The Shape of a Fundable Company (Raleigh-Durham Climate Week)

Some companies attract capital and some have to chase it — and the difference often has less to do with the technology than with how the business around it was built. This panel looks at what makes a climate hardware company investable: revenue models that de-risk a first plant, offtake and partnership structures that stand in for a track record, and the sequencing choices that keep you fundable from one stage to the next. Panelists working in power electronics, the built environment, and university spinouts will share what they see working, with a focus on the deals that actually get done in the Triangle rather than the ones written about elsewhere. You'll leave with a clearer sense of how to structure your company so it's ready for capital, and which decisions to get right first.

Speakers

Melissa Malkin-Weber

Melissa Malkin-Weber is Co-Executive Director of the non-profit Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas, working to fill the gaps that prevent households, businesses, nonprofits and governments from taking advantage of clean energy and efficiency. Melissa has made her way to climate finance by way of environmental law, public health, and building science. She has been steeped in market transformation and impact finance through past work at Self-Help Credit Union, Advanced Energy and RTI International.

Nick Borisow

Nick Borisow brings over 26 years of engineering and commercial leadership in specialty chemicals, capital equipment, and services, with experience at SUEZ, GE, and Veolia, prior to joining 8 Rivers in 2022. His work spans industries including mining, steel, thermal power generation, oil & gas, and chemical processing. Nick has led the commercialization of numerous industrial-scale process projects, with hands-on experience in power generation, ammonia plants and various global manufacturing facilities. As VP of Business Development at 8 Rivers, he drives the global commercialization of technologies for decarbonized and conventional thermal power, hydrogen, and carbon capture. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from NC State University.