Filling the Climate Finance Gap with TED's Chris Anderson's All Aboard Fund & Spring Lane's Jason Scott, Ep #124

We’re back with another episode in our series on the Missing Middle in Climate Tech in partnership with Spring Lane Capital. This is the fifth episode in the series. If you didn’t catch the others, check out InvestedinClimate.com/series and you’ll find our other episodes. If you have ideas for other series and would like to partner, get in touch through the website as well.

The missing middle is a structural problem – a lack not only of available capital for climate companies, but also of the kinds of firms able to invest in them. New firms with new types of investment mandates are needed, and so I was thrilled to learn about a new fund called All Aboard. It’s a truly innovative firm developed by someone who has long had his finger on the pulse of the world’s biggest problems and boldest solutions. If you’ve ever watched a TED Talk you probably know Chris Anderson, who has led TED for the last 25 years. Chris is probably one of the best networked people on the planet, and that he decided to focus on building a new fund designed to address the missing middle in climate finance speaks volumes.

Spring Lane Capital Partner and Entrepreneur in Residence Jason Scott gets credit for putting together this episode and joins us in what was a truly fascinating conversation. All Aboard reflects the type of creativity and ambition needed to fill a critical climate finance gap, and I think we all hope their model inspires you in some way. Enjoy.

On today’s episode, we cover:

• 0:03:31 – Chris explains his shift to climate investing and TED’s climate initiatives
• 0:04:53 – Setting the stage: The funding gap in climate tech
• 0:05:23 – Jason describes the three buckets of the "missing middle" and All Aboard fund’s mission
• 0:09:33 – Exploring the structural capital problem in the energy transition and limitations of current financial markets
• 0:11:16 – Chris & Jason discuss scale challenges and why current investment models fall short for climate solutions
• 0:14:12 – Impact of collaboration in the climate investing community, with examples from Spring Lane and All Aboard
• 0:16:57 – Chris describes All Aboard: how convening and pooling investors can solve the missing middle
• 0:22:42 – The role of “social proof,” building momentum and ecosystems around climate ventures
• 0:25:12 – Fundraising goals for All Aboard and the scale of opportunity in climate tech
• 0:29:00 – Recognizing growth and potential exits for climate companies; learning from historical performance
• 0:31:14 – How companies may become eligible for All Aboard, criteria for selection, and the practical mechanics of funding
• 0:34:51 – The necessity of both capital and sustained support for scaling climate solutions
• 0:36:30 – Vision for the future: If All Aboard succeeds, expectations for climate tech and financial markets
• 0:37:54 – Other approaches and financial innovations to address the missing middle
• 0:40:24 – The role of government and public-private partnerships in de-risking and scaling clean tech
• 0:42:56 – Closing remarks

Resources Mentioned

• All Aboard
• Spring Lane Capital
• Invested in Climate – Missing Middle series
• TED and TED Countdown