Roman Komarek

āltitude: 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 We're excited to learn more about remote work from co-founder Matteo Benedetti from our portfolio company Debtist in our SME Tech Leaders webinar "Scaling your Startup Remotely" 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lu.ma/mqgwi5p0 When Marc, Ingo, and I started āltitude last year, we did it remotely from Berlin, London, and Zurich, meeting monthly in person. Our team has since expanded to include Torge, our Chief of Staff, and Fernanda, our visiting analyst, currently based in Luxembourg and Munich. Post-pandemic, we believed against the consensus that building a firm apart was possible—we just had to prove it. Remote work naturally sharpens our focus on priorities, which is crucial for any business but also comes with challenges. Here’s how we’ve approached remote work: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: We utilise tools like Notion, Asana, Google Docs, Shared Google Calendars and Folk. We also streamline our financial operations by using our own portfolio company cleverlohn for payroll. 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: We hold daily check-ins—morning for strategic decisions and afternoons for operational priorities. If needed, we schedule dedicated calls for deeper discussions on strategic topics. Regular in-person meetings in different cities keep us connected without the overhead of a permanent office. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀, 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁: Remote work demands trust as you cannot see what people are doing, which we build through clearly defined tasks, deadlines and roles. This clarity ensures that everyone is aligned. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗞𝗣𝗜𝘀: Understanding what outcomes need to be achieved every quarter is key. Especially as we continue fundraising and deploying capital. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Our culture is built on radical candor and transparency, ensuring everyone is working towards the same goals. Open discussions and quick feedback loops allow us to address issues openly. This environment encourages accountability and continuous improvement. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: We meticulously discuss and document our processes via Loom recordings, google docs or notion so everyone understands how things are done. Regular iteration on these processes helps us stay disciplined and efficient. This is particularly important in a remote setup where discipline is key to consistency. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: We anticipate predictable workload:, such as attending events (booking travel/meetings) and LP updates, by planning and working ahead of time. This allows us to be proactive rather than reactive, a necessity in remote work where spontaneous problem-solving isn’t as easy. These strategies have enabled us to build and scale our venture capital firm remotely, proving that it’s possible. #scaleup #venturecapital #remotework

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Fantastic event (and ecosystem) that Patrick Meier, PhD and his team at the Climate Robotics Network are creating. Highly recommend you check out the Climate Robotics Summit, done in partnership with EPFL, SOSV, Cybernetix Ventures, ETH Zürich, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. I just had the pleasure of moderating a panel just now on investing in climate robotics, alongside Urvi Nagrani, Malini Samtani, Sashi Jayatileke and Fady Saad. Here are some of the key insights: 1) Applications for robotics to climate challenges (adaptation AND mitigation) are enormous: support to farmers as conditions for humans become too hot to farm for long hours, drones that help capture data on forests and wildlife, supporting with installation of maintenance in large solar fields, wind turbines, circular economy applications - e.g. de-manufacturing - to just name a few. 2) Investing in robotics is simply different - it doesn't fit the standard SAAS VC strategies, often having a lot of engineering input and require non-dilutive funding upfront - e.g. similar barriers to investing in hardware writ large. Thus, it sits in a bit of its own asset class, so investors and entrepreneurs alike need to understand how these solutions behave, esp. in the early-stages of building/testing. That said, there is a growing pool of funds that have been specializing in this area. 3) So how do we move robotics solutions up the TRL ladder faster? It can take a LONG time for any robotics solution to be truly market ready. Even when there is theoretical product-market fit doesn't mean that it's ready in investors' eyes. Lots of testing as well as setting proper expectations with customers is critical, and part of this long process. Non-dilutive funding is rare to find in most countries, but in the US in particular there is a growing pool of grant funding that can help. 4) Development finance institutions and donors have a critical role here, especially in vulnerable countries/communities: Robotics could have bit impact in supporting climate solutions in vulnerable communities, but we need to ensure that there is an enabling environment for these solutions, which means that the policy, academic, and traditional finance space (e.g. local commercial banks)

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To all #climatetech #founders and #funders in NYC and beyond, please join us on June 5th for an evening of #breakthrough #decarbonization #innovation at the ReGen Accelerator #DemoDay! 🎉 Get ready to be inspired by our cohort of #earlystage startups: ​ ▶ aich2 is engineering a novel #hydrogen ecosystem, built around Solid Hydrogen carriers. ​​ ▶ carbogenics produces sustainable #carbon adsorbents from difficult-to-recycle organic waste, including coffee cups and wastewater screenings ​​ ▶ TeamStack.ai is driving better performance by harnessing #AI, data, & the collective intelligence of teams. ​ ▶ Tesleon LLC uses compelling characters and #storytelling to instill compassion for communities and our planet in the next generation. ​ ▶ Tolam Earth is a trusted #marketplace for high-quality, high-impact carbon offsets. Don't miss out! Secure your spot below. Big thank you to Brown Rudnick LLP for hosting this event, our partners at ClimateHaven for their hard work and dedication during the entire program, and to our incredible network of #mentors and #facilitators, each of whom have dedicated time to working with these incredible founders this spring, including Jason Ambrose, Marina Rakhlin, Lauren Zujkowski, Stuart DeCew, Matt Puccini Andy Rooks, Nina Raab, and Bill Stephney. And of course Shai Tamary, Lars Korby and Sarah Cleveland, without whom we would not be able run such a #program. #innovation #sustainability #climateaction #accelerator

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2024 LAVCA Trends in Tech - LAVCA https://buff.ly/4dfL6Qf by @LAVCA sector and country-specific breakdowns, average round sizes across investment stages and the current role of global investors co-investing alongside local fund managers! #rafAIgual #vc #trends #investment #latam

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Controversial opinion - but in any case, we have to note "THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION SUPERIORITY", as John Cowan writes. Startup Studios, Venture Studios, Asset Studios, but also VCs that want to stay competitive in the future have to take data-driven decisions, based on actual, life data from what humans do in their projects and startups. AI can help, but in the end it's human decisions (still) that make the difference for success or failure. I have been monitoring Max Pog and his grand research, cited in the article, for a while. He already promotes and lives the principles of collaborative startup ecosystem in his online community. We on the other hand are happy to build a platform that facilitates these interactions and the value creation as an operating system for studios and VCs. https://lnkd.in/eQ2uK2U6

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Announcing AI for Climate Resilience https://buff.ly/3KSHyXa by @MCSocialVenture seeking startups deploying AI solutions and climate analytics for resilience in emerging markets: 🤖 Adaptive Agriculture 🤖 Inclusive Fintech 🤖 Climate smart technologies #rafAIgual #AI #climate #vc #startup #investment #emerging #markets #investment #innovation #impact #transformation

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Question. Who should we meet about climate hardware exits or more specifically M&A . We have IPOs and private secondaries pretty well covered, but happy to learn more. We’re now approaching 10x in climate investments since 2021 compared to cleantech 1.0. We’ve unfortunately repeated some of the mistakes and there are some signs that large bets will fail. But there are also some fast growing, even profitable climatetech startups. The problem is we don’t have many exits to confirm that this time is different. The last required step is to turn paper gains into cash. Unfortunately, as we learned about fundraising, the software playbook isn’t reusable because so many of the companies include hardware. So who has figured this out? Could be founders, investment bankers or folks who’ve led corp dev. Main specific qualification is they’ve worked on deals involving hardware or climate, or both. Please add to the comment s (if you prefer email or DM, that works too).

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Climate tech investments in 2024 will outpace last year's total. As of July 2024, climate tech funding year-to-date reached $57.92 billion – a notable increase from the $47.69 billion recorded at the same point in 2023. This 21.4% growth underscores a robust influx of capital into the sector, giving prevalent economic uncertainties, reflecting sustained investor interest and confidence. https://lnkd.in/erkWuJtD #climatetech #climateaction Remarkable Ventures Climate

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How do we design funding mechanisms that are regenerative and built to last? In the latest Rehash episode, Sophia Dew from Celo Foundation joins me to talk about what blockchain enables for public goods funding, frameworks for designing regenerative onchain funding apps, and what it takes to build and maintain a layer 2 blockchain. Tune into our full conversation at the links below:

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Forget software—the future of our planet rests on hardware. Who will drive the next wave of climate tech innovation—batteries, rare minerals, or M&A deals? Nadav Steinmetz, Co-Founder of Climate First, reveals why deep tech could be the game-changer in our fight against climate change. 🔍 Why deep tech will outpace software in climate impact 🔋 The hidden challenges holding back battery innovation 🤝 How global powerhouses are teaming up to lead the climate tech revolution 🤑 How M&A activity will help us meet the 2030 targets 💎 How access to rare minerals will influence the future of electrification 🇦🇪 Whether the Middle East will become a major player in the global climate ecosystem Even if you’re not in climate tech, this episode of Climate Insiders will open your eyes to the massive shifts happening right now—and why you can’t afford to ignore them. Full episode in the comments! 👇 #HardwareForClimate #DeepTechDecarbonization #BatteryInnovation

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Is Proptech ready to lead the charge in the Circular Economy space? In real estate and construction, embracing a Circular Economy means transitioning from the traditional 'take-make-dispose' approach to one where reuse, recycling, and regeneration are at the forefront. This shift not only enhances sustainability and reduces waste but also opens up new avenues for innovation within Proptech. By integrating Circular Economy principles into Proptech solutions, we have the chance to build a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come. Through collaboration, creativity, and a commitment to circularity, we can reshape the way we design, construct, and manage properties to minimize waste and maximize efficiency. Let's discuss how we can accelerate this transformation together in the comments 💬 #Proptech #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Innovation

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#Apple #iPhone_16 Apple released its Product Environmental Report for its new iPhone 16 lineup, highlighting some of the key sustainability attributes of its new products, and the progress the company is making towards its climate and sustainable materials goals in the manufacturing and use of its products. The report indicated that Apple has achieved lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of 30% for its new iPhone 16 Pro 128 GB and iPhone Pro 16 Max 256 GB models, against a business as usual scenario which models no use of clean electricity beyond that available on the grid, Apple’s carbon intensity of key materials on the 2015 baseline used for its 2030 climate goals, and its average mix of transportation modes by product lines across 2017-2019. According to the report, the greatest contributor to date to the reduced GHG footprint of the new iPhone, which now stands at 74 kg for the iPhone 16 Pro Max compared to a 105 kg baseline, is the increased use of low carbon electricity in Apple’s supply chain, with the company noting that low carbon solutions implemented by suppliers reduced product emissions by more than 20%.

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In 2023, the largest segments in the climate tech vertical were low-carbon mobility, industry, grid infrastructure, intermittent renewable energy sources (solar and wind). 50 VC deals for climate tech companies in 2023 exceeded $150 million, and of these, nine exceeded $500 million. Companies that need a lot of capital to execute on a big vision can succeed today. #climatetech #climateVC #climate

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🚀 Here are some of the early-stage VC investments I've seen over the past week fueling innovation in sectors like AI, medtech, and sustainability across 🇪🇺 Europe 🇪🇺. Beyond Aero: The French aerospace startup raised $20 million to develop hydrogen-powered electric jets. The funding round was co-led by Giant Ventures and French sovereign fund Bpifrance, with participation from Initialized Capital, Female Founders Fund, and 7percent Ventures Ventures. Hertility, Co-founded by Dr Helen O'Neill, Hertility Health has raised $15.7 million to date, including angel investor actress Emma Watson, and is currently seeking an additional $20 million to advance its mission of improving women's reproductive health through at-home testing and data-driven diagnostics. Wobby: An Antwerp-based AI-powered information platform, #Wobby secured €1.1 million in seed funding. This investment from, Shaping Impact Group, Si3 fund, V Ventures Llc and imec.istart, will support its expansion into new European markets and its initial entry into the U.S. market. Foodsi: Warsaw-based Foodsi raised €1.2 million to combat food waste in restaurants and stores. The funding round was led by CofounderZone, with participation from several angel investors. Aignostics: Based in Berlin, #Aignostics secured €31.4 million in a Series B funding round to enhance precision medicine through AI. The round was led by Wellington Partners and Evotec, with participation from existing investors Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds. GlassFlow: A Berlin-based startup, GlassFlow secured €4.43 million to enable Python developers to build event-driven data pipelines. The seed funding round was led by Earlybird Venture Capital, with participation from 42CAP and several angel investors. Modash Tallinn-based Modash, a creator partnerships platform, secured $12 million in a Series A funding round. The investment aims to accelerate the company's growth and expand its market reach. Scalpel, A London-based medtech startup, Scalpel AI raised £3.8 million in a funding round led by Mercia Ventures. The company specialises in developing AI-driven solutions for surgical procedures.

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Last week, I had the pleasure of moderating a discussion on navigating FOAK in climate tech at the Greentown Labs Summit in Boston (which had >600 people!!). Here’s a quick rundown of what was shared by Katherine St. James of Spring Lane Capital, Paris Smalls, PhD of Eden GeoPower, and Hannah Friedman of Planeteer Capital: 🌱 What is the definition of FOAK? We discussed how the term can be controversial - it's almost too general because it doesn't identify what kind of "First" FOAK refers to - first team project? First geography? First of a technology in a sector? First time for the integration of a system? It's also too specific because it has the word "first" in it, which can be anathema to later stage / project finance investors. 💰 Partnerships for Funding FOAK Projects We discussed how important it is to build a blended capital stack & use off-balance sheet capital for a project so you're not using the most expensive equity dollars to fund an infrastructure project with low-ish IRR. We also talked through being creative about using corporate partners to provide in-kind services or ink some agreement (at least an LOI) to attract this funding. 🏛 Role of Government We talked about how government capital is seen by investors & how it can be catalytic for FOAK. Government capital can provide validation that a startup has passed a rigorous diligence process by a third party - and incentives like grants or credits can help improve returns for the first project- but it's important to be doing this in conjunction with getting customer validation and to be able to present line of sight to competitive economics without concessionary capital. 👥 Advice for FOAK startups The panelists offered some very specific pieces of advice for startups going through FOAK: how to get creative with things like revenue sharing agreements or convertible notes, getting smart with project development early on (like with DeveloperU), being careful about using FOAK too liberally with certain investor groups, getting the right commercialization / FOAK talent in and around you early Huge thanks to the panelists and the team at Greentown Labs (Jill Kirkpatrick, Julia Travaglini, Aisling Carlson, etc you rocked it!!) for hosting this discussion on bridging the FOAK gap. Also immensely enjoyed the rest of the agenda. Check out the full recap & videos here: https://lnkd.in/d9ApYe9Y #ClimateTech #FOAK #ClimateFinance #ProjectDevelopment #GreenTech #CleanEnergy

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3D printing is having a breakout moment, turning its long held promise into a reality that is arriving at pace and at scale. Over the next 5 years: - Consumers will expect customized products at scale - Computers will surpass human creativity and skill in product design - New infrastructure is needed to protect IP if anything can be printed anywhere  - Global supply chains will be meaningfully dismantled as products get printed at their point of sale I sat down with Philip DeSimone, Co-founder of Carbon, the most advanced 3D printing company already operating at scale serving customers in 17 countries ranging from Adidas to Ford. With over 300 patents filed, Carbon has raised $680M from the likes of Sequoia, Temasek, and Google. Check out 5YF Episode #14: 3D printing breakthroughs, AI designed products, mass customization, spare body parts, dismantling global trade, IP piracy, and the future of production w/ Carbon Co-founder Philip DeSimone https://pod.fo/e/234185 #3Dprinting

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If you are a founder building in climate and/or deep tech - check out this webinar tomorrow hosted by Newlab. A killer panel diving into Techno-Economic Analyses (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) Mastering TEA and LCA for Deep Tech Success - August 20 at 2:30pm ET - Understand how these tools drive the economic viability and environmental sustainability of your venture Link to register below!

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Want to explore 1000+ NatureTech startups in one place? 🌱💻 We've been working on something big... ...and today we're making it public. The NatureTech Memos has partnered with Nature4Climate to bring the ‘Yellow-pages’ of start-ups to the NatureTech community! 💡 What's Inside:  ↳ A comprehensive directory of 1000+ NatureTech companies. ↳ Structured two-tier categorization system for easy browsing. ↳ Detailed funding information including stage, capital raised and investor details. 🎯 Community Driven: ↳ Created through community collaboration and detailed research. ↳ Simple 3-minute submission form to add new companies. ↳ It’s FREE! Free access for anyone interested in NatureTech. 💫 Huge thanks to Jen Stebbing, Lucy Almond and the entire NatureTech community for making this possible. Want access or want to add your startup? Connect with me + comment ‘NATURE’ and you’ll get a private access link!

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Pleased to share some insights into our latest fund SSV II 🛰 🌌 Following the same strategy as its original SpaceTech-focused venture fund, a top-performing fund for its vintage, SSV II aims to build a portfolio of c.30 companies. The Fund has already made nine investments. The 9 companies currently making up the SSV II portfolio are: 💫 Hubble Network – Internet of Things satellite constellation for connecting directly to billions of Bluetooth-enabled devices Delos Insurance Solutions – Space data-powered wildfire home insurance provider ATMOS Space Cargo – Space cargo return service for life sciences Auriga Space – Novel electromagnetic launch system Array Labs- 3D satellite imagery on a global scale Privateer Space - constellation of small SATs for in-Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Ubotica Technologies - Live Earth Intelligence (Space: AI) Renoster - Deep Transparency for nature-based carbon projects constellr - Space data-powered high-precision smart farming services Find out more👀 https://lnkd.in/eS_9w7c3

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