Capital Series: John Tough, Energize Capital
My Climate Journey - A podcast by Jason Jacobs, Cody Simms, Yin Lu
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John Tough is Managing Partner at Energize Capital, a leading climate software investor. Energize partners with best-in-class innovators to accelerate the sustainability transition, and they have both an early-stage traditional venture vehicle as well as a growth vehicle. In this episode, Jason and John delve into the firm's origins and John's motivations for co-founding it. They explore his early career at Kleiner Green Growth and his pivotal role as employee number three at Choose Energy. The discussion also covers Energize's approach, LP composition, evolution, and the alignment between LPs and the venture and growth vehicles. They then examine the shifting macro environment's impact on LP investments in climate tech, company criteria, check sizes, leadership roles, diligence procedures, thesis-driven aspects, and the comprehensive post-company support offered by Energize.