Leaders on a Mission

How do you raise millions in one of the world’s toughest deep-tech sectors when you’re still learning the industry yourself? In this episode, Susan Stone, CEO of Blue Current, shares how curiosity, relentless learning, and disciplined execution helped her lead a major fundraise within her first year in solid-state batteries. Susan explores the realities of scaling breakthrough energy technologies,...

What happens when the infrastructure feeding half the world's population becomes vulnerable to geopolitics, supply chain disruption, and outdated production models? In this episode Nico Pinkowski , CEO and co-founder of Nitricity , shares how his team is reimagining fertiliser production through distributed, renewable-powered systems built closer to farmers. Nico reflects on failed technologi...

What happens when you realise incremental change is no longer enough? For Randi Wahlsten, that moment led her from a successful corporate career to founding Matr Foods, a company reimagining how sustainable food is created and consumed. In this episode, Randi shares the realities of building a new food category from scratch, transforming simple ingredients through fermentation, and scaling a busin...

Europe imports millions of tons of soybeans every year. But what if the future of farming could change that completely? In this episode, Simon Leich sits down with Benjamin Laga, founder and CEO of Protealis, to explore how AI, genetics, and next-generation breeding could help Europe grow more of its own protein and reduce its dependence on imported soy. Benjamin shares his journey from biotech st...

What if agriculture could become the world’s most powerful engine for climate and health—without sacrificing yield? In this episode, Dr. Robert Berendes, scientist, entrepreneur and longtime ag innovator, unpacks how deep tech, genome editing and AI are transforming a “low-tech” industry into a high-impact platform for planetary regeneration. He explores the shift from calories to nutrition, soil...

What if we could remove CO₂ from the atmosphere today—and keep it gone for 1,000 years? In this episode, I’m joined by Barclay Rogers, founder and CEO of Graphyte, who is pioneering a breakthrough method called Carbon Casting that uses biomass by-products and low-energy engineering to lock away carbon at a fraction of the typical cost. We explore why many emissions cannot be abated, how durable re...

What if the key to transforming our food system isn’t growing more, but wasting less? In this episode, Apeel CEO Luiz Beling reveals how plant-based coatings are extending the shelf life at the source, cutting food waste, and creating value across the supply chain. Luiz opens up about resetting Apeel’s strategy for scalability, leading through misinformation, and fostering a culture that prizes pr...

Computation is killing the wet lab—and reshaping enzyme innovation in the process. Maria Fátima Lucas, CEO of ZYMVOL, shares how AI and physics-based simulation shrink enzyme discovery from 100 million sequence variants to fewer than 300 lab-tested hits—cutting timelines, risk, and cost by orders of magnitude. In this episode, Maria unpacks how ZYMVOL is making biocatalysis not just greener, but c...

Can alternative protein earn back meat-eaters’ trust? At Prime Roots, CEO Kimberlie Le believes the answer lies in reinventing the deli—one of the most consumed, and most distrusted, meat categories. Using koji mycelium and chef-led formulation, Prime Roots has developed clean-label deli meats that meat-eaters often prefer in blind taste tests. In this episode, we break down how their ingredient s...

Direct air capture has long been too costly and energy-intensive to scale. But economist Ethan Cohen‑Cole is changing the equation. As CEO of Capture6, he’s embedding carbon removal into water infrastructure—cutting brine disposal costs, generating fresh water, and mineralizing CO₂ in one modular system. In this episode, Ethan shares how Capture6 is turning industrial waste into a climate asset by...

What if the clean energy transition is built on one of the dirtiest secrets in industry—rare earth metals? They power EVs, AI, and defense systems, yet most are processed overseas with toxic, outdated methods. In this episode, Nicholas Myers, CEO of Phoenix Tailings, shares how his company is transforming mining waste into a clean, domestic source of critical materials. From backyard prototypes to...

What if one of the world’s dirtiest industrial processes could be reinvented—by microbes? Textile dyeing causes 20% of global water pollution, but Colorifix CEO Orr Yarkoni is flipping the script. In this episode, he explains how engineered microbes are replacing toxic dye chemicals with clean, modular, biological systems. Learn how Colorifix built a scalable, sustainable solution for color produc...

What if biotech’s biggest scaling challenge isn’t technical—but philosophical? In this episode, Massimo Portincaso, founder and CEO of Arsenale Bioyards, explains why industrial biotech must be reimagined from the ground up. He challenges legacy “scale-up” thinking, highlighting biology’s context dependency and the economic dead ends of retrofitted pharma models. From modular, AI-informed bioreact...

What if moral ambition became the new standard for investing? In this episode, Rogier Pieterse, Managing Partner at Pymwymic, shares how his team is transforming venture capital by embedding impact into every investment. From pioneering farm tech that reduces chemical loads to empowering regenerative practices through data, Pymwymic is reshaping agriculture from the soil up. Rogier reflects on his...

What if evolution had a fast-forward button? William Pelton, CEO of Phytoform Labs, is harnessing AI-powered gene editing to radically accelerate crop development and boost climate resilience. He shares how Phytoform’s platform decodes plant genomes, eliminates guesswork in breeding, and delivers scalable, sustainable traits at speed. Explore how partnerships, precision, and platform thinking are...

You can build sleek software—but if the charger fails, the user blames you. Casper Rasmussen, CEO of Monta, knows this all too well. In this episode, he shares how he built a platform that’s more than “EV charging software”—it’s a full-stack execution engine, now powering over 200,000 chargers. We explore how he scaled through regulatory complexity, turned EV pain points into product strategy, and...

What if every droplet sprayed on a crop actually counted? In this episode, we meet Vishnu Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of AgZen, who’s leading a revolution in precision agriculture—one droplet at a time. With a staggering 50% of pesticides missing their mark, AgZen’s feedback-driven spray technology is eliminating guesswork, boosting efficiency, and giving farmers real-time insights into every app...

What if the key to transforming the global protein system lies in technology we've had for decades? Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici, reveals how industrial biotech is stepping off the lab bench and onto supermarket shelves — using precision fermentation to create dairy proteins ready for scale. In this episode, we unpack Vivici’s strategic focus on high-value proteins like beta-lactoglob...

What happens when venture capital escapes the echo chamber of hype? In this episode, Leaders on a Mission welcomes Irena Spazzapan, Managing Partner at Systemiq Capital, to uncover how long-term, asset-light investments are reshaping the future of energy, food, and climate tech. Irena dives into founder mindsets, infrastructure bottlenecks, and why chasing trends won’t solve systemic challenges. L...

What if drones could revolutionize farming and empower growers worldwide—without a single dollar of venture capital? In this episode, Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Hylio, shares how his team is transforming agriculture through autonomous drones, precision spraying, and farmer-first data insights. From crashing prototypes in sugarcane fields to revenue growth of  $20M+ in 2025, Arthur unpa...

As climate policy shifts, can the energy transition thrive without government support? In this episode, Voyager VC Director Leonardo Banchik joins Simon Leich to reveal why the drive to decarbonize isn’t just surviving – it’s accelerating.  Discover how falling costs, free market dynamics, and resilient technologies are pushing renewables, batteries, and even nuclear to the forefront. Leonardo bre...

By 2030, global water demand will outpace supply by 40%.    In this episode, we explore how Brian Sheng, CEO of Aquaria, is tackling the big questions such as “How to stop a water crisis”. He and his team are pioneering a scalable solution – harvesting water from the air itself to provide safe and abundant drinking water.    Driven by a personal story of loss linked to water pollution, Brian share...

What if venture capital could truly solve the world’s biggest problems?  In this episode, Helmer Schukken, Managing Partner at Rubio Impact Ventures, reveals how his firm invests where purpose meets profit – backing businesses that are not only scalable and feasible, but fundamentally underserved.  From energy transition and sustainable agriculture to inclusive employment and education, Helmer sha...

What if the key to reversing climate change lies right beneath our feet?  In this episode, EarthOptics CEO Lars Dyrud reveals how cutting-edge soil tech is transforming sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration.  With a background in space science and a mission to decode Earth’s carbon secrets, Lars shares how data-driven insights and soil science are revolutionizing farm profitability and...

Is climate tech hype distracting us from true transformation?  In this episode, Andrew Haughian, Partner at Pangaea Ventures, dives into the reality behind scaling hard tech solutions for planetary health.  From cutting through inflated valuations to rethinking sustainability narratives, Andrew shares critical insights from 18+ years of climate investing.  Discover why profitability now trumps gro...