Latest news with #Vinod Khosla
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump's Immigration Policy Is a Nightmare for Climate Tech
The One Big Beautiful Bill has cut an estimated $500 billion in green spending, but the Trump administration policy that worries venture capitalist Vinod Khosla more for climate tech in the US is immigration. 'They will shut down the import of talent, which is the key to growth,' he told the Zero podcast on stage at the Bloomberg Green summit in Seattle, Washington last week.
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Zero: US Immigration Crackdown Is Bad for Climate Tech
Everywhere you look, it seems like bad news for climate tech. Investments are down, the US government has cut incentives and startups are running out of cash. But venture capitalist Vinod Khosla is still bullish, even though the One Big Beautiful Bill has cut an estimated $500 billion in green spending. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Khosla to find out when we can expect to see fusion, whether he's reconsidering investing in the US and why he still thinks the best clean tech is yet to come.
Geek Wire
16-07-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
‘Talent drives everything': Vinod Khosla's contrarian take on America's AI and climate challenges
Sustainability: News about the rapidly growing climate tech sector and other areas of innovation to protect our planet. SEE MORE Vinod Khosla, right, speaking with Akshat Rathi, a senior reporter with Bloomberg Green, at the Bloomberg Green Seattle event on July 15. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) The biggest threat to America's competitiveness in artificial intelligence and climate tech isn't the Trump administration's cuts to renewable power tax breaks or electricity shortages for data centers, says Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures. It's immigration policy. 'Talent drives everything,' said the billionaire technologist. But President Trump's aggressive immigration actions are discouraging foreign-born people from coming to the U.S., including skilled workers with visas, because of the hostile environment, Khosla said. That reduces the import of highly educated innovators who can help 'solve climate and other technology problems,' he added. Khosla shared his take on tech and sustainability issues on Tuesday at Bloomberg Green Seattle, a three-day event focused on climate change that attracted leaders from industry, government, nonprofits, startups and environmental organizations. The backdrop to the conference was a heat wave predicted to send temperatures into the 90s in the normally more temperate city. Read one for more from Khosla's conversation with Akshat Rathi, a senior reporter with Bloomberg Green: 'Very bullish on fusion' Khosla predicted that within five years, 'nobody will be talking about alternatives to fusion as a power source for the planet for the next 50 years.' His fund has backed Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Realta Fusion, and he expects that one of the dozen 'reasonable efforts' working to commercial power from smashing atoms together will soon demonstrate viability. 'Only one needs to work to solve the planet's energy problem,' he added. Embracing risk In order to solve big challenges such as developing cost-competitive, scalable, low-carbon technologies, Khosla argues for taking big chances in pursuit of breakthroughs. He cited his fund's pursuit of green steel as an example. 'I don't mind the probability of failure,' he said, 'but I want the consequences of success to be consequential.' Look to 2050 Many in the climate sector argue that the world can slow the planet's warming by aggressively deploying cleaner technologies that are available today. Khosla disagrees, calling it 'a silly notion.' 'If you're deploying poor technologies more broadly, we have less money to deploy breakthrough technologies and less money to invest in breakthrough technology,' he said, adding that the world should focus on getting to zero by 2050 and put less attention on 2030 goals. But he did acknowledge the threat of reaching tipping points before the half-century mark, which would accelerate climate change and makes it harder to slow. Untroubled by axed tax credits GOP policies are slashing tax credits from the Biden administration that supported deployment of wind and solar energy. Khosla said there are better uses for public dollars than subsidies for these sufficiently mature sectors. He added that next-generation nuclear power also doesn't need tax breaks — and that its biggest hurdle to expansion is NIMBY-ism.
Bloomberg
15-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Vinod Khosla on Green Tech Investment
Vinod Khosla, Founder, Khosla Ventures discusses climate tech investment and which technologies will lead growth with Bloomberg's Akshat Rathi at Bloomberg Green Seattle 2025. (Source: Bloomberg)
