VentureFuel: Breaking into Venture Capital with Managing Partners at Prelude and Activate Capital
"Breaking into Venture Capital & Investing in Climate Tech"
Breaking into Venture Capital & Investing in Climate Tech: A Fireside Chat with Raj Atluru & Mark Cupta
Join us on February 5th at 5PM in GSB Room M105 for an exclusive conversation with Raj Atluru, Managing Partner at Activate Capital, and Mark Cupta, Managing Partner at Prelude Ventures - two leading investors who have helped shape the landscape of climate and sustainability investing.
With decades of experience spanning early cleantech investing, deep-tech commercialization, and scaling climate ventures, Raj and Mark bring unparalleled insights into what it takes to build and back successful climate tech startups.
Discussion Topics Include:
From Operators to Investors: What key moments led Raj and Mark to venture capital, and how did their technical and entrepreneurial backgrounds shape their approach?
Early Lessons in Climate Investing: Stories of their first deals - biggest surprises, early mistakes, and how they refined their investment philosophies.
Standing Out in Climate VC: How Activate and Prelude differentiate themselves from other climate-focused funds and the unique value they bring to founders.
The Evolution of Climate Investing: From early cleantech cycles to today’s landscape - what’s changed, what’s remained the same, and what’s next?
Scaling Deep-Tech Startups: Balancing long commercialization timelines with investor expectations and navigating capital-intensive innovations.
Policy & Market Dynamics: What regulatory shifts lie ahead, and how do top investors prepare their portfolio companies for uncertainty?
Whether you're an aspiring venture capitalist, climate tech founder, engineer, or investor, this discussion will provide actionable insights on breaking into venture capital and scaling climate-focused startups.
📍 GSB Room M105
🍕 Pizza and beverages provided!
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from two of the most influential investors in the climate space. We look forward to seeing you there!
Stanford Founders: https://stanfordfounders.stanford.edu/