E68: Investing in water with Tom Ferguson, Founder and Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures

The Keep Cool Podcast

Nick is joined by Tom Ferguson, Founder and Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures, one of the first venture capital firms focused on investing in startups driving innovation in water-focused applications and industries.

Despite touching nearly everything on Earth, water is an under-discussed, under-invested in, and under-resourced category. As a result, innovation in the space often lags other areas that get more attention, whether fintech, crypto, or AI. At the same time, water is one of several categories that could see the most disruption due to climate change. Hence, Tom & team are on a mission to not just invest well in water but to grow the category as a whole. As part of their conversation, Nick & Tom also discussed:

• Scope & Definition: Nick & Tom spend time breaking down and decomposing what is even meant by ‘water’ when we try to understand it as an industry.
• Portfolio Companies: Tom runs through seminal examples of several portfolio companies that underscore the types of companies Burnt Island Ventures invests in and the impact they’re targeting
• Storytelling and Intangibles: Nick & Tom stress the need for better storytelling in the water sector to attract more investment and public interest.

Timestamps:

00:01:23 - Tom's Journey into Water Investment

00:03:23 - Breaking Down the Water Investment Landscape

00:06:09 - Challenges in Water Sector Investment & Reframing the Industry

00:13:07 - Burnt Island Ventures' Mission

00:15:51 - Highlighting Portfolio Companies

00:22:03 - FundOne Portfolio Overview

00:27:00 - The Overlooked Importance of Water in Various Sectors

00:34:17 - The Importance of Storytelling + The Role of Investors in Water Sector

00:37:00 - Cross-Cutting Issues in Climate and Energy

00:39:53 - The Role of Water in Climate Adaptation

Don't miss out on this podcast if you're interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, the energy transition, and investing in water and what the ‘water’ category as a whole even entails and represents. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform.

Learn more about Burnt Island Ventures on their website and LinkedIn: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

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