Beyond Clean Tech: From Science to Scale with Hiranmayee Vedam

In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri sits down with Hiran , Co-founder of Ashwatta Sustainability Ventures (domain Ashwatta.earth) , to explore how climate innovation is evolving beyond buzzwords into real systems change. From her beginnings in chemical engineering to building a venture studio focused on translating breakthrough science into scalable climate companies, Hiran shares a grounded perspective on what it truly takes to build a sustainable future.

• Hiran shares her journey from chemical engineering to climate tech commercialization.
• Ashwatha Earth focuses on building climate companies by translating science into scalable ventures.
• Conversation framed around women leaders in climate and deep tech.

️ Climate Tech Evolution

• Shift from clean tech to climate tech, but the mission remains sustainability.
• Circularity and responsible material use are central themes.
• Need to rethink systems that nature cannot naturally recycle.
• Climate innovation goes beyond solar and wind.
• Key areas: thermal storage, alternative fuels, advanced materials, and fusion.
• Industrial heat and heavy transport remain major decarbonization challenges.

Startup & Solution Examples

• Ashwatha Earth building PVC upcycling solutions.
• Emerging climate startups in emissions tracking, digital twins, hydrogen storage, carbon capture, and biochar.
• Strong in deployment, financial models, and application-layer innovation.
• Gaps in deep-tech ownership, patents, and long-term risk capital.
• Opportunity to move from adoption to innovation leadership.

Software & AI in Climate

• AI accelerates optimization, modeling, and material discovery.
• Data availability is still a major limitation.
• AI complements science rather than replacing it.
• Institutional co-founder approach to take tech from lab to market for making Venture Studio Model
• Higher success probability compared to traditional VC power-law models.
• Focus on zero-to-one building and de-risking innovation.
• Local solutions can scale globally when economics and distribution are solved.

Quotable Quotes from the Episode

• “It doesn’t matter whether we call it clean tech or climate tech — the goal is a sustainable future for all.”
• “Electrons alone won’t solve the energy problem. Heat, materials, and chemistry matter just as much.”
• “Circularity isn’t a trend — it’s learning to live within the limits of the planet.”
• “The Global South is great at deploying solutions, but deep-tech ownership is where we need to grow.”
• “AI can optimize what exists — but the fundamental breakthrough still has to come from science.”

Hiranmayee Vedam is a climate tech entrepreneur, chemical engineer, and Co-founder of Ashwatta Sustainability Ventures(domain Ashwatta.earth), a venture studio focused on translating breakthrough science into scalable sustainability ventures. An alumna of IIT Madras, she brings over 17 years of experience spanning process engineering, advanced materials, and climate technology commercialization. Over the years, she has contributed to research-led innovation and knowledge sharing across materials, energy systems, and sustainability, with work that bridges academic insight and industrial application. Known for her systems-thinking approach to circularity, deep-tech entrepreneurship, and production-scale climate solutions, Hiran is actively shaping pathways for Global South innovations to move from research pilots to real-world impact.

Hiran can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiranvedam/