Welcome to Episode 83 of the Investing in Impact podcast. Today, we’re joined by Dan Fishman, Co-Founder and General Partner of Regeneration.VC, a venture capital firm at the forefront of Consumer ClimateTech.

Takeaways

• The next generation of founders is focused on solving climate issues.
• Sustainable brands are outpacing conventional brands in growth.
• Technology is key to transforming material science and production methods.
• Supply chains can be innovated without complete overhaul.
• Creativity in entrepreneurship is being overshadowed by data-driven decisions.
• The U.S. has potential to lead in climate tech but needs to evolve.
• California remains a leader in climate legislation and innovation.
• The future of work in climate tech is about creating lasting careers.

Portfolio Companies

• Ambient Photonics: Provides perpetual power solutions for connected devices.
• Arrive Recommerce: Offers a turnkey rental and resale service.
• CleanO2: Developed the world’s first small-scale carbon capture device.
• Colorifix: Utilizes engineered microbes for textile dyeing.
• Cruz Foam: Creates a home compostable alternative to Styrofoam™.
• Greyparrot: Provides an AI-powered material recovery platform.
• Matter: Develops technology to address circular microplastic pollution.
• Meridia: Specializes in agricultural value chain data verification.
• Nature Coatings: Produces biobased, carbon-negative black pigment.
• Neutreeno: Offers intelligence-driven scope 3 decarbonization solutions.
• Pangaia: A lifestyle brand focused on sustainable materials and products.
• Ruminant BioTech: Develops livestock methane-mitigation technology.
• SmarterX: Provides data-driven waste management solutions.
• Squared Circles: A regenerative brand venture studio.
• Tulu: Powers the shared usage economy through innovative solutions.
• Vitro Labs: Produces luxury lab-grown leather.

About Regeneration.VC

Regeneration.VC specializes in supporting early-stage companies that are redefining consumer industries through sustainability-focused innovation.

Regeneration.VC’s mission is to drive systemic change by investing in groundbreaking solutions that prioritize circularity, sustainable materials, and carbon reduction technologies.

By addressing the intersection of consumer demand and environmental impact, Regeneration.VC aims to create a future where business growth aligns with planetary health.

Through their portfolio, the firm champions visionary startups working on innovative solutions in sustainable fashion, eco-friendly packaging, renewable products, and more.

Regeneration.VC is not just funding businesses but fostering a movement toward a regenerative economy that prioritizes environmental restoration and resilience.

Dan brings a unique perspective to this work, shaped by his diverse career spanning entertainment, fashion, and food industries.

He co-founded Bulldog Entertainment Group, worked with major celebrity brands, and launched successful fashion ventures like House of Harlow 1960 and Winter Kate.

In the food sector, he was the first investor and President of Coolhaus, leading its vegan product line launch and eventual acquisition by Perfect Day. His entrepreneurial expertise and passion for sustainability drive the vision of Regeneration.VC.

Episode Transcript

Grant
I’ll get started if you’re ready to go. Awesome. Thank you so much, Dan, for joining me today. I’m really excited to chat about your journey into venture and impact investing through Regeneration.VC. Before we dive into the mission and vision of Regeneration, can you talk about your journey before starting the firm? You’ve had a background in entertainment, fashion, food, and consumer industries—a unique path into venture capital.

Dan Fishman
Thanks for having me, Grant. Great to meet you and be connected. My journey started in the entertainment industry, traveling between New York and Los Angeles, putting together brand deals in music, fashion, and consumer products. I worked on projects involving apparel, footwear, jewelry, watches, and more—building brands from the ground up and scaling them. This gave me a strong foundation in supply chain, marketing, and distribution.

From there, I co-founded two women’s contemporary apparel brands. One was A.L.C., which we scaled and eventually sold to private equity. The other was L’Agence, which we grew to become a staple in department stores and boutiques worldwide. After the apparel industry, I shifted into food by acquiring Coolhaus, an innovative ice cream brand, and led its day-to-day operations alongside the founding partner, Natasha. It was here I recognized the significant environmental impact of industries I’d worked in, which led to my curiosity about sustainability.

Dan Fishman
After exiting Coolhaus, I was drawn to the next generation of founders who were deeply motivated to address the climate crisis. It wasn’t a marketing ploy; these founders were genuinely committed to creating solutions. That inspired me to help them by investing and advising. My partner Michael and I, who’ve known each other for 20 years, started Regeneration.VC to address this white space: delivering market returns while driving environmental impact.

Dan Fishman
Our global consumption system is broken. We consume twice what Earth can replenish annually, and this drives 60% of global GDP. Teaching people not to consume isn’t realistic. So, we focus on scaling circular and regenerative technologies that transform how the world consumes. By investing in supply chains—upstream, midstream, and downstream—we aim to fundamentally change how things are made.

Grant
This is incredible and aligns with why I started Causeartist. Today, impact-driven products can compete with anything on the shelf, offering higher quality and significant environmental benefits. How do you see technology enabling this transformation, especially through new materials and processes?

Dan Fishman
Technology plays a key role in transforming outputs into inputs. For example, we look at companies creating cost-competitive alternatives to petroleum-based goods, enabling scalable solutions for sustainable products. This is central to our work at Regeneration.VC—leveraging science and innovation to disrupt conventional systems.

Dan Fishman
One example is Cruz Foam, which uses chitin—a waste stream from crustaceans—to create a compostable alternative to Styrofoam. It utilizes existing supply chains, making it a drop-in replacement without the need for new factories or machines. Another is CleanO2, which captures CO2 emissions from HVAC systems and converts them into usable chemicals like potash for products like detergents and fertilizers. These innovations demonstrate how we can improve supply chains rather than rebuild them entirely.

Grant
Are there other portfolio companies you’d like to highlight that exemplify the impact Regeneration.VC is making?

Dan Fishman
Certainly. Nature Coatings, for instance, replaces carbon black—a highly carcinogenic pigment used in products like ink and textiles—with a bio-based alternative derived from FSC-certified wood waste. These technologies enable companies to achieve true sustainability while maintaining cost competitiveness.

Dan Fishman
Countries like those in Europe are leading the charge with policies like the Circular Economy Action Plan. In the U.S., states like California and New York are making strides with waste and emissions regulations. The Inflation Reduction Act has also spurred significant investments in green technology across the country. However, there’s always more work to be done.

Grant
As you look to the future, what are your goals for Regeneration.VC over the next decade?

Dan Fishman
Our focus is on scaling the companies in Fund One and proving their impact. We want to bring major brands and corporates into the fold, leveraging their resources to amplify the solutions our portfolio companies are developing. By doing so, we aim to drive systemic change and build a regenerative economy.

Grant
Thanks so much for your time, Dan. Best of luck to you and the team as you continue this important work.

Dan Fishman
Thank you, Grant. Appreciate it.