Cleantech Bridge GmbH

** Must read ** Sightline Climate (CTVC) just released their annual Climate Capital Stack and New Funds report (download link in comments). Must read if you would like to understand the funding landscape for Cleantech. Including valuable insights on also the FOAK finance problem. Thank you, Sightline, for creating this report.

If you want to learn more about the funding gap between Venture capital and infrastructure capital in Cleantech and ways to turn this into an opportunity, check out the latest The Solar Journey podcast with Torsten Brammer, Tobias Schütt and Christian Langen. (link in comments). You will also hear a lot more about Cleantech Bridge and the motivation behind the business. Any comments you wish to share with us about the Podcast?

GREAT STORIES START WITH A CHAT, NOT A PROMPT so true Slush and best thing: the 2024 lived up to the expectations that you have set so high. great event; fully soaked in - will need time to recover from this great atmosphere and the tons of good conversations I had. What an inspiration! Christian Langen Tobias Schütt enjoyed the fun!

Why FOAK in Cleantech 🌱 Is a good fit for Family Offices and Private Wealth — It crosses borders that institutional investors rarely cross In Cleantech 🌿, “First-of-a-kind” (FOAK) financing solutions are key for rolling out solar systems ☀️, heat pumps ♨️, energy storage 🔋, and charging solutions ⚡. These ventures require not just capital, but the right kind of capital—flexible, patient, and visionary. This is where family offices and private wealth investors can make a significant impact. Entrepreneurial Family Offices: The Agile Investors 🏃♂️ Many Family offices are uniquely positioned to support FOAK projects in cleantech. Unlike institutional investors bound by rigid structures and mandates, agile and entrepreneurial family offices have the spirit 🚀 and freedom to make innovative decisions quickly. They can navigate across different asset classes and investment stages, crossing borders that institutional investors often cannot. Embracing Complexity for Long-Term Gain 🎯 Cleantech scale-ups often need asset-based financing structures that are more complex but ultimately more robust. While these may appear expensive at first glance, they account for the risks, reserves, and services required to sustain systems over 20 years. Family offices can better tolerate this complexity, focusing on long-term value rather than short-term returns. Breaking Funding Silos 🧱 The traditional finance world is organized into distinct “buckets” of capital, which can be a barrier for the type of innovation cleantech offers. Many Family offices have the flexibility to break these silos, providing a blend of entrepreneurial capital and smart asset equity that’s rare in institutional investing. Aligning Values with Impact ❤️🌍 Family offices often align their investment strategies closely with their values. Investing in cleantech not only offers financial returns but also contributes to a sustainable future 🌎. This dual benefit resonates with the long-term vision many family offices hold. Filling the Void Left by Venture Capital 🕳️ While venture capital plays a crucial role in the startup ecosystem, it may not be the best fit for asset-heavy scale-ups in cleantech. The return requirements and timelines of VC funds can push companies into “asset-light” models, limiting their true potential. Family offices can fill this void by providing patient capital that’s better suited to the growth trajectory of cleantech innovations. Conclusion: A Partnership for Sustainable Progress 🤝 Family offices and private wealth investors have a unique opportunity to drive change in the cleantech sector. By crossing traditional investment borders, they can support FOAK projects that institutional investors might overlook🌱. Join Us in Making a Difference 🙌 At Cleantech Bridge GmbH, we believe in the power of collaboration between visionary investors and pioneering entrepreneurs. If you’re a family office looking to make a lasting impact in cleantech, let’s connect.

Six Months of Cleantech Bridge: Two “Old Hands” Sharing a New Journey 🚀 Six months ago, Tobias Schütt and I founded Cleantech Bridge GmbH Equity Advisors to tackle the challenges of financing first-of-a-kind cleantech innovations. Here’s what we’ve learned: 🤝 Working with a Pro is a Game-Changer Partnering with someone who shares mutual trust, openness, and experience has been invaluable. Our advanced pattern recognition helps us navigate challenges efficiently, avoiding pitfalls we’ve encountered in our earlier entrepreneurial careers. ⚠️ The Pain Point is Bigger Than Expected Cleantech innovations struggle to find suitable financing. They need entrepreneurial capital at the start, followed by smart asset-equity to scale—a rare combination. 💥 Breaking Funding Silos The finance world remains split into capital “buckets,” hindering innovation. There’s a misconception among founders that “capital is capital,” regardless of its source. Even within large investment houses, different departments often operate in silos. 🚫 Consumer Finance Is the Wrong Go-To Solution Cleantech scale-ups resort to consumer finance for selling hardware like heat pumps and solar systems, shifting long-term risk to consumers who purchase 20-year energy assets as if buying a couch. This approach is risky for both buyers and investors. 🛡️ A More Robust Alternative Asset-based leasing structures offer a more robust solution by accounting for risks, reserves, and necessary services over the asset’s lifetime. Though more complex and seemingly expensive initially, they provide long-term stability. 🏗️ VC May Not Be Ideal for Asset-Heavy Scale-Ups While venture capital plays a vital role in startups, it may not suit asset-heavy scale-ups. High return requirements can drive startups into “asset-light” models, limiting their true potential. Specialized asset equity with a path to de-risking over time is a better solution. ❌ Debt Can’t Solve Equity Risk Engaging banks or debt providers to take on elevated technology risk is futile. The missing piece is first-of-a-kind equity. Debt providers and infrastructure funds will step in once there’s a proven track record to qualify actual risk. 🤖 Our First Hire: AI Instead of building a large team, we’ve leveraged AI tools for tasks like meeting summaries, brainstorming, research, and organization. This enhances our productivity without sacrificing authenticity, allowing us to focus on creating value. 🌟 Opportunities Abound The cleantech space offers a staggering array of opportunities. We’ve explored electrifying freight, flight, infrastructure, and more. Through our Cleantech Bridge Investment Screening Report, we’ve helped institutional investors better understand opportunities by providing expert guidance. 🎉 The Best Part: We’re Just Getting Started If our passions resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you. A more comprehensive version of this article can be found on our company website - see 1st comment below.

VC vs. Infrastructure Finance: The FOAK Cleantech Challenge Financing of asset roll-outs in the Cleantech Space remains a challenge. Find out more on what is happening in that field in our latest insights, tackling points like - VC Capital Constraints - Infrastructure's Need for Scale & Stability - A Unified Investor Base for FOAK as possible solution At the end, all Investors must step up to unlock cleantech's full potential. Happy to hear your thoughts! Find our Blog post here: https://wix.to/sVOVINV #Cleantech #FOAK #VentureCapital #InfrastructureFinance #Innovation #SustainableInvestment #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #PrivateWealth #AssetFinancing #Sustainability #Entrepreneurship #InvestmentStrategy #neuerblogbeitrag

6️⃣ 1️⃣ 3️⃣ . 0️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ . 0️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ . 0️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ ($613 billion) 💡 Unbelievable figures from #Big #Oil. And a concerning observation.   💲 That’s how you make real #money: drilling for #CO2 (not gold or lithium), selling it to mass markets and blowing it into the air - and letting the following generations deal with it.   🤑 Between January 2021 and September 2023, five of the largest oil companies generated $613 billion in operating #cash flow.   💫 The news is, O&G as a #strategy is turning cash reserves into future cash flows through #investment activity.   🌏 One could say, the good news is, O&G uses some of the cash flow to invest into #cleantech #assets as well as #companies, O&G is an important partner in the cleantech start-up / grown-up company space as a relevant #exit path for earlier stage #investors.   🙁 The concerning element: the strategic focus and the by far greater amount of investments is into oil and gas #upstream activities, i.e. securing of production sites or investment into technologies that extends #exploration life-time.   😡 What O&G is saying by that: We bet on fossil generation being relevant still for a long, long time.   Source via Sightline Climate (CTVC): 🌎 The Great Shale Shake-Up #199 (ctvc.co)

6️⃣ 1️⃣ 3️⃣ . 0️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ . 0️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ . 0️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ ($613 billion) 💡 Unbelievable figures from #Big #Oil. And a concerning observation.   💲 That’s how you make real #money: drilling for #CO2 (not gold or lithium), selling it to mass markets and blowing it into the air - and letting the following generations deal with it.   🤑 Between January 2021 and September 2023, five of the largest oil companies generated $613 billion in operating #cash flow.   💫 The news is, O&G as a #strategy is turning cash reserves into future cash flows through #investment activity.   🌏 One could say, the good news is, O&G uses some of the cash flow to invest into #cleantech #assets as well as #companies, O&G is an important partner in the cleantech start-up / grown-up company space as a relevant #exit path for earlier stage #investors.   🙁 The concerning element: the strategic focus and the by far greater amount of investments is into oil and gas #upstream activities, i.e. securing of production sites or investment into technologies that extends #exploration life-time.   😡 What O&G is saying by that: We bet on fossil generation being relevant still for a long, long time.   Source via Sightline Climate (CTVC): 🌎 The Great Shale Shake-Up #199 (ctvc.co)

Cleantech Bridge Offsite - Insights on what is going on in the #FOAK market