We only take on 4 clients per month. Join our June cohort. 1 spot left.
Conversation
Highlights
Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Kentaro Kawamori, co-founder and CEO of Persefoni, a climate disclosure and carbon management platform that has raised over $114 million in funding. Kentaro’s journey from the early days of esports to becoming a pivotal figure in the climate tech space offers unique insights into how technology can drive substantial change in addressing global climate challenges.
- A Pivotal Moment: Working as Chief Digital Officer at Chesapeake Energy, Kentaro encountered the complexities of carbon accounting and climate management, sparking the idea for Persefoni. This experience highlighted the need for better tools in managing and disclosing climate-related data.
- Inspiration from Sustainability: Raised in a sustainability-oriented culture in Germany, Kentaro’s early life experiences instilled a deep respect for environmental stewardship. This upbringing influenced his passion for addressing climate change through technology.
- Building Persefoni: The realization that carbon accounting and climate disclosure were ripe for innovation led to the founding of Persefoni. The platform aims to simplify the complex process of carbon footprint calculation and reporting, making it accessible and verifiable for businesses.
- Vision for the Future: Kentaro envisions Persefoni becoming a leading name in climate disclosure, trusted for its transparency and data quality. The goal is to simplify regulatory compliance for businesses worldwide as climate disclosure mandates become increasingly common.
Actionable
Takeaways
Identify and Solve Core Industry Pain Points:
The inception of Persefoni was rooted in Kentaro's firsthand experience with the inefficiencies of carbon accounting in the energy sector. Founders should look for pain points within their industries that are ripe for innovation, focusing on areas where current solutions fall short in efficiency, accuracy, or accessibility.
Embrace Sustainability from Personal Values to Business Strategy:
Raised in a sustainability-oriented environment, Kentaro naturally gravitated towards addressing climate change. Entrepreneurs should consider how their personal values and experiences can inform a business strategy that not only seeks profit but also contributes positively to societal and environmental goals.
Educate Your Market as Part of Your Go-to-Market Strategy:
In category creation, educating the market is as crucial as developing the product itself. Founders in new or evolving sectors must invest in educating their target customers about the need for their solution, the problems it solves, and the long-term benefits of adopting new technologies or methodologies.
Prepare for Regulatory Changes and Market Evolution:
Persefoni's growth was partially predicated on anticipating regulatory changes around climate disclosure. Entrepreneurs should stay informed about potential regulatory developments and market shifts that could impact their business. Preparing for these changes can position a startup as a leader when the market inevitably evolves.
Recommended Founder
Interviews
Liz Gilligan
CEO & Founder of Material Evolution
Liz Gilligan, CEO & Founder of Material Evolution: $19 Million Raised to Build the Future of Sustainable Cement
Allison Wolff
CEO of Vibrant Planet
Allison Wolff, CEO at Vibrant Planet: $34 Million Raised to Build the Future of Land Management Restoration
Iain Cooper
CEO of SeekOps Inc.
Iain Cooper, CEO of SeekOps, $23 Million Raised to Build the Future of Emissions Monitoring
Ben Christensen
CEO of Cambium Carbon
Ben Christensen, CEO of Cambium Carbon: $5.5 Million Raised to Build a new Category of Sustainable Wood
Astrid Atkinson
CEO & cofounder of Camus Energy
Astrid Atkinson, CEO of Camus Energy: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Grid Management
Dan Forman
CEO and Co-Founder of Copper Labs
Dan Forman, CEO and Co-Founder of Copper Labs: $13 Million Raised to Enable the Data-Driven Utility of the Future
Zak Lefevre
CEO of ChargeLab
Zak Lefevre, CEO of ChargeLab: $20 Million Raised to Build the Operating System for EV Chargers
Sid Jha
Founder & CEO of Arbol
Sid Jha, Founder & CEO of Arbol: Over $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Climate Risk Management
Josh Knauer
Co-Founder of Reseed
Josh Knauer, Co-Founder of Reseed: $5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Carbon Credits for Farmers
Curtis VanWalleghem
CEO of Hydrostor
Curtis VanWalleghem, CEO of Hydrostor: $322 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Storage
Kaitlyn Albertoli
CEO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions
Kaitlyn Albertoli, CEO and Co-Founder of Buzz Solutions: Nearly $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Infrastructure Inspection
Greg Newbloom
CEO and Founder of Membrion
Greg Newbloom, CEO & Founder of Membrion: $23 Million Raised to Build the Future of Industrial Wastewater Treatment Solutions
Doron Myersdorf
CEO of StoreDot
Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot : $200 Million Raised to Power the Future of Electric Vehicles
Joselyn Lai
CEO & Co-Founder of Bedrock Energy
Joselyn Lai, CEO & Co-Founder of Bedrock Energy: $9 Million Raised to Power the Future of Geothermal Energy
Matei Stratan
CEO of Ogre
Matei Stratan, CEO of Ogre: $2 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Management
Kameale Terry
Co-Founder and CEO of ChargerHelp!
Kameale Terry, Co-Founder and CEO of ChargerHelp!: Over $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Matt LeDucq
CEO and Co-Founder of Forum Mobility
Matt LeDucq, CEO & Co-Founder of Forum Mobility: $423 Million Raised to Power the Future of Zero-Emission Trucking
Chris Hare
CEO of PRTI
Chris Hare, CEO of PRTI: Over $25 Million Raised to Transform America’s Billions of Waste Tires into Valuable Commodities
Allen Kramer
Co-Founder & COO of Crux
Allen Kramer, Co-Founder and COO of Crux: $27 Million Raised to Power the Future of Sustainable Finance
Michael Witte
CEO & Co-founder of Workrise
Michael Witte, CEO & Co-founder of Workrise: $750 Million Raised to Power the Future of the Energy Industry
Khaled Hassounah
CEO & Founder of Ample
Khaled Hassounah, CEO and Founder of Ample: $290M Raised to Build the Future of EV Batteries
Javier Marti
CEO and Founder of Divirod
Javier Marti, CEO & Founder of Divirod: $7.6 Million Raised to Build the Google Maps For Water
Thibault Castagne
CEO and Founder of Vianova
Thibault Castagne, CEO and Founder of Vianova: $8.8 Million Raised to Build the Go-To Operating System for the Mobility World
Michael Belenkie
CEO and President of Entropy
Michael Belenkie, CEO and President of Entropy: $300 Million Raised to Spearhead Efficiency and Innovation in the Carbon Capture Economy
Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies
CEO and Co-Founder of Accure
Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies, CEO & Co-Founder of Accure: $18.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Battery Intelligence
Gary Lewis
CEO & Managing Director of Resourcify
Gary Lewis, CEO of Resourcify: $15 Million Raised to Build the Future of Recycling Management
Quentin Scrimshire
CEO and Co-Founder of Modo Energy
Quentin Scrimshire, CEO & Co-Founder of Modo Energy: $20 Million Raised to Build the Energy Asset Benchmarking Category
Greg Fallon
CEO of Geminus
Greg Fallon, CEO of Geminus: $12 Million Raised to Help the Industrial Sector Prepare for the Energy Transition
Joshua Riedy
CEO and Founder of Thread
Joshua Riedy, CEO and Founder of Thread: $20 Million Raised to Power the Future of Energy Grid Maintenance
Elizabeth Muller
CEO and Co-Founder of Deep Isolation
Elizabeth Muller, CEO and Co-Founder of Deep Isolation: Over $22 Million Raised to Build the Future of Nuclear Waste Disposal
Alisa Valderrama
Co-founder and CEO of FutureProof Technologies
Alisa Valderrama, Co-founder and CEO of FutureProof Technologies: $10 Million Raised to Translate Climate and Weather and Financial Risk with Unprecedented Accuracy
Arvin Ganesan
CEO of Fourth Power
Arvin Ganesan, CEO of Fourth Power: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Storage
Antoine Welter
CEO and Co-Founder of Circu Li-ion
Antoine Welter, CEO & Co-Founder of Circu Li-ion: $8.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Battery Upcycling
Ali Javidan
Co-Founder of Range Energy
Ali Javidan, Co-Founder of Range Energy: $9 Million Raised to Build the Future of Electric Semi-Trucks
Manik Suri
Manik Suri, CEO and Founder of Therma: $30 Million Raised to Build the Cooling Intelligence Category
Tim Weiss
CEO and Co-Founder of Optera
Tim Weiss, CEO & Co-Founder of Optera: $17.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Carbon Management and Accounting
Omar Abou-Sayed
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Vaulted Deep
Omar Abou-Sayed, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Vaulted Deep: $8 Million Raised to Build the Future of Carbon Removal
Troy Carter
CEO and Co-Founder of Earthshot Labs
Troy Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Earthshot Labs: $11 Million Raised to Power the Future of Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration
Kenneth Herschel
CEO and Co-Founder of Viggo
Kenneth Herschel, CEO and Co-Founder of Viggo: Nearly $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of EV Charging Infrastructure
Gary Ong
CEO & Founder of Celadyne
Gary Ong, CEO & Founder of Celadyne: $5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Green Hydrogen Production
Virginia Klausmeier
CEO and Founder of Sylvatex
Virginia Klausmeier, CEO and Founder of Sylvatex: More Than $15 Million Raised to Build a Better Class of Sustainable Materials and Drive the Green Revolution
Martin Kosak
Head of Marketing of Sensoneo
Event Marketing Mastery: Martin Kosak on Sensoneo’s Success at Trade Shows