Robert de Burgh-Day is the founder of Brightspace, a start-up that uses occupancy tracking to reduce energy usage from HVAC systems in commercial buildings. He’s also a Climate Salad member and went through our GGP program. Brightspace has since scaled massively with a focus on the SEA market, with plans to install their product in largest shopping mall in Asia. We spoke about the advice he had for hard-ware founders, and tips for companies looking to scale overseas.

Hello Climate Salad’ers 👋 We’ve kept it local this edition with climate news and events from Australia only + Mick is back with another piece on the three big ‘mountains’ facing climate tech companies.

Hello fellow anti-plasticians! This is a special edition to talk a bit about plastics and share some updates on approaches by Samsara, Uluu, Great Wrap, BearHug and RecycleSmart.

Christiaan Jordaan is the founder of Sicona Battery Technologies, a start-up using a silicon metal in the anode side of Lithium-ion batteries to increase their capacity and shorten their charge time.

Welcome to the second May edition of the Climate Salad newsletter 🌱 In addition to the round-up of climate tech news and events, we have a webinar on the 10th of June with Cheryl Mack from Aussie Angels (for members only). Plus, we’ve started a new series profiling Climate Salad founders.

Avani Solutions is a software platform tracking and reducing in buildings. CEO Nicolette Maury speaks on the challenges they've been facing as a climate tech company.

TEDxSydney delivered a powerful blend of bold ideas, emotional storytelling, and urgent calls to action — all wrapped in a lively and welcoming atmosphere. Hosted by the eloquent Eleanor Cheetham Gammell, the day kicked off with a deeply moving Welcome to Country, reminding us of the importance of collaboration and our shared stewardship of the land.

In this edition, Mick emphasises the importance of realism and grace in climate action, arguing that imperfect efforts still count in a fuelled world. Reflecting on personal choices and public figures like Mike Cannon-Brookes, he contends that "climate hypocrisy" is unavoidable but shouldn't stall progress. The newsletter also features community insights, highlights from climate tech—including Nourish Ingredients’ precision fermentation breakthrough—and a roundup of events, funding, and jobs. It concludes with a spotlight on how AI is transforming battery technology for the clean energy future.

Are the companies you’re pitching climate solutions to rejecting them by claiming 💰 profit comes first?

On May 5-7, I was invited to Adelaide for SouthStart—my fourth year in a row—and once again, it proved why it's such a special event. Great events blend art and science, and SouthStart nails it.