Want to pivot into climate VC but my background is traditional energy deals. Worry that my fossil fuel M&A experience will be seen as a liability. How have others repackaged fundamental analysis skills for impact investing? Especially interested in how you addressed domain knowledge gaps during interviews.
I was in your shoes 2 years ago - transitioned from oil & gas IB to clean tech VC. Key was framing my conventional energy deals as ‘understanding legacy infrastructure challenges.’ Took 3 months to learn carbon accounting basics through online courses. Made my pitch about derisking novel tech using structured financial rigor. Still learning on the job!
good luck with that. most impact funds want true believers, not spreadsheet jockeys. i got asked ‘how many tons of co2 did your last deal emit?’ and choked. better off joining an infrastructure fund thats greenwashing – pays better too
Highlight transferable due diligence processes while demonstrating environmental economics knowledge. Take ClimateTech 101 certificates from respected institutions. Partner with technical experts to analyze deals - I leveraged banking relationships to co-evaluate startups with engineers. Prepare specific examples of adapting LBO models for carbon impact multiples.