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Energytech Startups: Daily Summaries Delivered
by collide.
They say everything's bigger in Texas, including climate change. That's why Houston is leading the energy transition. Here in H-Town, the fourth largest city in the United States, entrepreneurs from across Texas and around the world are gathering to work with titans of industry to build the technology that will reduce emissions and power a low carbon future. Welcome to Energy Tech Startups with Nada Ahmed and Jason Ethier. We sit down with those change makers and wildcatters who are solving the toughest energy challenges with trillions of dollars on the line. We dig into how Houston will bring technology to market on a massive scale. Join us as we talk with the leaders of the energy capital of the world as they show us how the energy transition gets done.
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- 1 weeks ago50 min
Gabe Cuadra from Powerhouse Ventures
Flat load growth is dead, and AI just flipped the whole power sector on its head. Gabe Cuadra of Powerhouse Ventures gets into what that means for founders chasing capital in climate and energy, why algorithms alone never make a real moat, and how to actually pitch an early stage VC without wasting the room. Plus the messy truth about selling into utilities, spotting founder market fit, and why Houston is quietly turning into a place worth building.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Intro00:45 What keeps a climate investor up at night01:55 How Powerhouse Ventures invests05:20 AI, load growth, and a changing grid08:30 What traction looks like at early stage10:25 Finding founder market fit12:00 Houston vs the coasts18:13 How to pitch early stage VCs19:18 Why algorithms are never the moat25:04 The reality of selling into utilities28:17 Gabe's winding road into energy VC34:40 Inside the investment process37:02 Founder red flags42:21 Standing out when you pitch43:30 What has him excited next46:27 The case for Houston48:50 How to reach outhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
- 3 weeks ago59 min
Arindam Bhattacharya from Tailwind Futures
Most climate money chases decarbonization while a bigger problem piles up: two thirds of the losses from extreme weather and disasters go completely uninsured. Arindam Bhattacharya spent 30 years at SLB before launching Tailwind Futures to back startups hardening infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce against a changing climate. He argues resilience is a growth story, not just damage control, and walks through a portfolio from corrosion-proof rebar to a material that could replace copper.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 0:00 Intro0:28 Meet Arindam and Tailwind Futures2:07 30 years at SLB and the jump to venture4:06 The insurance gap nobody talks about7:05 Where the capital for resilience isn't going12:11 Playing offense: resilience as a growth story15:29 Government pullback and the opening it creates18:22 The portfolio and how the fund invests19:02 DexMat and replacing copper25:20 Allium and solving steel corrosion29:17 Water, heat, and flooding bets33:30 Sourcing deals across the US and Europe35:00 What makes a company worth backing40:17 Giving founders honest feedback44:27 How pitching differs around the world47:36 Finding the best companies theme by theme50:20 Cooling, wildfire, and parametric insurance54:11 Pitching Arindam and Houston's role57:16 Where to find Tailwind Futureshttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
- Jun 18, 20261h 14m
Mitra Miller from Houston Angel Network
Writing the check is the easy part. The marriage that comes after is what nobody warns founders about until they are five years deep. Mitra Miller, President and Board Member of the Houston Angel Network, gets into what actually makes a startup investable, why she hunts for red flags fast, and how being a founder herself rewired the way she writes checks. Plus where Texas capital needs to go next, why AI is quietly soaking up all the oxygen, and how 25 years reshaped the Houston ecosystem.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 0:00:00 Intro0:00:28 Inside the Houston Angel Network at 250:02:12 From the dotcom boom to angel investing0:05:44 Why being a founder makes a better investor0:09:43 How new angels learn the game0:13:38 Pitching HARN and what makes a company investable0:18:18 Why investing is a marriage, not a check0:27:25 Reading founders and spotting red flags0:36:48 What has changed in 25 years0:42:01 When venture money is not the answer0:46:29 Houston, Texas, and the energy transition0:51:25 All of the above: data centers, the grid, and fusion0:58:02 Public vs private capital in Texas1:02:44 The capital outlook and AI's pull on funding1:09:16 Secondary markets and finding liquidityhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
- May 19, 202651 min
Gary Martin from Scan Ninja AI
Cybersecurity is invisible until it isn't, and Gary Martin, CEO and founder of Scan Ninja AI, is on a mission to make continuous vulnerability management affordable for startups and mid-sized companies hackers love to target. Gary walks through SOC 2 readiness without the once-a-year scramble, how AI agents are changing scanning and remediation, why he ditched CapEx pricing to disrupt the market, and the brutal lessons from going all in after two and a half years building on the side.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Intro00:28 Meet Gary Martin and Scan Ninja AI02:03 Vulnerability scanning and AI-driven remediation05:16 Third-party risk and what enterprises like ExxonMobil require05:58 What SOC 2 actually is and the 90-day audit07:33 Continuous compliance vs the once-a-year scramble08:47 Vibe coding, npm vulnerabilities, and what slips through11:46 Why Gary finally went full time13:20 The reality of hacks on small and mid-sized companies15:05 Where the Scan Ninja name came from17:33 Detection, remediation, and built-in project management21:35 Business model, MSPs, and tokenization23:52 Who actually needs Scan Ninja26:09 Sponsor break: Saffron26:46 Lessons from leaving Exxon and starting up31:32 The pivot from selling product to selling solution34:48 Pricing, perception of value, and the no-discount rule39:08 Building a lean company in the age of AI41:08 Sales outreach with Apollo and token-based economy43:30 What he loves most about being a founder45:15 Advice for anyone thinking about taking the leap47:03 Five-year vision and the Super Bowl commercial48:13 How to find Scan Ninja AIhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
- May 5, 202651 min
Mo (Mohammed) Saadat from Stratahub
Pouring billions into AI without first fixing data logistics is exactly why most of those investments stall. Mohammed "Mo" Saadat, CEO of Stratahub, sits down with Jason and Nada to talk about liberating the operational data trapped in legacy historians, PLCs, and acquired-asset patchwork. Mo unpacks two decades of frontline lessons, why digital twins keep falling flat, and his plan to build the industrial data fabric for the entire energy sector. Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Intro00:55 Meet Mo and Stratahub02:57 Two decades growing up in oil and gas06:10 Why operational data stays trapped11:14 Selling new tech to a skeptical industry14:08 The digital twin reality check19:25 Where OEMs fall short24:24 Sponsor break25:30 Stratahub's ideal customers and what's under the hood32:41 The ESP pilot that changed the approach38:25 The North Dakota moment that sparked it all42:39 Trading a corporate seat for the founder grind45:55 Building the industrial data fabric for energy47:16 How to reach Mohttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
- Apr 14, 20261h 11m
Eric Rubenstein from New Climate Ventures
Eric Rubenstein, managing partner at New Climate Ventures, joins Jason and Nada live from Ceraweek to make the case that what we're calling an energy transition is actually a new industrial revolution. He breaks down why data centers are only the fifth biggest driver of power demand, how his 35-company portfolio is shifting toward localized production and supply chain resilience, and what founders absolutely need to nail before walking up to an investor at a conference.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Intro and Ceraweek impressions07:11 - What is actually driving power demand growth13:41 - The all-of-the-above energy reality19:12 - NCV fund thesis and origin22:28 - Portfolio breakdown and data center exposure25:07 - Upcycling waste into value28:30 - How the portfolio informs investment strategy34:19 - Is venture capital broken for hard tech?37:01 - The missing middle and how startups are bridging it40:11 - Industrial customers funding their own first commercial plants45:38 - Raising fund two and what LPs want48:45 - How NCV communicates with investors56:37 - What founders should know before approaching investors01:01:09 - Talking valuation with investorshttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
- Mar 31, 202654 min
Donald Kendall from New Climate Ventures
Venture capital in the energy transition is getting more complicated, but Donald R. Kendall Jr., General Partner at New Climate Ventures, says the multi-trillion dollar opportunity isn't going anywhere. We get into how they find picks and shovels plays in crowded markets, what $100 oil means for climate startups, why management teams matter more than technology, and what it actually takes to get a first-of-a-kind project financed.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 0:00 New Climate Ventures and Investment Thesis8:00 Data Centers, Cooling, and Energy Independence10:00 $100 Oil and What It Means for the Energy Transition14:00 SAF, Carbon Alternatives, and Portfolio Companies21:00 Don's Background in Project Finance and Early Renewables26:00 SolarCity, Financial Engineering, and Residential Solar32:00 What Makes a Fundable Team38:00 The State of Venture Capital for Climate42:00 Why Invest in Climate Over AI43:00 Houston's Role in the Energy Transition49:00 Most Exciting Technologies Right Now51:00 Wildlife Conservation and Closinghttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
- Mar 17, 202648 min
Ashish Gupta & Siddhartha (Sid) Paul from KonsciousPlanet/KP Labs
Critical metals like nickel and cobalt are slipping through the cracks and into landfills, and KP Labs is on a mission to get them back. Dr. Ashish Gupta and Siddhartha Paul, CEO and CTO and co-founders of KonsciousPlanet/KP Labs, break down how bacteria can pull valuable metals from e-waste, why recycling is really just energy independence in disguise, and why they're calling it urban mining.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 0:00 - Intro and KP Labs origin story3:26 - How the e-waste recycling technology works8:39 - Black mass, battery chemistry, and the logistics problem11:00 - America's recycling problem14:40 - Democratizing the recycling process18:29 - Commercialization plans and funding24:02 - Founders' backgrounds and how they met30:00 - Challenges in energy transition investing35:39 - Houston ecosystem and helpful resources38:07 - Investor misconceptions and how to pitch it right42:58 - Reframing the business as urban mining44:13 - What KP Labs is looking for right nowhttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai
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About Energytech Startups
They say everything's bigger in Texas, including climate change. That's why Houston is leading the energy transition. Here in H-Town, the fourth largest city in the United States, entrepreneurs from across Texas and around the world are gathering to work with titans of industry to build the technology that will reduce emissions and power a low carbon future. Welcome to Energy Tech Startups with Nada Ahmed and Jason Ethier. We sit down with those change makers and wildcatters who are solving the toughest energy challenges with trillions of dollars on the line. We dig into how Houston will bring technology to market on a massive scale. Join us as we talk with the leaders of the energy capital of the world as they show us how the energy transition gets done.
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