Kendall Bedford

Kendall Bedford is a Senior Associate at Sustainable VC, where she works with early-stage companies building solutions to address the climate crisis. At Sustainable VC, she helps identify and support founders developing technologies and business models that can scale to create meaningful environmental impact while generating strong returns for investors.

On The Grove podcast, Kendall joined fellow panelists Jason Ray and Emily Watts for a live recording at the Founders Alley conference in Philadelphia. The panel, titled "Get Your Money," explored the complexities of fundraising in climate tech and deep tech sectors. Kendall brought her perspective on what makes a startup truly suited for venture capital funding, helping founders understand when VC is the right path and when alternative funding structures might serve their companies better.

During the conversation, she addressed the unique challenges facing climate tech founders, including long development timelines, technology de-risking processes, and the extended paths to market that characterize many environmental solutions. Her insights focused on helping entrepreneurs match their business models to appropriate funding sources, recognizing that while venture capital offers significant resources, it requires specific growth trajectories and exit potential that don't align with every climate company's structure or mission.