GPs to LPs: Demystifying Decarb: Understanding the Climate VC Opportunity
About
“The world is in transition, requiring a reconfigured energy system and investment across all sectors to decarbonize.” (Blackrock’s 2024 Private Markets Outlook)
The BlackRock Investment Institute Transition Scenario predicts that the adoption of low-carbon energy sources will jump as the relative costs of these sources continue to drop, and could spur an average of $4 trillion a year of capital investment in the global energy system through 2050, up from just over $2 trillion a year today, with low-carbon sources making up about 70% of the world's energy by 2050.
Venture capital plays an especially important role in our energy and sustainability transition, for many reasons, as 45% of technologies required for net zero do not exist at scale today, and the innovation and growth required can only be unlocked with venture.
Join us for an informative panel discussion and networking opportunity with climate venture capital fund managers (GPs), prospective and existing LPs, start-up founders, and ecosystem friends where we'll discuss:
The general climate, decarbonization, and sustainability venture capital investing opportunity and trends
How climate fund managers drive returns
Interesting companies, trends, and areas investors are looking at
Challenges to the climate investment landscape
The Chicago and midwest climate tech ecosystem
How do we support emerging / underrepresented fund managers and investors
Agenda & Panelists
3:30-4pm: Arrival & networking, sponsor introductions
4-5pm: Panel discussion
5-6pm- Networking
Panelists
Alex Behar, Buoyant Ventures- Alex is a Principal at Buoyant Ventures, an early-stage climate-tech VC fund that invests in digital solutions to climate change across energy, transportation, agriculture, water, circular economy and the built environment. Alex was previously Vice President at Cultivian Sandbox, an early-stage fund focused on food & agriculture. He is based in Chicago.
Paul Seidler, Evergreen Climate Innovations- Paul Seidler is Managing Director at Evergreen Climate Innovations, where he oversees the organization’s investment activities and portfolio management. Paul has participated in more than 50 early-stage transactions totaling over $9 million since joining Evergreen in 2014. He has served or is currently serving as a board director or observer for 18 portfolio companies. Prior to joining Evergreen, Paul oversaw business development for Applied Thin Films, Inc., an advanced materials company developing ceramic coatings and composites for the energy, aerospace, and defense industries.
Stefano Galiasso, Energy Capital Ventures- Stefano is a Vice President of Energy Capital Ventures where he is responsible for the development of investment theses, executing deal-flow, portfolio company management, Limited Partner engagement, and fundraising. Stefano has over 10 years of experience in the energy and utility industry, working on data analytics consulting engagements as well as energy efficiency program implementation for utilities, large energy users, state entities and federal agencies. Prior to Energy Capital Ventures, Stefano was the deal flow lead at New Stack Ventures and an Associate at the G.Schultz Innovation Fund of the University of Chicago.
Sara Chamberlain, Earth Foundry - Sara is a Co-Founder & Managing Director at Earth Foundry, an early-stage VC firm which has a 12+ year track record of investing exclusively in climate tech, backing some of the most transformative companies in the space. Sara leads investment activity and builds the firm’s portfolio companies, including e-Zinc, Harvest, Intellihot, NanoGraf, Network Perception, Polystyvert, Tank Utility (acquired by Generac), and Volexion. Prior to Earth Foundry, Sara built a government advisory practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and helped climate tech startups raise $300M in non-dilutive funding. She also held roles with GE Energy and environmental consulting firm, GaiaTech. Sara earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and an undergraduate degree from Emory University. She also holds a number of advisory roles including serving on the Investment Committee for accelerator Evergreen Climate Innovations, the Advisory Board for Argonne’s Chain Reaction Innovations, and she serves as an Executive-in-Residence at the Rustandy Center at Chicago Booth. Sara was recognized by Fortune as a “Top 13 Seed Stage Climate VC to Watch” and by Midwest Energy News “40 Under 40.”
Hosts & Sponsors
Alita Carbone, Impact Science Ventures- Alita Carbone is an investor at Impact Science Ventures, an early-stage (pre-seed, seed, Series A) venture capital firm investing in science-based technology innovation driving industrial decarbonization and sustainability in critical trillion-dollar global markets including energy, manufacturing, materials, and agriculture. With founding roots from Activate, the nation's premier accelerator for hard science start-ups backed by the Department of Energy, our team helped build the government-backed deep tech incubation system and has since invested in market leaders such as Antora, Brimstone, Fervo Energy, and Twelve.
Emmett Ding, Earth Foundry- Emmett is an investor at Earth Foundry. Earth Foundry is an early-stage climate VC focused on early-stage (pre-seed, seed, series A) novel and differentiated technologies that disrupt the status quo and create a sustained competitive advantage across energy, mobility, water, waste or agriculture hardware and software. Earth Foundry started investing in the earliest stages of cleantech 1.0 and we continue to be long-term partners in backing and supporting founders as part of the climate tech 2.0 era using our pattern recognition.
Julie Greco, Energy Capital Ventures- Julie Greco is an investor at Energy Capital Ventures. Energy Capital Ventures is the only early-stage venture capital fund solely dedicated to the sustainability, resilience and digital transformation of the natural gas industry. Our platform is purpose-built for the evolving and unique needs of emerging technology companies led by exceptional founders who are innovating in Green Molecules technology verticals, the term the Firm trademarked which encapsulates the sustainability imperatives and digitization of the natural gas value chain.
Chicago Blend- Chicago:Blend is a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on building a more resilient and inclusive venture capital industry for Chicago. The Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship is a 4-month program providing cohorts of underrepresented, aspiring VCs with real-world experience sourcing and evaluating deal flow, while expanding their networks and knowledge of VC. The program is supported by local community partners including GET Cities, CDW, World Business Chicago, TeamWorking by TechNexus, 1871, mHUB, MATTER, and VITALIZE Angels.
By registering for this event, you agree to sharing with the hosts and sponsors the registration information collected.
For any inquiries, please feel free to reach out to Alita at alita(at)impactscience(dot)com