Capitol Stack: Backing Founders Who Know Where the Wires Are Buried

There’s a certain kind of founder we built this fund for.

They don’t need to “break into” climate tech—they’re already inside it. They’ve spent years inside government labs, utilities, public procurement teams, or regulatory offices. They’ve led decarbonization projects not because they were trendy, but because they were necessary. And now they’re leaving those institutions to build something better.

Capitol Stack backs them before anyone else does.

We write early checks to insider founders building software-first infrastructure solutions for a climate-constrained world. Then we bring them into a network of peers, policy architects, and early customers who actually know how systems change.

Why We Built This

For years, I ran Carbon Ventures, where we invested in founders rebuilding core carbon-emitting sectors—waste, energy, manufacturing, transportation. We backed companies like:

• Andium – computer vision + sensors for oilfield methane leak detection
• Fortify – advanced manufacturing for composites using machine learning
• SmarterX – AI and product intelligence to eliminate hazardous waste

These founders weren’t guessing how the system worked. They’d operated it. That was the pattern. Over and over, the highest-conviction teams we met were the ones with deep system fluency.

So we built Capitol Stack to go even deeper:
Not just investing in climate tech, but in the people who already know where the wires are buried.

Our Filter: The Four C’s

We don’t chase charisma or deck polish. We back insider edge. Our filter is built around four proven signals:

Pillar	What We Look For
Code	Proprietary data, technical models, or embedded policy experience
Capital	Ability to unlock non-dilutive or catalytic funding to de-risk early execution
Customer	Lived knowledge of buyer friction, procurement cycles, and deployment gates
Community	Access to networks that compound insight, trust, and hiring

Most founders hit one. The ones we back hit three or more.

Why This Works

Insider founders consistently outperform—because they know what matters, what breaks, and who decides.

• They shorten sales cycles because they’ve sat on the other side of the RFP
• They design around regulation because they’ve enforced it
• They de-risk capital stacks because they’ve administered the grants
• They build talent pipelines from the Slack channels they already run

This isn’t just a vibe. It’s validated in our portfolio—and in how quickly these founders go from idea to traction.

How We Show Up

We write checks early—typically pre-seed—and work like a strategic partner, not a megaphone. Our involvement looks like:

• Helping craft catalytic capital strategy (grants, DOE, LPO, public-private)
• Opening procurement pathways via real customer relationships
• Providing founder-to-founder peer support—especially across public sector sales
• Hosting Stacks & Snacks—small-group dinners that connect builders with policy insiders, early buyers, and each other

We don’t wait for traction to return emails. We’re there before the pilot, before the R&D tax credit, before the first hire.

What Makes Capitol Stack Different

This isn’t a generalist climate fund. It’s a builder’s fund for founders with system fluency.

• We don’t invest in tourists
• We don’t optimize for optics
• We don’t show up late

We go early, go deep, and go with the people who’ve already earned insight inside complex systems—and are ready to translate it into scale.

Founders, Let’s Talk If You’ve…

• Deployed infrastructure inside a government, utility, or regulated market
• Written code, models, or policy now central to your startup
• Won your first customer through trust, not press
• Built the team you needed from a network you already led

Then we want to meet you. No pitch deck required.

🍽️ Request an invite to Stacks & Snacks
Or just reach out. We answer.