This article was written by a real human being.
Fellow hope dealers,
We’re back from DJing and MCing at Houston Energy & Climate Startup Week and NYCW with a fresh IV, or 5 things giving me positive energy.
Climate tech news exciting me
This one may be biased because it involves our climate fund portfolio companies, but I can’t help myself from sharing the flurry of positive news from 3 companies we dropped pre-seed checks into:
Copper inked an agreement with consumer appliance behemoth Miele to manufacture the v2 of Copper’s Charlie induction stove at Miele’s first US factory located in Alabama. One step closer to scale for Charlie and for more US homes turning off their gas lines.
Everbloom received approval from the FTC for its first novel fiber, Renoa. This is the first new apparel fiber approved by the FTC in 25 years. Renoa proves sustainable fibers can compete with incumbents on price by leveraging waste streams.
It’s electric announced an agreement with New York City to install 600 curbside chargers across the city’s five boroughs. EV accessibility just got a big leg up in the big apple.
What I’m watching
Sandwiched in between Houston and NYC, I was fortunate to attend the Camden Film Festival (CIFF) in Maine. This was my first film festival, and, to be honest, I didn’t expect much going in. I was pleasantly surprised by the documentary Bucks Harbor. In fact, I was so moved by the doc that I’ve since brought up Bucks Harbor during several conversations with family and friends. Not only is the cinematography gorgeous, but the story of these lobster fisherman struggling with the concept of manhood in modern America is so captivating. In the end, Bucks Harbor provides a hope dose of what we need most in the US right now — empathy.
Book I’m reading
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power by Daniel Yergin. Check it out for free in pdf format HERE. The Prize reminds us every new form of energy has haters.
“Pumping oil out of the earth as you pump water? Nonsense! You’re crazy!” -banker James Townsend
Producing tritium with lasers? Nonsense! You’re crazy! I guess we’ll see…
What I’m listening to
‘A Good Day’ by Anderson.Paak & Cordae does a terrific job of sampling one of my favorite songs, ‘Lovely Day’ by Bill Withers. ‘A Good Day’ put a pep in my step while shuttling between NYCW events.
Scientific breakthrough blowing my mind
Gascon turns human gas into energy. Gascon is cheaper and it doesn’t require installation! Ok, maybe I was in need of a little humor today…
Combine this latest IV with brand new Hope Dose podcast episodes coming your way for a full dose of positivity.
…and when in doubt, reassure yourself that no matter what your news feed says, we’re not quite f*d.
Warmly,
Matt