Burnt Island Ventures

A very happy 2025 to you from all of us at BIV. Please find the Monthly Update LI below. It was a strong finish to the year, particularly from NLine Energy, Inc., HOPE Hydration, Cala Systems, TeamSolve, Daupler and Aqua Membranes, Inc. (though that list could be a lot longer). 2024 reminded us of a lot of time-honored startup wisdom, and of the folly of prediction. But predictably, we predict some things here anyway - https://lnkd.in/epN7YijK Finally, our thoughts are with the citizens of Los Angeles - if we can help those affected in any way, please let us know.

I owe what I get to do every day here in a job I love to many people, but Scott Bryan really helped. In 2015, he took a chance on me to become the VP of Programming at Imagine H2O running the Accelerator, and it was a learning curve which laid the groundwork for what we do here at BIV. Scott is one of the most important figures in early stage water. Since 2010, he has built Imagine H2O into the premier accelerator for water entrepreneurs running three annual programs, and they announced their first pilot fund last year. All of this adds up to an enormous and rapidly growing degree of impact in water as the companies they backed and supported have revolutionized everything from groundwater management to flood insurance. Please enjoy my conversation with Scott Bryan. Tune into our 30th episode of The Fundamental Molecule featuring Scott Bryan, President at Imagine H2O. Episode link here: hhttps://lnkd.in/ecGBXXbP

"Utilities are great customers because they prioritize productivity over profit." Tune into Episode 29 of The Fundamental Molecule featuring Paul Hauffen, BIV Venture Partner and Principal at Novel Water. Episode link here: https://lnkd.in/esVFberY

"Institutional knowledge in water utilities often retires with employees. AI can bridge this gap, preserving essential information." Tune into Episode 28 of The Fundamental Molecule featuring Mudasser Iqbal, Co-Founder and CEO at TeamSolve. Episode link here: https://lnkd.in/efw8Eg7a

A lot has been said and written on every conceivable platform about the importance of building a great team in an early-stage start-up, but what it comes down to is this: entrepreneurship is, at its core, a series of decisions. Better decisions result in better companies. And better decisions are made by better people. And those better people also tend to hire better people, who go on to make more, better decisions. And so the cycle of improvement goes on. In our view, it is no more (or less) complicated than that. Check out the second installment of our Show Your Working: Understanding our DD Process from the excellent Jennie Graham.

True dyed-in-the-wool software pros are a valuable breed in water and Paul Hauffen is one of the best. A two-time entrepreneur, he sold his last company Sedaru, and, in a founding hiatus, is bringing his enormous experience to bear helping companies along their trajectory, partially as a BIV Venture Partner. Paul is a very wise man indeed and his insights on building solid foundations for companies, the hard yards of especially early sales and reference building, and the traps that founders can fall into are second to none. We're so lucky to work with him. Please enjoy my conversation with Paul Hauffen. Tune into our 29th episode of The Fundamental Molecule featuring Paul Hauffen, Principal at Novel Water. Episode link here: https://lnkd.in/e-4mTkMs

Our Part-time Analyst/Associate Intern position is now live! Join us for 10-12 weeks to learn about our process and be part of investing in the best water entrepreneurs globally. Plus we're going to have a blast. 🚀 The application is available on a rolling basis. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eRW24Yd7

It was a fast start to the year, as you can see. A pleasure to welcome AlgaFilm Technologies Ltd. to the Burnt Island. Deals imminent in both Fund II and the Opportunity Fund, so keep an eye out for those. Thanks as ever for reading, and here if we can help.

Algafilm Technologies Ltd. is a profoundly simple, elegant, patented algae-based nutrient removal and recovery technology that’s significantly advantaged over legacy technologies - and is inherently carbon negative. They're scaling novel, patented tech in an elegant way that has the potential to become widely deployed as an industry standard. The impact on ecosystems, human health, food supplies and fisheries, water quality and much more is monumental. Pierre Côté, Ahren Britton, and team: thanks for letting us be a part of your journey. Here's why we invested.

LAIIER's printed, low-cost stick-on sensors help property owners avoid massive water leakages and have the potential for applications in everything from mold detection to occupation sensing, to level monitoring and heat sensing, to in-pipe flow and quality monitoring, and much more. They're putting the smart in smart cities, and this next stage of growth in North America is deeply exciting. Massive congrats to Matt Johnson, Bibi Nelson, and the entire team LAIIER. Onward! 👏 💧