Sharing our gratitude for our Fall 2025 Fellows!
Over the course of the term, our most recent fellow cohort partnered closely with the CEV team on investment diligence, market research, and impact-driven initiatives that support the scale-up of climate-critical technologies. Their analytical rigor, curiosity, and perspective strengthened our work in meaningful ways.
Below, our Fall Fellows reflect, in their own words, on the projects they supported, the lessons they took away, and what it was like to work at the intersection of venture capital and climate tech.
Naved Anwar
Boston University MBA Candidate
Coming into Clean Energy Ventures as a Climate Tech VC Fellow, I was making a deliberate pivot—from nearly a decade of engineering, project development and energy consulting into the world of climate investing. I’ve long believed that making the right financing available is one of the fastest ways to accelerate climate solutions—because capital doesn’t just “fund” startups, it unlocks hiring, pilots, partnerships, and the momentum needed to scale. During my internship, I got to see that belief play out firsthand as I watched how thoughtful venture support can help promising technologies move from strong ideas to real market traction.
I expected venture capital to be heavily driven by financial modeling. What surprised me at CEV was that modeling is only a slice of the job—maybe 20%. Most of the work is qualitative: digging into technology, validating real market pull, understanding competitive dynamics, and judging whether a team can turn an innovation into a scalable business. That shift in mindset—moving from executing funded projects to deciding which ideas deserve capital in the first place—was both challenging and exciting.
Over the fall, I worked across deal screening, due diligence, and portfolio support, evaluating startups in areas like Low-Carbon Materials, Carbon Capture, Grid Innovation etc. What made the experience even more impactful was the people. The CEV team was incredibly supportive and have deep expertise across almost every corner of the energy transition—from batteries and low-carbon materials to grid innovation and climate finance. My manager, Micha Ben Naim, was always available to guide my thinking and help me sharpen my analysis. I also had great interactions with Wynston Reed and Matthew Cohen, who connected me with portfolio companies like Nth Cycle and Transaera and helped me understand how CEV supports founders beyond the check. This internship reinforced that I enjoy working at the intersection of strategy, capital, and climate impact, and it’s been a key step in my transition toward a long-term career in climate tech investing and energy transition strategy.
Elinore Beitler
Harvard MBA Candidate
Working with CEV offered a rare front-row seat into how high-conviction climate investing actually happens. Coming from an operator background, I’m used to thinking about problems through execution and customer behavior, so stepping into a role where the questions centered on technical differentiation, market timing, and climate impact was both energizing and stretching.
A major part of my fellowship was partnering with top executives including the CEO and Managing Partner on the Annual General Meeting, helping craft the slide materials and thought leadership that framed CEV’s view of the decarbonization landscape. Attending the AGM afterward made the experience even more meaningful, as hearing directly from the founders CEV backs and from the firm’s senior leadership and watching how their thinking evolves in real time as markets shift offered a rare and welcomed insight into how a climate venture platform learns and adapts.
Alongside this, sourcing and diligence work gave me a firsthand understanding of the rigor behind CEV’s investment decisions and what true climate impact looks like in practice. The combination of strategic storytelling, analytical depth, and exposure to technologies shaping our energy future made the fellowship incredibly meaningful, and I’m deeply grateful to the entire CEV team for the experience.
Sankalp Shanke
Harvard MBA Candidate
I came to Clean Energy Ventures with a clear intention to understand the deeptech clean energy landscape and how an early-stage venture fund can meaningfully support it. Joining as a Fall 2025 Fellow, I expected a learning experience, but I took away far more than I had anticipated.
From the outset, I was trusted in a way that felt both rare and empowering. Despite being a fellow, I was included in internal and external meetings and encouraged to share my perspectives, ask questions, and engage critically. That voice was not only welcomed, it was valued. Drawing on my operating experience in the behind-the-meter VPP space and prior climate investing exposure, I was able to contribute actively to sourcing, screening, and even the diligence of a live deal.
I was fortunate to work on the NexDash investment, which ultimately closed and became a part of CEV’s portfolio. The depth of exposure through this deal was great. I was not operating behind the scenes. I was an active member of the deal team. My work directly informed diligence efforts and was reviewed and engaged with by senior members of the firm. What stood out most during this process was CEV’s deep in-house expertise, grounded in real industry experience, which enabled rigorous assessment of both the technical feasibility and real-world practicality of the innovations we evaluated.
In parallel, I worked with Wynston on developing an investment thesis around behind-the-meter VPPs, analyzing market evolution and testing where durable advantage is likely to emerge, particularly between process innovators and materials innovators. Scouting companies and speaking directly with founders reinforced the importance of first-principles thinking in early-stage investing.
But ultimately, what I will remember most about my time at CEV is the people. The team is humble, kind, and intellectually honest, clear about what they know and equally clear about what they do not. They ask the right questions, bring in domain experts thoughtfully. Thanks to Wynston for helping me navigate through this amazing experience smoothly.
Sofia Karagianni
MIT MBA Candidate
The post Celebrating our Fall 2025 Fellows appeared first on Clean Energy Ventures.
