Business Videos

Techstars Founder Spotlight Sessions with Powertrust

Techstars’ Founder Spotlight featured Power Trust, a climate‑finance and infrastructure startup that helps multinational corporations source renewable electricity in emerging markets such as Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia. Co‑founders Nick, a former utility‑scale wind and solar developer, and Ricky, a former GE strategist and Microsoft engineer, explain how the company translates a corporate climate pledge into on‑the‑ground distributed solar projects, starting with Netflix’s first contract in India. The conversation highlighted three levers of Power Trust’s growth: a seasoned founding team that lends credibility, early revenue traction that turned the venture from idea to cash‑generating business, and a disciplined fundraising process taught by Techstars. By systematically profiling investors, leveraging a convertible‑note anchor from Ecuador’s energy arm, and weaving quantifiable impact data into a concise narrative, the founders secured seed capital and landed marquee customers like Apple and Microsoft. Specific anecdotes underscored the playbook. The founders note that roughly 40‑45% of global solar installations through 2050 will be distributed, a fragmented market ripe for systematization. Their first deal—signed during the Techstars program with Netflix—provided a concrete case study to showcase replicable processes. Ecuador’s involvement not only supplied capital but also opened doors to additional investors through its network. For the broader ecosystem, Power Trust illustrates the commercial viability of climate‑aligned supply‑chain decarbonization outside traditional U.S. and EU markets. Founders can learn that strong storytelling, early customer wins, and anchor investors are critical to scaling climate‑tech ventures, while corporates gain a template for meeting ESG goals in regions where utility‑scale procurement is limited.