Conversations in Cleantech

Insights From Co-Founding A Venture Build with Nicky Dee and Natalia Dorfman | Conversations in Cleantech | Season five, Episode one

In this first episode of Conversations in Cleantech season five, Brightsmith Director Jenny Gladman is delighted to be joined by two special guests; Nicky Dee and Natalia Dorfman. Nicky and Natalia are co-founders of Carbon13, a venture builder founded in 2019 which is committed to addressing the climate emergency. 

Their mission is to launch approximately 200 ventures capable of collectively reducing CO2e emissions by 400 million tonnes. They've already launched 32 successful startups through their Venture Builder program in sectors like agriculture, renewable energy, food, and materials. Having established 44 preceding investments, Carbon13 is now opening in Berlin and gaining significant momentum. They have attracted exceptional talent, and other stakeholders are rallying around their mission, pushing for progress.

In this conversation, Nicky explains how she identified a gap in the market and established a successful business around it. She also shares insights on team member selection and the power of community in the industry. 

Natalia discusses the achievements of her own company as CEO and co-founder of Kita, a carbon insurance firm for the climate crisis. Additionally, she explains how she connected with Nicky and Carbon13.

Offering valuable advice for those embarking on their career in cleantech, listen in to learn about the co-founder's journey in establishing a venture builder as well as Carbon13's mission and innovative approach to addressing the climate crisis. 

 

Timestamped Guide: 

01.28 - Introduction to Nicky Dee

02.00 - Introduction to Natalia 

02.55 - Tell our listeners a little more about yourselves and how you both met. 

07.31 - What is Carbon13? 

11.19 - Can you describe the moment when you realized that Carbon13 was the path you wanted to pursue?

13.56 - What successes have you realised thus far from Carbon13? 

15.33 - Natalia, How did you find Nicky and Carbon13?

22.33- How does the process of selecting team members and having them choose to work for you ultimately work?

34.08 - Natalia, How did you discover the gap in the market for Kita and create a thriving business around it?

45.50 - How have you both experienced the power of community within this industry?

52.15 - Advice for those starting their own startup or in the early stages of their journey.

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn.

Find your guests, Nicky Dee & Natalia Dorfman, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Optimising Green Hydrogen to Fuel the Future with Fredrik Mowill | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode Nine

In our final episode of Conversations in Cleantech series four, all about hydrogen, we are delighted to welcome Fredrik Mowill, Co-Founder and CEO of Hystar. 

Hystar is a high-tech company specialising in PEM electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen from electrolysis. What differentiates Hystar is their patented thin membrane which allows for significantly improved efficiency in the production of their green hydrogen. 

Although the company has only been operational for two years, they are already about to launch their first semi-commercial project and have just completed their Series B funding round. 

Fredrik joined our host Jenny Gladman to discuss the Hystar journey from its early stages to its future plans. This is also not Fredrik's first cleantech business, as such, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful in the space and was kind enough to offer his wisdom to first-time cleantech founders. 

 

Timestamped Guide:

00:55 - Introduction to Fredrik 

01:56 - Fredrik's career to date

03:00 - What lessons have learned through your different experiences living in different countries?

04:56 - Can you talk us through the early stages of Hystar.

08:52 - How have you built such a unique culture at Hystar with many different nationalities?

14:46 - How is your technology different from everything else on the market?

18:33 - How did you develop a relationship with your Co-Founders?

21:40 - Can you tell us more about the recent two incredible announcements Hystar has made?

26:31 - Is there anything you would have done differently over the last two years of running Hystar?

30:08 - What advice you would give to a first-time founder?

34:03 - How important are networks for founders?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Fredrik Mowill, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Mastering the Science of Hydrogen Technology with Enass Abo-Hamed | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode eight

In the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Enass Abo-Hamed, Co-Founder and CEO of H2GO Power. 

H2GO Power was founded eight and a half years ago by Enass and her fellow co-founders, who met as they all completed their PhDs at Cambridge University. The core technology behind H2GO Power's offering actually came from Enass' IP from her PhD. 

Since deciding to leap from the lab to the boardroom, Enass and the H2GO Power team have worked tirelessly to refine the technology and are now at the deployment stage of their model. 

With several large-scale industry partnerships announced and many more in the pipeline, there really is no stopping H2GO Power on its mission to deliver clean, accessible and reliable hydrogen energy.

During this insightful conversation, Enass details the H2GO Power journey and what the future looks like for the firm. She also discusses how mastering their technology has been and will always be their priority.

 

Timestamped Guide: 

00:56 - Introduction to Enass

01:54 - Please could you give us a brief introduction to who you are in and outside of work

04:19 - What made you make the leap to founding a start-up?

07:35 - How is H2GO Power different from other companies in the space?

09:09 - How did you connect with your co-founder, Luca?

12:50 - What exactly was your PhD and how did it transform into H2GO Power?

19:18 - What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

25:48 - How is the public perception of hydrogen continuing to change?

28:40 - What do you think is slowing the hydrogen sector down?

31:02 - What challenges have you faced attracting talent?

36:32 - What does the future hold for you and the business?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn. 

Find your guest, Enass Abo-Hamed, on LinkedIn. 

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. 

This is a Loaded Hype production. 

Breaking the Green Hydrogen Frontier with Matt Bird and Luke Tan | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode Seven

In the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, we are thrilled to be joined by not one, but two guests CEO and Co-Founder, Matt Bird, and Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder, Luke Tan from Supercritical. This episode also features a cameo from one of Supercritical's Process Engineers, Dunya Kamel. 

Along with their other two Co-Founders, Mike Russ and Gael Gobaille-Shaw, Matt and Luke are on a super-critical mission to disrupt the hydrogen electrolyser market and produce green hydrogen that is cost-competitive with its grey hydrogen counterparts. 

This journey has been almost three years in the making and with the help of their fantastic team and incredible partners, the Supercritical team has reached the vital stage of building their first out-of-lab demonstrator in Teeside to prove commercial viability. 

Matt and Luke joined our host, Jenny Gladman, to dissect the Supercritical journey, focusing on what they have achieved so far, where they are headed and how diversity within the team is vital to tackle this super-critical mission. 

 

Timestamped guide: 

00:55 - Introduction to Luke and Matt

02:11 - Luke, could you give us an introduction to yourself and your background

03:31 - Matt, could you give us an introduction to yourself and your background

05:12 - How did you bring the founding team of Supercritical together?

08:54 - What does Supercritical’s electrolyser do and how does it differ from other electrolysers on the market?

13:20 - What does the Supercritical trajectory look like?

18:38 - How critical has your team been to building Supercritical? What will your team look like moving forwards?

26:34 - Dunya, what is it like working for a purpose-driven organisation like Supercritical?

30:22 - Can you talk us through the process of receiving funding and why it is critical for a business in your space?

39:54 - What types of people do you want to see applying to join the Supercritical team?

42:09 - Matt, what advice would you give to someone looking to move into the cleantech sector from another industry? 

45:08 - Luke, what advice would you give to someone starting their career in cleantech?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn. 

Find your guests, Matt Bird and Luke Tan, on LinkedIn. 

Thank you for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. 

This is a Loaded Hype production. 

Transforming the Energy Mix for a Sustainable Tomorrow with Noureen Faizee | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode six

In the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, your host, Jenny Gladman, is joined by Noureen Faizee, Global Director of Strategy and Growth for the Hydrogen Division at Worley. 

Noureen has had a varied career path as a direct result of her seizing every, single opportunity she is presented with. Originally raised in India, she moved to the US to pursue her Masters in Chemical Engineering and settled permanently. Noureen's career began in engineering before her drive and determination led her to pivot to a strategy-based role helping Worley to explore opportunities for genuine transformation within the hydrogen marketplace.

By 2026, Worley aims to generate 76% of its revenue from sustainability-related projects. Whilst many are quick to dismiss oil and gas organisations' role in the energy transition, they have the power to significantly move the needle towards a lower carbon future. With a driving force like Noureen behind them, there is no doubt they will reach their objectives. 

During this conversation in cleantech, Noureen takes us through her career journey in her own words, from her early experiences to her pivotal moments and everything in between. Noureen also touches on the hydrogen industry today and how we will see the industry develop over the coming years. 

If you are looking to climb into cleantech, specifically the energy transition sector, this episode is one not to miss!

 

Timestamped Guide:

00:56 - Introduction to Noureen 

02:50 - Noureen's early life

04:32 - Noureen's education and early career

08:08 - What role do oil and gas companies play in the energy transition?

09:39 - What did your return to work look like after maternity leave?

13:20 - How do you navigate being part of a dual professional couple?

15:52 - Where does Worley fit into the hydrogen industry?

21:34 - Noureen's volunteering work with the Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation 

25:02 - Noureen's work as the President of Women in Worley 

28:27 - What's next for you?

31:01 - What do you see for the future of hydrogen?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Noureen Faizee, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. 

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Collaborating for Cleaner Energy with Will Rowe | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode five

In the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Will Rowe, Founder and CEO of Octopus Hydrogen.

Octopus Hydrogen are on a mission to play their part in the energy transition through decentralising production of green hydrogen via electrolysis, colocated with renewable energy generators to help balance the grid. Counting industry giants like Octopus Energy as investors, the company has made waves in the sector since its founding in April 2021. 

In this episode, Will takes us on his career journey so far from starting at OVO as an agency employee to overcoming challenges after a start-up failure before founding the Octopus Energy Hatchery which eventually hatched the idea behind Octopus Hydrogen. 

Discussing why hydrogen is the missing piece of the energy transition puzzle, Will demystifies some of the misconceptions about the industry and explains why green hydrogen is the only path we can take to meet Net Zero before it is too late. 

 

Timestamped Guide: 

00:55 - Introduction to Will 

01:45 - Who is Will both in and outside of work?

02:52 - What do Octopus Hydrogen do?

05:34 - What is the history of Octopus Hydrogen and your relationship with Octopus Energy?

08:54 - How would you describe the culture you have built?

11:00 - How do you maintain your culture as you grow?

12:38 - What are the types of projects you work on?

15:14 - Can you explain to the sceptics how Octopus Energy ensures sustainability across all elements of the business?

17:17 - Could you explain more about the software side of the business?

20:02 - Where do you see yourselves fitting into the energy transition?

21:35 - How have you tackled the commercial viability problem?

25:10 - How have partners helped you on your start-up journey?

28:49 - In the two years, you have been operating what are some of the wins you've experienced?

30:56 - What would you say to your future employees?

34:10 - The importance of co-founders

37:25 - What's on the horizon for Octopus Hydrogen?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn. 

Find your guest, Will Rowe, on LinkedIn. 

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. 

This is a Loaded Hype production. 

Accelerating the Decarbonisation of Heavy Industry with Kajsa Ryttberg-Wallgren | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode four

In the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, your host, Jenny Gladman, is joined by Kajsa Ryttberg-Wallgren, Head of Business Unit Hydrogen at H2 Green Steel. 

 
Describing themselves as hydrogen accelerators, H2 Green Steel are on a mission to use hydrogen to help hard-to-abate industries to decarbonise starting with the steel sector. After the huge success of their pilot scheme, H2 Green Steel are now in the process of building a large-scale plant in the north of Sweden. 

 
Kajsa takes us on her career journey, starting with where her unwavering motivation comes from to her journey to finding her passion in the hydrogen sector and the importance of role models for fueling the fire in her belly.  

 

During the insightful discussion, Kajsa details the potential hydrogen has to revolutionalise the steel industry and why diversity is so important for fostering creative thinking and decision-making.

 

Timestamped Guide:

00:56 - Introduction to Kajsa 

05:04 - Who are H2 Green Steel and how are they approaching decarbonisation in the steel industry?

09:09 - What does H2 Green Steel’s first plant look like?

12:19 - What does your role involve?

15:10 - What drives you?

21:04 - Could you tell us about your role in PowerCell Sweden

23:41 - What would be your advice for someone wanting to get into the sector?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn. 

Find your guest, Kajsa Ryttberg-Wallgren, on LinkedIn. 

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Demystifying Hydrogen’s Role in the Global Energy Transition with Rhys Vigna | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode three

On the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, we are thrilled to be joined by Energy Transition Partner at PA Consulting, Rhys Vigna. 
 
Rhys originally started his energy transition career in industry, working in business development for OCI N.V. before making the move into consulting. He is now an Energy Transition Partner at PA Consulting helping project developers to develop viable business models pushing their projects past financing and thrusting them into the mainstream where they can truly make a difference. Working in industry helped Rhys to build up his knowledge and 'earn his stripes', whilst on the consulting side, he now has the ability to have a wider-reaching impact and solve a diverse range of problems.
 
A globe trotter, Rhys spent his career working on almost every continent before starting his cleantech journey. This unique global perspective has allowed Rhys to offer advice on the global energy market and how we can help every country to transform its systems. 
 
During this insightful conversation, hosted by Brightsmith's Jenny Gladman, Rhys discusses the energy transition from a consulting viewpoint and how he is partnering with companies to bring revolutionary solutions to the mainstream. Rhys also gives his opinion on how we can overcome limiting factors and why it is often the infrastructure, not the technology, that is the wicked problem we need to overcome to create our cleaner, greener future. 

 

Timestamped guide: 

00:55 - Introduction to Rhys 

01:47 - Rhys’ career background 

04:36 - What has the transition to consultancy been like?

06:44 - How have you taken your career into your own hands?

08:57 - Has working in different continents shaped your view on energy transition? 

12:07 - What does your day-to-day role look like?

13:56 - Could you explain more about hydrogen and how it is helping the energy transition?

19:55 - Looking ahead, what does success look like in the hydrogen industry?

24:47 - How do we attract the best people to work in the sector?

27:42 - How do we ensure that the solutions are commercially viable so that investment firms want to invest?

30:27 - Where do you expect the industry to be in the next three to five years?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, Rhys Vigna, on LinkedIn. 

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. 

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Appreciating Green Hydrogen’s True Value Proposition with Christopher Jackson, CEO and Founder of Protium | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode two

In the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, we are joined by Christopher Jackson, CEO and Founder of Protium. 

Unlike many cleantech founders, Christopher comes from a commercially focused background - in his own words, his career has been esoteric. This somewhat unconventional path has allowed him to bring a new offering to the hydrogen space with Protium. 

Protium is a full value-chain green hydrogen energy solutions provider that helps its clients to achieve sustainability targets by transitioning them to a low-carbon future. With a partnership with Budweiser and several high-profile integrated green hydrogen projects nearing completion, the future looks bright for Christopher and the team at Protium. 

During this insightful conversation with Brightsmith Director, Jenny Gladman, Christopher discusses his twisting journey to founding Protium and the huge opportunities which the space has to offer to anyone passionate about making a difference. 

This discussion examines the true value of green hydrogen, moving past the conventional analysis, to understand how we can use it to fuel our cleaner, greener future. 

 

Timestamped guide:

 

00:56 - Introduction to Chris 

06:36 - The journey to founding Protium

11:43 - How does Protium focus on the people side of the energy transition narrative?

20:45 - Working with Budweiser on a decarbonisation project 

26:30 - The energy ecosystem and Protium’s role 

31:50 - Re-evaluating the value proposition of hydrogen

38:08 - What is your advice for people considering entering the sector?

40:38 - Why does the sector need diversity to meet ambitious Net Zero targets?

43:49 - What do the next couple of years have in store for yourself and Protium?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn. 

Find your guest, Christopher Jackson, on LinkedIn. 

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.

Award-Winning Solutions Powering A Cleaner Future with Vaitea Cowan | Conversations in Cleantech | Season four, Episode one

In the latest episode of the Conversations in Cleantech podcast, we are joined by Vaitea Cowan, Co-founder of Enapter. 

 

After meeting co-founders Sebastian-Justus Schmidt and Jan-Justus Schmidt in Chang Mai, Thailand and inspired by technology in the Phi Suea - the world's first self-sustaining house, the idea for Enapter was born. With the values of urgency, simplicity and transparency underpinning all of the company’s decisions, Enapter is striving for a world where hydrogen is a commodity. 

 

After winning, the inaugural Earthshot Prize in 2021, Enapter was thrust onto the world stage and has since gone from strength to strength. The future looks bright, with plans to open their first campus to mass produce their electrolysers and add to their 250-strong headcount. 

 

Hosted by Brightsmith’s Jenny Gladman, in this conversation Vaitea gives an insight into what it is like founding a pioneering company at the age of 23 with the hope of inspiring the next generation of budding cleantech entrepreneurs to find their voice. 

 

This discussion is a deep dive into the fuel of the future and how green hydrogen pioneers such as Vaitea and the Enapter team have the power to revolutionise energy systems to create a greener, cleaner future for us all. 

 

Timestamped guide: 

 

00:55 - Introduction to Vaitea

02:00 - Introduction to Enapter

03:48 - Tell us about the origins of Enapter in Thailand 

09:00 - How do you find the dynamic of having three co-founders?

11:06 - How did your childhood growing up on an island influence your passion for clean energy?

14:47 - Can you explain the Enapter electrolyser and how it works?

17:55 - What is the difference between green, blue and grey hydrogen?

21:05 - How are Enapter looking to scale up?

23:26 - What are some of the use cases for green hydrogen?

28:57 - Tell us about winning The Earthshot Prize

36:06 - How do you ensure the Enapter values remain strong as you grow?

39:44 - What pushes you through tough times?

42:41 - How nurturing is the hydrogen community?

47:04 - What advice would you give to your teenage self?

48:53 - What does the near future look like for Enapter?

 

Connect with your host, Jenny Gladman, on LinkedIn. 

Find your guest, Vaitea Cowan, on LinkedIn. 

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith. 

This is a Loaded Hype production.