What the FOAK?! Pioneering Financing for First-of-a-Kind Climate Hardware | Climate Innovation and Investment Summit

Jump into one of the most pressing challenges facing faster deployment of climate hardware - First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) financing. 

This event will shine a light on pioneering technologies and delve into innovative financing strategies crucial for bringing First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) projects to life. Engage with a world-leading panel of hardware founders, Australia's leading investors and policy experts to uncover pathways for mitigating risks and accelerating these groundbreaking technologies.

Speakers

• Natalie Malligan: CEO, SunDrive
• Christiaan Jordan: CEO and CoFounder, Sicona Battery Technologies
• Ridhaa Ahmed: Head of Infrastructure and Structured Capital, Grok Ventures
• Olivia Grivas: Investment Principal, Skip Capital 

Panel Discussion

Discover key challenges in de-risking FOAK projects and learn how to demonstrate or create customer demand before a market even exists. Hear firsthand stories from founders navigating the road to commercialisation, and explore the corporate appetite for transformative change.

Gain insights from researchers and tech transfer professionals dedicated to commercialising climate-focused R&D. Learn about the latest grants and funding opportunities designed to propel innovations from the lab to the market.

Objective

Foster meaningful collaboration between academia and industry while increasing awareness of the support systems available for commercialisation. Let’s bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world climate solutions.

Thanks to our Climate Innovation and Investment Summit sponsors:

• Diamond: Investment NSW, Lendlease, Climatalist
• Gold: AGL, GHD, Future Super, Salesforce, Trailblazer for Recycling & Clean Energy (TRaCE), Flow Power, Integrated Innovation Network (I2N), Investible
• Climate Innovation Leader: Rystad Energy, HSBC, and Infragreen.

Click here to see all events happening on Climate Action Week Sydney 2025.