Ed Barker talks to Ben Eidelson, general partner at the Stepchange, about his path from engineering to Microsoft, to startups acquired by Google and Stripe, and then into climate ventures. After his first child was born and a growing urgency about the climate crisis, Ben began advising startups, making something like 12 angel investments in nine months. He realized VC was the job that incentivized helping early founders. Stepchange runs a $7.5M first fund aiming for 30 software/AI-centric climate investments, focused on venture-scale outcomes with major climate impact. The portfolio includes deployable solutions that improve distribution, financing, decision-making, and system incentives. Eidelson is also host of the long-form Stepchange Show, a research-heavy podcast that to build networks and attract talent. The conversation also touches on Seattle’s collaborative climate ecosystem - what’s now and what’s next.
00:00 Introduction
02:06 Ben's Journey: From Builder to Climate Investor
05:23 Building Community Around Climate Talent
08:28 Why a VC Fund? The Genesis of Stepchange
12:07 Software-Centric Climate Thesis
15:52 Fund Mechanics, Check Size, Collaboration
26:37 Stepchange Show: Acquired for Energy
38:35 Grid, Jevons Paradox, Regulation
47:37 Seattle Climate Ecosystem
51:07 Fund Two and What's Next
About Your Host
Ed Barker has enjoyed a weird and varied career. Ed is a Brit now resident in Seattle and has founded three startups, enjoyed a long career in corporate strategy, and most recently as a VC. Sound Investments shines a small light on the fantastic work being done in the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial community.
Studio 1878
Ed is Founder of Studio 1878, a podcast strategy and production studio focused on helping brands tell smarter, more human stories. We work with founders, operators, and marketing leaders to design shows that serve clear strategic goals. Studio 1878 handles the full process - from concept and positioning through recording, editing, and distribution. Our work blends editorial thinking with production craft, prioritizing substance over noise. The result is podcasts that build trust, credibility, and long-term brand value.
Ben Eidelson
Ben is the co-founding general partner of Stepchange, a Seattle and LA-based venture fund backing software and AI-centric climate startups, where he and partner Anay Shah are deploying a $7.5M first fund across 30 investments focused on the deployment and distribution problems holding back already-proven climate technology. Before Stepchange he was a two-time founder whose companies were acquired by Google, where he worked on Photos and early mobile messaging, and Stripe, where he led work on ACH and US payment methods. He's also the co-host of The Stepchange Show, a long-form research podcast that has produced multi-hour episodes on the history of coal, data centers, and the grid. A Stanford-trained electrical engineer who pivoted to climate after the birth of his first child in 2018, Ben writes the Climate Papa newsletter and is a vocal advocate for bringing software, product, and operator talent into the climate transition.
Connect with Ben:
Stepchange: stepchange.vc
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jnickhughes
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