Sergio Carvalho

Sergio Carvalho is a Partner at Planet First Partners, a European investment firm focused on sustainable and climate technology investments. At Planet First Partners, Sergio works with entrepreneurs building solutions at the intersection of deep tech and environmental impact, guiding capital toward companies that can drive meaningful economic change.

On The Grove podcast, produced by Earth Onward, Sergio joined host to discuss what sustainable investing actually looks like in practice, moving beyond surface-level definitions to explore how capital stacks work in deep tech and what separates strong climate ventures from weak ones. One of the most distinct takeaways from the conversation was Sergio's emphasis on market understanding as a core investment signal. For Sergio and the team at Planet First Partners, how well a founder understands the market they are entering is a primary factor in evaluating whether a company is worth backing. He shared a broad, analytical perspective on how markets are structured and how they grow, offering founders and investors alike a clearer framework for thinking about scale. The episode gave listeners a practical look at how experienced climate investors evaluate opportunity, risk, and the entrepreneurs behind the ideas they fund.