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Climate Cowboys

The founders and futurists building the hard-tech frontier.

Climate Cowboys | The founders and futurists building the hard-tech frontier. A generation of the most talented engineers built photo-sharing apps and SaaS on top of SaaS. None of it helped the power stay on, the supply chains hold, or the country make the things we need. The smartest people in tech are finally moving into real tech. Tech with a physical footprint: batteries, grid software, microbes that mine copper, and machines that pull carbon out of cement. This is the building business. The sovereignty business. The stewardship business. Hosted by Silas Mähner, we interview the elite founders, builders, and operators executing on the hard-tech frontier. No fluff—just peer-to-peer deep dives into what it actually takes to scale hardware, energy infrastructure, and industrial decarbonization. 💼 Building your team? If you need to staff the frontier, get in touch with Roosevelt Talent at roosevelttalent.com.

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  • S1 · E294
    October 7 · 29 min

    #294 The $3 Trillion Problem: Reindustrializing America’s Critical Mineral Supply | Nikhil Gupta (Determinant Materials)

    Mining isn't the bottleneck for critical minerals—refining is. Traditional metal refining takes months and relies on toxic chemical processes, driving the supply chain straight to China. In this episode, Nikhil Gupta (Founder & CEO of Determinant Materials) reveals how his team uses advanced fluid dynamics to replace months of acid leaching with microparticle refining in mere minutes, slashing costs by 50% and bringing critical supply chains back home. 🔥 Enjoying Climate Cowboys? Join our community of founders, investors, and builders reindustrializing the world. Become a paid subscriber to the Climate Cowboys Substack to unlock full founder breakdowns, deep-dive writeups, and exclusive content. In This Episode, We Cover: The Hidden Bottleneck: Why critical mineral security isn't about mining—it’s about processing. Months to Minutes: How Determinant Materials uses microparticle refining to separate metals at a macro scale. Geopolitics & National Security: China’s tungsten export bans, supply chain dominance, and why U.S. economic sovereignty depends on modular onshore refining. Reindustrializing America: Dropping modular refining units directly onto mine sites and defense primes. Key Episode Quotes: "Typical metal refining breaks materials down to the atom layer... We have a microparticle technology where we’re separating things at a bigger macro scale." "China banned the export of tungsten and the price went 10x overnight. China holds all that market power... To have real sovereignty, we need to have this processing here in the United States." Episode Sponsors & Partners: Lehmann’s Terms: Prepare for high-stakes media appearances, investor pitches, and TV spots with elite communications training. Learn more at ltmediatraining.com. Roosevelt Talent: Headhunting and candidate screening built specifically for energy tech, clean chemistry, and frontier tech startups. Save 50% on recruiter fees and build your all-star team. Connect with Roosevelt Talent. 📲 Stay Connected & Support the Show: 📩 Subscribe to the Newsletter: Climate Cowboys Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E293
    September 23 · 1 hr 1 min

    #293 Why the "Green Premium" Is Dead (And What’s Actually Winning Right Now) | Chad Rickaby (ClimateDoor)

    The "climate" label might be under pushback, but the demand for energy, critical minerals, and resource security is skyrocketing. In this episode, Chad Rickaby from ClimateDoor breaks down how successful climate tech companies are reframing their value proposition around national security, capital efficiency, and supply chain resilience to close multi-million dollar deals. Chad unpacks ClimateDoor’s acquisition of Standard Demand Partners, why AI investors are pivoting to energy, and how to build custom "company brains" to transform B2B sales—ditching cold email spam in favor of high-value human relationships. 🎧 Highlights Climate as National Security: Why baseload power, data center energy needs, and critical minerals are driving the next wave of VC. The "Show Me" Environment: What investors and enterprise buyers demand today (LOIs, traction, and unit economics over eco-narratives). AI-Powered Sales: How to use custom LLM workflows to research markets and uncover "warm paths" without automated email spam. Dual-Use & Sovereign Capital: Leveraging capital at the intersection of defense, energy security, and frontier tech. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Winning in a market where the "climate" label is under attack 04:00 — ClimateDoor's Standard Demand Partners acquisition 09:19 — The Canadian advantage: Government funding & raw resources 12:52 — The shift from "tell me" to "show me" for VC investors 18:12 — Resource security as the new national security 25:16 — European supply chain vulnerabilities & waste-to-value 29:03 — The winning formula: Clear value props & capital efficiency 37:49 — Dual-use defense capital & Arctic sovereignty 45:54 — AI in B2B sales: Replacing email spam with a "Company Brain" 58:33 — Why Canadian founders lead in pragmatic innovation 🔗 Links & Sponsors Guest: Chad Rickaby | ClimateDoor Host & Show: Silas | Climate Cowboys Lehmann’s Terms: Executive media and pitch training for high-stakes investor moments. ltmediatraining.com Roosevelt Talent: Executive search built specifically for energy tech and frontier startups. Save 50% on recruiter fees at Roosevelt Talent. Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E292
    September 9 · 1 hr 8 min

    #292 She built a flying boat in 10 months. VCs said it would take 5 | Sampriti Bhattacharyya (Navier)

    In this episode of Climate Cowboys, host Silas Mahner sits down with Sampriti Bhattacharyya, founder and CEO of Navier, at their headquarters in Alameda, California. While traditional maritime manufacturing remains antiquated and reliant on brute force, Navier is taking a fundamentally different approach: building all-electric hydrofoiling vessels that literally "fly" above the water—reducing drag by 90% and slashing operational costs by 15x. Sampriti breaks down her journey from MIT roboticist to building a generational American maritime company, her vision for a "generalized marine vessel platform" (the Nvidia chip of the sea), and why she chose conviction over hype when VC investors doubted her timeline. ⚡ SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE MOVEMENT: Become a Paid Subscriber: Unlock exclusive deep dives, founder insights at Climate Cowboys Substack. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Intro & What is Navier? Building the Generalized Marine Vessel Platform 02:47 – Why maritime innovation stalled and how efficiency unlocks economies 07:54 – Computing, manufacturing, and robotics: Enabling hydrofoiling tech 11:45 – Sampriti’s origin story: High-energy physics to MIT underwater drones 16:54 – Go-To-Market Strategy: Gathering real-world data with recreational boaters 20:59 – The "Nvidia Chip" of the sea: Separating the base layer from the payload 27:07 – Overcoming VC skepticism and ignoring funding hype 35:03 – 3 Guiding Principles: Scale, Range, and Reliability 46:07 – The Video Game Analogy: Choosing to play on "level seven" 55:54 – Rebuilding American maritime and the frontier builder spirit 01:03:50 – Expanding the frontier with optimism over "hall monitor" energy 🤝 SPONSORS: Lehmann’s Terms: Master your message for high-stakes media, investor pitches, and stage appearances. Learn more at ltmediatraining.com. Climate Finance Solutions (CFS): Secured over $1.6B in grant funding with a 90%+ success rate. Discover grant opportunities at ClimateFinanceSolutions.com. Roosevelt Talent: Headhunting and talent acquisition for frontier and CleanTech startups at half the price. Find your next hire with Roosevelt Talent. 🔗 CONNECT & FOLLOW: Connect with Silas Mahner on LinkedIn Follow Climate Cowboys on LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • September 2 · 1 min

    Inside Climate Capital Summit: Networking with Legends, Founders, and $1T+ of Climate Firepower

    Silas Mahner previews NY Climate Week’s most exclusive event: the Climate Capital Summit by Equal Ventures. Gathering over $1.3 trillion in climate capital and federal funding, this invite-only summit on September 24th features legends like Sophie Purdom, Leticia Webster, Jonathan Silver, and Jim Coulter. Space is strictly capped at 400 people. Listen to this for the full scoop and discover how to request an invite. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E291
    August 26 · 1 hr 5 min

    #291 Building Physical Infrastructure at the Speed of Software | Cole Ashman | Pila |

    #291 Building Physical Infrastructure at the Speed of Software | Cole Ashman | Pila How Pila is decentralizing home energy storage, cutting $7,000 in installation soft costs, and upgrading the grid one smart node at a time. Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts Key Quotes “We’re reinventing the home battery by spreading it out throughout the home... they automatically recognize each other, they communicate over this mesh network.” – Cole Ashman “A whole home battery today is gonna cost like $15,000. About half of that is soft cost installation, design, permitting, like BS.” – Cole Ashman “The power grid that we have is built around like the worst case. You know, like we’ve built a 10-lane super highway, but on most days the utilization is 40%.” – Cole Ashman “Software is becoming so easy to replicate in the world of LLM-generated code... having a physical place in the world and a platform that’s generating new useful data is being so much more interesting and defensible.” – Cole Ashman Episode Overview Whole-home backup power traditionally requires $15,000 upfront, expensive electrical work, and months of permitting. As retail electricity prices skyrocket and outages multiply, home energy resilience remains out of reach for most people. Cole Ashman, Founder & CEO of Pila (ex-Tesla, Span), is fixing this with modular battery nodes that plug straight into standard wall outlets. Operating over a wireless mesh network, Pila delivers instant outage protection and load balancing with zero installation costs—making energy storage accessible to renters and homeowners alike. Key Topics Covered: Positioning CleanTech: Why pitching safety, comfort, and savings beats leading with "climate." Hardware Moats: How physical infrastructure protects against AI software replication. Grid Economics: Using distributed batteries as shock absorbers to lower peak-demand costs. Check Out Our Sponsors! Lehmann’s Terms: Executive media training and message positioning for CleanTech leaders preparing for high-stakes investor pitches and national press. Learn more. Climate Finance Solutions (CFS): Expert grant funding strategy. Secured over $1.6B in non-dilutive government funding for climate tech startups with a 90%+ success rate. Learn more. Roosevelt Talent: Technical headhunting for frontier and energy tech companies. Delivering top 5% candidates at half the price of traditional recruiters. Connect with Roosevelt. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & The Pila Solution: Modular batteries for every outlet 04:33 – Un-stealthing and fundraising against rising retail power rates 08:19 – Storytelling: Sell reliability and savings over climate anxiety 16:36 – Bypassing the $15K installation barrier and permitting bloat 18:40 – B2B Playbook: Deploying networks across multi-family real estate 21:54 – Smart Monitoring: Predicting appliance failures via outlet data 34:19 – HardTech Moats: Why physical infrastructure wins in the AI era 43:00 – Hardware Velocity: Tesla Energy takeaways on scaling manufacturing 54:07 – Grid Optimization: Distributed batteries as shock absorbers Links & Resources Guest: Cole Ashman | Pila Energy Host: Silas Mähner on LinkedIn Socials: Climate Cowboys on LinkedIn | YouTube Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E290
    August 12 · 54 min

    #290 Is This What a Kitchen Stove Would Look Like If Steve Jobs Designed It? | Sam Calisch | Copper

    #290 Meet The Hottest Grid Solution... A Kitchen Stove? w/ Sam Calisch | Copper How Copper is bypassing expensive electrical panel upgrades and grid bottlenecks by hiding smart battery storage inside beautiful induction stoves. Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts Select Quotes From This Episode: “You could have free wind and solar out on the grid, and you’d still be paying about as much as you are today just to get it to your house.” – Sam Calisch “Installing the best home batteries are like 1200, 1500 bucks a kilowatt hour... If we instead put batteries into an appliance that already has efficient sales channels... we cut out that extra 10x.” – Sam Calisch “What you see is what you get. There’s an authenticity in material... It’s real California walnut. It’s not spray-painted plastic.” – Sam Calisch “For too long homes have been just a consumer of electricity... We’re entering a world where homes have the opportunity to be bi-directional consumers and producers of power.” – Sam Calisch What’s the solution to rising electricity prices? Kitchen stoves. Despite dropping solar and wind generation costs, home electric bills continue to surge—with up to 70% of utility costs going toward delivery infrastructure. In this episode, Sam Calisch, co-founder of Copper, breaks down how putting smart batteries inside induction stoves bypasses expensive 240V panel upgrades, avoids peak grid demand, and elevates the home cooking experience while turning homes into active grid participants. Check Out Our Sponsors! Lehmann’s Terms: Media and pitch training for clean tech founders and executives preparing for high-stakes media, TV, and investor appearances. Climate Finance Solutions (CFS): Global consulting firm helping climate tech companies secure non-dilutive government grant funding ($1.6B+ secured with >90% success rate). Roosevelt Talent: Specialized headhunting and recruitment for energy tech, battery, and frontier startups—delivering top talent at half the traditional recruiter cost. 📝 Show Notes & Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Sam’s background in math, physics, and early climate tech. 04:33 – The grid’s delivery problem: Why cheap solar doesn’t mean cheap electricity bills. 08:18 – The “Trojan Horse” Strategy: Why Copper put a battery inside an induction stove. 10:35 – Bypassing the electrician shortage and avoiding 240V panel upgrades. 14:00 – Building Emotional Value: Why a product needs to be more than just a spreadsheet ROI. 16:00 – The Design Philosophy: Authentic materials, California walnut, and the “walk-up test.” 24:47 – Expanding the Vision: Selling to apartments and licensing tech to legacy appliance OEMs. 33:21 – Timing the Market: Why legacy companies couldn’t build this 10 years ago (The battery cost curve). 38:43 – Escaping “throwaway culture” and building durable, high-quality hardware. 47:04 – The Bi-directional Home: Transforming houses from passive consumers to active grid participants. 51:06 – Manufacturing in the U.S. and reigniting the American builder’s spirit. Links & Resources: Connect with Sam Calisch | Copper Connect with Silas Mähner on LinkedIn Follow Climate Cowboys on LinkedIn Disclaimer: This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E289
    July 29 · 52 min

    #001 Stewardship Tech & Ocean Robotics w/ THE Ocean Cowboy. Will O'Brien. Ulysses.

    #289 The Ocean Cowboy. Will O'Brien. Ulysses | Ocean Robotics & Stewardship Tech Why the future of marine conservation, national security, and global abundance relies on underwater robots and a true frontier spirit. Episode Overview 71% of the planet is the ocean, yet it remains largely unexplored—the ultimate geopolitical and environmental frontier. To help us understand it, we sat down with the Ocean Cowboy, Will O’Brien. He and his crew are building Ulysses to tame the ocean frontier by building autonomous underwater robots to become stewards of the ocean at scale. Starting with restoring seagrass, they’ve expanded across environmental, commercial, and defense markets. Will embodies a strong focus on Stewardship Technology: tech serving humanity and stewarding scarce resources with technological progress, a frontier spirit, and projection of strength. Select Quotes: "It’s kind of clear that in the future, robots are gonna do all the important jobs... the ocean’s just getting more and more and more important. It’s gonna need robots, and they’re the ones that we build." – Will "Functionally, at the end of the day, you want to build a business that really fully realizes your vision... You want to move to a world of abundance, right? Let’s go forth and conquer it." – Will "I kind of draw the line between what I would call ‘stewardship technologies’ and climate tech... we need this pro-human framing." – Will 📝 Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & The origin of Ulysses: Discovering the ocean as a massive business frontier. 02:57 – Why underwater robotics? Solving the manual labor problem in seagrass restoration. 05:20 – Moving to San Francisco: Why the Bay Area is still the undisputed king of HardTech. 07:51 – The Strategic Ocean: Geopolitics, AI, deep-sea minerals, and subsea cables. 10:23 – Pragmatic Business Models: Using defense and commercial revenue to fund nature restoration. 13:17 – Grey Warfare & Illegal Fishing: The environmental destruction caused by foreign fleets. 17:35 – The Case for U.S. Manufacturing: Supply chain security, geopolitics, and clean industrial standards. 23:14 – Making Climate Bipartisan: Why focusing on abundance and energy resonates with the median American. 35:44 – Hiring “Farmers” and Builders: Why hands-on projects beat fancy engineering degrees. 42:13 – “Stewardship Tech” vs. “Clean Tech”: Rejecting scarcity for a pro-human, expansionist mindset. Sponsors: Lehmann’s Terms – Preparing founders and executives for high-stakes media and investor moments (ltmediatraining.com). Climate Finance Solutions (CFS) – Securing billions in grant funding for climate tech (ClimateFinanceSolutions.com). Roosevelt Talent – Headhunting, candidate screening, and hiring consulting for energy tech and frontier startups. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E288
    July 3 · 56 min

    #288 Why Your Apartment Building Doesn't Have EV Chargers (And How to Fix It) | Carter Li (SWTCH Energy)

    #288 Lessons from 25,000 EV Ports: Scaling SWTCH Energy with Carter Li How do you bring EV charging to the millions of renters who don’t have a private driveway or garage? In this episode, Silas Mähner sits down with Carter Li, CEO and Founder of SWTCH Energy, to unpack how they are cracking the hardest puzzle in EV adoption: multi-family housing. Discover how SWTCH bypassed expensive grid upgrades to scale to over 25,000 charging ports, and get a masterclass on navigating the real estate life cycle and transitioning from founder-led sales to a 100-person organization. 🎧 Listen Now Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts 📝 Key Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & Special Announcement: The CleanTechies AI Chatbot. 03:03 – Meet Carter Li and the origin story of SWTCH Energy. 07:41 – The Multi-Family Problem: Why apartments struggle with EV infrastructure. 12:43 – Avoiding Grid Upgrades: How smart energy management saves buildings thousands. 16:46 – The Hidden Costs: Why labor and connectivity make up 80% of the bill. 21:18 – Business Models: Hardware-as-a-Service vs. Owning & Operating. 25:23 – Real Estate Timelines: Why developers look past short-term noise toward 2035. 31:52 – Scaling up to 25,000+ ports and 100 employees. 33:39 – The Founder’s Journey: Product-market fit and stepping away from direct sales. 42:06 – Pitching Real Estate: Focusing strictly on ROI and Net Operating Income. 46:32 – The Future of EV Tech: Roaming, plug-and-charge, and avoiding stranded assets. 53:02 – Reliability Matters: The "No-Nonsense" 97% uptime score. 🤝 Connect & Learn More Connect with Silas Mähner on LinkedIn Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn ⭐ Our Sponsors Lehmann’s Terms: Prepare your message for high-stakes investor pitches and media appearances. Learn more at ltmediatraining.com. Climate Finance Solutions (CFS): Secure non-dilutive government grant funding with a 90%+ success rate. Visit ClimateFinanceSolutions.com. ErthSearch: Specialized talent recruitment for fast-growing CleanTech teams. Find your next key hire at ErthSearch. Disclaimer: This podcast is NOT investment advice. Please do your own due diligence. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E287
    June 18 · 59 min

    #287 How to Build a Kick-Ass Sales Team in CleanTech | David Reasenberg, Heliene

    #287 CleanTechies Pod: David Reasenberg | Heliene | U.S. Solar Manufacturing & Policy-Driven Sales How Heliene is leveraging "commercial curiosity," open-book pricing, and deep policy knowledge to scale a massive domestic solar supply chain. Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts About This Episode In the world of solar modules, price has become the main factor for many buyers. The products have nearly all become commodities. However, things changed when the Foreign Entity of Concern regulations were passed under the IRA. Now, domestic producers are heavily favored. However, it’s not an automatic sale. There is still a lot of nuance that goes into how you sell your product, even when you are a US-Based manufacturer. Our goal today is to learn those tricks from our guest, David Reasenberg. The Chief Commercial Officer at Heliene. One of (if not the) leading solar module manufacturers in the U.S. They have 1.3 GW of capacity, which has created hundreds of jobs. Today we cover how they have become so good at ‘policy cycle’ driven selling, opening their books, and hiring and motivating a team that can stick around during the ups and downs of the solarcoaster. Any company in CleanTech will get some value out of this discussion on how to build a kick-ass sales team. 🤝 Our Sponsors Lehmann’s Terms: Clear, concise media and communications training to help climate tech founders nail high-stakes moments with investors, on stage, or on TV. Climate Finance Solutions (CFS): A global consulting firm helping climate tech companies navigate the full funding lifecycle. CFS has secured over $1.6B in government grants with a 90%+ success rate. ErthSearch: Fast, accurate, and affordable CleanTech recruiting. Leverage a deep network to find specialized sales, engineering, and executive talent on a guaranteed placement basis. ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & The CleanTechies AI Chatbot 04:38 – David’s background & Heliene’s North American manufacturing history 07:16 – Scaling to 1.3 GW capacity & navigating multi-gigawatt deals 10:03 – How the IRA & Foreign Entity of Concern rules shifted the solar policy landscape 13:50 – Building a sales engine built around the "capital stack" 19:24 – Hiring for “commercial curiosity” and high-agency sales management 22:42 – Breaking silos and building open-source knowledge floors for reps 34:30 – Policy-driven sales cycles & IRS Safe Harbor rules 41:19 – The transparency moat: Why "open-book" pricing builds trust 45:57 – Training teams on adjacent experience over pre-existing Rolodexes 51:20 – Macro outlook: AI data centers and rising grid demands Connect with us: Connect with Silas on LinkedIn Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn Subscribe to our YouTube channel Disclaimer: This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E286
    June 3 · 1 hr 4 min

    #286 A Media Training Expert Gives Away His Most Powerful Secrets for CleanTech Founders | Michael Lehmann (Lehmann's Terms)

    Here is a scannable, engaging show description tailored for your RSS feed based on the episode details: #286 A Media Training Expert Gives Away His Most Powerful Secrets | Michael Lehmann (Lehmann's Terms) In clean tech, building a groundbreaking solution is only half the battle—you also have to know how to explain it clearly when it matters most. Whether you are pitching investors, taking the stage at a conference, or presenting on Capitol Hill, a wordy explanation can cost you massive opportunities. In this episode, we sit down with Michael Lehmann, founder of Lehmann’s Terms, a premier climate communications and media training firm. Michael has prepared leaders for hundreds of national media appearances and navigated high-stakes political landscapes. He shares his ultimate playbook on how founders can deliver potent, concise messages, avoid the "PhD-level explanation trap," and frame climate tech in a way that wins bipartisan support. 📝 Key Topics Covered: 00:00 – Intro & Special Announcement: The CleanTechies AI Chatbot. 03:58 – Getting to know Michael Lehmann and the origin of Lehmann’s Terms. 09:21 – Core Messaging: Why clarity and being concise are your ultimate weapons. 13:06 – Panel Tactics: Talk less, be potent, and stop reading bulleted lists. 16:04 – Bipartisan Growth: Why alienating half the political aisle prevents your startup from scaling. 21:18 – Adapting your framing for different audiences without losing your authenticity. 31:08 – The TV Formula: Hitting the 45-second sweet spot with a headline and a punchy close. 36:29 – Pitching Investors: Stop reading your slides and avoid the “PhD level” explanation trap. 41:21 – Surviving Capitol Hill: How to navigate lawmakers and defuse hostile questions. 55:06 – The ultimate bipartisan hook: Lowering emissions while making money and boosting American business. 01:01:01 – Optimism over Doom: Why building the future is a better pitch than climate fear. 🔗 Helpful Links: Connect with the Guest: Connect with Michael Lehmann or visit Lehmann's Terms to elevate your next media or pitch opportunity. Connect with Silas: Follow Silas Mähner on LinkedIn. Follow the Show: Join the community on the CleanTechies LinkedIn Page and subscribe to our YouTube Channel. 🤝 Check Out Our Sponsors: Climate Finance Solutions (CFS): A global consulting firm that has helped climate tech companies secure over $1.6 billion in government grant funding with a 90%+ success rate. ErthSearch: Fast, accurate, and affordable CleanTech recruiting. Leverage an unparalleled network to find specialized engineering, sales, and executive talent with a guaranteed placement model. Disclaimer: This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E285
    May 20 · 1 hr 3 min

    #285 CleanTechies Pod: 3D Printed Batteries w/ Robert Bagheri (Sakuu)

    00:00 – Intro & Sponsors: Lehmann's Terms, Climate Finance Solutions, and EarthSearch. 03:27 – Robert’s background: 30+ years in semiconductors to 3D printing batteries. 06:59 – Reinventing additive manufacturing: Printing multi-material active devices. 14:27 – Addressing the 5 battery pillars: Safety, cost, performance, longevity, and recyclability. 20:24 – The economics: Cutting production costs by 60% and waste to under 1%. 24:01 – Sakuu's asset-light business model and equipment licensing. 32:14 – Gigafactory vs. Microfactory: The extreme flexibility of 3D printing. 41:42 – Re-industrializing America and making onshoring a bipartisan issue. 52:19 – Team building: Why you should hire for attitude and train your replacement. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E284
    May 6 · 1 hr 4 min

    #284 CleanTechies Pod: Luke Winston-Almanzar | Reservoir | Smart Water Heaters

    00:00 – Intro & Sponsors: Lehmann's Terms, Climate Finance Solutions, and EarthSearch. 03:19 – The Origin of Reservoir: Why target the water heater? 06:33 – The Data: Why heating water uses more energy than driving an EV. 16:06 – The Innovator's Dilemma: Why legacy appliance companies struggle to innovate beyond incremental updates. 20:20 – Pricing Strategy: How vertical integration allows Reservoir to stay cost-competitive while offering a premium product. 25:16 – Smart Features: Predictive recirculation (no-wait showers), freeze protection, and leak mitigation. 36:08 – "Party Mode": How an inline booster heater gives a 50-gallon tank the capacity of a 150-gallon tank. 40:58 – The Faucet Remote Control: Using an ultrasonic flow meter to operate your water heater by simply tapping your sink faucet. 44:24 – Building a Hardware Team: The Formlabs Mafia and why every startup employee needs the "take out the trash" mentality. 49:56 – Thermal Batteries & VPPs: How connecting 50,000 smart water heaters equals the capacity of a data center. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E283
    April 22 · 1 hr

    #283 Reviving the Great American Night Train | Joshua Dominic (Dreamstar Lines)

    00:00 – Intro & Sponsors: Lehmann's Terms, Climate Finance Solutions, and EarthSearch. 03:48 – What is Dreamstar Lines?: Bringing overnight sleeper trains to the LA-SF route. 04:39 – The Strategy: Using existing Union Pacific tracks to bypass the nightmare of building new rail infrastructure. 08:03 – The Bottleneck: Why building new rail in the US is a million-variable problem. 14:38 – Making Trains Sexy: Why you must start with a premium product to change consumer behavior (The Tesla Model). 26:29 – Customer Discovery: Why they added an auto-ferry service and pet-friendly private accommodations. 31:28 – The Autonomous Future: How Robotaxi fleets will solve the last-mile problem for train travelers. 39:40 – Regulation vs. Innovation: Why the US needs a new generation of "builder" legislators. 46:52 – Zoning is Anti-American: The housing crisis and the case for creating special economic zones for experimentation. 55:09 – Sustainability: The carbon emissions of rail vs. flying, and the future of hybridized rail tech. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E282
    April 15 · 58 min

    #282 The Real State of CleanTech Hiring & The "Digestion Phase" | Silas Mähner on Keep Cool

    00:00 – Intro & Sponsors: Lehmann's Terms, Climate Finance Solutions, and EarthSearch. 03:09 – Welcome to Keep Cool: Nick van Osdol flips the script and interviews Silas. 04:07 – The Evolution of Climate Tech: Shedding the 1.0 vibes and returning to "CleanTech." 08:52 – Silas’s Origin Story: From rural Wisconsin to renewable energy recruiting in NYC. 13:33 – Disrupting Recruitment: Why Silas founded EarthSearch to offer executive-level search for early-stage startups without the massive fees. 18:30 – The End of ZIRP: Why the hiring market has shifted to slow, intentional, and skills-based recruiting. 30:24 – Building Culture: Why early-stage startups shouldn't be afraid to hire bored, senior talent. 37:19 – The Call to Adventure: How to position your startup to attract highly motivated individuals. 43:59 – Companies to Watch: Silas shouts out Helix Earth Technologies and OptiGrid. 51:35 – Flipping the Table: Silas asks Nick what keeps him motivated to write and podcast about climate. 53:56 – The Value of Writing: Why authentic, human storytelling matters more than ever in the age of AI. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E281
    April 1 · 52 min

    #281 Simplifying Heat Pump Rebates | Samir Pendse (Coral)

    00:00 – Intro: Coral's $7.5M Seed Round and mission. 02:46 – What is Coral?: The FinTech platform for energy-efficient building upgrades. 04:46 – The Pain Point: Why HVAC experts don't want to be "rebate experts." 06:15 – The Financing Mechanism: How Coral advances funds to make the rebate instant. 08:19 – Contractor Benefits: Saving time, avoiding bad reviews, and winning more deals. 11:44 – The Economics of Rebates: Why most incentives come from local utilities trying to lower grid demand. 15:43 – The Origin Story: Quitting jobs to solve the $8,000 savings bottleneck for homeowners. 21:00 – Mission Alignment: Balancing climate goals with helping small businesses grow. 24:17 – The "Chicken and Egg" Funding: Using early VC dollars to prove the rebate float model. 31:24 – Depoliticizing Clean Tech: Leading with comfort, safety, and pure energy savings. 36:09 – Co-Founder Dating: How Samir and Nizar built trust before building a company. 42:37 – Pragmatism and Empathy: Why climate founders must be chameleons to succeed. 46:27 – Raising Capital: Why they pitched FinTech VCs instead of traditional Climate funds. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E280
    March 18 · 54 min

    #280 Why Every Company Will Decarbonize & The Climate Investment Arbitrage | Andrew Beebe (Obvious Ventures)

    00:00 – Intro: Andrew Beebe’s background in Cleantech since 2002. 03:34 – Obvious Ventures & Fund V: Deploying a new $360M fund. 04:59 – The Next Vintage: Why the tourists are gone and the real builders remain. 08:23 – The Branding Problem: Why "Climate Tech" mirrors the 1990s Internet boom. 16:30 – Global Markets vs. US Politics: The inevitability of the energy transition. 20:46 – The AI Energy Crisis: Utilities facing 50% demand growth from data centers. 25:53 – Generative Science: How AI is accelerating materials science and geothermal exploration. 28:20 – Local Politics: Why hyperscalers must win over local communities to build. 34:01 – Texas as a Mecca: Why low-regulation red states are building the most clean energy. 38:56 – Physical AI & Autonomy: From robotic shipping vessels to electric aviation. 47:01 – The Hardware Playbook: Why you want to be a buyer (not a seller) on a plummeting cost curve. 51:50 – The Ultimate Arbitrage: Making money when you know the transition is inevitable. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E279
    March 4 · 55 min

    #279 They Lost $189m DOE Grant, but Survived. Learn Why | Cody Finke (Brimstone)

    00:00 – Intro: Cody Finke returns to the podcast. 04:30 – The "Rock Refinery": Moving beyond cement to co-produce aluminum and critical minerals. 05:39 – The Physics of Scale: Why cost parity is impossible with small reactors. 08:12 – The History of Co-Production: From whale oil to Standard Oil's catalytic cracking. 12:39 – "Bad Geologic Luck": Why traditional limestone cement plants can't co-produce. 18:54 – De-Risking Deep Tech: How Brimstone uses off-the-shelf components to build a massive patent moat. 28:33 – Fundraising Strategy: Raising ~$90M and executing pilot plants. 33:44 – PR for Founders: When to stay in stealth and when to reveal your grand vision. 38:18 – The $189M DOE Grant: Winning the money under Biden, losing it under Trump, and why it wasn't a disaster. 45:54 – Geopolitics & Manufacturing: Why critical materials and heavy industry must return to democratic countries. 50:28 – The Ultimate Climate Strategy: Why capitalism only rewards lower costs, not moral outcomes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E278
    February 18 · 57 min

    #278 How to Sell $500M of Batteries Before You Build a Factory | Landon Mossburg (Peak Energy)

    00:00 – Intro: The $500M deal with Jupiter Power. 02:15 – Landon’s Background: Lessons from Tesla and Northvolt. 06:30 – The "Magnet Hire": How to attract A-Players by hiring one star first. 12:00 – Why Sodium-Ion?: The cost and supply chain advantage over Lithium. 18:45 – The Jupiter Power Deal: How they negotiated a massive off-take agreement. 24:10 – "Engineering Bankability": Selling the manufacturing roadmap, not just the cell. 32:00 – Supply Chain: Why Peak Energy avoids conflict minerals and China reliance. 41:00 – The Grid Challenge: Why batteries need to last 25 years in the desert. 48:00 – Scaling Speed: How to move faster than traditional industrial giants. 53:00 – Hiring: The specific traits Landon looks for in executives. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E277
    February 11 · 1 hr 3 min

    #277 The Battery That Lost the EV Race but Could Save the Grid | Antonio Baclig (Inlyte Energy)

    00:00 – Intro: Recording in-person at 9Zero in San Francisco. 02:45 – Antonio’s Background: From Stanford PhD to Flow Batteries. 06:00 – The History: What is the "Zebra Battery" and why did it fail in EVs? 10:15 – The Chemistry: How Sodium, Iron, and Salt work together. 12:30 – The Economics: Why $1/kWh material cost changes everything. 17:00 – Safety First: No thermal runaway and safer than Lithium-Ion. 22:00 – Manufacturing Strategy: Leveraging existing UK talent and factories. 28:00 – The "Bankability" Challenge: Proving a "new" old technology. 34:00 – Commercialization: Who buys these batteries? (Utilities vs Developers). 41:00 – The Grid Reality: Why "Non-Wires Alternatives" are the immediate market. 46:00 – Founder Advice: How to hire A-players for a hardware startup. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

  • S1 · E276
    February 4 · 58 min

    #276 Digitizing The Paperwork Layer of the Energy Transition | Hudson Hollister (HData)

    00:00 – Intro: Why energy regulation is the "unsexy" bottleneck of the transition. 03:11 – Hudson’s Background: From SEC Attorney to rewriting federal data laws. 05:55 – What HData Does: The platform for rate cases, compliance, and wildfire plans. 06:40 – The Natural Monopoly: Explaining the "Regulator vs. Regulated" conflict. 10:13 – The Rate Case Process: How utilities get paid (and why it takes so much paper). 14:00 – The ROI of AI: Moving from "Control-F" to vertical AI agents. 22:20 – The Urgency: Why grid modernization creates a compliance explosion. 35:00 – Hyperscalers & AI: How data center demand is changing the regulatory game. 46:18 – The Future of Work: Will AI replace regulatory lawyers? 48:00 – Founder Story: The 2022 cash crisis and the "Dark Night of the Soul." 53:00 – Hiring Framework: The 3 motivations Hudson looks for in talent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climatecowboys.substack.com/subscribe

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