Climate Tech Connect

Yesterday we held our first “deep dive series” event, an edition of smaller, exclusive, unscalable experiences that we want to bring to the Benelux climate-tech ecosystem. Navigating a boardroom battle is certainly one of the most critical (and often chaotic) aspects of scaling a company — we brought together founders and investors and dived into different perspectives and experiences of strategic boardroom misalignments. We explored how boardroom conflicts arise, how to prevent them & then (if not successfully prevented..) how to manage them effectively. A huge thank you to our host and speaker?Philip de Roos and guests Ewout Lubberman & Warner Philips for sharing their very insightful (and often tough) boardroom stories from a founder and investor perspective. To all who came to spend this evening with us — thank you! Andrew (Andy) Elwell, Jasper Spiegeler, Florian Arndt, Reinier Bosch, Roel Pronk, Sander Wapperom, Joris Smulders, Feico Van Der Veen, Arnoud Kamerbeek, Jonas Brendelberger, Wouter Wehmeijer, Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst, Caroline Slootweg, Lenny van Klink, Dries Bols, Sven Pluut, Edwin Hengstmengel, Henrieke Hoftijzer, Kristel Plug, Marieke Pols, Fien Hogewoning Made possible by: De Roos, Amsterdam Standard, SFPIM, Junction Growth Investors, Endeit Capital.

Upcoming: first of the CTS deepdive series — an exclusive, closed-group session on the topic of?the toughest challenges in the dealmaking ?? (invite-only). Through a crafted, carefully curated event with a guestlist, we’re aiming to create the most valuable & relevant experience possible for the attendees. The session will include: — real-life negotiation-table stories of high-stake deals; — boardroom battles – handling power plays in a scale-up; — investor exits – what happens when they want out? — Q&A with successful companies, including Dutch battery pioneers LeydenJar. If you’re interested ?? in taking part in one of the upcoming events we’re preparing, please stay tuned and subscribe to the community by dropping us an email! ?? [email protected]

Vandaag uit… vol inspiratie en informatie. Veel plezier met lezen!

Climate tech investments hit $6B in AI-driven solutions in 2024 (15% of all funding!) — according to the latest "State of Climate Tech 2024" PwC’s report, released just a few days ago [link in the comments]. That’s a big jump from $5B last year! Energy remains a top priority — 35% of total funding went to solutions like green hydrogen and alternative fuels. But here’s a challenge: the industrial sector (34% of global emissions) received just 7% of investments. The takeaway? AI is transforming climate tech, but funding gaps in key sectors need attention. What’s your view on balancing innovation with impact??Let us know??

At?CTS, we also hosted three highly engaging expert sessions that tackled some of the most pressing topics for startups and ventures: 1?? ?Reinventing Your Company with Generative AI, with Felipe Augusto Chies, - about harnessing AI to drive innovation and streamline operations. 2?? ?Structuring a Traction-Proof Cap Table, with Marieke Pols ?– best practices for building a solid and sustainable financial foundation. 3?? ?The Flywheel for Sustained Go-to-Market Momentum, with David Du Pré – strategies to maintain long-term growth and market traction. A huge thank you to our expert speakers for sharing their knowledge ??

At?CTS, we were honored to welcome 5 thought-provoking keynote speakers who took us on a journey through the latest in climate tech, sustainability, and the path to a greener future. Each speaker brought a unique perspective and expertise, leaving us all inspired and energized to take action. Here’s a quick recap of the sessions: 1?? ?Climate-Tech Today: Progress & Roadblocks - 2024 Update, by Joppe Schepers An eye-opening look at where we stand in the climate-tech landscape, the challenges we face, and the promising breakthroughs ahead. 2?? ?Leadership Principles in Fast-Growing Ventures, by Toon Bouten A deep dive into the leadership qualities needed to scale ventures in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of climate innovation. 3?? ?Building the Sustainable Supermarket of the Future, by Michiel Roodenburg Exploring how the future of food retail can become more sustainable from the founder of Crisp. 4?? ?System Entrepreneurship: Shaping Sustainable Economies, by Werner Schouten A bold vision of how entrepreneurship can drive systemic change and help build more resilient, sustainable economies. 5?? Global Economics and the Green Transition, by Mathijs Bouman Understanding the role of global economic shifts in accelerating the green transition and aligning financial incentives with sustainable development goals. In between the keynotes, our?panel discussion?"Money Meets Mission – Unlocking Capital for Climate Solutions"?tackled one of the biggest challenges in the space: how do we unlock funding to bring impactful climate solutions to life? The panellists Julia Padberg, Bruno Vanderschueren, Frank Verbeek, Narina Mnatsakanian and Ali Najafbagy shared valuable insights on bridging the gap between capital and innovation. A huge thank you to all our speakers and panellists for their thought leadership and to everyone who attended and participated in these enriching conversations!

What an inspiring time it was! The Power Pitching during CTS brought our audience’s attention to the boldest, most impactful solutions of the Benelux climate-tech ecosystem. A big thank you to the incredible Skytree, SmartEnds, HomeZero and SeaO2 for engaging us in your story and being accelerators to a better, greener future!

More photos from the morning breakfast Pitch Session??? hosted early morning before the summit.

Congratulations & well done to the amazing Skytree, SeaO2, HomeZero & SmartEnds — climate-tech innovators who boldly pitched their message & vision at our Power Pitch session, held during the Climate Tech Summit last week. Thank you for joining us on this day and giving our audience insight into your company’s mission to make the world a more sustainable place.

In the early morning, before the Climate Tech Summit began, we invited 5 amazing companies to pitch at the investor breakfast session. A big round of applause to you game-changers: Antfarm, FarmTree B.V., Karomia, simpl.energy and BiaNergy. It’s been great hosting you. Thank you for sharing your stories and vision with us; we are very excited to see your next steps!