Donald Kendall from New Climate Ventures
From Energytech Startups by collide.
March 31, 2026 · 55 min · Episode 94
About this episode
Donald R. Kendall Jr. discusses the complexities of venture capital in the energy transition and the importance of management teams in financing climate startups.
Venture capital in the energy transition is getting more complicated, but Donald R. Kendall Jr., General Partner at New Climate Ventures, says the multi-trillion dollar opportunity isn't going anywhere. We get into how they find picks and shovels plays in crowded markets, what $100 oil means for climate startups, why management teams matter more than technology, and what it actually takes to get a first-of-a-kind project financed. Click here to watch a video of this episode. Join the conversation shaping the future of energy. Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward. Apply today at collide.io Click here to view the episode transcript. 0:00 New Climate Ventures and Investment Thesis 8:00 Data Centers, Cooling, and Energy Independence 10:00 $100 Oil and What It Means for the Energy Transition 14:00 SAF, Carbon Alternatives, and Portfolio Companies 21:00 Don's Background in Project Finance and Early Renewables 26:00 SolarCity, Financial Engineering, and Residential Solar 32:00 What Makes a Fundable Team 38:00 The State of Venture…
People in this episode
Guest: Donald R. Kendall Jr.
Topics covered
- venture capital
- energy transition
- climate startups
- investment strategies
- project financing
- technology in energy
Keywords
- energy transition
- venture capital
- climate startups
- project finance
- investment thesis
- technology
- oil prices
- energy independence
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New Climate Ventures, Collide, SolarCity
Places: Houston
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