Inevitable

Suvi Sharma [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suvi-sharma-414a0a80/] is the CEO and Co-Founder at SOLARCYCLE [https://www.solarcycle.us/].  SOLARCYCLE is an emerging leader in the nascent category of solar panel recycling. The astounding ramp of solar panels deployed across the world rivals almost any technology adoption curve in history, and it's far from over. There were only five gigawatts of solar deployed globally between 2000 and 2005. By the end of 2025, a mere 20 years later, there will be around 2,000 gigawatts of solar deployed globally, and the growth is expected to continue to be exponential. That's billions and billions of panels that collectively make up a few hundred thousand square miles of space. And given the rate of installation, most of these panels are early in their expected lifespans. So, what happens when they do hit the end of life? Surely they aren't going to just be landfilled, right? Right? That's what Suvi's here to about.  In this episode, we cover:  * ⁠ [01:16]⁠ Solar panel deployment vs. end-of-life lag * ⁠[03:40]⁠ Billions of panels, billions of square feet * ⁠[05:11]⁠ 1.2B panels produced annually—set to triple * ⁠[07:06]⁠ Why is now the time to build recycling * ⁠[08:36]⁠ Who’s responsible for end-of-life? Developers * [9:36] Federal and state regulatory requirements * ⁠[10:46]⁠ Why landfilling is harder than it looks * ⁠[12:44]⁠ What makes solar panels tough to recycle * ⁠[14:01]⁠ The high-value metals: silver, copper, aluminum * ⁠[16:17]⁠ How SOLARCYCLE’s proprietary process works * [18:01] The company’s customer base * ⁠[19:18]⁠ Over 1M panels recycled in 2024 * ⁠[20:44]⁠ Future opportunities in solar + storage recycling * [21:57] SOLARCYCLE’s funding to date * [24:55] Commodity markets for recycled materials * [26:39] What’s holding back growth for panel recycling * [30:05] SOLARCYCLE is hiring * ⁠[33:54] Panels as feedstock materials for domestic manufacturing Episode recorded on May 22, 2025 (Published on June 30, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc [info@mcj.vc]. Connect with MCJ: * Cody Simms on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/codysimms/] * Visit mcj.vc [https://mcj.vc] * Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter [https://newsletter.mcj.vc] *Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant [https://thepodcastconsultant.com]

Katherine Boyle [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-boyle-4531a67/] and Erin Price-Wright [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-price-wright-2a573727/] are General Partners at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) [https://a16z.com/], leading the firm's American Dynamism practice. This episode explores how their team invests in companies tackling national imperatives—ranging from defense and manufacturing to energy and critical infrastructure. Katherine shares how American Dynamism emerged from portfolio patterns at a16z, while Erin describes how her background at Palantir informs her investment lens.  Together, they unpack why the U.S. must reindustrialize, how software is now eating the physical world, and what they look for in high-capex startups. This conversation also highlights the evolving U.S.-China industrial competition, the role of government in innovation, and why talent is moving from Big Tech into “hard tech.” In this episode, we cover:  * ⁠[02:30]⁠ An overview of a16z * ⁠[04:59]⁠ Its thesis shift from defense to energy and industry * ⁠[07:49]⁠ How AI is transforming heavy industries * [8:24] Tech stack for US vs. China * [12:23]⁠ Role of government versus private capital * ⁠[16:14]⁠ Why software is still the core of industrial innovation * [16:55]⁠ Base Power as a software-led grid infrastructure play * ⁠[20:42]⁠ When vertical AI-native startups beat incumbents * ⁠[21:48]⁠ How a16z helps startups navigate Washington * ⁠[27:51]⁠ Why energy problems require system-level solutions * ⁠[31:57]⁠ Moats in energy and manufacturing * [37:51] a16z’s American Dynamism 50 list * ⁠[40:16]⁠ Battery supply chains and the China dependency * ⁠[46:44]⁠ Why capital stack strategy matters for hard tech founders * ⁠[48:52]⁠ Looking 10 years ahead Episode recorded on May 21, 2025 (Published on June 30, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc [info@mcj.vc]. Connect with MCJ: * Cody Simms on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/codysimms/] * Visit mcj.vc [https://mcj.vc] * Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter [https://newsletter.mcj.vc] *Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant [https://thepodcastconsultant.com]

Haakon Brunell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/haakonbrunell/?originalSubdomain=no] is the CEO and Co-founder of Carbon Crusher [https://www.linkedin.com/company/carboncrusher/posts/?feedView=all], a Norwegian company turning traditional road construction on its head. Carbon Crusher refurbishes existing roads using bio-based binders and on-site recycling to create carbon-negative, cost-effective, and more durable infrastructure.  In this episode, Haakon shares how their "Crushing-as-a-Service" model and SkyRoads AI platform reduce emissions, increase road longevity, and drive down costs. He explains why roads are both a climate problem and a climate opportunity—and how Carbon Crusher plans to sequester a gigaton of CO₂ by 2035. MCJ is an investor in Carbon Crusher, having participated in the company's seed round back in 2022 when it emerged from Y Combinator. Guest hosting for the first time on this episode is MCJ Partner, Thai Nguyen.  Enjoy the show!  In this episode, we cover:  * [02:23] Launching Carbon Crusher out of Y Combinator * [05:22] An overview of Carbon Crusher * [06:15] Roads as a climate problem and carbon sink opportunity * [08:21] Emissions from traditional road refurbishment * [09:41] Carbon Crusher's 3 pillars: crushing, bio-binders, and AI platform * [12:52] Why roads are now stronger, cheaper, and greener * [14:14] Customer mindset in a conservative industry * [17:49] Origin story from winter-damaged roads in Norway * [21:12] Performance in both cold and hot weather climates * [22:53] Customers include cities, counties, and private road owners * [26:12] SkyRoads AI helps digitize and plan road maintenance * [28:45] Challenges: regulation and conservative decision-making * [30:53] Vision: sequestering a gigaton of CO₂ by 2035 Episode recorded on May 13, 2025 (Published on June 23, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc [info@mcj.vc]. Connect with MCJ: * Cody Simms on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/codysimms/] * Visit mcj.vc [https://mcj.vc] * Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter [https://newsletter.mcj.vc] *Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant [https://thepodcastconsultant.com]

Cully Cavness [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccavness/] is the co-founder, president, and COO of Crusoe [https://crusoe.ai/], an energy-first AI infrastructure company.  In this live episode recorded in Austin, Texas, Cully shares how Crusoe evolved from capturing flared gas for Bitcoin mining to becoming a leading developer of hyperscale data centers. He discusses the company’s pivotal role in Project Stargate—a $500B AI infrastructure effort led by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle—and how Crusoe is building a 1.2 gigawatt data center campus in Abilene, Texas. Cully reflects on the decision to divest its original Bitcoin business, the company’s vertical integration strategy, and how energy abundance will shape the future of AI.  Thanks to our sponsors for this event: Gunderson Dettmer, and J.P. Morgan. In this episode, we cover:  * ⁠[00:24]⁠ An overview of Crusoe * ⁠[01:08]⁠ Its role in Project Stargate and Abilene data center * ⁠[03:41]⁠ Shift from outbound to inbound interest * ⁠[06:17]⁠ Company pivots and existential startup bets * [09:09]⁠ Sale of Bitcoin mining business to NYDIG * [11:40]⁠ Flared gas capture and climate impact overview * ⁠[14:57]⁠ From digital flare mitigation to stranded wind use * ⁠[17:27]⁠ Cully’s personal energy background and worldview * ⁠[22:14]⁠ Why AI could drive climate and fusion breakthroughs * ⁠[25:47]⁠ Details of the 1.2 GW Abilene campus for Oracle * ⁠[36:42]⁠ 3,500 skilled trades supporting data center build * ⁠[44:42]⁠ Natural gas as a bridge fuel + CCS investments Episode recorded on June 10, 2025 (Published on June 17, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc [info@mcj.vc]. Connect with MCJ: * Cody Simms on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/codysimms/] * Visit mcj.vc [https://mcj.vc] * Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter [https://newsletter.mcj.vc] *Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant [https://thepodcastconsultant.com]

Today on Inevitable, we’re joined by three guests to focus on the clean energy tax provisions currently at risk in the Congressional budget reconciliation process—what’s being called the One Big Beautiful Bill. This is our second episode on this topic this week.  Our guests are Jeremy Harrell [https://clearpath.org/about-us/jeremy-harrell/], CEO at the right-of-center clean energy policy firm ClearPath [https://clearpath.org/]; Spencer Nelson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerjnelson/], Director of Federal Affairs at Form Energy [https://formenergy.com/]; and Vikrum Aiyer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrumaiyer/], Head of Global Public Policy and External Affairs at Heirloom [https://www.heirloomcarbon.com/]. The goal of this conversation is to get to the root of the proposed changes in the legislation passed by the House and now under consideration in the Senate. We also explore which amendments are on the table and how those of us working in climate and energy innovation can help influence the outcome. In this episode, we cover:  * ⁠[01:06]⁠ Why this bill matters for climate tech * ⁠[03:19]⁠ Jeremy’s background in conservative energy policy * ⁠[04:08]⁠ Spencer on Form’s long-duration batteries * ⁠[05:40]⁠ Vikrum explains Heirloom’s DAC technology * ⁠[08:44]⁠ What the reconciliation process actually means * ⁠[13:42]⁠ Why the FEOC rule could block progress * ⁠[17:41]⁠ Why startups need credit transferability * ⁠[25:01]⁠ 60-day window threatens new projects * ⁠[27:36]⁠ What’s at stake for solar and storage * ⁠[31:32]⁠ Energy cost risks if credits vanish * ⁠[35:42]⁠ How founders and VCs can take action * ⁠[41:56]⁠ Tips for contacting your senator directly Episode recorded on June 6, 2025 (Published on June 12, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc [info@mcj.vc]. Connect with MCJ: * Cody Simms on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/codysimms/] * Visit mcj.vc [https://mcj.vc] * Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter [https://newsletter.mcj.vc] *Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant [https://thepodcastconsultant.com]