Happy new year to all the CleanTechies out there!! This is going to be a fantastic year, and we’re so excited for all the new and exciting things we’ll be doing here at CleanTechies…so subscribe to stay tuned 🤔🔔
Without further ado, we are starting 2025 with an absolute banger 🎉🚀🥳.
Today, we are talking to Joshua Posamentier from Congruent Ventures.
Joshua Posamentier is the co-founder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused exclusively on climate tech. With a background in physics and a career that began in the semiconductor industry, Josh transitioned into climate investing after holding various roles at Intel and Prelude Ventures. Widely regarded as an OG in the climate tech space, Josh has been investing in climate solutions since well before the current wave of interest, making him one of the most experienced voices in the field. His deep technical expertise, combined with over a decade of focused climate investing, has given him a unique perspective on the evolution of the sector from its early clean tech days to today’s thriving climate tech ecosystem. Josh’s experience includes navigating the highs and lows of the market, from the early 2010s downturn in clean tech investing to today’s booming climate sector, providing invaluable insight to founders.
Congruent Ventures is an early-stage climate tech fund based in San Francisco that invests across a wide range of sectors, including energy transition, food and agriculture, urban mobility, and sustainable production. The firm has made over 60 investments in companies that focus on delivering measurable, impactful climate solutions while achieving top-quartile venture returns. Congruent Ventures is known for its hands-on approach, staying actively involved with portfolio companies from seed through later funding stages.
Some key takeaways for ya:
NIMBYism in Climate Tech – how companies like Fervo Energy address the challenges of community opposition (by engaging local stakeholders to gain buy-in and support for renewable energy projects)
Capital Formation and Long-Term Involvement – Congruent Ventures' focus on mapping value creation stages to ensure their portfolio companies achieve successful exits, and why they remain engaged with companies beyond initial funding rounds
Revisiting Energy Storage Innovations – Renewed interest in medium and long-duration energy storage solutions, particularly for urban areas where lithium-ion batteries pose safety risks
Enjoy!
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Future guest suggestions or topics? Leave a comment!
📝 Show Notes:
Topics
00:00 The Journey into Climate Tech Investing
10:05 Congruent Ventures
19:50 Navigating the Climate Tech Landscape
29:47 Challenges of Measuring Impact
39:52 Hardware vs. Software & Insights from Semiconductors
30:15 Navigating NIMBYism
34:37 Investment Strategies
39:52 The Future of Energy Demand and Policy
45:59 Exciting Innovations
Links
Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X
This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.
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