Bruis van Vlijmen

Bruis Van Vlijmen is a Venture Partner at Transition, a climate tech venture capital firm based in London with offices in Reykjavik and New York.12 He brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and business acumen to the role, making him well-suited to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and commercial viability in the climate tech sector.

Educational Background

Van Vlijmen has a strong academic foundation in engineering and energy-related fields:

• He holds a Master of Science (MS) degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.3
• During his time at Stanford, he was involved in several years of Department of Energy (DOE)-funded research focusing on Electrochemical Storage solutions.3

Professional Experience

Prior to joining Transition, Van Vlijmen's career spanned both academic research and the private sector:

• He worked on traditional thermo-mechanical storage systems at TU Delft in the Netherlands.1
• At UC Berkeley, he was involved in research on ocean wave energy generation.1
• His work at Stanford focused on energy storage solutions.1
• Before becoming a Venture Partner at Transition in 2021, he gained experience in the VC/startup ecosystem in the San Francisco Bay Area.15

Role at Transition

As a Venture Partner at Transition, Van Vlijmen plays a crucial role in:

1. Bridging the gap between scientific innovation and business applications in climate tech.
2. Helping scientist-founders translate their research into viable commercial products and business plans.
3. Contributing to the firm's mission of supporting emerging technologies that address climate challenges and improve planetary life-support systems.

Van Vlijmen's expertise is particularly valuable in what he calls the "translation puzzle" - helping scientists look beyond their specific area of study to see the broader commercial potential of their work.1

Recent Contributions

Van Vlijmen continues to be active in both the academic and business spheres of climate tech:

• He recently contributed to a paper from Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, which outlined best practices in the field.4

Bruis Van Vlijmen's unique combination of scientific knowledge, entrepreneurial experience, and venture capital expertise makes him a valuable asset to Transition as they work to close the funding gap in climate tech and support innovative solutions for a sustainable future.