ClimateTech VC fund Systemiq Capital has appointed Matthew Goldstein as general partner and Lydia Guett as head of growth.
Goldstein joins with over 10 years of experience investing in the Silicon Valley and European startup ecosystems through previous roles at Trinity Ventures and M12.
In these roles, he led early-stage investments in companies which include zero-emission British aircraft manufacturer Vertical Aerospace, Boston-based additive manufacturing and carbon fibre pioneer Markforged and Brazilian on-demand logistics provider Loggi.
At Systemiq Capital, he will bring his extensive experience investing globally in disruptive technologies and business model innovation to support entrepreneurs positively impacting the world.
Systemiq Capital launched its second fund last year and now manages over $125 million, with a final close planned for late 2023, investing in the best early-stage climate tech entrepreneurs across Europe and North America.
Since 2018 the firm has backed 20 companies and achieved three exits. Amongst its portfolio are Jupiter Intelligence, a leading climate risk analytics company; Basecamp Research, a revolutionary machine learning platform for enzyme discovery in nature; and ZeroAvia, a hydrogen aviation technology company which recently flew the largest-ever hydrogen-powered aircraft.
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“Systemiq sits at the centre of nearly every conversation and constituent critical to addressing the climate crisis,” said Goldstein. “This made it the perfect origin and enduring partner for a truly differentiated venture investor who understands the scale and complexity of the challenges ahead, can access every global regulatory and business leader and truly tip the scales for mission-driven founders.
“I wanted to share my experience of building a value-add venture capital platform at Microsoft and apply it where I could make a significant impact. Irena and the incredible team she’s built have set out to do exactly this, designing the best possible version of Systemiq Capital. I’m honoured to join them to deliver this vision.”
Guett, meanwhile, has a decade of experience in sustainable and impact investment, focusing on ClimateTech. She was previously a sustainable and impact investing specialist at Cambridge Associates, responsible for leading the diligence of emerging and established investment funds.
Before this, she worked with endowments and foundations, families, and pension schemes to help align their investment portfolios with sustainable megatrends, including climate change resilience. She is also the co-founder of CA Women, a global company initiative championing diversity across the firm and the investment industry.