Energytech Startups

In this episode, we talk with Mandeep Patel, founder and CEO of ElecTrip, about building a city-to-city, door-to-door EV transportation service designed to maximize productivity for business travelers while reducing the carbon footprint of travel. Mandeep shares how he and co-founder Taylor Zhao bootstrapped the company, competed with ride-hailing giants for drivers, and navigated the challenges o...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Evan M. Erickson, CEO of TexPower, to discuss how the company is commercializing cobalt-free lithium-ion battery technology that delivers higher energy density without sacrificing safety, cycle life, or compatibility with existing systems. Evan shares his journey from fuel cells to battery chemistry through UT Austin and world-renowned researcher Prof. Arumuga...

In this episode, we meet Natalie Campos Goodman, founder and CEO of IncentiFind, the leading database for green building incentives with more than 500,000 ways to save and over $70 billion in incentives transforming U.S. real estate. Natalie explains where building incentives live, how companies actually procure and deploy them, and how new capital from the IRA will flow through these programs. We...

In this episode, we sit down with Neal, partner at Houston-based Energy Transition Ventures, to unpack his journey as a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist with one of the strongest seed-stage track records in cleantech. Neal shares how Energy Transition Ventures came together, why he prefers “energy transition” over “clean tech,” and what kinds of founders and deals he looks to back. We al...

In this episode, we sit down with Amy and Thomas from Eunike Ventures to explore how their global energy platform helps accelerate, adopt, and commercialize technologies across the entire energy value chain. They explain what it’s like to work with Eunike, what makes their approach unique, and how they leverage deep industry insight and a consortium of strategic partners to bring new technologies...

In this episode, we sit down with Tom Weirich, author of We Took the Risk , to explore the stories, setbacks, and opportunities that shape careers in renewable energy. With more than 18 years connecting teams behind 300+ renewable energy transactions, Tom shares why he wrote the book, who it’s for, and how policy, failure, and career pivots play a role in building the clean energy workforce. We al...

In this episode, we sit down with Ethan Novek, award-winning chemist and founder/CEO of SolvCor Technologies, to explore how breakthroughs in industrial cooling can unlock major efficiency and carbon reductions. Ethan explains how cooling systems work today, why viscosity plays a critical role in performance, and how his deep background in physical sciences led him to invent and commercialize disr...

In this episode, we talk with Ian Bishop, CEO and co-founder of Elemental Recycling, about how the company is rethinking recycling by converting plastics and tires into hydrogen and graphite/graphene through a patented single-step process. Ian shares how a small breakthrough with a PhD chemist unlocked a major innovation, how a culture of tinkering shaped the company’s approach, and why mass-produ...

In this episode, we sit down with Caitlin Smith, Senior Director of Regulatory, External Affairs & ESG at Jupiter Power, to unpack how policy and technology intersect in the rollout of utility-scale battery storage. Caitlin explains the difference between MW and MWh, how Jupiter’s growing fleet of standalone batteries is reducing emissions and supporting grid reliability, and why Houston will...

In this episode, we talk with Edward Eichstetter, CEO of EKU Power Drives, about how the company is bringing electrification and automation to upstream oil and gas to reduce emissions and improve efficiency. Edward shares EKU’s journey from Germany to the U.S., landing Pioneer Natural Resources as an early pilot customer, and co-developing e-frack systems with industry partners. We also discuss na...

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Basaldua, founder and CEO of Euphree Electric Bikes, to talk about how he’s reimagining urban mobility through the most comfortable commuter-style e-bikes on the market. Daniel shares how his sister inspired his first e-bike, how his background in upstream oil and gas shaped his view of the energy transition, and why transportation is poised for massive cha...

In this episode, we sit down with Zimri Hinshaw, founder and CEO of Bucha Bio, to explore how the company is using biotechnology to create novel biomaterials that replace animal leather and fossil fuel–based materials. Zimri explains how fermented cellulose (SCOBY) becomes the foundation for Bucha Bio’s materials, how new materials reach end consumers, and why branding plays a critical role in com...

In this episode, we sit down with Grace Chan, Venture Principal for New Markets at bp ventures, to discuss how corporate venture capital is shaping the global energy transition. Grace shares how bp ventures approaches investing across Asia Pacific, India, and beyond, why energy companies are uniquely positioned to partner with climate tech startups, and how bp is reimagining its future across bioe...

In this episode, we sit down with Trevor Best, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics, to explore how his company is reinventing chemical refining with light-driven reactors powered by renewable electricity. Spun out of Rice University and built on decades of nanophotonics research, Syzygy’s breakthrough photocatalyst replaces heat with light to enable ultra-efficient chemical reactions...

In this episode, we talk with Eric Rubenstein, Managing Partner at New Climate Ventures, about investing in early-stage technologies focused on carbon reduction and avoidance. Eric shares how NCV approaches company stage and selection, what the Houston investment landscape looks like from an investor’s perspective, and how the city can better attract innovators from the coasts. We also discuss NCV...

In this episode, we sit down with Moji Karimi, CEO and co-founder of Cemvita, to discuss how nature-inspired technologies and synthetic biology can tackle some of the hardest climate challenges. A self-described carbon-negative entrepreneur and modern wildcatter, Moji shares how his career in oil and gas shaped his view of risk, why now is the moment for synthetic biology, and how these tools can...