In this episode, Yair Reem, Partner at Extantia Capital, shares insights into the challenges and opportunities of decarbonizing energy systems, particularly with hydrocarbons, and explores the potential of Clean Tech 2.0. Extantia Capital focuses on investing in startups that aim to save over 1Gt of CO2 emissions per year, with commercially viable and scalable business models.

Yair is a Partner at Extantia Capital, a climate-first VC fund focused on deep decarbonisation technologies. Extantia invests in exceptional climate-tech founders who build the next “Gigacorns”, companies that are ultimately capable of saving in excess of 1Gt of CO2 emissions per year and are also commercially viable with scalable business models. In this Episode, we will talk about Clean Tech 2.0, why hydrocarbons are having the biggest energy "umpf", and why is it so hard to replace them.

🎙 Key topics covered:

• Hydrocarbons: Explained in simple terms as organic compounds made of hydrogen and carbon, essential for energy production. Hydrocarbons are responsible for around 85% of global energy consumption, with high energy density but also high CO2 emissions when burned (5:00).

• Clean Tech 1.0 vs. 2.0: The shift from earlier tech solutions to more advanced approaches, aiming for deep decarbonization with scalable, impactful solutions (3:10).

• Green Hydrocarbons: The search for sustainable alternatives to fossil-based hydrocarbons, such as biomass waste recycling, synthetic hydrocarbons from renewable energy, and carbon capture technologies (14:00).

• Challenges: Why hydrocarbons are difficult to replace in certain industries (aviation, extreme heat processes) and the hurdles in producing them sustainably (20:00).

  
  

  💡 Yair’s insights:

• Hydrocarbons have an unmatched energy density, making them tough to replace in some sectors.
• Clean Tech 2.0 focuses on advanced, scalable solutions, and Extantia aims to fund the next “gigacorns”: companies capable of making a massive impact on CO2 reduction.
• The hurdle for green hydrocarbons lies in economic viability, scaling renewable processes, and achieving competitive pricing.