Capital Series: John Tough, Energize Capital

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress.

John Tough is Managing Partner at Energize Capital, a leading climate software investor. Energize partners with best-in-class innovators to accelerate the sustainability transition, and they have both an early-stage traditional venture vehicle as well as a growth vehicle.

In this episode, Jason and John delve into the firm's origins and John's motivations for co-founding it. They explore his early career at Kleiner Green Growth and his pivotal role as employee number three at Choose Energy. The discussion also covers Energize's approach, LP composition, evolution, and the alignment between LPs and the venture and growth vehicles.

They then examine the shifting macro environment's impact on LP investments in climate tech, company criteria, check sizes, leadership roles, diligence procedures, thesis-driven aspects, and the comprehensive post-company support offered by Energize.

In this episode, we cover:

• [02:34]: The origin story of Energize Capital (formally Energize Ventures)
• [07:26]: John's insights from being both a VC and an entrepreneur
• [09:01]: His decision to anchor in the Midwest
• [12:35]: Launching an early-stage venture firm
• [15:30]: The pitch to GMs
• [17:34]: Impact and thesis-driven vs. opportunistic approaches
• [19:53]: Traditional venture vs. growth strategies
• [22:31]: Energize Capital's current thesis
• [25:15]: Value for founders working with Energize
• [27:28]: LP base evolution
• [30:43]: Tailored corporate engagement strategy
• [31:59]: John's answer to "why software only?"
• [35:55]: Current climate tech observations the role of international deal flow
• [40:28]: Current (late 2023) LP sentiment amidst market uncertainty
• [44:39]: Rise of dedicated institution-based climate capital pools
• [46:38]: Energize Capital’s evaluation criteria
• [50:42]: Controllable and uncontrollable factors in this space
• [52:59]: Who John and Energize want to hear from

Get connected:

• Jason Jacobs X / LinkedIn
• John Tough X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective

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Episode recorded on Aug 16, 2023 (aired on Sep 13, 2023)

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