Climate Software Investing: $1.2B Fund + PMTEDI Model for Picking Winners — Energize Ventures

Learn how John Tough and Energize Ventures deploy $1.2B into climate software, using a PMTEDI framework, megatrend theses, and 200+ biographies for sharper investment bets.⭐ My guest today is John Tough, Managing Partner at Energize Ventures.Energize Ventures is a leading climate software investor that manages $1.2 Billion across two strategies: venture capital and growth equity. In addition, John is the former Chief Revenue Officer at Choose Energy, the largest online energy marketplace in North America, and a former investor at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:- How they make investment decisions using the PMTEDI model- The size of checks they write for Series A through C stage companies, and what revenue targets they aim for- The four megatrends they’re investing in- How they develop investment theses with deep dives and active pursuit of 60-100 companies that might be the sector winner- The benefits of investing in climate startups in the EU- The importance of asking “Why now?” when picking the right CEOs to back- Why he’s read 200+ biographies as a way to be a better investor- The reason that you shouldn’t be so concerned with your competition- How scarcity creates clarity (I know, sounds like a verse from the Tao Te Ching)- Why “problem first, technology second” is their preferred approach - And lots more🙏Hope you enjoy it!📣And please give John and Energize Ventures a shout-out on LinkedIn, Slack, or Twitter by sharing this podcast with your people.--👍 Please leave a review or rating on your favorite podcast player. This is the #1 way that more listeners can discover the amazing climate CEOs and investors I get to interview here.--🌎 Entrepreneurs for Impact is on a mission to help climate innovators grow faster with new investment capital, share best practices among peers, expand their networks, and reach their full potential.Here's our weekly newsletter — A 3-minute summary of climate tech startups, better habits, and deep work trends: ⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com⁠Our main program is a Climate CEO Mastermind peer group community: ⁠https://entrepreneursforimpact.com⁠Our invite-only cohorts of 12 executives catalyze personal development and business growth via monthly meetings, annual retreats, and 1:1 coaching and strategy calls. Today’s highly curated Mastermind members represent over $8B in market cap or assets under management.Programs are led by Dr. Chris Wedding — 4x founder, $1B of investment experience, and Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill professor, with 70,000+ professional students taught, 25 years of meditation, an obsession with constant improvement, and far too many mistakes to keep to himself.