Angelos Angelou

Over the last year I've been digging into the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) - arguably the most significant law ever passed for energy transition globally. The IRA is complicated, but it represents $1T+ of federal funding for clean technologies. Today I'm proud to announce the launch of Giraffe Financial - a business focused on helping organizations of all types take advantage of IRA incentives. Our theory of change is that while dealing with the IRS can be challenging, getting IRA tax credits doesn't have to be. Giraffe helps any organization deploying electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, renewable energy, or energy storage access IRA funding. We streamline the process of determining eligibility, ensuring compliance, and completing IRS paperwork. Please take a look at our press release (https://lnkd.in/eu-V59su), visit our website (https://giraffe.financial/) and email me directly with any questions or interest ([email protected]). I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the incredible ecosystem of partners and investors that made this all possible: Skyview Ventures, Momentum (BuildMomentum.io), Andy K., Shawn Garvey, Matt Hart, Wallace Kyle Jr., MBA, Homer Robinson, Oktay Kurbanov, Alexander Scammon, Steven Eisenberg, Lewis Wagner, Sean Carney, Michael Greten, Jonathan Burnston, Tyler Lancaster, Skip Dise, Titiaan Palazzi, Sarah Valdovinos, Jordan Ramer, Richard Matsui, Bill Van Amburg, Dedrick Roper #InflationReductionAct, #IRA, #TaxCredits, #RenewableEnergy, #EVs, #EVCharging, #emobility, #electric, #solar, #electricvehicles

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Big week next week, we are often asked by LPs and start-ups alike, what will the impact of the election be on the #energytransition? Despite election uncertainty, the fundamentals driving #climate sector growth remain strong. In our latest piece, Energize Capital Managing Partner John Tough breaks down the #digital solutions behind the climate sector's resilience. What we're seeing: 📈 Private investment in climate tech has surged 71% since the IRA 🏭 Clean manufacturing investments are empowering communities across the country ⚡️ Grid modernization is a shared national priority 🌐 Digital solutions are stepping up to accelerate deployment and improving returns Climate investment has strengthened American manufacturing, provided jobs, and reinforced key infrastructure. Read more about why we believe the climate sector's momentum is here to stay ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dQRFE_48

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#TechConSocal2024 #BuildingOutsideSiliconValley Spark Growth Ventures is committed to helping support top-tier founders from across the nation as well as internationally. Out of the 25 portfolio companies that we have partnered with in the last ~3.5 yrs, the pre-dominant majority are neither in SV nor in NYC (the top two hubs for startup funding in the US), but are in emerging hubs such as Nashville, Columbus, Cleveland and Sacramento: • 6 are HQ-/Co-HQ-ed across San Diego, Sacramento and LA metros • 4 in the Midwest • 4 with HQs/co-HQs in Europe and Asia • 2 in the DC Metro area • 2 in Pacific Northwest • 1 in the South • 1 in the Mountain West Even though there're significant ecosystem benefits from being in large hubs (SV/ NYC/ Boston etc), we think that top-tier innovation and teams with proper distributed support, especially in the post-COVID era, can be successful from most places – there are some additional hurdles but nothing that’s insurmountable. In addition, several benefits of being in the emerging/small hubs vs. the traditional centers. On the personal side also, I grew up in tier-2/3 cities and towns of India (Kota, Ratlam, Jallandhar, Kapurthala, Meerut, NE States etc.) and similarly, built my early foundation in the US in small MidWestern towns/cities, and finally made a conscious decision to create a life out of a mid-sized city in the US. So, I can personally relate to & in fact, support pursuing one’s dreams from just about anywhere, not just large obvious places. Therefore, given our mindset and philosophy, I am really excited to be part of the "Challenges and Opportunities of Creating a Prosperous Venture Outside of Silicon Valley" panel being moderated by Zamir Shukho, MBA (General Partner at Vibranium Venture Capital), alongside my dear friend and classmate Paul Yeh (Founding Partner at Conductive Ventures), Brad Greenwald (Managing Partner at Hilltop Venture Partners) and Howard Ko (Partner at Morpheus Ventures). We will most likely start around 2 pm PST in case you would like to hear our combined perspectives. Lastly, #TechConSoCal is shaping to be one of the largest innovation conferences in #SanDiego, with hundreds of VCs, founders, startup professionals and innovation enthusiasts attending. If you are able to make it to San Diego for a day or even swing by for a few hours, it will definitely be worth the price of admission. Thanks Faisal Mushtaq, Serhat Pala, Neal Bloom and many others for helping organize this invaluable event right here in San Diego and for making a huge contribution to the local ecosystem.   Spark Growth Ventures, Safa Mahzari, Alessio Sanfilippo, Gaurav Bhatia, Jaikaran Sawhny, Jeffrey Haux, Kimberly Davis King, Marcos Rivera, Pooja Skogstad, Raj Pudipeddi, Rohit Gulati, Vittal Kadapakkam, TIE San Diego, Orange County OC Startup Council, The Brink SBDC, EvoNexus, UC San Diego, SDSU College of Sciences, Wharton Alumni Angels, NuFund Venture Group, Jonah Peake, Fred Grier, Pankaj Kedia

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Great time on the Embracing Erosion podcast w/Devon O'Rourke! We talked about: 🚀 How to scale a company from concept to 9-figure exit 🔄 How to break away from the traditional consulting model and apply product approaches ⏩ Why it’s important to iterate quickly and often with messaging 💸📈What signals are important to pay attention to when investing in startups and much more!

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Today's Boring Biz: Pool Leak Detection Company - $2.3M Revenue - $610K Cashflow - South Carolina - Day 39 of "50 States In 50 Days" Note: We do not represent this deal, highlighting for informational purposes only for viewers What do they do? 1. Leak detection services 2. Electronic detection equipment 3. Pool inspections Investment Highlights 1. Strong market demand 2. Established reputation 3. Business systems in place Investment risks/concerns 1. What is the competition 2. Customer concentration 3. Length of contracts #SMB #ETA #finance #Cashflow #investing #search #searchfund #privateequity #microprivateequity #smallbusiness #venturecapital #vc #entrepreneur #business #businessowner #pool #leakdetection #southcarolina #servicecompany Disclaimer: Hypothetical and illustrative only. Please do your own research (DYOR) or work with tax and legal professionals before making a decision. This video are intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice, nor should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by SMB PE LLC or any third party

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In a recent Houston Chronical article, Chris Tomlinson argues that Bitcoin mining could raise electricity prices 70%. Here's the glaring problem, the paper cited for "evidence" for this claim was on AI datacenters, not on Bitcoin mining datacenters. https://lnkd.in/g4_fywRB Ooops🤦 AI datacenters have completely different and widely documented impacts on grids to Bitcoin mining datacenters source: https://lnkd.in/g2KgB3PH and https://lnkd.in/gER-k5Cp To fail to recognize this distinction is to disqualify yourself from writing about the impact of Bitcoin mining on grids. It's like saying that Bitcoin has gone up 100% in value this year, therefore so will gold because they are both Stores of Value. Let's take a dive into this and the other main false claims 1. "Bitcoin mining could raise energy prices..." Not only is there no evidence, either real-world or in the academic literature for this claim, but there is a significant body of evidence to the contrary. For example, Brad Jones, Former CEO of Texas’ grid ERCOT observed that by creating a more competitive market for ancillary services and by finding a home for otherwise wasted wind energy, Bitcoin was “helping keep the cost of electricity low for all Texans” Further, in Sept 2024, Norwegian residents realized that Bitcoin mining had for years been keeping their power prices 20% lower, after the Bitcoin mining operation left the grid and their prices instantly increased as a direct result to meet the revenue shortfall. Claim 2: Bitcoin miners "demand that consumers pay them to shut down" This is again factually incorrect. Consumers don't pay Bitcoin mining companies. Nor do Bitcoin mining companies "demand" payment. Grid Operators invite them to bid in order to help stabilize the grid. In fact there is evidence that by making Demand Response more competitive, Bitcoin mining companies help keep prices low. Here's how it works: Bitcoin Miners respond to public auctions for Demand response services to helps stabilize the grid along with other bidders. Demand Response is nothing new. It is a critical example of “ancillary services” which grid operators use to stabilise grids and has existed well before bitcoin mining did (Demand Response has been around for roughly 40 years). The entry into the demand response market of bitcoin mining means more suppliers compete for grid owners’ demand response revenue, making the demand response market more competitive and lowering the total cost of demand response payments made by grid owners. Brad Jones, former interim CEO of Texas’ grid confirmed “the capability [of bitcoin] to meet our ancillary services means lower cost for all consumers in the state of Texas.” Jones also confirmed that crypto-mining helps “balance our grid more efficiently” because of their unique ability to shut off quickly, when compared to other industrial loads offering demand response services.

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One of the things we see quite often at Grit Capital Partners, is a newly minted CEO. We see a big difference in the transition to CEO based upon the historical lane the CEO is coming from. There are different new muscles if you are coming from Product, Engineering, Finance, etc. In this article, we go deep on the CRO to CEO transition, which includes some thoughts from Rosie O'Meara, a particularly fine example of someone who has made the transition quite well. What were your biggest transition moments? https://lnkd.in/eEB-K2ZU

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Heirloom Carbon raises $150M to remove CO2 from the air using rocks | TechCrunch https://buff.ly/49uuPFv Heirloom Carbon has successfully secured $150 million in funding to advance their innovative carbon dioxide removal technology, which captures CO2 from the atmosphere using mineral-based processes. By utilizing naturally occurring rocks, Heirloom aims to address climate change by sequestering carbon more effectively and sustainably. This substantial investment highlights the growing interest and urgency in developing scalable carbon capture solutions to mitigate global warming. #CarbonCapture #ClimateTech

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One month left to apply!!!! Apply to NETI's Climate Tech Bootcamp Cohort 3.0, a pre-accelerator program powered by Riffle Ventures, Climate Tech Bootcamp, OHUB and Greater New Orleans, Inc. – GNO, Inc. part of H2TheFuture, a Build Back Better Regional Challenge of The Economic Development Administration. This bootcamp is a 10-week pre-accelerator program for climate tech and new energy entrepreneurs in the United States that have an interest in building in or expanding to South Louisiana. ‍ Five (5) founders from the program will pitch for a $100,000 (US) investment on the terms of their current round. Application is in the comments and here's a quick overview as well: - 📆 When: September 3 - October 31, 2024 - ⏰ Deadline to Apply: August 27, 2024 - 💻 Location: Virtual - 🆓 Cost: Free. The $5,000 per person fee is waived thanks to GNO, Inc. and The Economic Development Administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge. - 💰 Funding: Up to $100,000 US (equity investment) in current round to the top startup selected at the end of the cohort. - 🈺 Cohort Size: 25-30 entrepreneurs - 🌍 Cohort Geography: United States - 📈 Stage: We welcome applicants from multiple stages, though having a minimum viable product is ideal.

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The late Brad Jones, former CEO ERCOT (the person who ran the electrical grid for Texas) said in 2023 that Bitcoin mining 1. Makes renewable operators more profitable 2. Accelerates the renewable transition 3. Does not compete with other users of electricity 4. Drives electricity costs for all users down Here’s the details of his statement: 1. Makes renewable operators more profitable “In the last 2 years there was 1100 hours of negative pricing. That means we are paying consumers to consume electricity. The reason that occurs is that we have a lot of renewables in the State. When the wind is really blowing, we simply can’t use all that power. Bitcoin allows those renewables to earn money during those times rather than having to shut off their service, or even having to pay customers to use their power.” 2. Assists the renewable transition “Bitcoin mining helps to sustain those markets for renewables and drives more renewables.” 3. Does not compete with other users of electricity “When prices go up [because many people want power at the same time], Bitcoin comes offline because it's not economical.” 4. Drives the down cost of electricity for all consumers “The real value of Bitcoin is its flexibility. The capability for us to use it in our ancillary services at the lowest possible cost means lower cost for all consumers of in the state of Texas.” Source: https://lnkd.in/gaYPVQUA Peer-reviewed academic studies that supports Brad Jones' direct experience Points 1& 2: https://lnkd.in/gTetBnYD Point3: https://lnkd.in/gWDUiB8P, https://lnkd.in/gUG6JNmB Point4: https://lnkd.in/gKjMcMJe

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Practice your #voting skills and help us highlight #regenerativefinance at SXSW!

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Early stage climate investing impacts of Trump 2.0 through the lens of an LLM observing our teams post election investment committee discussions - 1. IRA Implementation Challenges reflect deep concerns about program execution rather than just policy changes. The team noted that even without formal rollbacks, administrative cuts or friction could effectively neutralize IRA benefits. They discussed how bureaucratic slowdown and uncertainty around decision-making could make programs practically inaccessible even while technically remaining in place. This led them to pass on at least one investment opportunity that was heavily dependent on smooth IRA implementation, demonstrating how these concerns are actively shaping investment decisions. 2. The Municipal/State Level discussion focused on the potential for local action to provide some stability amid federal uncertainty. The team explored how in the past some cities and states led on climate initiatives and could continue pushing climate initiatives forward regardless of federal stance. This created an interesting tension between seeing local government as a source of stability while recognizing its resource limitations. 3. Market Psychology emerged as a crucial factor in their analysis. The team explored how regulatory uncertainty affects behavior throughout the market - from individual bureaucrats becoming more risk-averse in approvals to customers hesitating on purchasing decisions. They highlighted how market participants' fear of potential changes can freeze activity even before any actual policy shifts occur. This psychological impact appears to act as a force multiplier for regulatory uncertainty, potentially affecting markets faster and more severely than formal policy changes. 4. Unsubsidized Business Models. The team is continuing to focus on finding companies that can succeed primarily on economics rather than regulatory support. They discussed adjusting valuations to account for increased regulatory risk and showed particular interest in business models that could maintain growth even in adverse political environments.

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If you enjoyed our first blog on the metrics that matter for Verticalized SaaS then don't miss on the Part II of the series where my colleagues Devraj Hom Roy and Matt Schaar discuss the strategic and operational choices to improve these operational indicators. https://lnkd.in/g5QkCrcH

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This week on #ForgingtheFuture I was inspired by Muriel Foster. Not only is she leading an impactful startup accelerator as part of gener8tor's gBeta Houston program, but I learned how her early days of starting a "Career Closet" at Texas Southern University during undergrad laid the foundation for how she mentors startups today with a giving mentality. If you're passionate about equipping entrepreneurs with skills, networks, and mentors for the challenges of the future, check out this episode. 🎧 https://lnkd.in/epaKzVQt #StartupCulture #InnovationHub #accelerators

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🚀 R3i Planet43 Call for Corporate, Family Office, and Government Co-Investment Partners 🌍 Are you a corporate innovator or an economic development leader passionate about driving sustainable, impactful change? R3i Planet43 is on a mission to scale game-changing deep-tech solutions in climate action, healthcare, and smart cities, and we’re seeking open innovation and co-investment partners to join forces with us! By partnering with R3i Planet43, you’ll have the unique opportunity to collaborate with visionary scaleup entrepreneurs, accelerating the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies and making a tangible difference in the communities and industries you serve. Together, we can unlock new market opportunities, diversify supply chains, and drive transformative ESG outcomes. 📢 Calling all corporate innovation leaders, government innovators, and economic development champions: this is your chance to be part of a global movement to power the future of applied AI and emerging technologies! 🔗 Share this post with those ready to fuel the next wave of innovation and sustainable growth. Let’s build the future, together. 🌱 Planet43 #CoInvestment #CorporateInnovation #EconomicDevelopment #ESG #SustainableGrowth #DeepTech #AppliedAI #CriticalInfrastructure #Climateresilience #Impact

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Not all of the investments that Kindred Capital VC makes can be a 13 year sourcing process.... but... this is one of those very fortunate moments in which a relationship that started over a decade ago in the Bay Area where the brilliant A-H. Hleileh and I overlapped has now turned into an incredibly exciting opportunity for Kindred to lead his and Ron Holifield's first institutional round at Civic Marketplace. We believe: 1. Local government procurement is one of the most underserved areas in technology today, and has failed to keep pace with the private sector. They deserve better. 2. This is a huge opportunity, with US local governments spending alone amounting to over $1.5 trillion in annual spend, which is only going in one direction... 3. As the brilliant Kip Harkness shared with me in our diligence phase, "this industry moves at the speed of trust." And this is a unique founding team with A-H. Hleileh and Ron Holifield at the helm who bring together two critical ingredients: 1) decades of trust-building within this domain, and 2) a team who can build beautiful and scalable technology platforms. Onwards!! 🚀

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Gas microgrids are an important tool in our resilience toolbox. I will do a longer essay on this but in the meantime check out this podcast with Doug Lewin and Enchanted Rock

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🧬 This week's Austin Bio & Health Roundup covers new funding, insightful data, expanding footprints, local innovators' thoughts, recognitions, & booming developments across the Texas Bio Triangle. 🧬 💰 Funding Thoughtful AI has raised a $20M Series led by Drive Capital led by Nick Solaro. With that funding Thoughtful launched AI agents focused on claims processing, patient eligibility verification, and other healthcare back office functions. Congratulations to Alex Zekoff and the entire team! Drive Capital's investment in Thoughtful parallels their expansion into Austin putting feet on the ground with new Seed General Manager Anish Zuté. I expect we'll be hearing about more investments from them soon. Modicus Prime raised $3.5M to prevent drug product quality failures in biomanufacturing. A great example of Austin funding Austin as Silverton Partners led the round. Congrats to Taylor Chartier and team! A reminder: You may have seen some media covering SEC filings and trying to scoop startups on their funding announcements. I only announce funding when the companies do as I am not a “journalist” and I'm here to catalyze & support the builders 📊 Data Peter Walker released new Carta data breaking down the sector diversity of funding since 2022 in top. In Austin, Healthtech ranked number 3 at 13%, behind SaaS at 42% and Fintech at 13% (likely a decimal difference). Note that Carta breaks Bio & Health into three subcategories (Healthtech, Pharma/Biotech, and Med Device). Where would the sector rank when combined? Peter, any comment? 🚀 Launches, Expansions, and Milestones Neuralink, the brain computer interface company founded by Elon Musk, is expanding its presence in Texas with a new 100,000+ facility, further solidifying our region's position as a key neurotech hub. Given the recent news about the relocations of X to Austin and SpaceX to Starbase, Texas; might we see an even larger presence (maybe even HQ) for Neuralink in the future? 💡 Insights from Local Builders and Innovators Jaleh Daie, PhD shared her thoughts in SynBioBeta on building a durable bioeconomy and what it will take to get there. 🏆 Recognition Kerry Rupp, partner at True Wealth Ventures, has been appointed to the @Ascension Seton Foundation Board. Having VCs on the hospital boards (including the Foundation) will help further connect them to the innovation ecosystem. 🚩 Texas Bio Triangle Houston-based Octagos Health | The Future of Digital Health raised a $43 million Series B to advance AI-driven cardiac device monitoring. Congrats to Shanti Bansal, M.D. and the whole team! MD Anderson and Rice University are joining forces to launch a cancer bioengineering collaborative, focused on speeding up the movement of innovations from the lab to the market. What’s Next?

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Excited to roll out a new series: Allocators Anonymous a new recurring Austin Venture Association series for senior fund managers in town or passing through during peak times. With so many event invitations flooding your inbox, it can be tough to know which events will give you the best return on your time. Some are mismatched based on seniority. Some on the goal of the community. Some simply because you may already know everyone in attendance. Using my own experience on both sides, I've curated a high-quality, vetted gathering for senior professionals from early to late stages to come connect with each other. Our guest list featured partners from the top funds in town, founders of fund of funds, pensions, family offices, and a handful of founders who are allocators themselves, through angel investing or their own funds. And if you know me, you know every event needs a fun, tongue-in-cheek name, hence Allocators Anonymous 🤫. Huge thanks to Powder Room for hosting and huge huge thanks to everyone who carved out some time in their very busy schedules to attend on a Monday evening. If this sounds like your crowd, I’d love to get you an invitation to the next event as I work to keep bringing fresh faces into the group. And if you're interested in partnering, let's chat about how we can work together to continue supporting Austin's venture capital ecosystem. Remember.. rising tides lift all ships!

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