🎧 Listen to this podcast episode on YouTube or Spotify
Imagine a world where clothes are manufactured anywhere, anytime, in the exact amount we need—eliminating waste, reducing carbon emissions, and revolutionizing the industry. This isn’t just a dream. This is Rodinia Generation.
I recently spoke with Trine Young, Founder & CEO of Rodinia Generation (based in Denmark), and her story blew me away. Frustrated with the inefficiencies of global fashion supply chains, she asked a simple but radical question: 💡 “Why are 60% of clothes made on the other side of the planet from where they are consumed?”
Rodinia Generation’s answer? 🚢 An entire automated apparel manufacturing system in a shipping container. 💚 Potential impact? Saving 42 billion liters of water and 1 million tons of CO2 annually, all while building a multi-billion-dollar business.
Fundraising: In 2024, Rodinia Generation raised €3 million in Seed funding from The Danish Export and Investment Fund (EIFO) and Climentum Capital.
I was particularly amazed by her unique experience and multicultural background. Trine is a fashion designer turned tech entrepreneur. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she is Danish by upbringing (she spent the last 36 years here).
But Trine’s journey hasn’t been easy. She’s tackled:
🔹 The challenges of fundraising for hard tech & climate tech
🔹 Convincing investors that hybrid (hardware + software) solutions are the future
🔹 Navigating bias in investment circles (yes, she was once told to “find a male co-founder” 🤯)
Her biggest lesson? Fundraising is like speed dating—you meet 100+ investors and need to choose wisely. Not all money is good money.
🔥 Her advice to founders:
✅ Master the storytelling of your business—the best idea in the world won’t get funded if no one understands it.
✅ Get clear on your numbers—especially if you have upfront hardware costs.
✅ Do your due diligence on investors, too—talk to their portfolio founders before signing the deal.
Rodinia Generation is redefining what sustainable, local, and scalable apparel production can look like. And the best part? They’re just getting started.
Topics that we covered:
(00:00) - Podcast intro
(00:30) - Intro: Trine Young
(01:49) - Rodinia Generation
(03:40) - Insights into the ClimateTech sector
(05:40) - Prognosis for the coming years for ClimateTech
(07:06) - Other hot ClimateTech areas
(08:47) - Rodinia Generation: Fundraising Journey
(18:59) - Fundraising advice for founders
(19:58) - Challenges faced by founders
(21:00) - Talent strategy
(23:15) - Other fundraising tips
(25:11) - HardTech vs SoftTech
(26:31) - How to keep oneself motivated
(28:00) - Role of advisors
(31:55) - Importance of startup competitions
(34:10) - Fundraising consultants
(37:32) - Role of government and support for the ecosystem
(41:17) - About startup accelerators
(42:21) - Japanese Manga
Tune in and enjoy.
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