#19 – Cleantech 2.0. Why the Next 10 Years Will Be the Best Years for Cleantech | Meera Clark

Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital

In 2006, venture capitalists poured billions into clean energy technologies during Cleantech 1.0, only to lose half of the investments over the next five years. The climate tech investing space has since rebounded and become one of the most popular investment sectors, and new incentives show an exciting opportunity for extended growth over the next few years.
Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures, where she is passionate about the climate tech, consumer, and infrastructure sectors. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider’s 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. Meera previously worked at Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab, Morgan Stanley’s tech investment banking group, and as a principal at Obvious Ventures.
In this episode, Catherine and Meera talk about the trajectory of Meera’s career, her thoughts on upcoming market shifts in 2023 and 2024, how consumer shifts are affecting businesses, the climate tech investing space, and much more.
Topics include:
- Her untraditional upbringing and its effect on her career
- The importance of a strong support system
- Thoughts on the economy and market for the next 12-24 months
- Upcoming IPO market shifts
- How consumer shifts are offering new opportunities for businesses
- The climate tech investing space
- Building an all-star cap table
- And more…
Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider’s 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. After graduating from Stanford, Meera accelerated her career at Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab and within its tech investment banking group. She later became a principal at Obvious Ventures, where she worked on 12 of the company’s 30 investments from its $272 million third fund, sourcing four investments and serving as a board observer for three others. She also serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the Annual Summit of All Raise.
Resources Mentioned:
The Grid, by Gretchen Bakke: https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Fraying-Between-Americans-Energy-ebook/dp/B01DM9Q6CQ
Taming the Sun, by Varun Sivaram: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Sun-Innovations-Harness-Energy-ebook/dp/B08BT1SM11
The World for Sale, by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy: https://www.amazon.com/World-Sale-Traders-Barter-Resources-ebook/dp/B08TMTG4CT
The New Map, by Daniel Yergin: https://www.amazon.com/New-Map-Energy-Climate-Nations-ebook/dp/B084GDG8DG
MCJ Collective: https://www.mcjcollective.com/