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Jessy Rivest

Investment Partner at Khosla Ventures

Palo Alto, California

Overview 

Jessy Rivest is a climate technologist and investor based in Palo Alto, California, currently serving as an Investment Partner at Khosla Ventures and previously as VP and Head of Cleantech Practice at PARC, a Xerox Company. With a background in materials science and renewable energy, Jessy has made significant contributions to the development of clean technologies and has a strong track record of investing in Series A and Seed stage companies in the Material Science and ClimateTech sectors in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Work Experience 

  • Investment Partner

    2022 - Current

Khosla Ventures provides venture assistance to entrepreneurs in AI, sustainability, enterprise, consumer, health and frontier technologies.

Raised $1,500,000.00 from Raj Sareen.

  • VP, Head of Cleantech Practice

    2019 - 2022

  • Area Manager, Energy Systems Group

    2014 - 2019

    Managed the Energy Materials & Systems group in the Hardware Systems Laboratory, which seeks to impact the way energy is produced, managed, and utilized through a diverse set of projects leveraging interfacial materials and systems engineering. This includes chemical and electrical energy conversion technologies; materials for lightweight vehicles; and electrochemical carbon capture.

  • Member of the Research Staff

    2014 - 2014

    Energy Systems Group

PARC provides custom R&D services, technologies, expertise, and intellectual property to startups, government agencies, and partners.

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

    2011 - 2014

    Investigating influence of surface chemistry on performance of battery electrodes

Berkeley Lab is a national laboratory that creates advanced new tools for scientific discovery.

  • PhD Student

    2007 - 2011

    Researching nanotechnology and photovoltaics in the Alivisatos lab at UC Berkeley / LBNL.

  • Instructor, Photovoltaic Technologies MSE C226

    2011 - 2011

    Co-developed and co-taught technical graduate-level photovoltaics curriculum.

  • Chair

    2007 - 2011

    Cross-campus photovoltaics research discussion group, designed to increase collaboration and multidisciplinary research for more rapid progress in photovoltaics development.

  • R&D Engineer

    2005 - 2007

    Developed crystal growth furnaces for silicon wafering. Invented in-line optical thickness measurement module, studied influence of thickness variation on factory performance. Designed, commissioned, and managed components of manufacturing line. Preliminary investigation of wafer texturing by laser.

To provide products for reliable and environmentally clean electric power for residential and commercial applications globally.

Raised $29,571,033.00 from SAM Private Equity, SAM Smart Energy, Zero Stage Capital, Arete Corporation, Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, Rockefeller Capital Management, Beacon Power, Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust and RockPort Capital.

  • Product Design Team Leader

    2003 - 2003

    Led team of 16 MIT senior mechanical engineers in design of portable vaccine cooler, to enable transport of critical vaccines and organs to previously unreachable villages in developing countries.

  • R&D Engineer - Summer Intern

    2002 - 2002

    Characterized growth of cathode in lithium-ion battery using empirical & analytical methods, which successfully enabled shrinkage of pacemaker & implantable defibrillator. Researched & designed battery case insulation methods to ensure compliance with patent laws.

  • Summer Intern

    2001 - 2001

    Modeled ignition mechanisms in high-velocity impacts, conducted research, developed and reviewed models, which contributed to completion of confidential government assignment.

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