Arvin Ganesan, CEO of Fourth Power: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Storage

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Arvin Ganesan, CEO at Fourth Power, a thermal battery energy storage company that has raised over $20 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

• Comprehensive Career in Climate Change: Arvin has dedicated his entire career to climate change mitigation, leveraging experiences from government regulatory roles to leading global energy programs at Apple, before becoming the CEO of Fourth Power.
• Regulatory Understanding and Market Entry: Arvin emphasizes the complexity of introducing technology in regulated markets like utilities, highlighting his deep understanding of both regulatory frameworks and customer needs as critical to his leadership at Fourth Power.
• Transition from EPA to Apple: Arvin's move from the EPA to Apple represented a significant shift from regulatory work to corporate influence in renewable energy, providing him with a unique perspective on driving change from outside the government.
• Innovative Approach to Energy Storage: Fourth Power is pioneering in the long-duration battery space by using materials like graphite to store energy, which can power thousands of homes for days and is positioned as a cleaner and more scalable alternative to traditional battery materials.
• Challenges and Opportunities in Energy Startups: Arvin discusses the challenges of navigating a startup in a heavily regulated industry and the opportunities that arise from understanding and adapting to these regulations rather than attempting to overhaul them.
• Vision for Fourth Power: Looking forward, Arvin shares his vision for Fourth Power to dramatically scale up their operations, manufacturing reliable and cost-effective long-duration batteries that align with market demands and regulatory frameworks, ultimately making renewable energy more accessible and economical.