#225 Solving Sulfur Waste while Capturing Carbon & Producing Sulfuric Acid & Hydrogen w/ Owen Cadwalader (Travertine)

Learn how this carbon capture startup also produces green chemicals AND hydrogen -- how they funded their first demo plant -- their secrets to building a resilient business model -- and what he would advise Trump's admin in order to help keep climate on track while also competing with China. Listen Time: Full Show 58:31 (no ads) | Free Preview 37:14On today’s episode, Owen Cadwalader, the COO of Travertine, delivers one of the most value-dense episodes we’ve ever released. Hear how they are solving the massive sulfur waste problem while also capturing carbon and producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen. In a short time, they are on track to build their first plant, producing ~100 tons a year near Rochester, NY. They have also navigated the startup landscape masterfully. There is a lot to learn here. Some of the discussion topics: **How to interact with the chemical industry **How to reframe CO2 emissions as waste **How to get the Trump admin to back climate **The sulfate waste landscape ---🌎 Want the full Pod? Become a paid sub today (cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe)--- 📺 Watch on YouTubeTopics (time stamps are accurate for the full episode and approximate for the free preview)**00:00 Intro**02:54 Owen's Journey to Tech**06:08 Travertine’s Tech**08:53 Multiple Revenue Streams**12:06 Customer Base and Market Challenges**14:55 Environmental Impact of Sulfate Waste**17:47 Navigating the Chemical Industry Landscape**21:09 Pricing Strategies & Market Competition**29:22 Identifying Beachhead Markets in Climate Tech**30:48 Navigating Political Landscapes for Climate Tech—(Free Version ends here)—**32:13 Building Resilient Climate Tech Businesses**34:04 On-shoring **35:59 Global vs Local Impact of Resource Extraction**36:29 The Future of Carbon Dioxide Removal**37:52 Focusing on Outcomes Over Technology**40:43 Funding Strategies for Climate Tech Projects**43:05 Advocating for Continued Innovation Funding**45:22 Reframing CO2 as Industrial Waste**50:00 Lessons from Fundraising in Climate TechLinks**Owen Cadwalader | Travertine**Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedInThis podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.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]