with technology and determination. To the incredible entrepreneurs we partner with, your vision and perseverance fuel progress. Looking ahead to 2025, we wish for continued collaboration, innovation, and success for the AgTech sector. May we collectively seize new opportunities, build sustainable solutions, and drive meaningful change for a better, more resilient future. Cheers to another year of growth and impact! #AgTech #VentureCapital #SustainableFarming #Innovation #AgriTech #PrecisionAgriculture #Biotech #FutureOfFarming #NewYear2025 #StartupGoals #VC2025 #AgTechInnovation https://lnkd.in/gf3usPfv

1

My biggest challenge in the second week of Climate Drift Accelerator is limiting myself to just one challenge to work on. Skander Garroum and Marco Morawec have created a robust roadmap. There are so many interesting problems and ways to approach them. As I reviewed the topics from my substack (https://lnkd.in/gimxrMd4) (see below), I asked myself if there was a recurrent theme. - I want to see residential buildings become self-contained biospheres reusing water, energy and waste to minimize impact to resources - I am converting my garden to native plants to use less city water to plant - I looked at how my carbon footprint varied from living in Hawaii to living in Texas - The lower carbon impact of working remotely - I checked in with myself on this journey to climate change I have been on - My affinity for trees and how unique they are to addressing carbon capture I had an epiphany this week that it might be the circular economy so I am digging in here to start my journey. #ClimateDrift #Climate #NetZeroBuildings #CarbonEmissions #Afforestation #WaterSustainability

13

6 Comments