Austin Clements

Partner @slausonandco

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

INTRODUCING BLUECORE ENERGY (@BluecoreCo)

The rise of AI has put a new spotlight on nuclear power. Data centers, ports, hospitals, and neighborhoods all compete for energy from the same grids. This year alone, $4.5 billion has gone into nuclear startups globally, many of them building small modular reactors (SMRs). But while most of these startups are chasing big tech data center contracts, Bluecore Energy is taking a different approach entirely, building SMRs that float on barges, starting at ports.

About 3 billion people (~38% of the world's population) live within a hundred kilometers of a coast. Its first system can power 15,000 homes, needs refueling only once every few years, and can be towed wherever it's needed. The same unit that powers a container port can power a coastal city's grid, a naval base, or an offshore platform. Eventually, even cargo ships can be powered this way, putting an industry that moves more than 80% of the world's traded goods on zero-emission power.

The company is headquartered at the Port of Long Beach, the first SMR company inside a major American port. Long Beach is the first US port to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the Maritime Administration to study SMRs in maritime operations. It anticipates doubling its capacity by 2050, and has committed to going zero-emissions by 2035.

Founder and CEO Kofi Asante's lived experience turning hardware into a business across freight, aerospace, and electric maritime uniquely positions him to take on one of the hardest categories in energy. We led Bluecore Energy's $10 million pre-seed earlier this year, and doubled down this month in their oversubscribed $50 million seed led by Silverton Partners. By building a floating SMR, Bluecore Energy is democratizing access to clean energy, especially for port communities that often bear the burden of industrial emissions. As they scale, the company will play a significant role in maritime decarbonization and change how the world thinks about nuclear deployment. And we are proud to be backing them.

Check out the full Slauson Snapshot: https://t.co/DThKPCLZqz

Follow their journey at https://t.co/ORuLi6dMs8

Bluecore Energy is hiring multiple roles across engineering, finance, and licensing: https://t.co/fjg7K2ScgN

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

SLAUSON SUMMER CAMP 2026

The founder journey is a lonely one. What we hear most often from our founders is that they find the greatest value in learning from others on a similar path.

Summer Camp is our attempt at building that space: a few days for our founders to recharge, reconnect, and find community in a shared experience. Not just as peers, but as parents, partners, and people figuring out how to build something great. We hope that after a few days of breaking bread, setting intentions, and stepping away from the noise, our founders leave with a clearer vision.

Deep gratitude to our Day 1 Jeff Wilke, former CEO of Worldwide Consumer at Amazon and co-founder of Slate Auto and Re:Build Manufacturing, for spending time with our founders and sharing what decades of building and scaling has taught him.

Thank you to everyone who made Slauson Summer Camp 2026 unforgettable.

See you next summer. ♻️

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

Last month, we welcomed the Friends & Family 2026 cohort to @SlausonAndCo HQ for a 3-day kick-off. The group is made up entirely of consumer founders who design with intention and care deeply about improving the day-to-day experiences of the people they are building for.

In addition to connecting with each other to set the tone for the next 6 months, they got to meet their coaches, who each bring incredible operator + founder + investor perspective from starting, scaling, and exiting some of the biggest consumer companies in the world. They got to spend real time with the Slauson team, learn about each other’s businesses, and dive straight into building a strong foundation for a venture-scalable company.

We took a field trip to @HOORAEMedia Studios in Inglewood for a fireside chat with award-winning creator, producer, and serial entrepreneur Issa Rae, as well as a special session on leadership from former CPO of @Mailchimp @saralouhicks. We also hosted A Night With Slauson at Lost Rooftop in DTLA to bring our broader network of LA tech operators, investors, and portfolio founders together and show what the community we’ve built is all about.

We're excited to see what this cohort continues to build throughout the program.

Want to learn more or connect with any of our founders? Read about them on our Substack: https://t.co/44Oop6FUFG

Or reach us at [email protected]

[Paul Graham @paulg]

"Ron discovered how to be the investor of the future by accident. He didn't foresee the future of startup investing, realize it would pay to be upstanding, and force himself to behave that way. It would feel unnatural to him to behave any other way."

https://t.co/HfzO3iMRcg

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

We spend a lot of time thinking before we invest. Studying sectors, stress-testing assumptions, and asking the questions others aren't asking yet.

Slauson Studies is how we make that thinking public.

In our first edition, four members of our investment team share the areas capturing their attention:

🔋 Nuclear energy's long-awaited comeback
🏪 Spatial AI turning physical spaces into smart platforms
✈️ Why human judgment is hospitality's most durable advantage
🧬 The fertility access gap innovation hasn't solved yet

We’re interested in connecting with the founders, operators, and thinkers building in these spaces. Read the full piece on our Substack, and if any of these topics resonate, hit us up through the link in the article: https://t.co/HcsPqxxzyU

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

INTRODUCING LOAMY

The $1 trillion food waste crisis happens long before food reaches the shelf. Legacy systems in the supply chain are too rigid to capture how work actually happens; paper, spreadsheets, and text messages that can't keep pace with how fast food actually moves.

This is exactly what Loamy is solving for.

Loamy is building AI-powered infrastructure that gives food manufacturers, growers, and distributors real-time visibility across the supply chain, with features like satellite imagery and automated compliance tools to ensure the right food gets to the right place at the right time.

Led by co-founders Charles Julius and Jason Pesek, their lived experience of pioneering digital infrastructure uniquely positions them to solve this problem. By unifying data and workflows across the food supply chain, they're not just helping companies reduce waste and increase revenue, but making it easier for companies to meet regulations that ultimately protect consumer health and safety.

We're excited to back them as they build the future of food supply chain intelligence.

🎬 Check out our Slauson Snapshot below, or read more here: https://t.co/8DOuP4HtlY

Follow their journey at https://t.co/HtwUeKAukI.

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

INTRODUCING OUR FRIENDS & FAMILY 2026 COHORT.

After reviewing over 700 applications, we're excited to share the founders we’re partnering with for Friends & Family 2026.

These teams think from first principles, design with intention, and are committed to scale so better systems reach millions. And they're already proving the world wants what they're building.

Read the full announcement: https://t.co/9MszXZU8cL

[Jay Alto @theJayAlto]

you pity the moth confusing a lamp for the moon, yet here you are confusing a screen for the world

[gaut @0xgaut]

“Not him, he said please and thank you in his prompts”

[Austin Clements @AustinLAC]

Out today! Looking forward to diving in here.

[seth @sether]

Pick up your copy of the book that everyone is talking about:
https://t.co/LGGnQw4A3Y

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

We're in a once-in-a-generation technological moment. The future of everyday life is being built right now.

Friends & Family 2026 will be our first cohort focused entirely on Consumer companies. We're looking for architects of the human experience.

Founders who refuse to accept the world as it is. Who think from first principles. Who see cultural shifts before they happen.

Florence Knoll. Virgil Abloh. Grace Hopper. Steve Jobs. Ray and Charles Eames. These visionaries shaped how we live today with the tools of their time. Imagine what they would have built with the technological innovations we have at our fingertips today?

We're investing $300K in a handful of founders with exceptional taste who design intentionally with humanity in mind. Thoughtful designers who understand craft matters at scale. Cultural seers already proving the world wants what they're building.

Friends & Family is where the next generation of iconic consumer companies begins.

If you're a startup that fits what we're looking for, we encourage you to reach out.

Applications open through November 2nd → https://t.co/mBq2OajVNr. Read more here: https://t.co/ikc4NPLocd

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

APPLICATIONS FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY 2026 ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN.

We’re investing $300k into ambitious consumer founders who are designing culture, systems, and experiences that shape how we live, work, and connect. Hear more details about our upcoming Friends & Family accelerator from our Head of Programs, Miki Reynolds (@mikster).

Applications are officially open from now through November 2nd. Review full program details and sign up for an upcoming virtual info session at https://t.co/mBq2OajVNr.♻️

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

Last month, we turned Slauson HQ into a startup classroom.

Thirty early-stage founders came together for Slauson Summer School—a full day of tactical lessons from seasoned operators, entrepreneurs, and investors on what it takes to build exceptional companies.

🧠 @keneanoliefo broke down how to truly understand your customer.
🤖 Irina Kukuyeva showed how to build with AI.
🎯 Mandy Howard shared the gritty process of finding product–market fit.
👥 Jordan Diggs & Shannon Flynn Bevers pulled back the curtain on hiring and building strong teams.
🚀 @tjtaylr mapped the GTM path from idea to launch.
📊 Cody Peterson & @GarrisonGowens covered cap tables and legal topics.
💰 Sophie Nazerian unpacked startup financing.
🔥 @JoeFernandez & @saralouhicks brought hard-won lessons from their respective founder journeys.

It was a mini version of how @SlausonAndCo supports founders every day—with the knowledge, networks, and resources to build category-defining companies.

The day wrapped with Summer Recess, where the founders and speakers were joined by our friends from the local LA startup ecosystem to connect and converse.

Huge thanks to @Orrick, @CakeEquity, and @jpmorgan for partnering with us to bring our first Slauson Summer School to life, and to every operator who shared their time and expertise. ♻️

👉 Follow us to hear about future events, and hit us up if you’re building something cool.

[Austin Clements @AustinLAC]

@bria_sullivan @hankgreen Huge congrats! And thanks for giving me a focused 10 mins this morning on something I needed to get done. ✅

[Austin Clements @AustinLAC]

@msuster @joshk This is depressing. We certainly won’t get anywhere when people carry this kind of hate.

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

INTRODUCING @slateauto — reshaping affordable mobility in America.

In a market where the average car payment has soared past $700/month, Slate is reimagining personal transportation by making electric vehicles radically simple, fully customizable, and under $20,000.

By focusing on what matters most — affordability, reliability, and flexibility — Slate is building a platform for economic mobility that meets people where they are, and grows with them as their lives and finances evolve. From first-time drivers to small business owners, this is transportation designed for real life — not just for the luxury market.

Led by 20-year auto industry veteran Chris Barman, whose lived experience uniquely positions her to lead this shift, Slate is tackling one of the biggest overlooked challenges in the EV space and unlocking access for millions of everyday Americans.

With EV adoption accelerating and affordability more urgent than ever, Slate is right on time. We’re excited to back them as they build the future of electric mobility.

🎬 Check out our Slauson Snapshot below, and reserve your Slate at https://t.co/xyZnCrZOC5.

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

We’re officially halfway through our Friends & Family Accelerator, and these are the founders changing the game.

From AI to Fintech, Health & Wellness to Consumer Tech, the 2025 cohort is building the future, while supporting each other every step of the way.

Get to know the companies we’re betting on. Follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn, or read our cohort announcement post on Medium to learn more: https://t.co/lemogGrKXY ♻️

👀 Interested in joining the next F&F cohort? Head to https://t.co/mBq2OajVNr to stay in the loop.

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

Back in March, we kicked off our 2025 Friends & Family Accelerator, bringing this year’s cohort together in LA at Slauson HQ for 3 days to set the tone for the program.

Founders met their dedicated F&F coaches and got to spend time with the Slauson team before diving headfirst into building alongside each other as they work toward building a venture scalable company.

From understanding the fundamentals of fundraising to diving deep into each other’s companies to give honest, founder-to-founder feedback, this group showed up ready to build. They also got to hear from our friends Wemimo Abbey (co-founder & CEO of Esusu) on how he built his company from scratch and raised a $130M Series B in just 4 years, as well as Slauson Day 1 Ron Conway (co-founder of SV Angel) who’s backed companies like Google, Meta, PayPal, Pinterest, Airbnb, and more.

We wrapped it all with Night on Slauson, where founders connected with our broader LA tech ecosystem, investors, founders, and operators alike, immediately following our AGM.

We can’t wait to see what this group will create.

👀 Thinking about joining our next Friends & Family cohort? Keep an eye on https://t.co/mBq2OajVNr to stay updated.

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

Join us on July 15th in LA for Slauson Summer School ♻️

​A one-day event for early-stage founders and operators who are exploring or actively building a startup.

​You’ll get practical guidance on customer discovery, fundraising, team-building, and product strategy — all from people who’ve built and backed early-stage companies. Leave with actionable tools, sharper strategy, and connections to help you move forward.

Apply by Friday, May 30 at 11:59 PM PT: https://t.co/SeXdUt5vyw

[Slauson & Co. @SlausonAndCo]

INTRODUCING NEARSHORE, reshaping manufacturing across the Americas.

In a $5.4T industry still relying on trade shows and middlemen, Nearshore is reshaping manufacturing across the Americas by bringing sourcing into the 21st century. Through its AI-powered marketplace, the platform streamlines the process for brands to connect and collaborate with the best factories across North and Latin America.

Led by 3x founder Tanya Menendez, whose lived experience in the manufacturing world uniquely positions her to lead this shift, Nearshore is solving a massive, overlooked problem for both factories and brands and unlocking economic opportunity along the way.

With global trade patterns shifting, Nearshore is right on time. We’re excited to back them as they build the future of supply chains, while bringing them closer to home.

🎬 Check out our Slauson Snapshot below, and follow their journey at https://t.co/sZbceGhjlv