As new technologies transform the global economy, there is increasing pressure for heavy industries to develop and scale solutions that are sustainable, reliable and future-ready.
During our 2025 Climate Week NYC event, James Lindsay, Director, Investments at Builders Vision led a panel discussion with entrepreneurs and innovators— Apoorv Sinha, Co-Founder & CEO, Carbon Upcycling; Nick Myers, CEO, Phoenix Tailings; and Sinead Barry-O’Brien, COO, REsurety. They each represent crucial sectors in the heavy industry transition and have developed high-impact, scalable solutions, including responsibly sourced critical minerals, carbon waste utilization and analytics and trading solutions for the clean energy economy.
The discussion explored the most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities facing the industry, including:
"Just 10 years ago, we were talking about solar and wind bridging prosperity into fossil fuel. Now that those markets have advanced even more, we're going to be able to electrify most of the heavy industries,” said James Lindsay, Director, Investments, Builders Vision.
The urgent need to accelerate the transition of heavy industries like mining and construction is providing a compelling investment opportunity. It is no longer about supporting a niche field; it is about investing in the companies that are powering a new industrial revolution.
"The best companies have been formed and decisively moved forward when times are tough. In this environment, there's more scrutiny around how capital is allocated, and people are moving toward opportunities and companies that have the potential to make a real impact,” said Apoorv Sinha, Co-Founder & CEO, Carbon Upcycling.
All of the companies on stage shared a common thread: their success has been fueled by investment partners who understand the long-term value their solutions can bring to these sectors. The panelists agreed that the continued success of their solutions and others in the future will require investment partners who are patient, flexible and innovative.
"Any individual company or investor or customer is not going to be changing the world. It's how we all show up together. It's how we collaborate. It's how we have strategic partnerships," said Sinead Barry-O’Brien, COO, REsurety.
These successful startups are often the first-of-a-kind (FOAK)—either introducing entirely new approaches or entering the market for the first time. These FOAK projects require strategic, hands-on collaboration beyond traditional financing, including technical expertise, corporate and policy support and ecosystem building to accelerate their innovations into a resilient, profitable future.