Karl Beinkampen

"Climate change presents an economic challenge of unprecedented urgency and scale – the most imperative and compelling investment opportunity of our generation."

Which investment categories excite you most and why?

I believe the most compelling founders and companies solve big problems in undercapitalized markets. Today that means agricultural technology, certain industrial and manufacturing applications, and segments of the built environment. Across all these verticals we see an opportunity to better collect, analyze and manage data.

Which tech trend are you most excited by and why?

The intersection of blockchain and climate tech could fundamentally change how we manage clean energy solutions. In the short term, the tokenization of carbon credits and the application of smart contracts can reduce transaction costs and enhance compliance. Longer term, blockchain solutions could become an industry standard, bringing transparency and accountability when it comes to climate commitments.

In another life, if you weren’t in venture capital, what would you be?

I am a frustrated general contractor. I’m fascinated with the complexity and interconnectedness of residential and commercial mechanical systems – the older and bigger the better. And I particularly enjoy finding modern solutions based on the basic principles and designs from centuries earlier.

Podcast or Publication?

I’m a regular reader of The Economist – though I rarely make if from cover to cover. For different perspectives, I read The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and New York Post daily. And when it is time to unwind at the end of a long day, I turn to the Smartless podcast for a good laugh.

Karl joined MMV in 2022 to launch the firm’s Climate Technology Fund. Karl was most recently at MassMutual, where he served as Head of MassMutual Investments Alternative Product, overseeing the development and launch of a registered private equity fund business. Previously he was President of SVB Leerink Capital Partners, a leading platform of healthcare-focused later-stage growth capital funds. Prior to that, he worked at Wilshire Private Markets, a division of Wilshire Associates, where he was President and Chief Investment Officer, and served as a member of the Wilshire Associates Board of Directors. Before Wilshire, Karl spent 15 years at Morgan Stanley, where he was most recently a Managing Director of the firm’s Alternative Investment Partners division.

Karl is a graduate of Princeton University with a degree in economics and received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is a CFA charterholder.