Podcast
Inevitable
Hosted by an MCJ podcast · EN
Join Cody Simms each week as he engages with experts across disciplines to explore innovations driving the transition of energy and industry. Inevitable is an MCJ podcast. This show was formerly known as 'My Climate Journey.'
52episodes
Episodes
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Collapsing 30 Feet of Power Infrastructure Into Four with DG Matrix
1w ago00:50:19Summary readyHaroon Inam is Co-founder and CEO of DG Matrix, a company that makes the world's most compact Power Router, aggregating distributed energy for GenAI datacenters, microgrids, fleet electrification, and associated systems. As AI workloads drive unprecedented electricity demand and legacy grid infrastructure struggles to keep pace, DG Matrix has commercialized the world’s first multi-port solid-state transformer to meet the energy needs. In this episode, Inam explains why transformer bottlenecks, distributed generation, and 800V DC architectures are reshaping the future of power delivery for AI infrastructure. He discusses DG Matrix’s product strategy, manufacturing scale-up plans, and the role of software-defined power systems in next-generation data centers. Finally, Inam shares his take on the future of distributed microgrids and “cellular power” and how to scale power electronics manufacturing. DG Matrix recently closed a $60 million Series A led by Engine Ventures that MCJ is proud to have participated in. Episode recorded on May 13, 2026 (Published on May 26, 2026) In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Overview of DG Matrix (01:41) Introducing the Founders: Haroon Inam and Dr. Bhattacharya (05:25) How traditional grid architecture became constrained for AI workloads (09:57) Solid-state transformers (SST), multi-port systems and voltage classes (12:18) Why early SST efforts struggled economically (13:13) How DG Matrix’s multi-port architecture works (16:48) Comparing DG Matrix hardware footprint to legacy power systems (20:08) Transformer shortages and data center infrastructure bottlenecks (24:27) DG Matrix’s medium-voltage and low-voltage product strategies (27:55) Product rebranding and current commercial deployments (30:45) Partnerships with EPC firms, battery providers, and turbine manufacturers (34:27) Manufacturing scale-up plan and hyperscaling production (36:36) Supply chain strategy to avoid rare earth dependencies (38:16) Reliability engineering and software-defined power systems (43:47) DG Matrix’s go-to-market and hybrid hardware/software business model (46:36) The vision for distributed “cellular power” (48:14) Utilities, microgrids, and the future of interconnected distributed infrastructure Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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Lessons from Peter Carlsson after the Rise and Fall of Northvolt
2w ago00:37:17Summary readyPeter Carlsson is Co-founder and former CEO of Northvolt, the European battery manufacturing company that raised more than $13 billion to build a homegrown battery supply chain for Europe, before filing for bankruptcy at the end of 2024. Before Northvolt, Carlsson spent more than a decade at Ericsson building global supply chains and later served as VP of Supply Chain at Tesla during the launch of the Model S. In this live episode of Inevitable from the AENU Summit in Berlin, Carlsson reflects on the rise and fall of Northvolt, the realities of competing with China’s electro-industrial stack, and what Europe still gets right in manufacturing and innovation. Peter breaks down why batteries became strategically essential to Europe, what operational challenges slowed Northvolt’s scale-up, and how changing EV markets, policy shifts, and financing pressures compounded those problems. Carlsson also mentions his new ventures: Aris Machina, an agentic operating system for manufacturing and Sonder Labs, a sodium-ion battery company focused on building chemistry and supply chains less dependent on China. He talks about AI-driven manufacturing, industrial automation, battery geopolitics, and where Europe can still compete in the next generation of energy and hardware systems. Episode recorded on April 28 2026 (Published on May 19, 2026). In this episode, we cover: (0:00) What happened at Northvolt (2:33) Takeaways from Ericsson and Tesla on factory operations (5:52) Why Europe needed a battery champion like Northvolt (7:01) Northvolt’s strategy (8:47) The fall of Northvolt (12:23) The decision Peter wishes he had made differently (15:46) Was Northvolt's chemistry bet a mistake? (17:29) Sonder Labs: The promise of sodium-ion batteries (21:42) Can Europe still compete with China in batteries? (24:05) Aris Machina: AI agents for manufacturing operations (27:31) How AI changes factory productivity and the labor market (29:05) Data sovereignty, AI infrastructure and software challenge (32:35) Industrial automation, precision manufacturing, and fusion (34:48) Where Europe still wins (36:01) Final thoughts on Europe’s industrial future Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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New Mexico's $72B Bet on Clean Energy
3w ago00:55:28Summary readyRob Black is Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, and Bruce Brown is Head of Strategic Climate Initiatives at the New Mexico State Investment Council, the state’s $72B sovereign wealth fund. Together, they are driving one of the most ambitious state-level strategies in the U.S. to turn energy wealth into long-term climate innovation and economic growth. The conversation also features MCJ portfolio founders building in the state: Carrie von Muench, Co-founder of Pacific Fusion, developing modular fusion energy systems, and Carl Hoiland, Co-founder and CEO of Zanskar Geothermal, using AI to discover and scale geothermal resources. Together, our guests explore how sovereign capital, policy, and startups intersect—from funding venture managers and attracting hyperscale projects to enabling first-of-a-kind (FOAK) infrastructure. The episode highlights what it actually takes to build (climate) companies in a new geography, and how New Mexico is positioning itself as a hub for advanced energy and climate tech. This episode of Inevitable was recorded in front of a live audience on April 22, 2026 at the SVB Experience Center during SF Climate Week. (Published on May 12, 2026). In this episode, we cover: (0:00) Overview of New Mexico’s development strategy (2:06) Becoming a climate innovation hub (4:31) An overview of the state's sovereign wealth fund: $72B capital (6:27) Investing for returns while hedging energy transition risk (10:34) Economic growth, poverty reduction, and workforce investment (14:20) Why New Mexico is betting on climate and energy (17:32) How the state supports startups: incentives and “white glove” service (20:26) The shift in strategy: from local funds to global venture partners (22:36) Scaling the model: billions into venture and new industries (25:03) Transmission, infrastructure, and enabling energy deployment (27:00) Building data centers, microgrids, and large-load demand (35:11) Pacific Fusion: building modular, scalable fusion systems (35:23) Zanskar Geothermal: AI-driven geothermal discovery and development (40:23) Why New Mexico: resource potential vs. siting strategy (45:29) What founders actually get from the state and what still needs work (50:22) Lessons for builders: permitting, incentives, and scaling fast Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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From Cars to Grid: Moment Energy Reinvents Energy Storage with Repurposed Batteries
4w ago00:52:01Summary readyEddy Chiang is Co-founder and CEO of Moment Energy, a company building commercial-scale energy storage systems from repurposed electric vehicle batteries. By testing, certifying, and remanufacturing second-life battery modules, Moment Energy is creating lower-cost alternatives to new lithium-ion storage while extending battery lifespans by decades. In this episode of Inevitable, Chiang explains how a growing wave of retired EV batteries is reshaping the energy storage market—making recycling alone economically unviable. The conversation covers the technical and regulatory challenges of certifying second-life systems, how Moment Energy became the first company to achieve full UL certification, and why safety, not cost, is the real barrier to adoption. We also explore how distributed battery systems can replace traditional grid upgrades, why hyperscaler demand is accelerating deployment, and how Moment Energy is positioning storage not just as a product, but as long-term infrastructure designed to last 100 years. MCJ is a three-time investor in Moment Energy. The company just closed a $40M Series B co-led by Evok Innovations and the Canadian Growth Fund — with the participation of Amazon, Liberty Mutual, Voyager and our fund. Episode recorded on April 14, 2026 (Published on May 5, 2026). In this episode, we cover: (0:00) An overview of Moment Energy (2:47) Moment Energy’s market evolution (6:37) What certification means and why it’s the hardest part (10:22) Are second-life batteries actually safe? (12:15) Hardware + software: how Moment Energy builds safe systems (15:39) Moment Energy’s product: modular, distributed battery systems (19:06) Batteries vs grid upgrades: the core economic tradeoff (25:35) Repurposed batteries and domestic supply chains (29:49) The second life of EV batteries and why most still have value (35:20) Designing battery systems to last 100 years (42:53) Demands for AI, hyperscalers, and distributed storage (47:55) Working with Amazon and scaling deployment Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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Why This Winter's Snowpack Collapsed with Joel Gratz of OpenSnow
Apr 2800:47:19Summary readyJoel Gratz is Founding Meteorologist and CEO of OpenSnow, a weather platform used by hundreds of thousands of skiers, snowboarders, and outdoor enthusiasts to track snow conditions and forecast powder days. What started as a text thread among friends has grown into a profitable, bootstrapped business combining expert forecasting, data science, and increasingly AI-driven weather models. In this episode of Inevitable, Gratz breaks down one of the worst Western snowpack seasons on record and why he believes it’s not as simple as blaming climate change. The conversation explores the role of atmospheric variability versus long-term warming trends, why temperature matters more than precipitation for snowpack, and how mountain weather forecasting differs from traditional forecasts. Finally, Gratz explains why emotional connection, not just accuracy, is what makes niche weather businesses work. Episode recorded April 9, 2026 (published April 28, 2026) In this episode, we cover: (0:00) An overview of OpenSnow (1:45) Weather conditions aren’t just a climate change story (4:46) How warming temperatures impact snowpack quality (7:20) What OpenSnow is and how it started (12:46) OpenSnow’s business model and growth (16:26) Why mountain weather is harder to forecast (21:16) How OpenSnow builds better forecasts from shared data (25:01) Powder quality vs snowfall: what actually matters (30:01) Snowpack as a water “battery” for the West (32:45) How ski resorts are adapting to climate variability (37:46) The reality of cloud seeding and weather modification (42:23) How emotional connection has helped OpenSnow succeed Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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Turning Students into Founders at Stanford Climate Ventures
Apr 1501:06:07Summary readyDave McColl is Executive Director of Stanford Climate Ventures (SCV), a program designed to help students build climate companies through rigorous go-to-market strategy and hands-on company building. SCV is a project-based course at Stanford University that has helped launch dozens of startups across energy, infrastructure, and industrial decarbonization. In this episode of Inevitable, Yin Lu, General Partner at MCJ, sits down with McColl to unpack the SCV playbook—from “earned secrets” to the importance of customer discovery. The conversation also features three founders who came out of the SCV ecosystem: Carla Pinzon, Founder of Expand Power, solid-state transformers for a more flexible grid Raj Tilwa, Founder of Focal, personalized heating systems for commercial spaces Nico Pinkowski, Founder of Nitricity, decentralized fertilizer with air, water, and renewable power Together, they share how SCV shaped their companies, from early pivots and customer insights to product-market fit, and what it takes to build sustainable businesses. Episode recorded on March 13, 2026 (Published on April 14, 2026). In this episode, we cover: (0:00) An overview of Stanford Climate Ventures (SCV) (5:12) The origin of SCV and its community-driven model (10:14) How SCV works: discovery, iteration, and “earned secrets” (16:25) The biggest founder mistake: ignoring the customer (18:56) What predicts success: discovery volume and team dynamics (25:51) Carla Pinzon (Expand Power): solid-state transformers for a modern grid (32:21) Finding product-market pull through customer discovery (35:56) Raj Tilwa (Focal): personalized heating vs heating entire spaces (44:21) 100+ interviews to find a real painkiller in hospitality (52:10) Nico Pinkowski (Nitricity): decentralized fertilizer production (58:31) How product-market fit can take years Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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Improving Weather Forecasting with WindBorne
Apr 700:38:17Summary readyJohn Dean is Co-Founder and CEO of WindBorne, a company building next-generation weather balloons and an AI-powered forecasting layer to improve global weather prediction. WindBorne’s balloons can stay aloft for weeks — collecting critical atmospheric data across oceans and remote regions where traditional weather infrastructure doesn’t reach. In this episode of Inevitable, Dean explains why weather forecasting has remained largely unchanged for decades and why better data—not just better models—is the key to improving weather predictions. Our conversation explores how WindBorne’s balloon constellation captures atmospheric data at a global scale, how AI models like WeatherMesh translate that data into more accurate forecasts, and why extreme weather and infrastructure gaps are creating urgency for better systems. Dean also shares how the company makes money across data, forecasting, and insights—and his long-term vision of building “a planetary-scale nervous system.” Episode recorded on March 19, 2026 (Published on April 7, 2026) In this episode, we cover: (0:00) An overview of WindBorne (2:57) How weather forecasting actually works (4:36) Why traditional weather balloons haven’t changed in decades (12:50) What WindBorne is: long-duration balloons, global data collection and a weather intelligence platform (14:14) What makes WindBorne different: better sensors, batteries, and communications (17:35) Atlas: WindBorne’s global balloon constellation (18:17) How better weather data improves hurricane predictions (20:35) Airspace safety and the realities of flying balloons at scale (24:35) WindBorne’s business model: data, forecasts, and insights (29:30) Why weather data matters for energy markets and grid reliability (32:09) The long-term vision: Building a “planetary-scale nervous system” (35:41) Why AI + physical infrastructure is a “net good” for society Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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Alex Blumberg on Turning Buildings into Grid Assets with DaisyChain Energy
Apr 100:38:52Summary readyAlex Blumberg is Co-founder and CEO of DaisyChain Energy, a company building a hardware-enabled software platform that turns commercial buildings into flexible grid assets. Best known as the founder of Gimlet Media and co-creator of Planet Money, Blumberg’s second venture focuses on solving one of the most overlooked problems in climate: the misaligned incentives inside buildings. In this episode, Blumberg explains why building decarbonization has stalled—not because of smart grid technology, but because of economics. The conversation explores how DaisyChain uses submetering and rate arbitrage to create immediate financial value for building owners, while unlocking the ability to deploy batteries, heat pumps, and other distributed energy resources over time. They also discuss their expansion into hospitals, where power quality issues create major operational risk, and how the same platform can solve both problems. At a system level, Blumberg outlines a future where aggregated building loads become flexible assets that help stabilize the energy grid and reduce peak demand. We’re proud to have invested in DaisyChain and support their journey towards the modernization of the grid. Episode recorded on March 12, 2026 (Published on April 1, 2026) In this episode, we cover: (0:00) An overview of DaisyChain Energy (2:06) Why Alex Blumberg started a climate company after Gimlet (6:17) Why buildings are a messy but critical climate problem (6:52) How DaisyChain works (10:08) The split incentive problem in multifamily buildings (13:53) Why decarbonization upgrades don’t pencil financially today (15:47) Submetering and turning buildings into mini-utilities (19:08) Using financial incentives—not climate—to win customers (22:53) Turning buildings into flexible energy grid assets (27:15) The power quality problem in hospitals (31:00) Increasing net operating income vs protecting revenue (34:55) The long-term vision: a flexible, distributed energy grid Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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Inside Rockefeller's Big Bet: The Global Energy Alliance with Ashvin Dayal
Mar 1700:48:46Summary readyAshvin Dayal is Senior Vice President for Power and Climate at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he oversees the Global Energy Alliance (GEA), a multi-billion-dollar initiative backed by the Rockefeller Foundation, the IKEA Foundation, and the Bezos Earth Fund to expand access to clean, reliable electricity worldwide. In this episode of Inevitable, Dayal explains why energy access remains one of the defining development challenges of the century, with roughly three billion people still lacking enough electricity to meaningfully power economic activity. The conversation explores how philanthropic capital can unlock private investment in markets that commercial investors often avoid, the rise of distributed solar and mini-grids in places like India and across Africa, and how programs like Mission 300 aim to electrify hundreds of millions of people in the coming decade. Dayal also shares lessons from a decade of deploying distributed energy systems, the growing role of digital tools and AI in managing complex power systems, and why the Rockefeller Foundation is now exploring nuclear and small modular reactors as part of the future global energy mix. Episode recorded on March 4, 2026 (Published on March 17, 2026) In this episode, we cover: (0:00) An overview of the Rockefeller Foundation (2:31) Ashvin’s background in disaster response and climate resilience (8:16) What energy access really means for economic opportunity (10:15) The “modern energy minimum” and the 3 billion people below it (14:11) The Rockefeller Foundation and the creation of GEA (19:06) How philanthropic first-loss capital unlocks clean energy investment (24:19) Why distributed solar and mini-grids work for emerging markets (27:57) Lessons from Smart Power India and scaling rural electrification (36:39) Mission 300 and the effort to electrify Africa (42:05) Why Rockefeller is exploring nuclear and SMRs (47:09) Rockefeller’s legacy: from Standard Oil to global clean energy Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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Turning Wasted Renewable Power into AI Compute with Rune
Feb 1700:39:18Summary readyWilliam Layden is Co-founder and CEO at Rune, a company building modular, behind-the-meter micro data centers that plug directly into solar and wind plants. These units operate on a fully electric, DC-to-DC architecture—bypassing the traditional grid and unlocking new economics for compute at renewable energy sites.In this episode of Inevitable, Layden explains how solar clipping and curtailment leave vast amounts of clean power stranded—and how Rune’s “RELIC” units turn that waste into usable compute. The conversation dives into DC architecture, Bitcoin as a beachhead market, and why traditional data centers are ill-suited to an era of distributed energy. Layden also unpacks why modular infrastructure may be the fastest path to deploying AI-scale compute at the edge of the energy transition.Episode recorded on Jan 27, 2026 (Published on Feb 17, 2026)In this episode we cover: (0:00) Intro(3:19) An overview of Rune(7:15) How energy flows and gets los in today’s power stack(10:50) Clipping: the hidden inefficiency in solar(14:17) Curtailment: why the grid rejects clean energy(20:47) Starting with Bitcoin before scaling to AI workloads(25:50) Which compute loads can run interruptibly(27:26) Rune’s business model and value to power producers(33:16) Where Rune operates and who’s backing it(36:10) Why modular, DC-native design matters for scaleLinks:William Layden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-laydenRune: https://www.rune.energy/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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