Investment Climate

About Investment Climate

We are uncovering the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs.

Publisher

Alex Shandrovsky

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Apr 2024

Latest episode

19 May 2026

Latest episodes

114 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 May 2026

   On surviving Corporate VC Due Diligence and the 1% Conversion Rate Reality - Tomas Turner, Cosaic

   Episode 98: Cosaic: Tomas Turner on surviving Corporate VC Due Diligence and the 1% Conversion Rate Reality In this episode, I sit down with Tomas Turner, CEO and Co-founder of Cosaic, a biomass fermentation startup producing highly functional yeast-based ingredients to replace additives, milk, and eggs. Tomas walks us through the grueling realities of closing a $6M round led by DSM-Firmenich’s CVC arm. We discuss why Corporate VC due diligence is fundamentally different—and far more rigorous on IP and Tech—than standard VC vetting. Tomas also opens up his fundraising pipeline, revealing the raw math required to close a multi-million dollar Seed round today: 250 targets, 60+ initial meetings, and countless rejections just to secure three new investors. 🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear Tomas explain the "pharma model" of FoodTech and why you should never try to negotiate a corporate term sheet with lawyers in the room. Key Facts Eatable Adventures: Tomas Turner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-turner95/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-turner95/) Website: https://www.cosaic.bio/ (https://www.cosaic.bio/) Headquarters: Horgen, Switzerland Goal: To utilize biomass fermentation to curate clean-label fat and protein fibers that mask off-notes, provide astringency masking, and function as egg/dairy replacements. Milestone: Closed a $6M funding round led by DSM-Firmenich Venturing, supported by existing investors (Navus Ventures, Founderful) and a new Swiss Family Office. Blurb Cosaic is a science-driven ingredients company building resilient food systems that keep pace with evolving consumer demand. Powered by a fast-moving team of scientists, engineers, and business builders, Cosaic combines rigorous in-house R&D — including an advanced pilot lab for real-condition testing — with a relentless commitment to continuous optimization. They don't just claim what their ingredients can do; they know it. Ambitious by nature and customer-centric by design, Cosaic works alongside food industry partners to deliver solutions that push the boundaries of what's been imagined possible.

2. 

   14 May 2026

   €10M non-dilutive hack, surviving deep expert "grilling," & avoiding the CapEx trap- Georg Schaumann

   Episode 97: SenseUp Biosciences: Georg Schaumann on the €10M non-dilutive hack, surviving deep expert "grilling," and avoiding the CapEx trap In this episode, I sit down with Georg Schaumann, Founder and CEO of SenseUp Biosciences, a deep-tech platform developing bio-encapsulated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for targeted crop protection. Georg details how a serendipitous barbecue conversation led to their €3M Seed round backed by the Heister Family Office (the capital behind Aldi) and IT/AI specialist fund Capnamic. We dive into the reality of surviving deep technical due diligence when VCs hire 30-year agrochemical veterans to "grill" founders, the strategic blueprint for solving the solo-founder dilemma by embedding equity reserves for a future commercial co-CEO directly into the cap table, and how SenseUp leveraged €10M in German government grants to bootstrap six years of intense R&D. 🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear Georg explain why founders should aggressively cancel their own non-essential patents to save cash. Key Facts Eatable Adventures: Georg Schaumann Cabañero: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-georg-schaumann-1638168a/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-georg-schaumann-1638168a/) Website: https://senseup.bio/ (https://senseup.bio/) Headquarters: Köln, Germany Goal: To produce bio-encapsulated double-stranded RNA platforms that function as highly selective, effective, and non-toxic active ingredients for crop protection (fungicides, insecticides). Milestone: Closed a €3M Seed round led by Capnamic to finance expanded in vitro and greenhouse trials while preparing to onboard a dedicated commercial co-CEO ahead of a planned Series A in mid-2027. Blurb SenseUP is a biotech spin-off from Germany's Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) tackling one of agriculture's most urgent problems: the $290 billion annual toll of crop losses caused by pests and pathogens. Where conventional chemical pesticides are losing efficacy and damaging ecosystems, SenseUP has developed a patented dsRNA biopesticide platform that delivers protection that's effective, affordable, and as easy to deploy as the chemical products it replaces — without the environmental cost. Led by founder and CEO Georg Schaumann, PhD, the Cologne-based team combines deep expertise in dsRNA biology, microbial production, and scale-up to bring next-generation crop protection from lab to field. SenseUP collaborates with leading agri-industry players on R&D trials across diverse applications — building toward a future where farmers achieve growth without compromise.

3. 

   12 May 2026

   On $50M DeepTech Thesis & why Southern EU is the ultimate VC testing ground-José, Eatable AdventureS

   Episode 96: Eatable Adventures: José Luis Cabañero on the $50M Deep Tech Thesis and why Southern Europe is the ultimate VC testing ground In this episode, I sit down with José Luis Cabañero, Founder and CEO of Eatable Adventures, one of the most prolific AgriFood accelerators and venture capital platforms in Europe. José breaks down his highly specific thesis: writing €100K-€300K pre-revenue checks (targeting 5%-10% equity) into early-stage Deep Tech and "Physical AI" startups. We discuss why Eatable Adventures explicitly passed on Cellular Agriculture due to technical complexities, and how they leverage their network of 80+ corporate food partners to instantly validate a startup's product-market fit. Finally, José explains why he is aggressively launching a new €50M fund right in the middle of a VC winter, relying on the massively overlooked scientific talent and low cost of living in Southern Europe and Latin America to drive outsized returns. 🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear why Eatable Adventures views startups like teenagers and when they actively start pushing CEOs toward the exit. Key Facts Eatable Adventures: José Luis Cabañero: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlcabanero/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlcabanero/) Website: https://eatableadventures.com/ (https://eatableadventures.com/) Headquarters: Madrid, Spain Goal: To deploy €100K-€300K pre-seed/seed checks (securing 5-10% equity) into Deep Tech and AI-driven AgriFood startups, operating primarily out of Southern Europe and Latin America. Milestone: Currently raising a new €50M Fund II, backing their aggressive expansion strategy that includes running 12+ acceleration programs annually and maintaining a portfolio of nearly 40 companies. Blurb Eatable Adventures is a food innovation accelerator and builder — not an observer. Led by José Luis Cabañero and Mila Valcárcel, their collective of food scientists, engineers, investment strategists, and former founders works from inside the food system to turn ambition into real-world outcomes. By aligning strategy, capital, and execution simultaneously, Eatable Adventures creates the operating models, hubs, and ecosystems that move ideas from vision to traction — testing in real conditions, scaling what holds up, and owning the result. Their mission: build a food system that's safer, healthier, and more sustainable — one that has a heartbeat.

Who has been a guest on Investment Climate

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Gerit Tolborg
• Gavin Schneider
• Adam Bergman
• Ori Cohavi
• Yochai Maytal

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

15 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

51

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.