🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, investor edition.
Today, we are talking to Michael Kearney from Engine Ventures.
Michael Kearney started off this podcast defending the political durability of the IRA…and he had us convinced. If that doesn’t have you hooked, I don’t know what will!
Building for deeptech founders is HARD…like folding a fitted sheet hard.
And that’s why we need someone like Mike to do it. Mike himself did his undergrad and Ph.D. at MIT, so he’s knows the MIT innovation ecosystem like the back of his hand (The Engine is an MIT spin-out). In between, he spent his time drawing power from the Sun…well not literally…he worked on grid-scale renewable energy at Ambri in corporate development.
Now, he’s focused solely on supporting “Tough Tech” founders (side note, that’s definitely a favorite term of this podcast now).
Mike clearly loves doing really easy things…right?
Some core topics discussed today include…
How the IRA is creating critical market opportunities, making it politically durable
The three things that matter for deeptech startups — space, equipment, and community support
Why Fluid labor markets are crucial for scaling tough tech companies
Why techno-economic modeling is leading to breakthroughs in commercializing climate tech
What will happen now that demand for clean energy has surpassed supply
And more…
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🚨Attention! 🚨 We interrupt your regular programming for an important message.
ClimateTech founders are taking on a huge challenge. Building a climate startup is highly complex but also SO NECESSARY if we are going to save the climate. Founders not only you need to understand how to build a startup, but you also need to understand how to deal with hardware, have a strong handle on climate policy, know how to fundraise from diverse investors types, etc. etc. etc…
It’s a lot.
That’s why we make CleanTechies. The #1 Podcast for ClimateTech Entrepreneurs.
In addition to our jobs, we devote ~20 hours a week to producing this podcast for you. This way, you can learn from others who have walked the path you’re on now, learn from their mistakes, and gain insights on navigating this complex world.
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The Guest: Michael Kearney
Michael Kearney is the General Partner at Engine Ventures.
Before Engine Ventures, Mike was at The Engine, which is the overall ecosystem and accelerator, focused on commercializing deeptech.
Mike completed his Ph.D. at MIT’s Sloan School of Management before joining The Engine ecosystem. Before that, he spent 4 years at Amber, working on grid-scale solar technology in CleanTech 1.0.
Mike started his career completing his Bachelors from MIT in Technology and Policy.
The Investor: Engine Ventures
One Liner: Investing in the next generation of Tough Tech founders — providing capital, operational expertise, and a powerful academic, commercial, and governmental network to build and scale companies
They invest in Tough Tech founders, helping bridge the gap from discovery to commercialization. The companies we invest in have a clearly articulated scientific or engineering solution to a global problem.
They convene the investment, government, academic, regulatory, and corporate communities to help accelerate the progress of those working to grow and build Tough Tech companies. Industry and government have a chance to learn from Engine Venture’s portfolio companies and collaborate on how to augment or build upon existing solutions. Together, their network helps remove obstacles and clear a path to commercialization and success for our portfolio.
Do you have suggestions on future guests or topics? Leave a comment!
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📝 Show Notes:
Topics
02:29 Introduction
03:50 Political Durability of the IRA
07:46 Supporting Tough Tech Startups
16:06 Scaling from Early-Stage Innovation to Large-Scale Deployment
26:30 Building in the Field
28:35 The Investment Model of Engine Ventures
30:41 Commercializing Technology
36:46 The Changing Nature of Competition in Clean Energy
45:20 Room for Innovation
51:36 Takeaways
Links
This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.
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🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see y’all next episode!
#180 Tough Tech, Scaling DeepTech, MIT's Ecosystem, Political Durability of IRA, & More w/ Michael Kearney (Engine Ventures)