Jeff Johnson

Who doesn't love a good top 50 list?! Very excited to launch Congruent Ventures and SVB's inaugural 50 by 2050, focused on identifying the companies with the highest potential to drive carbon reduction over the next 25 years. I'm 100% certain that we've missed some amazing companies. I'm also 100% certain the companies on the list are awesome. Sadly, by our own methodology many or our incredible companies at Congruent didn't make the list (but suppose that is as it should be). Check out the report below. Live / interactive list here: https://lnkd.in/dYgCfEv8 Tim De Chant TechCrunch coverage here: https://lnkd.in/dkUJm_Sn The Congruent/SVB team collaboration was awesome Dan Baldi Eliza Cushman Marianne Wu Joshua Posamentier!

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Check out my recent post on why President Trump is the forcing function for us to solve the “Missing Middle” and catch the industrial Tsunami of onshoring coming to the US!

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We are living in a world that embodies our Industrial Transformation & Supply Chain Technology investment thesis at REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions & Great Power Competition; The Climate Crisis & Severe Weather; Consumer Behavior & Demographics. Join us. #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChain #Innovation #Technology #Startups #VentureCapital 

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Today I want to put the spotlight on Arelys Sosa, Thomas Tingelöf and Kent Moore who are the amazing founders of DREV.🔦 The problem they are tackling is that battery gigafactories, semi-conductor factories, and battery recycling plants face big challenges collecting hazardous metal micro-particles, slowing production, and they are squandering precious materials, and endangering staff. These are all individually big problems and combined this is huge.☣️ Drev has the solution to all to this with The Vault, an innovative technology powered by patent-pending dry brush technology and a revolutionary canister design, eliminates water and chemicals from the cleaning process, improves safety, and enables the adaptive reuse of valuable materials that would otherwise be thrown away with save manufactures millons. 🧹 The Drev team has the unique domain experience for solving a particular problem that we're always looking for when we are backing founders at the Norrsken Accelerator. Arelys is an industrial engineer who was part of the original team at Panasonic Energy at Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 so she has seen this problem first hand for years. Thomas has a PhD and he has been the CTO of PowerCell and VP at Volvo Cars and has massively scaled technologies before.🤩 The interest from the industry is huge and they are currently running projects with some of the leading battery manufacturers. You can read more and contact them here: https://lnkd.in/d7V-mKrx

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Reindustrialization isn't just about supply chain resilience and flexibility—it's about creating and retaining skilled jobs, regaining competitive edge, and meeting our climate targets. Amidst global geopolitical tensions, this is especially critical. A few topics we discussed recently at Latitude59 with Kädi, Martina, and Minna 💡Startups, scaleups, and incumbents must be audacious and creative to demonstrate high-velocity learning cycles, systems thinking, and commercial savvy 💸 Strengthen climate capital stack beyond venture capital and infrastructure financing to support the development and distribution of innovative technologies, enabling them to reach economies of scale and drive commercial impact 🌍 Stakeholders across governments, large corporations, and different investor groups work towards supporting founders to attain their top speed by designing and building better "racetracks" Despite the challenges, the opportunity to rewrite the legacy of extractive industries through low-carbon energy transition is clear. Reach out if you're building something new 🌱 #Reindustrialization #ClimateTech #Startups 

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We updated our LinkedIn company page! You can read how Rapid Ventures partners with #startups, #marketadopters, #investors and other #stakeholders in the #climatetech #ecosystem to accelerate #decarbonization and catalyze economic and #workforcedevelopment.

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"Simply put, there is too much capital seeking too few opportunities, particularly at the seed stage. Multi-stage firms have eliminated pricing discipline at seed stage and the proliferation of seed firms has made the task of investing at this stage as competitive as it’s ever been, leading me to believe that indexed seed investing in today’s environment will produce poor returns. What does this mean for today’s environment? It’s never been more important to break away from median performance. While there is risk in breaking away from the pack, the risk (at least performance wise) of staying part of the herd is simply far worse. Median returns for the recent vintages are simply terrible. One could argue that funds are still in their j-curve phases, but I suspect this doesn’t explain the divergence we’re seeing between GOOD performers and GREAT performers. More than ever before, it’s clear to me that playing the same game as everyone else will not work, so fund managers should question whether they are really capable of being in the top 5% of whatever strategy they are employing. From a LP perspective, allocators should likely ask the same of their managers and consider whether allocating to indexed mega funds or indexing across too broad of a portfolio of managers is tenable in achieving their return targets." https://lnkd.in/g8GqHY-P

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WE DID IT! After 2 years of pushing through the biggest downturn in VC in decades, Matthew Stotts 🌐 and I made it to the finish line with Fund I! We couldn't have done this without One Small Planet (Will Peterffy and Jack Wielebinski 🙏), Regen Network and Regen Foundation (Austin Wade Smith Gregory Landua and Will Szal), and a dozen other family offices and angels who believed that we can build a nature-positive economy utilizing our eye for software and our history as founders from day 1 A shout out goes to all of our founders (only four announced today, but watch this space - there are multitudes!) who trusted us enough to give us a spot on their cap table for this 10-15 year journey. This is the best job in the world, and it's because we get to work with people like you who have weird ideas in the best possible way. Using Bitcoin as anchor base load to decarbonize residential housing in America's most expensive energy market? Make every complex supply chain legible to machines so we can find and eliminate deforestation in commodity supply chains? Build deeply liquid environmental asset markets to price ecosystem services, on a blockchain, that no one needs to know is a blockchain? I'm so excited to get to work on this stuff for the next 10-15 years minimum, and to see what we can accelerate with our tiny fund in the next 5-6 years as we approach 2030 Onward! https://lnkd.in/gy3B-DFe

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We are living in a world that embodies our Industrial Transformation & Supply Chain Technology investment thesis at REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions & Great Power Competition; The Climate Crisis & Severe Weather; Consumer Behavior & Demographics. Join us. #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChain #Innovation #Technology #Startups #VentureCapital 

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🚗🔋 Driving the Future of Mobility with WeaveGrid ⚡ At Woven Capital, we’re committed to accelerating the transition to a cleaner, smarter, and more connected world. That’s why I’m thrilled to share our latest blog post, highlighting our partnership with WeaveGrid. WeaveGrid is addressing one of the most pressing challenges in the EV ecosystem—seamlessly integrating electric vehicles into the grid. Their innovative software solutions optimize EV charging, reduce stress on the grid, and unlock greater use of renewable energy. This partnership aligns perfectly with Toyota’s vision for a carbon-neutral future and our mission to support transformative technologies that deliver real value. Check out the blog to learn more about how WeaveGrid is driving the future of mobility. Let’s keep building a sustainable tomorrow! Apoorv Bhargava John Taggart Zona Liu Woven Capital, Toyota's Growth Fund #WovenCapital #FutureOfMobility #EVs #Toyota

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Cash-short climate tech companies face a make-or-break Q3. While the Fed’s recent half-point rate cut has fueled optimism among Climate Tech investors, many companies that are not yet cash flow positive remain under significant financial pressure. Of the 87 publicly traded Climate Tech companies that I track, 36 have less than 24 months of cash, and 11 have less than 4 months. Astute investors will find different ways to capitalize on these conditions, depending on their capital mandates. Hedge funds may uncover compelling multi-strategy opportunities within industries benefiting from strong tailwinds, such as pair trades or intra-sector long-short strategies. Private equity firms and lenders may explore take-private opportunities with significant recapitalization potential. Meanwhile, venture capitalists will seek out emerging leaders that are unburdened by the excesses of 2020-21, positioning themselves to outperform cash-strapped early movers. In response to dwindling cash reserves, many companies are taking drastic steps to extend their runway. Investors will notice widespread restructuring efforts, layoffs, recapitalizations, innovative debt strategies (e.g., equipment leasing), and dilutive equity fundraising (risking investor selloff).

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Excited to share more about AMP's Series D Funding round that was led by Congruent Ventures!! Abe Yokell Eliza Cushman Waste and recycling are both incredibly antiquated industries in the US that are facing a number of systemic problems - landfills filling up, increasing operating costs and a changing regulatory environment. All of this is resulting in poor solution sets (i.e. incinerators) and higher costs for everyone, including consumers. Enter AMP. Matanya Horowitz and the team have created something truly remarkable - fully automated facilities that can sort both MSW and Recycled material streams. The Company's pilot facility is a game-changer, it's the first fully automated MSW facility in the industry. That's right - the facility can automatically sort trash into recyclable commodities and organics - and can do it at a low cost. Hopefully we won't even have to sort our recyclables, and compost from garbage streams in the future. One can dream! Excited to continue being part of the story and working with the incredible team of Tim Stuart, Matanya Horowitz, and Robert Norris to solve one of the most critical problems we face today! 🚀

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🌍💡 Embracing Interoperability: The Evolution of Carbon Markets 💡🌍 The landscape of carbon markets is rapidly evolving, with a significant shift towards fungibility and interoperability. What does this mean? We (at the SoHo Global Climate Fund) spoke with leading climate fund manager, Charles Bedford of Carbon Growth Partners, to shed light on this important trend in the carbon markets. It's about creating seamless connections between compliance and voluntary markets, allowing for the exchange and recognition of carbon credits across borders and sectors. This trend marks a pivotal moment in our collective efforts towards combating climate change. By enabling carbon credits to be fungible and interoperable, we're fostering a more efficient and scalable approach to carbon pricing and emissions reduction strategies. Companies and organizations now have greater flexibility to participate in markets that align with their goals. #CarbonMarkets #ClimateAction #Fungibility #Interoperability #Sustainability #Innovation #GlobalImpact

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PE - PE Acceleration Toolkit (i.e. not Playbook) What commercial, GTM and growth areas do you cover in your "PE Portfolio Company Toolkit" (i.e. some funds like Vista Equity Partners call it a Playbook but I refer to it as toolkit with the aim of it being a participatory, not a prescriptive playbook)? Some ideas* come to mind - what else? (* i.e. Commercial/GTM/Revenue Growth - not including Product, Engineering, R&D and other functions) 1. Sales Optimization   - Sales Org Structure   - Sales Management Process   - Sales Prospecting & Outbound   - Sales Process Engineering - Pipeline Management - Forecasting & Commit Process - Forecasting Rollups - CEO & Board   - Sales performance metrics and KPIs   - Channel Sales, Partner and alliance programs   - Rev Ops & Sales Enablement   - Sales Quota, Compensation & Incentives   - Sales Tech & Automation 2. Marketing Optimization   - B2B Demand Generation strategy   - Marketing Management - Marketing Process Engineering - Defining Lead Nomenclature - Campaign Management - Strategic Messaging Architecture   - PLG - Product Led Growth   - Digital & Inbound marketing    - Account-based marketing (ABM) - Customer Marketing - Product Marketing - Marketing/Sales Alignment & SLAs   - Marketing Metrics / KPIs   - Marketing Tech & Automation 3. Customer Management, Success and Retention   - Customer onboarding processes   - VOC - collecting and analyzing customer feedback   - Customer Segmentation   - Customer Management Processes   - Proactive customer Engagement   - AM & Expansion Sales   - Renewal strategies   - Customer loyalty strategies   - Customer support optimization   - Customer metrics and KPIs 4. Pricing and Packaging   - Pricing strategies   - Value-based pricing   - Discounting strategies & pricing transparency   - Subscription and usage-based models   - Pricing experimentation and A/B testing   - Competitive pricing analysis 5. Operational Efficiency   - SaaS metrics (CAC, LTV, churn rate, etc.)   - Process automation and workflow optimization 6. Talent & Culture   - Leadership & Management    - Attracting and retaining top talent   - Building a high-performance culture   - Performance Management   - Remote work best practices   - Continuous learning and development 7. Community Building   - Community creation & engagement   - Building an ecosystem around the product   - Customer Advocacy Programs 8. Data and Analytics   - Data-driven decision-making   - Business intelligence (BI) tools and dashboards   - Data governance, security and privacy   - AI applications Other: 9. Product (& GTM Alignment) 10. M&A (Commercial/GTM integration) 11. Finance (Supporting the GTM org) 12. GTM Board Updates & KPIs 13. Etc. ------------------ #pe #privateequity #business

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Absolutely thrilled to welcome Eliot Brooks, Freddie Scott, William Knapp, and the entire Cocoon team to the Wireframe portfolio, and lead their pre-seed round! Steel and concrete are widely considered some of the toughest industries to decarbonize; responsible for 14%+ of GHG emissions today. The scale of these sectors -- with concrete being the second most used substance in the world after water -- makes it extremely difficult for any new technology to make a dent on operations or emissions. But with demand for building materials growing rapidly as we invest in modern cities and infrastructure, solutions that can deliver cost-effective carbon impacts in the short-term is exactly what we need. Enter Cocoon. The company's novel approach leverages existing feedstocks, flow sheets, and supply chains to produce low-carbon cement from slag, all while increasing the profitability of sustainable steel operations. More on why we're convinced that their scalable, shipping container sized system can be the winning solution for these historically hard-to-abate sectors + the progress they've made in just 15 months here: https://lnkd.in/ezzTWtaw

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Really like the Audere Capital team’s methodology and framework for thinking about over-the-horizon innovation technology, and the strong signals of future winners. • Wave 1: Extract (efficiency at lower cost/higher speeds) • Wave 2: Expand (into new high margin markets & products initially deemed impossible) • Wave 3: Entrench (standardize, institutionalize and become the default platform and system for its space) Boom! #vc #startups #investing #investorplaybook

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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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🚀 New Initiative born from Vectors Capital. Pavina Adunratanasee is leading the work from Vectors side. https://lnkd.in/gG2KSaXS We're honored to introduce #CatalyzeClimate, a first-of-a-kind Climate Finance Lab that aims to accelerate global #decarbonization and strengthen #climate resilience. 1️⃣ Our mission is to #mobilize innovative financing mechanisms, accelerate technology hashtag #deployment, and scale #climateinfrastructure via fostering cross-sector collaboration across hashtag #finance, #policy, and #industries. 2️⃣ We believe that #catalyticfinance can play a unique role through a combination of grants and blended capital in unlocking capital for bringing tech to market and scaling climate infrastructure.​ 3️⃣ Taking a differentiated approach, we are focused on: 1. Demonstrating Technological & Commercial Viability 2. Addressing Investment Gaps 3. Creating Market Platforms 4. Advocating for Supportive Policies 💸 Our goal is to mobilize funding commitment for $4 trillion a year that is required for the climate transition from the global financial system. ⚡To kick off the initiative, we’re happy to announce the Catalyze Climate Launch event in the #AsiaPacific region taking place in #Singapore in September followed by launch events in hashtag #SF and #LA. #SG roundtable will be “Bridging the Sustainable Financing Gap: Fostering US - APAC Partnerships for Emerging Climate Infrastructure Advancement.” ✌🏼If you’re a climate investor, lender, or asset allocator and would like to get involved please DM me. 💡 Backed by a team of financing, scientific, and technical experts; and most importantly taking an industrial lens to solving climate challenges: Naman Lahoti Wanwipa Siriwatwechakul Kreshna Y. Rahmat Sasilada Sirirungruang Meghan Oesterle, M.S. Daniel Paley Keyi (Nancy) Kang

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It is an exciting day for climate action. Sustainability Roundtable, Inc.’s Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB) just announced today that seven world-leading companies have signed an aggregated virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Southern Company for renewable energy credits produced by the 180 MW Phase II portion of the Millers Branch Solar Facility in Haskell County, Texas. This long-term aggregated procurement enables the financing and development of the new 180 MW project owned by SPC. The project is expected to achieve commercial operation in Q2 of 2026 Cisco, Juniper Networks, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Cadence Design Systems, IDEXX, PTC, and a Fortune 100 healthcare company joined this agreement, which democratizes access to the commercial and environmental benefits of utility-scale renewable energy by making procurement accessible to a broader range of enterprises. This aggregation is one of the largest peer-buyer organized aggregations to date globally. Today's announcement reflects the fact that the NZCB has achieved 86% of its goal of causing a gigawatt of new renewable energy capacity before 2025. Reaching NZCB’s gigawatt goal would generate enough energy to meet the annual average electricity needs of more than 200,000 U.S. homes while helping mitigate commercial Scope 2 emissions across the business operations of corporate buyers. This transaction demonstrates how the NZCB offers a breakthrough model for commercial collaboration in causing utility-scale renewables, beginning in North America and Europe. 

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