Founders: These VCs Want to Talk to You—For Free
News, Companies, Jobs and Events from the Deeptech & Climate Tech Worlds – April 15th, 2025
Hello everyone!
I hope that everybody is doing great.
The ecosystem doesn’t sleep — and this week proves it again. From jobs and robotics to new calls for pilot cities and free VC feedback, here are 5 fresh updates to plug into!
Also, this week, I continue with the series of 5 early-stage deeptech or climate startups or scale-ups that I spotted and my newsletter recommendations for further reading.
Finally, I am adding events to follow.
But wait, if you want to go further:
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Operation - Reactor Corporate Pioneer Program
“Corporates don’t pay startups”
“Corporates and startups can’t work together”
Let’s stop the blame and shame, shall we?
There are large companies who work with startups, pay them for contracts.
I want to know, share and highlight those companies who work well with deeptech and climate tech startups. Write to me on LinkedIn.
If you have successfully worked with a large company who treat startups well, write to me.
If you work for a large corporation who work well with startups, you got it: write to me.
Forget the bad ones: Let’s shine light on the good ones.
Reactor news in 1 minute:
1️⃣ Job hunters in climate tech — 15+ full-time and internship roles from Oakland to NYC, curated by Danielle Lee. A must-share if someone in your network is looking to break into climate.
2️⃣ AI that retrofits entire cities — LightMirror can model energy plans for 100,000 homes in 24 hours. They're looking for new pilot cities.
3️⃣ 30 Robotics Startups to Watch — From carbon capture to solar panel cleaning, robotics is redefining sustainability.
4️⃣ Early-stage salary benchmarks — How much equity and pay to expect in a startup? Hexa and Early Builders dropped the guide you’ve been waiting for.
5️⃣ Free VC Office Hours for Robotics Founders — Get feedback from TDK Ventures, Hitachi Ventures & more. No funding round required.
The 5 startups and scale-ups of the week: Noriware, Chipmetrics, Sonojet, Arsenale Bioyards and Light Mirror
Events: Deeptech Momentum in May 2025 (Berlin, Germnay), NEXUS 2050 in June 2025 (Luxembourg)
1️⃣ Dozens of Climate Tech Jobs Just Dropped
If you (or a friend) are looking to break into climate, this roundup is your golden ticket 🎟️
Danielle Lee shared the list, which features early-to-mid-level climate jobs across the U.S., including roles in city government, tech startups, and clean energy companies.
Here are a few standout roles:
Founder’s Associate @ Aepnus Technology (Oakland – $105K–$135K)
Strategic Finance Analyst @ Lunar Energy (Mountain View – $125K–$160K)
Chief of Staff @ Tyba (Oakland – $140K–$190K)
Decarbonization Analyst @ City of New York ($85K–$95K)
Clean Transportation Specialist @ SF Environment ($103K–$125K)
Also: great internships with Mars Materials, Peninsula Clean Energy, Activate, Bloom Energy, and others.
🔗 Check out the full list and subscribe to the Climate Action Club
📮 Original Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielleleeclimate_opportunities-climatejobs-jobs-activity-7310736423492415490-aXOP
2️⃣ This AI Can Retrofit a Whole City in One Day
You remember the “1028 Days Left” protest from Roland Garros? The countdown ends now, and LightMirror has built a bold answer.
Created by Marcel Dong and led by Dimitri Ionescu, LightMirror is an AI model capable of generating detailed energy renovation plans for entire cities, all within 24 hours.
It achieved:
98% accuracy simulating thermal physics
Analyzed 1,600+ buildings to date
Uncovered widespread fraud in France’s energy certificates
Scaling to Rouen to assess 100,000+ homes by the end of March
🏆 Recently awarded €60,000 for secure AI by ELSA.
They’re now looking for pilot cities. If you work in urban innovation, housing, or sustainability, now’s the time to connect.
📮 Contact: Dimitri Ionescu
🔗 Original post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dimitri-ionescu_we-had-1028-days-left-todays-the-day-the-activity-7311390113945550848-IZa2
3️⃣ 30 Startups at the Edge of Robotics x Climate
Robotics is changing climate tech — quietly but powerfully.
Laura Hodgkiss compiled a list of 30 climate x robotics startups that are redefining energy, food, recycling, reforestation, and marine ecosystems. A few highlights:
🌾 Agritech:
Aigen, Burro, Ecorobotix
🌳 Reforestation & Biodiversity:
Beewise, Treeswift, rrreefs
♻️ Recycling:
AMP, Recycleye, Revise Robotics (YC W25)
💨 Carbon & Ocean:
Anthrogen (YC S24), SamudraOceans
Whether you’re hiring, raising, or partnering — these are the names to follow.
4️⃣ Salary Benchmarks for Startup Operators Are Here
Ever wonder how much to ask for at an early-stage startup? Or how to structure your equity, BSPCE, and bonuses?
This new France-focused compensation report, created by the team at Early Builders and shared by Hexa, breaks down:
Salary norms for early startup roles
Equity expectations by title
Negotiation strategies for builders, operators & product leaders
Perfect for anyone taking the leap — or looking to restructure their current package. If you’re a cofounder hiring your first key team members: read this today.
Thanks to Prescillia Kumponza, Oriane Gayral, and Hamza El Mansouri for leading this work!
📮 Original post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joinhexa_benchmark-ugcPost-7313190084084748290-r_Vn
5️⃣ Free VC Office Hours for Robotics Startups (Deadline: April 22)
This is a rare gem 💎:
You can get free feedback from leading robotics investors, without needing warm intros.
The team at Hitachi Ventures, NGP Capital, TDK Ventures, and top operators like Renaud Visage (Eventbrite), Alok Gupta, and Fran Infante are opening up virtual office hours.
✅ No funding required
✅ For robotics founders — especially in underfunded sectors
✅ You’ll get advice on GTM, tech, business model, fundraising
Apply by April 22nd and get your invite by April 29.
🔗 Apply now: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdESee2XZRSaUllUYjWPJICjz2NWBhm3T3f1IC5A-wE8gPJtg/viewform
📮 Original Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nkothap_calling-early-stage-founders-or-forward-activity-7313485666460360704-R_6P
5 deeptech or climate tech early-stage startups or scale-ups I spotted this week 🔭
Noriware- They replace plastic packaging with seaweed.
Chipmetrics - They accelerate the semiconductor control process
Arsenale Bioyards - They bring Arsnale
Light Mirror - they help cities better detect energy inefficiencies and how to fix them
Sonojet - they help industry manufacturers better print with aerosols.
Hot events Deeptech and climate tech world 🔥
May 2025 - Berlin - Deeptech Momentum - DTM is Europe’s largest, invite-only growth engine for Deep Tech. We connect top-tier startups, investors, and industry leaders to fast track funding and partnerships at scale.
June 2025 - Luxembourg - Nexus 2050 - AI – Cybersecurity – Sustainability – Fintech – Skills
📩 Want More Deeptech & Climate Tech Insights?
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Let’s keep building the future of deeptech and climate tech. 🚀
Keep innovating,
Jérôme









