Startup Bazaar: Climate Innovation in Hard-to-Abate Sectors
Held on the sidelines of New York Climate Week, the event will bring together investors, startup founders, and other stakeholders for sessions dedicated to scaling climate solutions. Here is the schedule:
8:30 - 9:00 AM
Check in & Welcome by our MC David Bender, Fathom Fund, Deep Tech Investor
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Innovators in industrial decarbonization
From chemicals to cement, heavy industry is among the toughest sectors to decarbonize. This panel brings together innovators reimagining the backbone of our economy with catalysts, new materials, and biological platforms that can lower emissions at an industrial scale.
Moderator: Anna Sorokina, Remarkable Ventures Climate
Panelists:
SolidSky, Aidan Mickleburgh, CEO & Founder
Tikal Industries, Christian Guerrero, CEO & Founder
CarbonBridge, Manu Pillai, CEO & Founder
9:50 AM - 10:35 AM
Panel: How climate deals really get financed
How do projects move from pilot to portfolio? This session breaks down the capital stack—blending public incentives (IRA credits and transferability, state programs), mission-driven capital (green banks, first-loss facilities, guarantees), and private markets (project finance, debt funds, insurance, securitization). Investors, lenders, and operators will walk through live deal structures, examining what makes them bankable and where they stall. The discussion will highlight underserved communities, measurable climate impact, and the practical levers that turn policy tailwinds into term sheets.
Moderator: Rokas Beresniovas, Montgomery County Green Bank
Panelists:
Cool Climate Collective, Mehrad Yaghmai, Founding Partner
Rapid Ventures, Gillian Francis, Managing & Founding Partner
Structure Climate, Matt Schmitt, CEO & Co-founder
10:40 PM - 11:15 PM
Fireside Chat: Jay Sehgal, SM Sehgal Foundation
Moderator: Venky Raghavendra, Safe Water Network
Jay Sehgal, Executive Vice President of Sehgal Foundation, will talk about the pioneering water management initiatives of S M Sehgal Foundation in India. The Foundation, is present in more than 2,000 villages in India.
11:20 AM - 12:05 PM
Circular Chemistry & Products (Waste-to-Value)
Moderator: Anna Sorokina, Remarkable Ventures Climate
Waste doesn’t have to be wasted. This session spotlights pioneering startups transforming everyday residues—agricultural byproducts, spent coffee grounds, textiles, and even CO₂—into renewable feedstocks, polymers, packaging, and surfactants. Together, these innovations are creating the building blocks of a truly circular economy.
Panelists:
Mothership Materials, Jo Marini, Founder & CEO
Unspent, Dr. Kathryn Williamson, Founder & CEO
Tastee Tape, Marie Eric, Founder & CEO
12:15 - 1:00
Powering India’s Energy Transition: From PanchAmrit to Net Zero
The panel will explore the key pillars shaping India’s energy future — from nuclear expansion and reforms that open the door to private sector participation, to the rapid scaling of battery energy storage (BESS) for grid stability and round-the-clock renewable power. Panelists will also discuss India’s push to localize solar PV manufacturing, reduce import dependence, and modernize transmission infrastructure through the Green Energy Corridor.
Moderator: Kesav Dama, Sandrine Capital, LLC
Panelists:
Anand Srinivasta, Managing Partner, Dentons Link Legal
Satish Jha, Chairman, Pinewood Partners