#157 Onshoring Battery Production, Getting to Bankability, Waterless Cathode Materials, & More w/ Virginia Klausmeier (Sylvatex)

Today we speak with Virginia Klausmeier, President & CEO of Sylvatex, a company aiming to commercialize technology that was originally developed by her father. The technology is a waterless method to produce Cathode Active Materials (the chemicals that go into the production of various types of batteries). We cover a lot of things. The primary topics being Onshoring Battery Production, Getting to Bankability, and How their Technology works. Enjoy the episode! 🌱🌎---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey 📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **1:23 Intro**7:11 Battery Mfg in the US**9:11 Onshoring Battery Mfg**9:42 The Opportunity**15:54 Motivation**17:12 The Story of Sylvatex**19:16 Starting a Company**21:03 Taking the Leap**24:13 Waterless Cathode Production**30:51 State of Sylvatex**42:11 Pilot Funding**42:41Milestones for Commercialization**45:05 Getting to Bankability**47:29 Debt Financing for Modular Manufacturing**48:25 Navigating the Unknown----- Links: **Virginia Klausmeier | Sylvatex **Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.70+ Placements5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)90-day placement guaranteeIt's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. [email protected]