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At the start of the pandemic, Wang cofounded the accelerator Third Derivative to rapidly find, fund and scale climate tech. By aligning promising startups across five continents with investors, corporate leaders and market and policy experts, the firm bridges finance and resource gaps to increase speed to market. This access to experts makes Third Derivative inclusive by providing advice to those who might lack the kind of personal connections that has traditionally opened doors.
The Third Derivative ecosystem today includes more than 100 startups, which have cumulatively received about $850 million in investments.
The payoff for Wang, who has since left Third Derivative, was creating “magical moments” of collaboration like when a corporate executive, venture capitalist, startup entrepreneur and a nonprofit consultant discussed how to decarbonize trucking.
“It's only with all the various cross-sectoral disciplines that allow us to have a lens of not just thinking about how to raise a Series A,” said Wang, referring to an early funding phase.
Breakthrough
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Plaudits From Forbes
Forbes editors named Wang to the Forbes 30 Under 30 energy list in 2021, noting how Third Derivative in its first year received applications from 630 startups and helped raise $5 million to invest in them. Wang today is a principal focused on climate intelligence at the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute, whose goal is to make systematic change in global energy systems.
Wang sees an opportunity to fund more climate tech entrepreneurs by collaborating with foundations and philanthropies, underused sources of capital that she says are ideal because these large donors tend to be patient, flexible and purpose-driven.
But it’s not just about numbers. Wang also measures her success in how many women she’s inspired, and hopes to continue inspiring, particularly women of color and women who immigrated to the U.S., like she did when she was 17.
“I want to let them know, and let them see, that they can be barrier breakers in their own industries,” she said.
I want what I do, what
I work on, to be an inspiration for others and to make them want to spring into action. …
I want to move others to move their industry.”
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