Episodes
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In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, Dylan talks to Rob van Straten, CEO of Skytree, about the company’s pioneering direct air capture (DAC) technology aimed at combating climate change. Rob explains how Skytree’s compact, modular DAC systems capture CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, providing a sustainable alternative to fossil-derived CO₂. Skytree, developed initially for the ISS, now helps sectors like vertical farming reduce emissions with locally sourced CO₂. Rob discusses DAC’s role in a circular carbon economy, energy efficiency improvements, and Skytree’s commitment to sustainable materials and customer-driven innovation for scalable climate solutions.
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"Performance and user experience are our key differentiators. Our smart induction stove is greener, more powerful, and more precise than traditional gas stoves.” Sam D’Amico
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, Dylan talks to Sam D’Amico, Founder and CEO of Impulse. Dylan chats with Sam about Impulse’s electric induction stove with built-in battery storage designed to reduce household reliance on the grid. They explore how this innovative stove combines high performance and precise temperature control, bringing convenience and efficiency to users. Sam shares insights on how Impulse sets the stage for a cleaner future with distributed energy storage, virtual power plants, and seamless integration of renewable energy. -
Episodes manquant?
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“Shipping drives 90% of the world's economy. It's our most efficient way to move things around the world, better than land or air shipping, but it still emits around 3% of global CO2. Because of that, ship owners face growing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from regulations, customers, and shareholders.” Dylan Garrett
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, Dylan talks to Alisha Fredriksson, Co-Founder and CEO of Seabound. Alisha explains how Seabound’s system, housed in modular shipping containers, helps ship owners reduce CO2 emissions using the latest second-generation carbon capture technology. She shares insights on the challenges shipping lines and owners face, like meeting IMO regulations and the Poseidon Principles while highlighting Seabound’s practical, scalable solution. Alisha also reflects on her journey as a non-technical founder and the importance of curiosity and adaptability in tackling climate tech challenges. -
Residential water heating accounts for 3% of all US greenhouse gas emissions and 19% of home energy use, which means it uses a large chunk of a home's energy while adding emissions to our environment. An intelligent heat pump-based water heater is a step in the right direction on both fronts.
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, Dylan talks with Michael Rigney, CEO and co-founder of Cala Systems, about their innovative heat pump water heater. They delve into the environmental impact of residential water heating and the need for sustainable solutions. They also discuss the challenges of finding a job at the intersection of hard tech and climate and how the current climate tech wave has opened up more opportunities in this field. -
What is the cornerstone for a vibrant Climate Tech ecosphere? A climate hardware playbook designed to guide founders in fundraising and building businesses while helping investors integrate climate hardware into their investment portfolios. A playbook backed by research and insights from climate tech investors and founders.
In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, Dylan interviews Christian zu Jeddeloh and Sophia Escheu about their newly developed Climate Hardware Playbook, designed to help founders build and scale climate tech startups. They discuss key challenges facing climate hardware companies, including the European funding gap, the chicken-and-egg problem of commercial traction, and the talent shortages in founding teams. The conversation also touches on creative financing solutions, the evolving climate tech investment landscape, and differences between the US and European markets. Christian and Sophia offer valuable insights into emerging trends and practical advice for those looking to make an impact in climate tech.
If you are a recent founder or thinking about founding your Climate Tech company, this episode is a must-listen! -
Energy storage is a vital cog in building a sustainable grid. It helps us manage the intermittent supply of renewable energy from wind and solar energy sources. Our guest today brings a unique solution to energy storage by repurposing idle gas and oil wells for gravity energy storage.
Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Gregory Kemp, Co-founder and CEO of Renewell Energy. Dylan and Kemp discuss Renewell's innovative approach to repurposing idle oil and gas wells for gravity-based energy storage. Kemp explains how this solution addresses renewable energy's intermittent supply, repurposes existing infrastructure, and offers economic incentives for oil companies. -
Access to economically viable solutions to measure soil carbon at scale is a game changer in our ability to improve our food systems and also improve our land's ability to store carbon.
Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Chris Tolles, Co-Founder and CEO of Yard Stick, a company on a mission to reduce soil carbon measurement costs by 90%. This will pave the way for improving our ecosystem health, restoring soil health, and combating climate change.
Join us as we examine soil carbon measurement and its impact on food systems and carbon storage. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of soil carbon measurement, the economic aspects of carbon removal, and the role of data in driving behavior change. Chris shares the potential of using spectroscopy for faster and more efficient soil carbon measurement and discusses its impact on agriculture, climate change, and economic value.
Our conversation explores the intersection of agriculture, climate change, and carbon removal, offering valuable insights and inspiration. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Jack Morrison, Co-Founder and CEO of Scythe Robotics, a green company on a mission to provide the most advanced and sustainable autonomous technology for maintaining off-road environments. The company’s autonomous electrical mowing and landscaping equipment helps eliminate the emissions from gas-powered equipment that is commercially used.
Join us as we discuss Jack’s background, Scythe’s mission to improve sustainability in landscaping, and their recent series B funding. Jack explains the environmental benefits of transitioning from gas-powered to electric mowers and the importance of urban green spaces. He highlights Scythe’s innovative mower, the M.52, and its development based on customer feedback.
Jack also discusses the potential of autonomous technology in various industries and expresses optimism about renewable energy’s future. He encourages individuals to contribute to climate change solutions, emphasizing collective efforts toward sustainability. -
Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Laura Teicher, President and Executive Director at FORGE, a nonprofit on a mission to help innovators with physical products navigate the journey from prototype to commercialization and impact—at scale.
Join us as we discuss the challenges and benefits of bringing physical climate tech products to the market. Laura recounts her career shift from politics to innovation support, detailing FORGE's role in assisting with manufacturing and supply chain challenges. She emphasizes local manufacturing benefits like reduced carbon footprints and better communication.
The discussion covers FORGE's three support pillars—education, connection, funding, and future service expansions. Laura highlights climate tech growth in renewable energy, electric transportation, and grid connectivity. She advises aspiring climate tech professionals to leverage transferable skills and maintain relationships. -
Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Dr. Ye Tao, Founder and Executive Director of MEER, a company that uses mirrors at scale to reflect sunlight and mitigate the impact of global warming.
Join us as we discuss the innovative concept of MEER and its potential to combat climate change. Dr. Tao shares his insights on the urgent need for sustainable solutions and how MEER can help transition civilization toward a more sustainable future. We delve into the fascinating world of nanoparticle research and the possibilities of dimensional reduction. Discover the limitations of renewable energy and the importance of energy ROI. Dr. Tao also explores the exciting applications of mirrors in controlling sunlight and optimizing temperature reduction. -
Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Natasha Kostenuk, Founder and CEO of Ayrton Energy, a company with the solution to overcome the traditional Hydrogen storage and transportation challenges with their Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) invention.
Join us as we discuss the importance of hydrogen as an energy source for decarbonizing global industries. Natasha walks us through her journey from the oil and gas industry to the climate tech space. We delve into Ayrton Energy's innovative solution using liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) to overcome storage and transportation challenges in the hydrogen industry and the advantages over traditional storage methods. We also touch on Ayrton Energy's business model, scalability, and potential applications in data centers. -
Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Joining us today is Troy Helming, Founder and CEO of EarthGrid, a company that uses patented plasma boring technology to dig tunnels that carry power cables from remote clean energy generation points to the grid and onto the end user.
Join us as we delve into the world of tunnel-boring machines and their role in combating climate change. Troy shares his passion for clean energy and discusses the innovative solutions his company is developing to revolutionize clean energy transmission. Discover the technology behind tunnel boring, the benefits of underground power lines, and the challenges faced in engineering and development. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Our guest today is Oliver Gunasekara, Co-Founder and CEO of Impossible Metals Inc., a company focused on responsible seabed mining to drive a transition to circularity in mining.
Join us as we discuss the controversial topic of deep-sea mining and its potential impact on the environment. Oliver shares his personal journey to climate tech and explains their innovative approach to collecting battery metals from the ocean floor without harming marine ecosystems. They discuss the economic factors, regulatory aspects, and challenges involved in deep-sea mining. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Our guest today is Tom Chi, Founding Partner of At One Ventures, a VC with the mission to invest in companies that work towards a world where humanity has a positive impact on nature. Tom's background includes being an astrophysicist and electrical engineer, developing products at Microsoft and Yahoo, and working as a founding member of Google X.
Tom's background in technology and his personal experience witnessing the death of a coral reef in Hawaii have instilled in him a deep sense of urgency to address climate change. We discuss the slow pace of progress, the challenges of scaling companies, and the need for innovative solutions in venture capital.
Tom not only highlights the importance of mass transfer in carbon sequestration and the limitations of closed-loop plastics recycling but also stresses the power of collaboration and utilizing diverse skills to accelerate progress. He is optimistic about the future, and his optimism is contagious. -
Welcome to this special episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Today, we are at the Wings Conference in Portland, Oregon, where Dylan is joined by Mike Wietecki of Powin and John Thomas of ESS for a live panel discussion. Both Powin and ESS are engaged in deploying battery energy storage systems on the grid.
Join us as we delve into the crucial role of energy storage in combating climate change as Mike and John share their insights about their innovative battery energy storage systems and the challenges they face in scaling the industry. We also explore the impact of incentives and regulations on the market and gain valuable insights into the future of clean energy. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Today, we’re looking at the potential of electrifying ships, hauling cargo, and those involved in tourism to cut up to 3% of the emissions of greenhouse gases on water. If cars can go green, why not ships? Joining me today is Marcelino Alvarez, CEO of Photon Marine, a company manufacturing electric propulsion products for the marine environment.
Join us as we delve into the electrification of commercial boat fleets. Marcelino, the CEO of Photon Marine, shares his inspiration for developing cutting-edge electric propulsion systems for commercial boats. He also discusses the significant environmental benefits of reducing emissions and noise pollution.
We'll explore the challenges and opportunities in this industry, including the growing interest and demand from fishing communities and tourism operators. Discover how Photon Marine's innovative products are making a tangible difference and their strategic plans for supplying motors and batteries to boat operators. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. To mark our 50th episode, we decided to bring back a few of our earliest guests to talk about all things climate tech, and what has changed since our last chat. Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind expands on bold new developments in turbine technology; Heirloom’s Noah McQueen shares the opening of Heirloom's commercial direct air capture facility, and Peter Reinhardt from Charm Industrial discusses the development of mobile pyrolysis units for carbon removal and carbon negative steel production.
Join us as we explore innovative solutions in the renewable energy industry, with a focus on rooftop wind power and carbon removal, and discover why our guests are optimistic about the future. Listen in to find out how Erika, Noah, and Peter’s companies are making a positive impact on climate change while prioritizing social justice and environmental initiatives. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Today, we’re looking at overcoming the environmental challenge of 1.7 million tons of microfibre pollution in our oceans that impacts human health and the ecosystem and biodiversity of the oceans. We do a root cause analysis of the problem, and Adam Root, Founder of Matter., presents a filtration solution that addresses the problem at its source. It captures and recycles microplastics in our washing machines.
Join us as we discuss the detrimental effects of microplastics on the environment and human health while also exploring the importance of education, research, and legislation in tackling this issue. Discover how Matter.'s technology captures and recycles microplastics, and gain insights into the challenges and opportunities faced in scaling their business. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone passionate about protecting our planet. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Today, we’re looking at sustainability and CO2 emissions from the lens of electric RVs and their impact on reducing gas usage. Joining Dylan today is Ben Parker, Co-Founder and CPO of Lightship, America’s first electric recreational vehicle company.
Join them as they discuss the development of Lightship, an electric and aerodynamic solar-powered recreational vehicle (RV). They also delve into the impact of RVs on gas usage, the potential for EV adoption, and the challenges of building an electric vehicle from scratch. Discover how Lightship aims to revolutionize the RV industry and make sustainable lifestyles more accessible. -
Welcome to this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet. Today, Dylan is joined by Keegan Kirkpatrick, Founder and CEO of RedWorks Construction Technologies, a company with a mission to decarbonize the construction industry.
Join them as they discuss how RedWorks manufactures bricks on-site using dirt sourced from the construction site, a solution which can replace concrete and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They also touch on the challenges of introducing new technology to the conservative construction industry and the lack of regulatory standards for structural materials. - Montre plus
