Peter Kellner

Two articles I've been thinking about together this week: Amir Kabir at Overlook VC on "the defining tension of 2026: extraordinary concentration at the infrastructure layer, extraordinary democratization at the application layer" Take a read: https://lnkd.in/gyaFg-nB And Isaac Arnold's framework for what actually makes an application layer company durable: workflow entanglement, domain specific knowledge, and data that compounds from usage rather than just intelligence. Take a read for yourself: https://lnkd.in/gSDXA-vH Amir identifies where the opportunity is, Isaac identifies why most companies building there won't capture it durably and what separates the ones that will.

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This week in #AmTech: Grid Aero raised $20 million in Series A funding co-led by Bison Ventures and Geodesic Capital, with participation from Stony Lonesome Group LLC, Alumni Ventures, and returning investors Ubiquity Ventures, Calibrate Ventures, and Commonweal Ventures (that's us!). Grid builds low-cost, autonomous cargo aircraft capable of carrying thousands of pounds over thousands of miles, enabling resilient logistics for defense, commercial, and humanitarian operations in contested or remote environments. Founders: Arthur Dubois, Brandon F., Chinmay Patel, PhD.   Barnwell Bio raised $6 million in Seed funding led by Twelve Below, with participation from Max Ventures, Dorm Room Fund, Banter Capital, Planeteer Capital, AgVentures Alliance, Daybreak Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and AgLaunch Farmers. Barnwell Bio uses genetic sequencing to monitor poultry barns for early signs of disease, giving farmers advance warning of threats like avian flu before outbreaks spread and force mass culls that drive up egg and chicken prices for consumers. Founders: Michael Rhys, Casey McGinley, Jake Byrnes.   Standard Nuclear raised $140 million in Series A funding led by Decisive Point, with participation from Chevron Technology Ventures, StepStone Group, XTX Ventures, and existing investors WELARA, Fundomo, Andreessen Horowitz, Washington Harbour Partners LP, and Crucible Capital. Standard Nuclear manufactures advanced nuclear fuel for next-generation reactors, serving defense, space, and industrial customers as the nation's only independent supplier not tied to a specific reactor design. Founders: Kurt Terrani, Thomas Hendrix. #VC #VentureCapital #Investing #Startups #DeepTech #DefenseTech #Aerospace #Energy #AgTech #Agriculture #Technology

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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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We have a new paper out on "Estimating the climate impacts of hydrogen emissions in a net-zero US economy". Main takeaway: hydrogen emissions (from leaks, purging, etc.) have a non-zero impact on global warming potential, but in net-zero scenarios those emissions are much smaller than other residual emissions in the system. This work was led by Ansh Nasta Derek Wissmiller Chris Moore Esther Goita at GTI Energy with additional contributions from me Emily Beagle Webber Energy Group and published in IOP Publishing Progress in Energy. Please check it ou! And if this topic is of interest, please check out the 2nd annual HEX@TEX (Hydrogen Emissions eXchange at Texas) conference later this year. #FutureOfEnergy #Hydrogen #HydrogenEmissions #NetZero CC: Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin The LBJ School of Public Affairs Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin https://lnkd.in/g84HuuJC

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Episode 13 of the Easy VC Brief focused on one topic of deep tech - bio manufacturing. Talking about Mothership Materials and their work on sustainable feedstocks.🌿 It’s a bit shorter today but more focused. In a world conflicted and the 24 hour news cycle locked on the Iran War, I try to keep my mind focused on entrepreneurs who are trying to make the world better and there continues to be a big opportunity in bio manufacturing. #keepbuilding

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Ten years of Seraphim Space. From launching the world’s first SpaceTech VC fund to backing 145+ companies that have raised $8.9B, it's been a decade of driving innovation in defence, climate, and infrastructure from orbit. Explore the journey, timeline, and our latest podcast series with Candace Johnson: https://lnkd.in/eXf5ChiA #SeraphimSpace #DualUse #SpaceTech #VentureCapital #NewSpace #DeepTech #SpaceEconomy

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Bezos Earth Fund Announces 24 Phase I Grants Under AI Grand Challenge for Climate and Nature https://lnkd.in/euEuT86g The following 24 organizations have been selected to receive $50,000 Phase I grants for their innovative AI-driven projects: Sustainable Proteins  Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Delft University of Technology Essential Impact Food System Innovations King’s College London New Harvest The Periodic Table of Food Initiative The University of Leeds Wageningen University & Research Biodiversity Botanical Garden Conservation International (BCGI) Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology National Audubon Society The Nature Conservancy New York Botanical Garden Revive & Restore The Smithsonian Institution The University of Geneva The University of Plymouth Wildlife Conservation Society Power Grid Optimization Cornell University’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Wildcard Bioversity International USA Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences The University of Witwatersrand Yale University

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Biosphere raised millions from Founders Fund and Lowercarbon Capital to Unleash Industrial Biomanufacturing at scale. Biosphere's cofounder Arye Lipman joined our latest podcast to discuss: - what is biomanufacturing - how Biosphere's UV bioreactors are 10x better than traditional bioreactors - what America with 10x cheaper biomanufacturing looks like - can we grow a steak without a cow? - is biomanufacturing "woke climate" or American Dynamism? - how Biosphere is working with the DOD - MAGA's view on biomanufacturing - Consciousness, dolphins and the CIA Check it out!

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Commonwealth secures a significant $863M Series B2 funding to propel its fusion energy platform forward. Explore more: https://lnkd.in/eYHpJ3e8 #FusionEnergy #Innovation

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Working with NRF to pursue our patent strategy is an important step in recognizing that proprietary AI systems and workflows are becoming a new form of intellectual property for modern firms. Great to partner with George, John McBride, and the team at Norton Rose Fulbright as we work at the frontier of how AI can transform investment decision-making in venture capital. At Decasonic, we believe the next generation of companies will reinvent with AI workflows and systems how organizations operate, how leaders make decisions, and how teams collaborate with intelligent systems. In going through this streamlined process, it's clear to me that many more startups should clarify their IP strategy. Our internally developed AI platform, RLEN, reflects that philosophy. We are building AI not to automate tasks and flourish outcomes, in collaborative ways for human and AI teammates. This enables our investors to test ideas, explore alternative perspectives, and reach deeper insights faster when navigating uncertainty. More broadly, we are seeing trailblazing work across industries and cities as leaders experiment with how AI can reshape communities, companies, and countries. Leadership with AI forever transforms. We are still in the early innings. Appreciate the partnership and collaboration from the Norton Rose Fulbright team as we continue inventing and innovating. Special shoutout to my colleague Abdul Al Ali who's listed as a co-inventor.

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We’re entering an era where fiduciary duty is being redefined. For decades, stewardship meant preserving capital. Today, it must mean preserving the systems that allow capital to exist: energy, data, logistics, climate resilience. Allocating to infrastructure isn’t just smart portfolio management. It’s an ethical realignment, a recognition that long-term value depends on physical stability in an increasingly digital world.

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