#174 Hardware Playbook, Science in VC, DeepTech Success Stories, Environmental-Based Returns, & More w/ Jessica Burley (Planet A)

What if Investors Only Made Money if they *actually* helped save the planet? Welp... folks, we have the show for you because that's exactly what Planet A is doing. Somil and Silas speak with Jessica Burley, a Berlin-based investor at the fund. On top of learning how they are *actually* walking the talk, we found out how they use Carbon Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in their investing due diligence process. Tune in to get the whole thing today! 🌱🌎---🌎 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: **01:29 Introduction and Background**02:22 The Role of Life Cycle Assessments in Investing**8:44 Article 9 and the European Regulatory Landscape**10:27 Interest in Climate Tech Investing Outside of Europe**12:54 The Increasing Pace of Climate Tech Innovation**13:33 Jess's Journey to Climate Tech Investing**17:35 Transitioning from a Small Fund to a Larger Fund21:43 The Role of Brand and **Value in Climate Tech Investing**24:44 Sector Expertise and Operational Support in Investing**26:23 Geothermal Drilling for Renewable Heating**28:46 Investment Opportunities in Climate Tech**30:45 The Hardware Playbook: Investing in Hardware Startups**42:53 The German Climate Tech Ecosystem**49:18 Building Genuine Relationships in the Climate Tech Ecosystem**51:34 Takeaways--- Evaluating Life Cycle Assessment in Investment Decisions--- The Importance of the Hardware Playbook in the Investment Ecosystem--- De-risking Talent in Startups----- Links: **Jessica Burley | Planet A**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]