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About
Daniel Dart is the founder of Solo GP fund Rock Yard Ventures.
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Daniel Dart shared this🚨NEW EPISODE: Recorded live at FUTURE TITANS 2026 - Ron Biscardi of iConnections sits down with Bill Gurley, general partner at Benchmark and one of the greatest venture investors of all time. When Bill committed to speaking at FT, it meant everything to me - it felt like real validation that what I was building with both my firm, Rock Yard Ventures, and FUTURE TITANS, was real. Equally as special was having Ron - who also received an inaugural FT Catalyst Award at the summit - moderate it. A rare moment of getting to host two titans in real time. And the conversation does not disappoint! They got into the AI bubble, circular deals, the sport of kings, how the best venture decisions actually get made, and Bill’s new book, Running Down a Dream. If you couldn't make it to Austin, you gotta give it a listen. You're in for a treat. 🎧 Links to listen... Apple: https://lnkd.in/g2JPntWM Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gE97hgag
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Daniel Dart shared this🚨NEW EPISODE: Recorded live at FUTURE TITANS 2026 - Jeff Perry of Carta sat down with the iconic Seth Levine, co-founder of Foundry. Seth has been in venture for 25 years, built Foundry from scratch as an emerging manager himself, and has backed about 50 emerging manager funds through his fund of funds. He has genuinely seen every side of this table. They went deep on building Foundry, why VCs are in the influence business, not the decision business, and why the concentration problem in venture is not only bad for LPs, but also for the innovation ecosystem overall. And why Seth's new book, Capital Evolution, is so important for the future of America. 🎧 Links to listen... Apple: https://lnkd.in/ehQUQ2EM Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eU4FExpg
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Daniel Dart shared this🚨NEW EPISODE: Recorded live at Future Titans 2026 🚨 I had the chance to sit down with THE one and only Mike Chalfen, founder of Chalfen Ventures, an icon of European VC, and a true pioneer of the solo GP movement. He flew in all the way from London, fighting the 'storm of the decade' to graciously share his wisdom and insight with all of us following in his footsteps, and it did not disappoint. From why trying to see every deal is the path to madness, to why boards too early do more harm than good. If you are a GP or allocator looking for what real original thinking sounds like, this is for you. 🎧 Links to listen... Apple: https://lnkd.in/eyUBmE39 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ec64cic3
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Daniel Dart reposted thisDaniel Dart reposted thisWanted to share a new adventure I'll be undertaking next month! Me and a few finance friends (Derek Drummond, CAIA, Peter Madsen, Katherine Wyble, Matt Hershey, CFA, Stacey Gerber, Ryan Erickson, Jeff Furst) have decided to run 300+ miles from Santa Monica to Las Vegas as part of The Speed Project — an unsanctioned ultramarathon relay unlike anything else out there. We're running on behalf of the MIT Sloan Prison Education Initiative — an incredible program that brings world-class business education to incarcerated individuals. This program was founded by our very own team captain, Daniel Dart. We would greatly appreciate any support for this important program. Any contribution is immensely valued! https://lnkd.in/gdAnu7Vf
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Daniel Dart reposted thisDaniel Dart reposted thisI made some new friends (Daniel Dart, Derek Drummond, CAIA, Edgar Smith, Matt Hershey, CFA) and they convinced me to join them in the Santa Monica to Las Vegas Speed Project. It is going to be a ton of fun!* We're running on behalf of the MIT Sloan Prison Education Initiative and it would be much appreciated if you could spare some love (in the form of cash)!
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Daniel Dart shared thisThis week, I sat down with Ken Rideout (also a remarkable human), and we got super raw. I've never talked about my background like this before. Not in detail. Not the real version. Prison. Prison riots. The National Guard having to take back the yard. People fighting for their lives. The kind of violence that doesn't make you tough, it just makes you never want to see it again. The kind that makes you realize anyone glorifying war has never been anywhere near the real thing. I'm insecure about my past. It is hard to carry your biggest mistakes in life on your sleeve. Ken is one of the only people I can talk to about this part of my life, where I know he truly shows no judgment, maybe because he was a prison guard before becoming the world's fastest marathon runner over 50 - he knows how truly remarkable my achievements are despite my background. And over the past year, he is also one of the people who has been the most supportive of me as I work on my forthcoming book (Don't worry David Moldawer, I promise I'm working on it!). So it felt super authentic to sit down with him and really get into the nitty gritty of what life was like way back when. Here's what I know: my track record of overcoming obstacles is the most important thing about me. Not where I went to school. Not who I know. What I've survived, and what I've built after. Over and over again. If you know me, I think you'll enjoy this one. If you don't, maybe it helps explain a few things. Links to listen 🎧 ... Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/eegyQmMi Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ecpCvK_m Listen on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e-wtqb3S
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Daniel Dart shared thisThere are few places as energizing to me as universities, and the MBA Venture Fellows class at University of Texas McCombs School of Business was no exception. It was a pleasure to share time with such an impressive group of future leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors. With students like these, the future is in good hands. It was an honor to share a bit of my story and how I see the world at Rock Yard Ventures with them. Thank you James (Jim) Nolen for inviting me, it was truly a privilege. Hook ‘em horns!
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Daniel Dart reposted thisDaniel Dart reposted thisBig week at iConnections. From our chatting with Daniel Dart and Nick Cooper on the breakout stage to our dinner at Macchialina and social at MILA, it was one for the books! Thanks for having team Carta, Ron Biscardi. Can’t wait for next year!
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Daniel Dart shared thisJust got back from iConnections and as always, it did not disappoint. I was honored share the stage alongside FirstMark’s inimitable Rick Heitzmann, moderated by General Catalyst’s always thoughtful Tracy Fong. We spoke about all things AI and where the world is going, as well as what I’m building at Rock Yard Ventures and FUTURE TITANS. It was awesome to say the least. I even got the chance to sneak in some fishing with Edgar Smith - our new yearly tradition. It’s without a doubt the week I look forward to the most every year. I call it the ‘real Davos of finance’ for a reason. It’s truly the center of the universe for alternative investors. You have to be there. No doubt about it. Congratulations to Ron Biscardi, Rob Tappero, Kaitlin Malin, Diana Arakelyan, Kristan Hester, and the rest of the iConnections team for once again showing why you’re the absolute best in the biz. I’m already looking forward to 2027!
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Daniel Dart reacted on thisDaniel Dart reacted on thisHard to capture the beauty of the dunes of Liwa in a single shot — our 3rd Easter in this beautiful place. The quiet of the dunes has a way of putting life into perspective — the highs, the lows, and especially the resilience we’re learning and passing on to our children right now. Feeling grateful for this moment and everything it represents.
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Daniel Dart liked thisDaniel Dart liked thisApril is ✨Fair Chance Month✨, and one of the ways we’re recognizing it at Checkr, Inc. is by getting more proximate and volunteering with community organizations. Today, we kicked things off with the Televerde Foundation. A few of my colleagues (Aron Roy, Amanda Harmon, Angelina Frazey, Hanna Dobrynski, CISSP) spoke with women currently participating in TVF's program as they prepare for release and plan their next chapter. Our team shared their own career pathways and what their roles look like day-to-day, offering practical insight, encouragement, and honest advice. Thank you to Televerde Foundation for your partnership and for creating space for growth and possibility. And thank you to our Checkr volunteers for taking the time to share your wisdom and experiences! #FairChanceMonth #FairChanceHiring #SecondChanceMonth #volunteering #careerpathways #reentry #workforcedevelopment
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Daniel Dart reacted on thisDaniel Dart reacted on thisWe're honored to share that David Gilmore, vice president and chief investment officer at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, was named to the Power100 Presented By Blueprint Capital Advisors LLC for 2026. 👉 https://lnkd.in/ekagAwsT
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Daniel Dart liked thisCountdown is on⏳🥵✨ Yesteryear analytics tools… time to start sleeping with one eye open.
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Daniel Dart liked thisDaniel Dart liked this🚀🚀🚀 Big congrats to existing Position Ventures portfolio company Cara team on their new $8M Seed round! So exciting to see how quickly Cara is growing - not from marketing, but from brokers telling other brokers. 📣 80% of customers through word of mouth 📈 Seven-figure ARR in 7 months Cara is building an AI platform for insurance brokerages - automating the manual work that eats up teams’ time (coverage comparisons, proposals, COIs, inbound requests) and plugging directly into existing systems so brokers can focus on sales and client relationships. In a trust-driven industry, this kind of adoption says everything. Huge congrats to Vic Yeh and the whole Cara team! Read more about the raise in Axios : https://lnkd.in/gGAXwN6PExclusive: Cara raised $8M for insurance brokerage AIExclusive: Cara raised $8M for insurance brokerage AI
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Daniel Dart liked thisDaniel Dart liked thisThank you to Newlab and #AlliedMaritimeTech for hosting a great event on maritime shipping innovation, and to my fellow panelists Sam Wils, Kenji Togasaki, and Sean Simons for a fun conversation on the art and reality of startup–industry collaboration! Especially enjoyed sharing the progress we’re making at Nodal Networks, and how we’re adding value to port terminal operations today. Lastly, always nice to see some familiar faces… Marina Hadjipateras Andrew Petrisin Ryan Musto Rob Quartel Peter Tirschwell
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Daniel Dart liked thisDaniel Dart liked thisWe finally did it! The first ever Braun & Brains meetup happened last week and it was awesome. Getting to meet people from the community in person was one of the highlights of my year so far. Thank you to all the founders, operators, and fellow tech writers who attended. The energy in the room was exactly what I hoped it would be. Subscribers will always hear about future meetups first, and if you're interested in collaborating on an event for the tech, startup, and creator community, my DMs are open. I'd love to build something together. Thank you again to everyone who came out, it meant the world!
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Daniel Dart liked thisOne of many ways we are raising AI IQ across Maersk. Our guiding principle from day one has been to approach it as a team sport and not a Tech only led transformation.
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Kirk Hourdajian
Montauk Capital • 4K followers
Last week, I spent three days at Atomic 66—a self-described “SXSW for New Mexico”—a vibrant gathering of builders, technologists, artists, and investors all focused on one big question: How do we unlock New Mexico’s full potential through innovation? Given Montauk Climate’s recent success incubating and launching Clear Current—an energy software company based in New Mexico—and it's co-founder Eric Hines’ deep roots in the state, I wanted to see firsthand what’s happening on the ground. The short answer: a lot. The conversations at Atomic 66 ranged from space to climate to AI and to community. The dress code? Everything from ties to cowboy boots to bare feet. But amid the diversity of ideas and participants, one thing was constant: the sense that New Mexico is building the foundation of something big. Something that may one day rival Silicon Valley in originality, scope, and impact. In my talk, "The Electron Economy Runs Through New Mexico," I shared our investment thesis around the Electron Economy—the idea that electrification, digitization, and AI are converging to reshape our economy. The grid is being remade, software is optimizing energy systems in real time, and the surge in electricity demand is creating a generational opportunity to build and invest. Over $5T will be required just for digitization and automation of our energy grid by 2050—twice the amount we spent building out the internet. With abundant natural resources, deep technical talent, strong policy tailwinds, and leading clean energy job growth, NM can be a hub. While there, I connected with people who are actively shaping this emerging ecosystem: Rep. Meredith Dixon, championing policy and incentives to create and scale new technologies, Jessica Moose from Sandia National Labs, pushing tech from lab bench to market, investors like VamosVentures, Dangerous Ventures and UP.Partners who are committed to the state, and founders like Thomas Chepucavage who are building the future of energy storage. The momentum is real—but the opportunity is just getting started. New Mexico has the raw ingredients: sun, wind, deep technical talent, labs, and grit. What’s needed now is capital and conviction—to turn this foundation into the next generation of market-shaping companies. More to come.
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Marcia Nelson
Texas Capital • 11K followers
The "Investing in Secondaries" panel during Texas Capital's Winter Family Office Summit was one of those conversations that felt both practical and energizing. Secondaries can sound niche from the outside, but once you start talking about access to companies like SpaceX and other breakout private‑market stars, everyone leans in a little closer. What made this session especially interesting was how the panelists broke down the secondaries market in a way that felt accessible — even for people who don’t live and breathe private equity. They talked about how secondaries can offer a path into high‑growth companies that rarely open their cap tables, how pricing dislocations create real opportunity, and why family offices are increasingly using secondaries to diversify without waiting a decade for liquidity. With private equity funds taking longer to return investments, the secondaries market can be a liquidity source as well. There was a real sense that this market is evolving fast, and that the next wave of opportunity will come from investors who understand how to navigate GP‑led deals, LP‑led transactions, and everything in between. • Jason Demark – Managing Director, Head of Equity Capital Markets, Texas Capital (Moderator) • Todd Buys, CFA Buys – Managing Partner, Hobe Mountain Capital • Matt Kelsay – Partner, Sweetwater Private Equity • Alex Lurie – Co‑founder & Partner, The Oasis Fund Talking secondaries with this group made it clear: whether you’re looking for liquidity, discounted access, or exposure to companies shaping the future, this space is only getting more interesting.
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Scott Arnell
Geneva Capital S.A. • 5K followers
Today's guest is Nasir C. Qadree, Founder and Managing Partner of Zeal Capital Partners – a venture platform based in Washington, D.C., that’s reimagining how capital flows by focusing on inclusion, economic mobility, and systems change. Nasir was raised in Atlanta between two very different worlds – one shaped by his hardworking mother and the other by his father’s presence among Atlanta’s elite. He grew up acutely aware of who gets access to opportunity and who doesn’t. That contrast became his driving force. After earning his degree from Hampton University, Nasir entered the finance world during the 2008 crisis, working at Goldman Sachs and later State Street. But the turning point came when he co-owned a small café that became an informal hub for EdTech founders. He realized he wanted more than just returns – he wanted to drive change. Zeal was born from that vision. Rather than operate like a traditional VC fund, Zeal is a platform for change – one that backs diverse teams, overlooked founders, and innovation in fintech, health equity, and the future of work and learning. With $188 million under management, Zeal is proving that inclusion isn’t a concession – it’s a winning strategy. 🎧 Tune in to hear Nasir's story, how he is reshaping venture capital, and why investing in people who’ve been overlooked is both the right thing – and the smart thing – to do. 👉: https://lnkd.in/eR37V2MR #SRI360 #ImpactInvesting #SustainableInvesting #Sustainability #InclusiveInvesting #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #ZealCapitalPartners #NasirQadree
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Henry D. Wolfe
DaVega & Wolfe Industries… • 1K followers
Engine Capital Issues Presentation Highlighting the Case for Boardroom Change at Lyft and Opportunities for Meaningful Value Creation "Engine’s multiple attempts to work constructively with Lyft to strengthen the Board were met by entrenched directors who rejected Engine’s highly qualified candidates without even meeting with them. "The current Board lacks public company experience and financial sophistication. Seven of the Company’s 10 directors have never served on another public company board besides Lyft. "Lead Independent Director and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair Sean Aggarwal and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee member Betsey Stevenson have overseen negative total returns during their tenures, lack financial sophistication based on their track records at Lyft, and support the dual-class share structure. "Engine’s nominees – who have cumulatively served on 16 public company boards and who have exemplary track records of significant value creation – would advocate for eliminating the Company’s dual-class share structure, de-staggering the Board, optimizing the balance sheet, reassessing equity compensation practices to reduce dilution, and exploring all strategic alternatives." #corporategovernance #boardsofdirectors #governance #shareholdervalue #activistinvesting #shareholderactivism #institutionalinvestors https://lnkd.in/gf47jVQq
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Dave Kirkpatrick
SJF Ventures • 8K followers
Excited to launch the 2026 Climate Tech course with Bruce Usher and Alan West! Teams now will include Columbia Business School, Columbia Engineering and Columbia Climate School grad students. These interdisciplinary teams will work with 10 VC funds on deep dives in sectors for innovation in climate mitigation, resilience, efficiency, and decarbonization. Thanks to the participating funds - Active Impact Investments, Aligned Climate Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, Blue Bear Capital, Buoyant Ventures, Clean Energy Ventures, Congruent Ventures, Lime Rock New Energy, Prelude Ventures and Renewal Funds!
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Tima Bansal
Ivey Business School at… • 10K followers
I had the opportunity to speak to the CEOs of the startups funded by Shift4Good, which is investing in sustainable transportation. In full disclosure, I chair their impact committee. I argued that firms should think about scaling deep (building stronger relationships in existing communities), rather than simply thinking about scaling fast (wide geographical spread). Research by Suntae Kim and Anna Kim shows that scaling deep can build resilient organizations and communities. The standard Silicon Valley orthodoxy is to scale up and fast, which arises often because of investor pressures. Many people do not question this orthodoxy, and yet it comes at a cost. There are numerous firms that sit in a graveyard of companies that scaled too fast and failed. I could sense the skepticism from many of the CEOs. Yet, one CEO and cofounder, Sriram Kannan, of Routematic agreed with me. I had the privilege to talk to him again and he was able to articulate so clearly how the scaling deep model works, partly by contrasting how scaling deep model of Routematic contrasts to the scaling up model of Uber. The fundamental principles of scaling deep are: 1. Grow organically from profits, not from investor cash 2. Master one market before opening up others 3. Focus on relationships, not transactions I think my biggest epiphany was that scaling deep does not mean slow growth or weak profits. Routematic has been able to achieve 8-10% month-over-month growth in revenues and has largely been profitable since it began offering its transportation services. Uber took almost 15 years to be profitable. I captured these ideas in the Forbes article I posted today, which was fun to write and taught me a lot. This is one of the many ideas I am exploring to see how systems thinking is encouraging a different way of thinking--where businesses can contribute to and benefit from stronger communities and a natural environment. As always, I welcome your reactions and provocations. Ivey Business School at Western University, Innovation North, Network for Business Sustainability (NBS), Kavitha Ramachandragowda, Ameya Uchil, Sebastien Guillaud, Thierry de Panafieu, #systemsthinking, #ScalingStrategy #SustainableGrowth #StartupStrategy #ProfitableGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #ImpactInvesting #SustainableTransportation https://lnkd.in/gM74UmYM
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Katy Nelson
NYU Stern School of Business • 8K followers
One of the most important conversations I heard in Davos today wasn’t about more AI. It was about whether we trust the systems we’re building enough to deploy them at scale. At a Rethinking Risk session at Davos 2026, leaders from media, government, multilateral institutions, and global finance kept circling the same concern: the erosion of trust. The conversation included Ravi Agrawal, Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Policy; Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Amer Bisat, Minister of Economy and Trade, Republic of Lebanon; Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Stephanie von Friedeburg, Managing Director & Global Head of Public Sector, Citi. Across very different vantage points, the message was consistent: misinformation, selective or low-quality data, and a growing post-truth environment are undermining consensus, multilateralism, and sound risk analysis. When trust erodes: — due diligence weakens — uncertainty rises and risk premia increase — fact-based decision-making breaks down for governments and businesses alike The key takeaway: AI doesn’t fail at deployment because the models aren’t powerful enough. It fails when the systems around it aren’t trusted. Rebuilding trust isn’t just a technical challenge. It requires rigorous verification and higher-quality data; transparent analytics and governance; and inclusive, cross-stakeholder consensus-building. As the World Economic Forum continues to emphasize, trust isn’t a soft value layered onto innovation. It’s a prerequisite for scale, resilience, and long-term economic coordination. If we want AI to reduce risk rather than amplify it, we have to start by designing systems people and institutions can trust. That may be the hardest work ahead. And also the most important.
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Rajesh Swaminathan
Khosla Ventures • 15K followers
Excited with this announcement of a coalition of committed climatech investors focused on driving companies through FOAK (first-of-a-kind) plants. From 2021–2024, climate tech saw a wave of early-stage, high-risk bets. The next phase—2025 and beyond—demands focus: narrowing those bets to solutions that are ready to FOAK & scale, to compete with fossil fuels in the near term. A coalition that pursues this rigorously, free of bias toward existing individual fund positions, is the right approach to collectively win. Thrilled to partner with investors who share this vision, and looking forward to engaging with the top 20 companies selected for our first event later this month. Great FOAK opportunities are emerging across a) geothermal & nuclear to enable 24x7 baseload power for data centers b) US mfg leadership across infra buildout (cement & steel) c) batteries to support high growth solar around the world d) AI for critical minerals & materials discovery .. and many more.
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Meagan Dietz
KHovnanian • 2K followers
Thanks to everyone who joined us for last week's Columbia Business School panel on Deriving Business Value from Sustainability. To start, Alex Gold, CEO moderator from BWD Strategic, led a lively debate with our panelists to discuss : "Is Sustainability dead?". Here are some panelist discussion highlights: SUSTAINABILITY IS EMBEDDED WITHIN OUR OPERATIONS - Jennifer Evans, ED Sustainability and Social Impact, shared that by strategically addressing climate risks and related opportunities, BMS looks to not only enhance its resilience, but also drive competitive advantage and long-term value creation. Her team works across BMS to help embed sustainability across the organization – and beyond. For example, through initiatives like the BMS Supplier Decarbonization Accelerator and the Responsible Sourcing Program (RSP), BMS engages with suppliers to enhance sustainability across the supply chain. - Christina Shim, CBS Alum and Chief Sustainability Officer, also discussed how at IBM, they’re working to embed sustainability across their corporate functions (e.g., M&A, treasury, procurement), as well as how they build their software/hardware products. HELPING COMPANIES MEET THEIR CLIMATE AND TRANSITION GOALS WITH CREATIVE AND FLEXIBLE CAPITAL SOLUTIONS - Michael Kashani, MD at Apollo, shared that his team is constantly working with companies to help solve one of their greatest challenges: access to capital. He shared an example from his team's work with Air France, where a portion of the most recent transaction with Air France - KLM included a commitment related to the company's sustainable aviation fuel goals. SUSTAINABILITY CAN BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INNOVATION - Christina Shim sees Sustainability through a business lens to drive growth and revenue opportunities. She gave examples of new, sustainable innovations from IBM’s investment in geospatial foundation models (i.e., how they can help with extreme weather mitigation and adaptation, including policies) and sustainable materials, specifically PFAS (forever chemicals) identification and sustainable substitution within value chains. SUSTAINABILITY IS STILL A PROFITABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY - Gernot Wagner, Professor Climate Knowledge Initiative CBS, shared that globally, while regions are going in a different directions on policy and regulation, companies/major markets can still benefit from participating in the energy transition. He shared that Texas, despite being a major source for fossil fuels, is one of the leading states in transitioning to renewables as sources for electricity. Specifically, 75% of Texas counties are receiving revenues from renewables production/battery storage and these projects will pay billions in state taxes over their lifespans. For those who'd like to understand more: https://lnkd.in/ecd6cESv Columbia Business School Columbia University Sustainability Management Brad Pickar
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John Gannon
Venture5 Media • 22K followers
It’s tough pitching to VCs with no funds, but here’s the good news: These firms have fresh capital and are keen to invest. 🔴 Austin-based Yonder closed its first $4.64M fund to focus on early-stage marketplaces and network-effect businesses. 🔴 New York-based Escape Velocity closed its $61.74M EV3 Venture Fund II to invest in crypto. 🔴 Inovia Capital and Mila are joining together to launch a $100M Venture Scientist Fund. The fund will back AI-native companies. 🔴 Paris-based daphni closed its $307M fund to support science-based startups. 🔴 San Francisco-based Voyager Ventures closed its second $275M fund to invest in energy, industrials, and climate technology companies. 🔴 Bethesda-based Epidarex Capital closed its $145M fund to focus on life sciences startups. 🔴 Berlin-based seed + speed Ventures closed its third $106M fund to support European B2B and Enterprise software startups. 🔴 Switzerland-based b2Venture closed its fifth $177M fund to back European tech leaders. 🔴 Kolkata-based Navam Capital raised its first $34.3M fund to invest in deeptech startups. 🔴 Colorado-based Boulder Ventures is raising $60M for its ninth fund to focus on IT services, life sciences, software, storage, and communications companies. 🔴 Copenhagen-based The Footprint Fund closed its first $89.8M fund to back early stage climate deep-tech and scale-up companies throughout Northern Europe. Check out the full list of latest VC funds closed on our website: https://lnkd.in/eWCmpB8C
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Cody Simms
UCLA Anderson School of… • 13K followers
🔋 Infrastructure resilience is the next cybersecurity. I firmly believe that. Utilities are increasing spend on resilience by ~20% annually, our telecom infrastructure (read: data centers) are expanding into water stressed regions prone to extreme weather, and our water systems are increasingly facing significant challenges. 🤖 We invested in Rhizome as they are an emerging early leader in using AI to help utilities model resilience investments and get those investments approved by regulators. And also Mishal Thadani might be the hardest working CEO in the grid space...the guy just knows how to close utilities which is an unbelievable skill. Thanks for including us at MCJ, Mish!
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Eliza Cushman
Congruent Ventures • 4K followers
I kicked off the new year in Houston last week at the inaugural Power Resilience Forum, hosted by The Ad Hoc Group and Latitude Media. It’s always refreshing to hear directly from industry operators rather than just the investor circle. It was especially timely that this was amid a major winter storm that swept the US over the weekend (including our host state of Texas) and left more than 800,000 customers powerless (roughly the population of SF). These conversations solidified why I remain long 📈 on energy resilience as a core investment thesis for 2026. Here are some of my takeaways: ⌛ US infrastructure is aging and historically reactive. Using an extreme lens may galvanize bipartisan conversations to tackle our resilience problem: we risk repeating the “buckle under pressure” failures seen during WWI and WWII during defense production surges. Layering in climate change, which ignores geopolitical borders, heightens pressure. Meanwhile, China is investing 2x the US in power, storage, and its grid (and 4x in clean energy). 💰 Capital markets are finally pricing in physical risk. Resilience is shifting from a “nice-to-have” to a core input into cost of capital. In high-risk zones, active mitigation is the only way to remain insurable/bankable. 🏘️ Affordability is the breaking point that will drive a wave of investment in modernization (and resilience). With power prices outpacing inflation - driven by tariffs, inefficiency, and increased disasters - climate risk and aged infrastructure is rapidly making assets uninsurable/prices unaffordable. ⛈️ Weather is the #1 infrastructure disruptor. A total shutdown can cost billions per day for a local economy. Weather events don’t just strain the grid – they disrupt the bedrock sectors of our economy (manufacturing, transportation, agriculture) Because these are interdependent, one failure triggers a cascade. ⚖️ Utilities investing in resilience deserve credit for this. But there is also an urgent need for better standardization in risk mitigation and streamlined auditing to create a critical feedback loop between safety and premiums. 🔥 Upstream prevention (vegetation management) remains a priority, but community resilience (home hardening) is emerging as a high-ROI focus for utilities looking to protect the “last mile.” We are actively investing in all things energy resilience at Congruent Ventures. If you’re innovating in this space (hardware or software), we would love to hear from you
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Nathaniel Burola
The Digital Economist • 9K followers
NEW fellowships! Time to open some doors. 🚪 Issue 22 of The Climate Code is here on a Monday! Check out these three awesome fellowships: 1️⃣ Stanford’s Ethics & Technology Practitioner Fellowship: A year-long, non-residential program offering $15K, mentorship, and project funding for mid-career professionals tackling real-world tech ethics challenges. 2️⃣ Berkeley’s BIDMaP Postdoctoral Fellows Program: A two-year research fellowship uniting AI, materials science, and climate innovation for PhD graduates solving global sustainability problems. 3️⃣ CAIDP AI Policy Clinic (Spring 2026): A global cohort empowering early- and mid-career professionals, especially from under-represented regions, to shape the next wave of AI governance and policy. Want in? Check it out: https://lnkd.in/eurNtuKT #AI #ClimateTech #Fellowships #Policy #Sustainability #GreenAI #ClimateCode --- The Climate Code: https://lnkd.in/eurNtuKT AI & Environment Resource Hub: https://lnkd.in/dCuj6hnM Portfolio website/book a meeting: https://lnkd.in/eVErGB4m
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Will Smith
Acquiring Minds • 16K followers
The subject business of today's interview is unusual. It exists to solve a consumer pain point in a few key markets, primarily Dallas and Houston. Taylor Mattingly is based in Houston and was actually a customer of Energy Ogre, a service that helps households optimize their electricity costs in Texas's unregulated and convoluted energy market. Taylor did a traditional search, which unlike an SBA deal allows for an acquisition of this size. We don't say revenue explicitly but suffice it to say that hundreds of thousands of customers pay $10 per month for the service. Now, consumer businesses tend to have low quality revenue, and traditional searchers therefore prefer B2B opportunities. But Energy Ogre is unusual in this way as well; the revenue quality is very high for a B2C business. We get into it. We also talk about deal structure, which looks different than the 80/10/10 style of an SBA deal. You'll hear Taylor comment that the 55% leverage they used is actually high-ish for a deal like this. (And they could do that thanks to the aforementioned revenue quality.) Finally listen for Taylor's enthusiasm for his partnership. Taylor and his search fund partner John were friends going back to high school, so when they embarked on this journey together there was already trust there, built up over years. A great feature of a partnership if you can get it. OK, here he is, Taylor Mattingly, co-CEO of Energy Ogre. 👉 link to interview in comments below
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Michael Smith
Regeneration.VC • 18K followers
🌱 Way beyond Offsets: Insetting is Collaborative Supply Chaining Half of Earth’s land is tied up in agriculture. Only 1% or so is regenerative. Our soils are still by and large running on empty. And yet, the greatest lever we have to heal ecosystems and future-proof supply chains sits right beneath our feet. We’ve spent decades outsourcing impact. Now, a new model is emerging...insetting where companies invest inside their own value chains. It’s not just better accounting. It’s a rewilding of responsibility. A return to relationship. 🔁 Insetting embeds action in farms, forests, fisheries. 📊 It offers visibility as transparency breeds trust, and trust scales change. 🌱 It builds anti-fragile supply chains by investing in regenerative ag, water cycles, biodiversity, and human dignity. 💰 It aligns incentives, turning suppliers into collaborators, not cost centers. 🌀 It’s bioregional by design being rooted in place, shaped by context, resilient to disruption. As we told the Financial Times nearly two years ago: “Now you’ve gone from planting trees in a country you probably haven’t visited… to incentivizing your suppliers to make key changes.” This isn’t just climate strategy. It’s strategic regeneration. 📖 FT: Is Carbon Insetting the Next Big Thing?: https://lnkd.in/ekDaxxYX 📰 Bloomberg: ‘Insets’ Are the New Offsets: https://lnkd.in/eTf9dNaw
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Marwan Refaat
Fractal Capital • 9K followers
Drove along the Bay Bridge with Shaun Johnson, Founding Partner at AIX Ventures ($250M AUM), backing deep technical founders building category-defining AI companies from day zero. We talked about growing up in Texas selling refurbished computer parts, why he left CS for electrical engineering after a summer at Intel, and how building six startups before business school gave him the operator lens that now shapes his investing. We also got into AI’s leap from software to robotics, the case for humanoid form factors, and why AIX is betting big on TechBio, where AI-native companies are launching with 10+ therapies, skipping animal trials, and patenting proprietary wet-lab data.
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Nathaniel Harding
Cortado Ventures • 9K followers
Frontier tech finds its ground zero in the Midcontinent The Midcontinent is now emerging as a pivotal region for frontier tech and investment. SVB’s recent insights spotlight this growth, particularly in industries like energy, infrastructure, and deep tech—momentum that the Midcontinent region is already capitalizing on. At Cortado Ventures, we’re doubling down on early-stage frontier tech that reimagines legacy industries. Our 2025 Midcon VC Summit in Tulsa underscored this momentum in an outstanding presentation by Josh Pherigo, who builds on that theme with this article. https://lnkd.in/gpFVeDVw
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Michael Sidgmore
Broadhaven Capital Partners • 26K followers
What does the "new era" of private equity look like? This week at PEI NEXUS, Bain & Company's Chairman of Global Private Equity Practice Hugh MacArthur recapped the firm's latest Global Private Equity Report. Hugh noted that firms will need to focus on what they do well in a “new era” for private equity. These sentiments echoed much of what Private Wealth Forum speakers, including Arax Investment Partners Founder and CEO Haig Ariyan, Laird Norton Wetherby CIO Ron Albahary, CFA, Ardian Managing Director, US Private Wealth Solutions Ava Mallin, and Citi Wealth Head of Private Equity and Real Estate Jeffrey Locke, shared on stage at PEI. This week's AGM Alts Weekly dives into what a "new era" in private equity might look like, connecting dots and data points from Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company's 2026 reports on the state of the private equity industry. Some key themes defined the takeaways from both reports: ➡️ Returns will not be a dime a dozen: Bain's punchline? "12 is the new 5." ➡️ Megadeals, big questions: 2025 witnessed an increase in global buyout deal value. However, just 13 deals of $10B or more contributed 69% of the growth in 2025, accounting for $274B of the global gain. ➡️ A K-shaped industry: Private equity appears to turning into a K-shaped industry, with “a subset of elite funds [being] on the upswing while everyone else muddles through.” ➡️ No fun in fundraising: McKinsey noted that core, closed-end fundraising has “become more competitive, selective, and time consuming.” ➡️ Continuation nation: There’s been a marked rise in continuation vehicle activity, but only represents less than 10% of exit value. ➡️ Mid-sized deals not so mid: Megadeal activity grabbed the headlines. But deal sizes $1-5B deals grew 29%. Growth in the $1-5B deal size segment could be encouraging for specialist buyout funds. There are some key questions for allocators to grapple with as they think about what private equity might look like in the future. 1️⃣ Do allocators believe public markets will continue to outperform private markets? 2️⃣ Will fundraising bounce back? 3️⃣ Can firms kick value creation into motion? 4️⃣ Are both GPs and LPs ready to handle how investors might look to exit evergreen vehicles? 5️⃣ For LPs, are they finding managers that have an edge? Read on for more👇 This week's Alt Goes Mainstream's AGM Alts Weekly, brought to you by DealsPlus, covers: 🗂️ AGM Index, an index that tracks the leading publicly traded alternative asset managers. 💻 Who is hiring: Senior-level positions from companies Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Inc., Ares Management, EQT Group, Blue Owl Capital, Franklin Templeton, Fortress Investment Group, iCapital, Goldman Sachs, Ultimus Fund Solutions, Krilogy, MSCI Inc. Subscribe👇 to see the latest trends & navigate this rapidly changing landscape as alts go mainstream. https://lnkd.in/eRKN25jy
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