#132 The Role of Science in VC, Successfully Building in Hardware, and Calculating Decarbonization w/ Iris Ten Have (Extantia)

Why you should listen:

• Learn about what a Head of Science does in VC

• Hear how this hardware-focused investor evaluates hardware investments

• Find out what VC can learn from science

---

---

In this episode, Somil Aggarwal (@somilagg) interviews Iris Ten Have about her journey into VC from a science background, what ie means to be a Head of Science in VC, how to successfully build in hardware, and more.
 
 Enjoy the Episode! 🌎
 
 📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube.

📫 Interested in written summaries and takeaways from the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter.

Want to be part of the community and engage further? Check out the Slack Channel. https://tinyurl.com/mwkn8zk5
-----

Topics:

• 6:25 Academia to venture

• 15:46 What helped her prepare for VC

• 18:42 How Extantia started

• 25:33 What makes a successful hardware investment

• 30:16 How to get your pre-orders for your MVP

• 36:05 Evaluating decarbonization potential

• 44:38 Advice to founders

• 48:36 What VCs can learn from scientists

• 51:11 Biggest challenges for funds

-----

Links:

• Connect with Iris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-ten-have/

• Extantia: https://extantia.com/

• Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: https://www.next-wavepartners.com/

• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clean-techies/

• HMU on Twitter: @somilagg

-----

Other episodes you might enjoy:

• Most Recent Episode: #131 Selling to Utilities, The Disruptor Mistake, Clean Your Camp, Carrot vs Stick Regs, & More w/ Michael Jung (ICF Climate Center)

• Similar Topic: #117 Early Stage Hiring Decisions, Heeding the Lessons from CleanTech 1.0, Energize's $300m Growth Fund Close, & More w/ Eileen Waris (Energize Capital)

• Something Totally Different: From 30% to 90% Li Recovery, Founding a ClimateTech Co, & Talent Moat w/ Teague Egan (EnergyX)

---

Resources / Events / Carveouts:

We wanted to start adding some of the other resources that we are aware of in the climate space each episode. These will not always be the same so be sure to check them out each episode.

• Event: upcoming in November, on the 9th, the CleanTechies Podcast will be hosting a meetup in Union Square in NYC. This will be an ongoing event on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 5-7 p.m. It’s a very chill objective for now and we will see how it goes.
  This is being hosted in partnership with 4Ward.VC and it is members only (Paid members of 4Ward.VC’s community).
  You can join their community here.

• Voiz Academy: this is a community that helps you upskill and land a job at a climate tech company or a sustainability role. If interested you can check them out here:

  • Climate Career Accelerator Program

  • Voiz Academy Sustainability Programs

Have a resource you use and want to share, send it our way info@cleantechiespod.com

---

Thank you for listening/reading/supporting us. It means a lot to us because there is a lot of work that goes into making this happen. Please share your favorite moments and reach out if we can help in any way.

---