Sebastian Heitmann: Clean energy as a starting point for impact
This week, our TTI Interview Series covers our member Sebastian Heitmann. Sebastion is a father of four kids, living in Berlin Previously he worked in tech and sports businesses. His passion of community building led him to establish the Founders Kite Club in 2012 which today is a community of 600 entrepreneurs and investors sharing a passion for watersports. He has been investing into climate tech since 2015 and, today, is Partner at Beyond Black
In this interview, Sebastian shares how to identify and scale disruptive technologies to grow them into profitable and impactful enterprises. He talks about the great potential of geothermal and his vision of a herd of Gigacorns to achieve the goals of SDG 7 (affordable and clean energyl and carbon reduction
Disruptive technologies for profitable and impactful enterprises
Sebastian, tell us more about your work and how it intersects with the impact space.
Beyond Black is a VC fund that invests in founders who build innovative climate technology that aligns people, profit and planet.
We are at a tipping point where eco-friendly technologies are becoming more economically viable than fossil-fuel-based energy sources. Scaling those technologies is our take to (A) prevent a global climate-disaster and (B) gain long-term financial return on innovations that will govern our everyday lives in the near future.
Net-zero
Sebastian, what is your own definition of “impact”?
Together we want to enable the transition to a net-zero economy. “Net-zero” meaning an economy that either does not emit any additional greenhouse gases or balances them out by absorbing the emitted amount from the atmosphere.
Geothermal, and carbon capture and sequestration
Based on your experience, what do you believe is one of the most important issues that needs to be solved over the next 10 years?
The world needs a new renewable baseload energy source, and I believe that geothermal has great potential to be that source.
For the future, we need effective solutions for carbon capture and sequestration/utilisation to actively remove carbon emitted over the past century.
Besides climate, healthcare, gender equality and quality education are critical not just for the upcoming 10 years.
Aligning people behind pragmatic solutions
What do you think are some of the biggest challenges in the impact space (standing in the way of providing solutions faster)?
Overcoming the interest of the various stakeholder groups and aligning people behind pragmatic solutions.
Gigacorns reducing carbon
Sebastian, could you elaborate on the long-term vision you have for your work and how you measure & quantify your impact?
We don't want to grow a forest of Bonzai trees but a herd of Gigacorns. Gigacorns are companies that can reduce 1Gt of CO2/year while being profitable businesses. Impact needs to be generated transparently and measurably. The science behind these topics needs to be communicated with ease.
SDG 7 - Affordable and clean energy
Through the work you do, what misconceptions have you recognized regarding the meaning of “impact”?
We often find a lack of understanding about what measures are effective - 75% of our emissions today relate directly to energy. While wind and solar have great potential, we cannot rely only on them.
Solving SDG 7 has a massive impact on so many SDGs that it seems like a logical place to start from.
