#254 The Path to Cost Parity Between Sustainable Fuels & Fossil Fuels | Conor Madigan, Aether Fuels from CleanTechies

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#254 The Path to Cost Parity Between Sustainable Fuels & Fossil Fuels | Conor Madigan, Aether Fuels

56 minutes Posted Jul 30, 2025 at 8:00 pm.

Introduction to Conor Madigan and Aether Fuels

Aether Fuels' core mission: decarbonizing aviation and shipping

ClimateTech OG inspiration: James Hansen

TLDR: Aether Fuels' technology and market

Visualizing the innovation: cutting CAPEX and boosting yield

Optimizing for 1-5k barrels/day scale

Feedstock flexibility and mixing waste streams

How the innovation was discovered (GTI Energy partnership)

The contrarian view on hydrogen prices in 2022

Conor Madigan's background and journey into ClimateTech

The incubation process with Zora Innovation/Temasek

The year-long "funnel" to choose the right climate problem

Conor's philosophy on team building: high talent, low ego

Creating constructive tension in R&D vs. Engineering

The invaluable role of top-notch recruiters

Why senior hires need to be "player-coaches" at startups

Transparent communication during challenging times

Why founders should share challenges and invite ideas

Policy trends and market drivers for SAF

Business model: tech & project developer, future licensing

Cost parity expectations for Aether Fuels' product

What needs to happen for widespread fossil fuel cost parity

Final call to action and where to find Aether Fuels

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CleanTech founder Conor Madigan (Aether Fuels) reveals sustainable fuel tech breakthroughs, smart hiring, & building resilient climate startups. Join us as Conor Madigan, Founder and CEO of Aether Fuels, shares how their innovative tech is set to decarbonize aviation and shipping by drastically cutting costs and boosting fuel yield from waste streams. A second-time founder, Conor also unpacks his proven strategies for building high-talent, low-ego teams and fostering constructive tension ...

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