Episode 13: CERA Week, AI's Energy Demands, and Climate Investing with Hampus Jakobson (GP, Pale Blue Dot) and Blaine Mathieu (CEO, Pratexo)

In Episode 13 of The Smart Society Show, co-hosts Brynne Kennedy and Rt Hon Chris Skidmore delve into the complex forces driving the future of energy, climate innovation, and AI. They are joined by two visionary guests: Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, and Blaine Mathieu, CEO of Pratexo. Together, they explore a world where pragmatism replaces ideology, where policy evolves through nuance, and where technology powers a more sustainable, resilient future.

What’s News: Energy Realism, AI Demand, and the New Pragmatism

This week’s What’s News segment explores how AI is rapidly reshaping the global energy landscape. Fresh from CERA Week in Houston, Brynne reflects on the overwhelming focus on AI's dual role: both as a driver of skyrocketing energy demand and as a tool to optimize and decarbonize energy systems. With hyperscalers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft taking center stage, it’s clear that AI's infrastructure needs are setting the pace for new energy investments. Meanwhile, Chris shares insights from the Baku Global Forum, highlighting how countries like Barbados and Ghana are accelerating their renewable energy targets while grappling with very different resource realities than the United States.

Throughout the conversation, Brynne and Chris emphasize a growing shift in tone: away from rigid ideological battles and toward what many leaders are calling "energy realism." In this emerging framework, the focus is on delivering affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy simultaneously recognizing that the transition must balance immediate needs with long-term goals. They note that policy, while still critical, is increasingly being shaped by practical considerations like grid modernization, the AI-fueled energy boom, and a renewed focus on securing supply. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the future of the energy transition is looking highly bespoke, tailored to each country's unique economic, resource, and political realities.

Chasing Net Zero: Hampus Jakobsson on Climate Tech That Wins Without Preaching

In the Chasing Net Zero segment, Brynne and Chris are joined by Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of early-stage climate tech investing. Hampus shares the deeply personal journey that led him from founding a successful tech company acquired by BlackBerry, to becoming one of Europe’s leading climate-focused investors. A core theme of the discussion is that the best climate startups succeed not by preaching about climate change, but by offering tangible, measurable value to customers regardless of their beliefs.

Hampus argues that while founders should believe in the mission of addressing climate change, the solutions they build must resonate with customers on economic grounds: saving money, improving performance, or reducing risk. He highlights examples from Pale Blue Dot’s portfolio, including Overstory, which helps utilities prevent costly wildfire damage, and Hive, which is driving the electrification of logistics with lower operating costs. Rather than betting on slow cultural or political shifts, Hampus emphasizes investing in companies that align with existing economic incentives. As he puts it, the future belongs to solutions that people want and are willing to pay for xwhether or not they frame it as a climate decision.

Looking ahead, Hampus sees major opportunity areas in grid flexibility, industrial decarbonization, transportation efficiency, and climate adaptation. He stresses that the massive growth of AI and energy demand is only sharpening the urgency for pragmatic, scalable solutions and that technology, capital, and ingenuity must work together to outpace outdated political structures.

Chasing Unicorns: Blaine Mathieu on Pratexo and the Future of Decentralized Energy Systems

In this week’s Chasing Unicorns segment, Brynne and Chris sit down with Blaine Mathieu, CEO of Pratexo, a Smart Society Ventures portfolio company that is transforming the management of decentralized energy systems. Blaine shares the story of how Pratexo evolved from an idea into a fast-growing technology company, building a platform that brings the power of cloud computing down to the machine edge enabling smarter, faster, more secure management of critical energy infrastructure.

Through partnerships with global giants like ABB, Pratexo has positioned itself at the forefront of the energy transition. Blaine explains that traditional centralized energy systems are increasingly being replaced by distributed networks microgrids, battery storage, on-site renewables that require localized, intelligent control. Edge computing, the core of Pratexo’s platform, addresses this need by processing data close to where it is generated, improving responsiveness, security, and efficiency. While regulated utilities are still slow to adapt, industrial players are moving quickly to build resilient, flexible, decentralized energy systems and Pratexo is enabling them to do so at the speed of software.

Reflecting on Pratexo’s trajectory, Blaine shares why he believes the company has unicorn potential. The energy transition is not optional; it is an existential necessity, driven by economic, environmental, and geopolitical forces. As industries seek to electrify, optimize, and future-proof their operations, platforms like Pratexo will be critical infrastructure. And by enabling faster, more flexible deployment of decentralized energy systems, Pratexo is positioning itself to be a foundational player in the next phase of the global energy evolution.

Final Thoughts

Episode 13 of The Smart Society Show brings together three powerful threads: the hard pragmatism reshaping energy policy, the disciplined investment strategies driving climate innovation, and the cutting-edge technologies enabling a decentralized energy future. From the rise of energy realism to the demand-driven growth of AI infrastructure, from Hampus Jakobsson’s call for customer-first climate tech to Blaine Mathieu’s vision for edge-enabled power systems, this episode paints a picture of a sector at an inflection point.

The future will not be driven by ideology alone. It will be built by pragmatic action, aligned incentives, and relentless innovation. In a world where the stakes could not be higher, The Smart Society Show offers a compelling glimpse into the ideas, leaders, and technologies that will shape a resilient, sustainable future.

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