Climate Tech Finance

Climate Tech Finance is a first-of-its-kind partnership designed to accelerate the development and adoption of technologies that reduce greenhouse gases in the Bay Area. Established in 2018, Climate Tech Finance is a program of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District operating in partnership with the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank).

The Climate Tech Finance program has supported on $20.7M in loans for climate projects in the past year. The program established a roster of over a dozen climate-oriented banks and a growing pipeline of climate projects in need of near-term financing. Climate Tech Finance has also seen increasing inbound interest from borrowers and lenders, fueled by imminent regulatory changes and banks’ goalsetting around climate investments.

Attendees will get an inside look at how Climate Tech Finance evaluates and executes on opportunities. This is going to be a great session for founders working in climate tech and anyone interested in learning how to better equip climate startups with the capital they need.

Speaker Information

Sedale Turbovsky

Sedale Turbovsky is the CEO and co-founder of OpenGrants, his fourth venture-backed startup and second in the public sector, which aims to transform the grant funding landscape by making it more accessible, equitable, and transparent. Sedale firmly believes that technology can be used as a powerful tool to democratize access to resources and opportunities, and is passionate about improving government and the citizen experience.

Prior to embarking on his entrepreneurial journey, Sedale worked as an issues management consultant supporting firms working with government and in heavily regulated environments. He has a long history of leading successful teams, raising capital, and building startups. Apart from his work at OpenGrants, Sedale is an investor and advisor to a handful of startups.

Tamara Kohne

Tamara Kohne joined the Air District in 2019 to work on Climate Tech Finance program. Tamara drives the moving parts of the operation with the Climate Tech Finance team, clients and partners. She cultivates relationships with startups through the initial engagement, application process, project approval and lending. Tamara also leads the marketing efforts and catalyzes the pipeline growth. Previously, Tamara worked with the statewide toxics and criteria emissions inventory at the California Air Resources Board. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Economics and Policy from UC Berkeley.