Climactic

Our big day has arrived! Though Climactic?has been talked about often in the media, we have yet to officially and publicly launch our fund. Today?we are doing jumping jacks as we reveal Climactic?to the world. None of this?would have been possible without the incredible support of so many and we are grateful! Team Climactic is Raj Kapoor, Josh Felser, Peter Sun, Paul Hawken and Van Jones. We created Climactic to leverage our collective skills and knowledge to help #climatetech #founders build and scale big, bold, impactful companies. Our unified mission is to decarbonize the Enterprise and mobility with a software-first mentality and yes #AI is a vital ingredient in the mix. (https://lnkd.in/d3XnPn75) Today we have a timely request to help us spread the word, especially to climate founders, that we are open for business. We have worked hard to get here, though not as hard as our founders of course, and we truly need your influence to help us grow! Thank you for your ongoing support. You can read more scintillating details about us here https://tcrn.ch/41ogxlJ and here https://lnkd.in/dzhvsAgY

Breaking (ok, not-so-breaking) news… Haley Hughes joins as Chief of Staff at Climactic! ???? She’s been at work—building internal systems, streamlining operations, and expanding Climactic’s reach—so consider this her long-overdue welcome post. Haley brings experience across mobility, plant-based food companies ( lots of passion about sustainable ag) and podcasting. She’s a natural community builder with an entrepreneurial streak—launching the first Plant Futures chapter at Miami University & Co-founding Ankyra, where she interviews early-stage climate founders & VCs (Hit her up if you want to be on the pod!). As Chief of Staff in our mighty team of 4, she’s the glue—an extension of Raj Kapoor & Josh Felser, ruthlessly prioritizing, unlocking founder and portfolio support, and making sure the Climactic machine runs smoothly. Acting as an organizational liaison across the firm's operations, and managing growth initiatives and strategic projects. She is already jumping up and down about our exciting SF Climate Week event so stay tuned! Questions on community and events, platform, ops, or partnerships with us or our founders? Email [email protected] Join us in welcoming her to team Climactic! ?? #climatetech #sustainability #venturecapital #Climactic?

Earlier this month, SSIG Partner Olivia Wang hosted a fireside chat with Raj Kapoor, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Climactic. Here are our key takeaways from the discussion: 1?? Decarbonization is bigger than digitization. ??? Silicon Valley built its wealth in software and digitization, and Raj believes the next trillion-dollar opportunities will come from decarbonization. As the world shifts from an era of digital transformation to one of physical infrastructure overhaul, the biggest wealth creation opportunities will come from scaling breakthrough technologies in energy, manufacturing, and supply chains that drive deep decarbonization. 2?? Bet on AI and climate. ?? If he were 22 today, Raj said he’d bet on climate and AI. There is so much whitespace in connecting, predicting, and modeling atoms (physical world) and bits (digital world). The biggest opportunities lie in integrating software and hardware—leveraging AI to optimize energy systems, industrial processes, and climate adaptation. 3?? Reframe climate as strength & resilience. ?? In today’s political climate, climate action needs to be reframed as an investment in economic security and industrial dominance. The new administration’s approach—positioning clean energy as a jobs, innovation, and national security issue—is proving effective. Climate doesn’t have to be framed as sacrifice; instead, it’s about winning the future. 4?? Follow the biggest levers for impact.?? 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions, and most of those emissions come from supply chains. If you want to drive meaningful change, target the industries and processes with the highest carbon footprints. 5?? We have 5-10 years for climate innovation to matter. ? The window for meaningful climate innovation is narrowing—the next 5-10 years will determine whether emerging technologies scale in time to drive real decarbonization or remain niche solutions. Now is the time to place bold bets in climate. Thank you Raj for your time and insights! We are excited to kickoff our investment thesis project with Climactic this spring quarter. #ClimateTech #Decarbonization #EnergyTransition #VentureCapital #Sustainability #Startups

?? Cracking the Code: Fundraising Across Diverse VC Theses ?? The official session video from TechCon SoCal 2025 is now live! ??? Not all VCs invest the same way. If your startup doesn’t fit neatly into a single investment thesis, how do you secure funding? This panel brings together investors across SaaS, climate tech, and deep tech to compare their funding strategies and share insights on how they evaluate startups, identify red flags, and structure deals. ?? Key Takeaways from This Must-Watch Session: ? Decoding VC Playbooks – What investors prioritize in SaaS, climate tech, and deep tech. ? Tailoring Your Pitch – How to position your startup for different investor perspectives. ? Common Fundraising Pitfalls – What mistakes founders make and how to avoid them. ? Sector-Specific Challenges & Opportunities – Insights on navigating investor expectations. ? Investor Perspectives on 2025 – What’s changing in the funding landscape this year? ?? Expert Panelists: ?? Ken Denman – Managing Director, Sway Capital ?? Raj Kapoor– Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Climactic ?? Steve Kiser – General Partner, Veteran Ventures Capital ?? Yi?it Ihlamur – Partner, Alter Global Whether you're a founder raising capital or an investor refining your thesis, this discussion is packed with actionable insights on navigating the diverse world of venture capital. ?? Watch the full session here: https://lnkd.in/dTewqhRW ?? Swipe for event highlights! ?? #TechConSoCal #VentureCapital #Fundraising #StartupFunding #SaaS #ClimateTech #DeepTech #VCInvestments #TechStartups #FounderTips #TechConSoCal2025 #TechConSoCal #IndustryExperts #TechConference #InnovationSummit #TechTalks #Innovation #Technology #Networking #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalHealth #Robotics #startups #vc #SandDiegoStartup #Founders #ConsumerTech

We chatted with Raj Kapoor, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Climactic, during the TechCon SoCal 2025 event. Climactic is a VC fund focused on the Climate Tech space. Raj provided a brief overview of the key trends in the Climate Tech industry. The most significant leverage point for impact in the Climate Tech space is the businesses that could change how they do things to lower emissions. Efficiency is the biggest needle mover that can help these businesses reduce emissions. That's where the overlap with Climate space and technologies like software, robotics, and AI comes in. Raj elaborated on specific examples of how AI-based use cases can contribute to Climate Tech objectives.??

CapeZero is building a platform that standardizes and accelerates financial modeling for clean energy projects. ?? What makes CapeZero special? Their unique approach to tax equity structuring—bringing unprecedented velocity, flexibility, and accuracy to project financing starting at the early life of projects, to development till deal closure. CapeZero's seed round is also special to the Climactic team as it marks our principal, Peter’s, first lead investment. From Peter, “I first hosted Manish two years ago at my climate tech afternoon tea. Since then, I've been following CapeZero’s journey and watched Manish as a leader grow with a rare combination: ecosystem vision, deep industry experience for 15+ years, and getting what he promised done. This is the founder I want to get behind.” We are excited to support the CapeZero Team as they tackle one of the most critical challenges in clean energy financing ??

Fred Grier from Business San Diego featured 5 leading investors, including our Raj Kapoor, sharing their hot takes and insights on the Southern California tech ecosystem ahead of #TechConSoCal. “The environment to raise more venture capital funds, which then you can invest in entrepreneurs, is expected to get better when there's more IPOs, which we do expect in the second half of 2025 as interest rates come down.” -Raj Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g2HZDdEj Hot takes on 2025 VC tech funding? Comment below ?? #TechConSoCal #TechConSoCal25 #VentureCapital #TechInnovation

34 days to go! ?? Catch our very own Raj Kapoor at TechCon SoCal?Jan 17-18 in San Diego: ??? On the Panel 'Cracking the Code: Fundraising Across Diverse VC Theses' w/ Louis Toth, and Steve Kiser, moderated by Ken Denman ???? Judging the Startup Innovation Showcase This powerhouse panel brings VCs from diverse fields—SaaS, climate tech, and deep tech—to share their playbooks. Learn how investors evaluate startups, their unique approaches, and what they look for in pitches tailored to their focus. ?? Perfect for startups who don't fit into a single investment box ???Register now: www.techconsocal.com ?? Drop a comment if you’ll be there! #TechConSoCal #TechConSoCal25 #VentureCapital #TechInnovation

This morning I'm feeling exceptionally thankful. I've had so many incredible guests on the #talkingstartupstories podcast, and they've shared so many amazing stories. Today we drop the tenth (and final) episode. And oh boy is this one special. My guest this week is Josh Felser. I don't think Josh needs any introduction (although I give it a shot in our chat). He's a superstar in our industry and community. He's also a genuinely good and thoughtful human being who is and should be a role model for all VCs and all entrepreneurs. He wears his heart on his sleeve and speaks truth to anyone who will listen. This episode is perhaps the one I was most excited about - and when you listen I believe you'll understand. Huge thanks to Josh for joining, for sharing, and being the person he is. And a big mahalo to Mach49 for supporting this effort. It's been real. Spotify: https://lnkd.in/garyYEhA Apple: https://lnkd.in/gWY5zaRZ

Huge congrats to our portfolio company, Rubi Laboratories!