Derek Handley / Investing in the Next Sustainable Startup for a Competitive Marketplace

12/01/21 • 33 min

At the dawn of mobile, Derek Handley wanted to be an innovator, building a global company. About a decade ago, he had an existential crisis: What would happen if his business, his identity all went away? From this, Derek moved fully into sustainability and founded Aera VC to pick up where the climate pioneers left off.

Now, Aera VC is investing in sustainability leaders that are tackling carbon in chemicals, reduction of industrial reliance on fossil fuels, the struggle for a plastics replacement, and how concrete is negatively affecting global emissions despite it being a more climate change champion.

Cody and Derek also discuss the industrial revolution and how though it changed the world for the positive, the early warning signs of the fossil fuels’ destructive nature didn’t come to the forefront for a very long time.

Connect with our guest:

Derek Handley, Aera VC: https://www.aera.vc/team-member/derek-handley/

Aera VC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aera-vc

Follow Cody on Twitter @codysimms

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Connect with our guest:

Derek Handley, Aera VC: https://www.aera.vc/team-member/derek-handley/

Aera VC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aera-vc

Follow Cody on Twitter @codysimms

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Justin Field / Enhancing Government Policy and Funding for Climate Technology Startups

Until recently, startups and VCs in the climate technology space haven’t had a lot of resources or reach. Government has been particularly hostile toward innovative startups, crippling funding and opportunities -- but the NVCA (National Venture Capital Association) is working with the federal government to change that.

A record amount of capital is streaming in, bills are passing robustly, and the NVCA is committed to making sure the best technologies win big and do well. This unified front promises to organize and coordinate voices so entrepreneurs in fields like carbon capture can feel more confident, impactful and profitable.

Connect with our guest:

Justin Field, NCVA: https://nvca.org/about-us/staff/justin-field/

NCVA on social: https://twitter.com/nvca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Stacy Kauk / Democratizing Sustainability to Build Accessibility for Carbon Removal Technologies

About two years ago, Shopify was looking to go the extra mile on its environmental footprint by purchasing carbon credits or offsets. Through discovery, the company realized how limited the market was for this type of sustainability method and how it needed growth.

In this episode, Cody chats with Stacy Kauk, Shopify’s director of Sustainability Fund, which makes an annual commitment of $5 million toward entrepreneurial breakthrough technologies and companies to advance sustainability. Stacy shares how the fund tries to identify and support those solutions that all of humanity is going to need in the long run (“We’re playing the long game.”), and gives us insights into what exactly is emission reduction versus carbon removal.

Cody and Stacy also discuss how climate change is a real threat to entrepreneurship, how they are trying to kickstart the market and democratize sustainability, and how buyers can find these products to help their carbon offset.

Follow Cody on Twitter @codysimms

Check out the Shopify Sustainability Fund here: https://www.shopify.com/about/environment/sustainability-fund

Listen & subscribe to The Techstars Climate Tech Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.