Yoann Berno

We've interviewed dozens of investors and founders, and collated some real fundraising advice from the front lines of climate tech... What are investors really looking for? We spoke to leading voices from XPRESS Ventures, StarBeam Capital, Future Energy Ventures, and founders deep in the fundraising trenches. Here’s what they said 👇 💬 “50% team, 25% tech, 25% business model—most founders get that balance wrong.” 💬 “The best pitches tell a compelling story—ambitious, grounded, and commercial.” 💬 “Don’t underestimate how little investors know about your space. Educate, early.” 🔥 Quick takeaways: Lead with traction, not tech theory Keep your pitch simple, commercial, and aligned Fundraising is a marathon—stay focused on your mission 🔁 One founder pitched the same investor three times before securing funding. Another said: “Having a co-founder to share the emotional load saved made all the difference.” Full The Green Techpreneur read here. Subscribe for bimonthly insights → https://lnkd.in/etY2UKty #climatetech #startupfundraising #greentech #founderinsights #climateinvesting #startuplife

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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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NYC continues to cement its position as a powerhouse climate tech hub 🌿🏙️ At Pachamama Ventures, we're excited to continue visiting the Big Apple, and, quite frequently at that! The energy in this city around climate innovation is absolutely electric. From breakthrough materials science to transformative energy solutions, NYC startups are tackling our biggest environmental challenges head-on. Some incredible early-stage companies catching my attention: 📊 Kara - the sustainability risk and compliance platform trusted by financial institutions, streamlining ESG reporting and making Net Zero tracking accessible 🏗️ Ouros Materials - decarbonizing the built environment by manufacturing low-cost, high-performance, carbon-negative building materials 🏢 BlocPower - making buildings smarter, greener, and healthier through energy retrofits ⚡ Blip Energy - democratizing access to clean energy through drop-in distributed energy resources 🌊 Verdant Power, Inc. - harnessing marine energy from Roosevelt Island The ecosystem here is thriving. In 2023, NYC climate startups earned $664 million in venture or growth funding across 34 deals - and with initiatives like the Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon fostering the next generation of climate tech founders, the momentum is only building. What makes NYC special isn't just the capital or talent density - it's the urgency. This city understands the climate challenge intimately and is responding with typical New York grit and innovation. --- Speaking of the ecosystem - excited to be taking the stage tomorrow at the VC Unleashed Conference to dive deep into venture dynamics in this space. And for my fellow climate capital enthusiasts in NYC: I'm hosting an intimate, curated LP brunch this Saturday for folks who are climate capital curious. DM me if you'd like to join the conversation. The future is being built right here. 🚀 #Climatetech #NYC #VentureCapital #Sustainability #Innovation

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Innovation in the "Femtech" Space: How Women-Led Startups are Solving Neglected Health Issues. View My Portfolio. For decades, significant aspects of women's health were sidelined as "niche" concerns. No longer. The rise of Femtech—technology-driven health solutions focused on women's needs—is a powerful market correction, and it's being led by women. At V For Vibes, we are inspired by the founders who are turning personal frustration into global innovation. They are building companies that address long-ignored areas, from reproductive health and menstrual care to menopause and sexual wellness. Why does this matter for business? Market Opportunity: Women make 80% of healthcare decisions. This isn't a niche; it's a powerhouse economic engine. Diverse Leadership: Women-led startups bring essential lived experience to the table, creating products that truly resonate. Investment in Impact: Supporting Femtech isn't just good ethics; it's smart economics, funding solutions for half the world's population. The success of Femtech proves that when we diversify leadership, we unlock innovation that changes lives and dominates new markets. #Femtech #WomenInTech #WomenFounders #HealthTech #Innovation #SexualWellness #InvestInWomen #BusinessStrategy #Startups #VForVibes #DigitalHealth

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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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2026 federal funding update for ecosystem builders A week ago I wrote about where federal innovation funding stands for 2026. Here's what's changed in 7 days: What's now signed into law: The Commerce, Justice, and Science bill passed the Senate 82-15 on January 15 and is headed to the president's desk. This locks in: NSF → $8.75 billion (with protection against disproportionate cuts to any directorate) → Regional Innovation Engines: Up to $200 million EDA → Tech Hubs: $41 million → Build to Scale: $50 million → MEP: $175 million What passed the House, awaiting Senate action: The Financial Services bill passed 341-79 on January 14, confirming: SBA → Entrepreneurial development: $330 million (Congress rejected the proposed cut to $150M) → Regional Innovation Clusters: $9M → Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST): $9M → Growth Accelerator Fund Competition: $9M What's still in flux: Leaders just released a final bipartisan package for Defense, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD. The House may vote this week, with the January 30, 2026 deadline approaching. SBIR/STTR authorization remains expired. No new solicitations until reauthorization—though there's been some movement here. There's also a bunch of new AI policy I need to dig into still. The bottom line hasn't changed: You cannot build a 10-year innovation ecosystem on annual appropriations battles. The regions that succeed are strengthening their partnership infrastructure now, and leveraging federal funding as a bonus to accelerate outcomes. See the full analysis: https://lnkd.in/euDxDVkZ

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Bloodwork is quickly becoming one of the most competitive frontiers in health tech. Why? Because whoever owns the pipeline for lab data owns the foundation of preventative health. Startups like Junction and others are racing to connect wearables, at-home diagnostics, and labs because continuous, accessible blood data unlocks personalization, early detection, and better care at scale. But here's the challenge... The market is crowded, and the barrier isn’t just technology it’s trust, distribution, and integration into everyday life. The winners won’t just be the ones with the slickest API. They’ll be the companies that make diagnostics invisible, affordable, and standard. I mentioned this in a previous post about making health integrated into your life versus another thing to manage. At HUMN, this is why we believe health shouldn’t be a luxury. If bloodwork and diagnostics stay siloed in the hands of a few, we’ll only widen the gap between the “worried well” and the people who need it most. The real opportunity is creating systems where preventative care isn’t optional but a baseline. https://lnkd.in/giru_NTH

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Such a great conversation - we covered all things healthtech, from building inclusive and engaging products to managing regulatory pathways and scaling. Highlights from the panel with the incredible Laura Stembridge and Kayla-Jade Butkow: - User needs keep increasing and systems are less and less equipped to deal with this at scale, especially within mental health and neurodiversity - Products like Outset Wellness, InsideOut®and auryx can help filling the gaps, but regulatory red tape still makes adoption challenging - Respecting users' privacy and earning their trust remains crucial as more and more personal and health data is shared with services - and how we deal with it will shape adoption moving forward Everyone at the Google office was an absolute star and we all felt pretty much at home (plus I have scored my new favourite water bottle!).

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