In my entire start-up and VC career in energy and sustainability, I don’t think I have ever seen such consensus around a single idea: ESG and impact tracking as a software. Yes, we are seeing some incredible firms and entrepreneurs out there. But… …as Bill Gurley of Benchmark Capital says: “Being ‘right’ doesn’t lead to …
Our critical infrastructure is increasingly digitized. Sensors and analytics are used to optimize operations. These digital networks and sensors create efficiency and improved communications. Unfortunately, what is used to optimize can also be used to weaponize. These same networks transmitting important operating network conditions and commands can be hacked. And our towns, states, and even …
Over the years, the scale of climate investment dollars has oscillated dramatically. I think we are going to be at an elevated plateau of interest for a few years now. Why are there big swings in “climate-tech” investments? Historically, climate investments were paid with the final 5% of profits… so in any down market, the …
Volta Industries, Inc., the industry leader in commerce-centric electric vehicle (EV) charging networks, today announced that it has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: SNPR), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). When the transaction closes, the combined company is expected to be publicly traded under the …
I came across a research report on the state of battery systems. The report talked about the massive battery system (residential, commercial, utility scale) deployments coming over the next decade. Battery systems growth will alter our grid and how we think about centralized power generation and storage. One chart (seen below) in the document shows …
If you have seen me on a ZOOM call, you may have seen my growing “energy transition” shelf in the background. While my wife doesn’t love that the eclectic collection is visible from the street, I think it is pretty fun to have in the office. The solar panel is a Renogy 12V 100 Watt …
A few days ago there was a thread on Twitter about capitalism and climate. Jason Jacobs and I-Kang both elevated the fact that we need more highly visible, successful entrepreneurs that make their wealth in the “climate” theme. As someone who generally believes that capitalism does a pretty darn good job with allocating dollars, the …
Today I am excited to announce that Energize co-led the latest growth round into DroneDeploy, alongside AirTree Ventures. This is the first announced investment from Energize Growth. A link to DroneDeploy’s press release can be found here. And a link to Energize’s announcement covering the deal can be found here. (VentureBeat here) Energize first led …
The VC market has a lot of nooks and crannies. Why? Big businesses usually start out as niche ideas that serve an impassioned, small cohort. After winning over the existing cohort, the best executives learn to expand into other verticals and compound into larger businesses over time. But sometimes the best investments are the most …
Energize won the lottery earlier this winter when Eileen Waris agreed to join our firm as an Associate. She comes to us after spending nearly three years in getting dual graduate degrees at Stanford. At Stanford she earned both her MBA at GSB and a Masters in Environmental Science. Her elite academic talent is matched …