585: Climate & Cleantech Investing 101 with Craig Lawrence, Partner & Co-Founder of Energy Transition Ventures

Interested in investing in the Clean Energy and Climate Tech Boom!?! Buckle up, bc it can be a bumpy ride. Few have the direct operational experience that today’s guest does, and he’s placing some very specific bets through his latest venture, Energy Transition Ventures. We recently had one of his portfolio company founders, Karin Calvinho, on the show, and I legitimately think it was one of our best episodes in a long while…now you can learn more about the guy and the Fund that believes she’ll change the world.In today's podcast, host Nico Johnson interviews energy expert Craig Lawrence to discuss how his venture capital fund is accelerating the shift to cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable energy. With more than 25 years of experience in venture capital, engineering, product, and executive roles, Craig has been at the forefront of the cleantech industry since its early days. Now he’s honing in on promising startups as a partner and co-founder at Energy Transition Ventures (ETV). Houston-based ETV emerged from stealth in 2021 intent on supporting early-stage North American companies focused on distributed energy, electrification, mobility, and resource efficiency.He and his partner Neal Dikeman believe the most important things they can do is help build successful companies that will ultimately have a significant impact on decarbonization. Craig shares their investment thesis through the lens of the companies the fund invests in, which include several that will be familiar to regular SunCast listeners.Craig’s current role reflects his deep industry expertise. While leading energy investing at Accel Partners, Craig oversaw successful investments in early-stage cleantech companies, including SunRun and OPower, both of which have become leaders in their respective fields. Craig has also held senior executive roles at companies driving the energy transition, such as Treverity, SolarBridge Technologies, and SunEdison.As a former practice lead at IDEO, he helped energy tech startups launch innovative products and services. He is also an inventor, holding patents on products ranging from portable fuel cells to office furniture. With a B.S. in engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University, Craig brings a unique blend of technical knowledge and creative problem-solving to the energy industry.Tune in to this episode to learn from Craig's wealth of experience and gain insights into the future of sustainable energy.If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: