Mapping David Friedberg's Focus Areas: The Production Board Portfolio Themes and White Spaces

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David Friedberg has become a shorthand for ambitious, systems-level bets in climate tech and biotech, and that’s exactly why founders and investors ask me to map The Production Board portfolio and uncover its white spaces.

In this article, I share a practical portfolio map of themes, specific focus areas, and the notable gaps where I believe the next generation of startups can thrive.

I keep it simple, direct, and based on observable signals, and I’ll show you how to apply the same white space analysis to your own investment thesis.

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1) Who Is David Friedberg, And Why His Focus Matters

I first paid attention to David Friedberg when he built The Climate Corporation and proved that software and data could meaningfully change agriculture risk at scale.

That success shaped his view that the world’s biggest problems are also the biggest markets, and that tools from software, biology, and data science can turn hard problems into tractable businesses.

He founded The Production Board to company-build around that idea, and he continues to anchor themes that blend science with pragmatic business execution.

Here’s why his focus matters to founders and investors like us:

• Systems thinking wins: He targets bottlenecks in supply chains, not just point products.
• Tech stack view: He backs enabling infrastructure as much as end products.
• Market pull: He prioritizes use cases with clear customer ROI over speculative science.

2) What Is The Production Board (TPB) In One Line

I think of The Production Board as a venture foundry for climate tech, biotech, and food systems that incubates and invests where software, data, and biology intersect.

TPB often company-builds from scratch, spins in scientific talent, and then layers repeatable go-to-market motions across a portfolio of thematically aligned companies.

If you’re a founder, that means they care deeply about platform leverage, not one-off heroics.

3) How I Built This Portfolio Map From Public Signals

I built this map using what any outsider can use.

I combined hiring patterns, technical job descriptions, press releases, founder interviews, patent filings, and product launch data into a simple themes graph.

I also triangulated with procurement signals from early customers in food, agriculture, and biotech tooling.

My goal is not to list every company but to reveal the structure of the portfolio and the white spaces around it.

For more on building your own thesis map, see our blog post: Portfolio Strategy Map: How To Turn Themes Into Deal Flow.

4) The Core Investment Themes I See In The Production Board Portfolio

When I map the themes, four clusters emerge.

• Climate tech platforms: Tools and services that decarbonize industry and agriculture with measurable ROI.
• Computational biology and bio-manufacturing: Software-native biology for discovering, designing, and scaling molecules and microbes.
• Food and agriculture optimization: Data and biology to improve yield, quality, and resilience across the value chain.
• Enabling software: Infrastructure for lab operations, simulation, and scientific data management.

These themes act like a lattice.

Each new company feeds data, customers, or capabilities into the others.

5) Climate Tech As A Systems Thesis, Not A Silo

I see TPB’s climate tech focus less as solar versus hydrogen, and more as a systems approach to emissions, cost, and reliability.

That shows up in three patterns.

• Measurement-first: You can’t decarbonize what you can’t measure, so MRV tools (measurement, reporting, verification) are foundational.
• Industrial step-change: Platforms that deliver 20 to 50 percent cost or emissions improvement beat incrementalism.
• Customer-centric: Solutions start from customer P&L, not from subsidies alone.

Example.

If you help a food manufacturer cut steam, water, and energy use with one analytics layer and a simple retrofit, you’re in TPB territory.

For more on decarbonization playbooks, see our blog post: Climate Tech Metrics That Actually Close Customers.

6) Biotech And Computational Biology Meet Software

TPB leans into computational biology because the cost curve of reading, writing, and editing biology keeps falling while compute keeps getting cheaper.

That collision enables new product classes and faster iteration.

Here’s how I see the stack.

• Data generation: High-throughput screening, single-cell, and multi-omics.
• Modeling: ML models for protein design, strain optimization, and enzyme engineering.
• Automation: Cloud labs, robotic workflows, and notebook-to-robot pipelines.
• Scale-up: Process development and pilot manufacturing with clear tech transfer.

When you put those together, you get faster discovery cycles and less capex heavy risk upfront.

For more on synthetic biology GTM, see our blog post: Synthetic Biology Go-To-Market: From Lab to Revenue.

7) Food And Agriculture As A Data And Biology Problem

Friedberg’s background shows here.

The food and ag thesis I see around TPB is about putting data and biology where they deliver measurable yield, quality, or risk reduction.

That usually means:

• Soil intelligence: DNA-based profiling, remote sensing, and decision support for input optimization.
• Input innovation: Microbial consortia and biostimulants with clear field trial economics.
• Supply-chain visibility: Traceability that reduces waste and chargebacks.

Analogy.

Imagine a Waze for agronomy that pairs real-time soil biology maps with adaptive recommendations and a marketplace that fulfills them.

That’s the spirit of the theme.

8) Novel Manufacturing And Industrial Biotech

Industrial biotech has moved beyond hype and into process engineering and unit economics.

I see TPB-aligned bets emphasizing:

• Precision fermentation with organism engineering tuned for low-cost feedstocks and simplified downstream processing.
• Biocatalysis that drops into existing chemical lines to cut steps and energy.
• Hybrid processes that pair biology with thermal or electrochemical steps to hit price parity.

The thread is practical.

Make something valuable, at the right cost, in a plant that customers already trust.

9) Software Infrastructure That Accelerates Science

I’ve noticed recurring demand for the picks-and-shovels that make dry and wet lab teams faster.

These include:

• ELN/LIMS 2.0 that is API-first and integrates with automation.
• Experiment design tools that use Bayesian optimization to shrink design-build-test cycles.
• Data governance that safely handles proprietary assay data and model weights.

Founders who build these tools land two advantages.

They make money as SaaS and they capture proprietary data flywheels over time.

10) Consumer Health And Nutrition With Evidence

Consumer plays can work here when they are rooted in measurable biology or metabolic outcomes.

I look for:

• Validated biomarkers that tie behavior to outcomes.
• Formulations that are evidence-based rather than fad-driven.
• Channels that loop back data for continuous improvement.

The point is not to chase trends.

The point is to ship products that close the loop between biology and consumer behavior.

11) Carbon Markets And MRV Tools That Actually Work

Many carbon schemes fail because the measurement isn’t defensible.

I see TPB-style bets centering on MRV that enterprise buyers and auditors accept.

• Soil carbon with ground-truth data fused with remote sensing.
• Process emissions with real-time meters and verifiable baselines.
• Product-level footprints tied to procurement and SKU-level reporting.

If your MRV improves auditability and lowers transaction costs, you unlock real demand.

12) Risk, Insurance, And Data Platforms

Risk is where Friedberg started, and it still threads through the portfolio logic.

If you can turn noisy environmental and operational data into reliable loss predictions, you can price, insure, or hedge the risk.

That opens opportunities in crop insurance, supply chain risk, and energy price volatility.

For a deeper dive on market design, see our blog post: White Space Analysis: Find, Validate, and Own Your Niche.

13) Hardware-Light, Data-Heavy Is The Default

Across these themes, I see a preference for hardware-light approaches that sit on top of existing workflows.

It’s not that hardware is avoided.

It’s that the first wedge is typically data, analytics, or biology that can piggyback on installed base and existing capex.

That keeps payback periods short and gross margins healthy.

14) Company Creation Versus Classic Venture Investing

TPB often incubates companies internally, recruits technical founders early, and spins up initial customers alongside the product.

That lets them bundle shared services, capital, and go-to-market knowledge across the portfolio.

If you are pitching, emphasize how your work can plug into the broader theme, not just why it’s a standalone opportunity.

15) Talent Model And The Technical Founder Advantage

I see the same hiring markers repeatedly.

Founders and early team members tend to be technical, data-fluent, and comfortable with regulated environments.

They can present a scientific roadmap and a commercialization roadmap with equal clarity.

If you are a scientist-operator, you’re the profile this portfolio was built to support.

16) Capital Efficiency And Stepwise De-Risking

There’s a clear philosophy here that I share in my own investing.

Push the science, but de-risk like a finance person.

Do it step by step.

• Phase-gate milestones tied to unit economics, not vanity metrics.
• TRL clarity so investors and customers know exactly where the tech stands.
• Pilot design that sets up scale-up instead of dead-end demos.

For a template on milestones and fundraising, see our blog post: How To Raise A Climate Tech Fund And Back Winners.

17) White Space Analysis: Where TPB Is Not Playing (Yet)

White space analysis matters because it shows you where your startup can lead the next wave or where Capitaly.vc can co-invest with edge.

Here are areas I see underexplored relative to the core themes.

• Low-capex DAC auxiliaries: Not capture tech itself, but the software and MRV that make DAC bankable.
• Process intensification for fermentation: Modular retrofits that double throughput with minimal bioreactor redesign.
• Green heat for food processing: Plug-in electrification modules, heat pumps, and thermal storage purpose-built for food plants.
• Waste-to-value in ag: Micro-scale bioprocessing for manure and crop residue with real paybacks under 24 months.
• Bio-based functional additives: Specialty molecules for packaging, coatings, and adhesives that meet price and performance now, not later.

These white spaces complement the portfolio’s strengths but do not directly overlap obvious bets.

18) White Spaces In Climate Tech I’m Watching

Beyond TPB’s center of gravity, here are climate tech arenas I’d build in today.

• Electrified process heat retrofits with software-defined controls for variable renewable energy.
• Thermal battery software that dispatches heat the way grid software dispatches electrons.
• Scope 3 procurement engines that automate supplier decarbonization with verifiable MRV.
• Low-complexity carbon removal like mineralization enhancers embedded in existing materials supply chains.

Every one of these can anchor a repeatable, ROI-first sales motion.

19) White Spaces In Biotech That Fit The Theme

Here’s where I see near-term defensible biotech platforms that align with a TPB-style thesis.

• Assay marketplaces where wet-lab capacity and standardized assays are discoverable and programmable.
• Data-native CRO tools that compress preclinical timelines with ML-guided experimental design.
• Enzyme leasing models for chemical manufacturers to trial biocatalysts with minimal risk.
• Feedstock-flexible strains engineered for cheap, local substrates with proven downstream savings.

These reduce development risk and align incentives between platform and customer.

20) Comparing TPB’s Themes To Other Firms

Every firm says they do climate and bio now, but the nuance matters.

TPB is more company-builder than fund-only investor, more platform than point-solution, and more ROI-led than grant-led.

If you are deciding where to pitch, ask yourself if your edge compounds across a portfolio or if you are a great standalone business that needs a different kind of partner.

21) Signals I’m Watching For The Next 12–24 Months

I watch signals that move from science to revenue.

• Hiring: Job postings for process engineering, MRV, and bio-automation show where build capacity is going.
• Procurement: Large food and materials companies tendering for verified low-carbon inputs.
• Policy convergence: Accounting standards making MRV the default for contracts, not marketing.
• Unit economics: Fermentation costs dropping below $3 per liter at pilot scale with clear path to $1.

Those signals tell me when a theme is ready to scale.

22) How Founders Can Align With The Production Board Portfolio

If you want a shot with David Friedberg and TPB, align your pitch to their operating model.

• Lead with economics: Show customer ROI in months, not years.
• Show platform leverage: Explain how each experiment makes the next product easier.
• Map dependencies: Be explicit about supply chain, regulatory, and scale-up risks.
• Bring the data: Field trials, pilot logs, and verifiable MRV beat vibes every time.

For a simple fundraising checklist, see our blog post: Fundraising Readiness Checklist For Deep Tech Founders.

23) A Practical Portfolio Map You Can Recreate

Here is a quick method to recreate this portfolio map for your own thesis.

• List the stack: Measurement, modeling, automation, and scale-up.
• Place each company you know on the stack with a product wedge and customer segment.
• Draw arrows for data, customers, or capabilities that flow between them.
• Mark gaps where multiple companies would benefit from a missing tool or service.

That becomes your roadmap for white space analysis and sourcing.

For more on thesis building, see our blog post: How To Build An Investment Thesis That Generates Proprietary Deal Flow.

24) The Tough Questions I’d Ask Any TPB-Aligned Startup

When I evaluate founders in these themes, I ask blunt questions.

• What’s your measured, verifiable customer ROI in the first 90 days.
• Which dependency, if it slips, kills your unit economics.
• What makes your data or strain defensible beyond a single contract.
• How do you spend your next $5 million to hit the next risk inflection.

If you can answer those cleanly, you can raise from TPB or from any disciplined climate-bio investor.

25) Realistic Pitfalls And How To Avoid Them

I also see recurring mistakes.

• Over-indexing on novelty instead of customer pain.
• Skipping MRV because it seems like a distraction.
• Building bespoke hardware when a retrofit or software layer would suffice.
• Ignoring scale-up economics until it’s too late.

Fix them early and you’ll survive the valleys between milestones.

26) What This Means For Capitaly.vc Co-Investment

At Capitaly.vc, I look for founders who fit the ROI-first, platform-leverage mold and who operate in the white spaces I outlined.

We like capital-efficient experimentation, clear pilot design, and MRV that shortens sales cycles.

If that’s you, we should talk.

27) Quick Case Analogies To Clarify The Themes

Sometimes analogies help.

• Climate MRV is the Stripe of carbon claims, turning messy measurements into verifiable transactions.
• Bio-automation is the AWS for wet labs, abstracting away complexity so teams can ship faster.
• Industrial biotech retrofits are browser extensions for chemical plants, adding capability without rewriting the base code.

If your startup feels like one of these, you’re in the right neighborhood.

28) What Founders Often Get Right About TPB

Founders who resonate with TPB tend to do three things well.

• They focus on platforms with repeatable experiments.
• They pursue markets with real pull and early customers who help shape the product.
• They understand regulated and industrial buyers and sell accordingly.

These are not optional in this category.

29) Where The Production Board’s Themes Might Evolve Next

If I had to bet on what expands next, I’d pick two areas.

• Process electrification paired with intelligent controls, because it reduces emissions and cuts costs quickly.
• Biology-embedded materials where enzyme or microbe performance wins on cost today, not in 2030.

Both reward companies that marry scientific rigor with ruthless commercial focus.

30) Action Steps For Founders Right Now

I want to end with a checklist you can act on this week.

• Write a one-page ROI story with verifiable metrics and a 90-day plan.
• Map your tech stack against measurement, modeling, automation, and scale-up.
• Identify one white space adjacent to your product and design a wedge in.
• Line up a pilot that validates unit economics, not just feasibility.

If you do these four things, you will move faster and raise smarter.

FAQs

Q1: What is The Production Board in simple terms.

A1: It’s a company builder and investor backing climate tech, biotech, and food system startups that combine software, data, and biology.

Q2: What makes David Friedberg’s approach different.

A2: He applies systems thinking, favors platform leverage, and insists on measurable customer ROI.

Q3: How do I know if my startup fits TPB’s themes.

A3: If you sit at the intersection of measurement, modeling, automation, and scale-up with a clear commercial wedge, you likely fit.

Q4: What is white space analysis.

A4: It’s a structured way to find unmet needs near existing themes where a new company can win quickly.

Q5: Does TPB only do company creation.

A5: No, but company building is a strength, and investments often benefit from shared infrastructure.

Q6: How important is MRV in climate tech.

A6: Critical, because enterprise buyers need verifiable data for audits, reporting, and payments.

Q7: What unit economics should I target in industrial biotech.

A7: Aim for price parity or better with clear paths to capex-light scale-up and simplified downstream processing.

Q8: What early milestones impress TPB-style investors.

A8: Customer pilots with measurable ROI, repeatable experiments, and a line of sight to gross margin health.

Q9: How can I prepare my deck for this audience.

A9: Lead with customer pain, show defensible data, map technical risks, and present a 12–18 month de-risking plan.

Q10: Where can I learn more about building a strong climate-bio thesis.

A10: For more on thesis design and metrics, see our blog posts: How To Build An Investment Thesis and Climate Tech Metrics That Actually Close Customers.

Conclusion

David Friedberg and The Production Board portfolio center on a simple but powerful pattern.

Start with measurement and verifiable ROI, use software and biology to compound learning, and build platforms that cut across climate tech, biotech, and food systems.

If you are a founder or investor, use this portfolio map and white space analysis to position your wedge and accelerate your next milestone.

When you do, you’ll speak the language that wins with The Production Board and with Capitaly.vc.

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