Massive Signals
Massive Signals
From lab to market, deep tech is a long game, and the inflection points are everything. Massive Signals is a biweekly video podcast that dives into the pivotal moments shaping breakthrough ventures in AI, quantum, energy, defense, biotech, and beyond.
Hosted by David Mandell and Ari Newman, each episode spotlights founders, investors, and researchers navigating the complex path from idea to impact. We explore the highs, the hard problems, and the unfiltered lessons.
Expect real stories, practical insights, and behind-the-scenes perspectives on commercialization, funding strategies, and building the partnerships that make, or break, deep tech ventures.
Who it’s for:
Deep tech founders, Series A/B investors, university labs, national research institutions, policymakers, and ecosystem champions who want to accelerate innovation in Colorado and across the country.
Listen on:
Episodes
Apr 9, 2026
Apr 9, 2026
54 min
In this episode, we sit down with Cody Simms, Managing Partner of MCJ Collective, an early-stage venture fund with over $115 million under management focused on climate and energy technology. Cody shares his journey from dot-com product manager to climate investor, how a podcast became the unlikely foundation for a venture fund, and why the energy transition is accelerating regardless of what’s happening in Washington. We dive deep into MCJ’s bets across fission, fusion, and software, the one founder behavior that predicts success every time, and why the climate tech conversation has quietly shifted from carbon offsets to national energy resilience.
In this episode:
Climate Gets a Rebrand: ESG is out — energy resilience, grid reliability, and AI power demand are the new tailwinds.
The Nuclear Moment: The technology was never the problem; project management was.
Fusion Crosses the Line: Q > 1 turned fusion from a theory into an investable thesis.
Small Fund, Big Round: Why ownership percentage isn’t the whole story in portfolio construction.
The Data Center Pivot Problem: Too many companies are chasing data center demand the same way they chased crypto.
Bet on the Founder First: Experienced operators move faster, talk straighter, and navigate complexity without hand-holding.
Connect more with Cody Simms | MCJ
Website: https://mcj.vc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/codysimms
Podcast: https://mcj.vc/media/podcast
Connect more with Massive Signals
Website: https://massive.vc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinewman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgmandell