VoltSafe Blog Team – November 18, 2022 –
Most of us have seen financial advisors and investment analysts on TV, social media, webinars, etc., highlighting to the investing public their top “stock picks” and advising what to invest in. However, many of these advisors and analysts have never set foot inside the companies they are recommending.
But for Scott Carlson, due diligence with boots on the ground is an obsession and a mandatory part of investment decisions. The investment opportunity that VoltSafe Inc. presented held so much potential that he actually left his job at a global investment firm to work FOR VoltSafe as CFO.
Today, Scott is celebrating three years with the company, and he has witnessed a whirlwind of excitement and progress in that time.
We sat down with our resident CFO for a Q&A to learn more about why he is so passionate about VoltSafe, what turned him from a VoltSafe investor to the company’s CFO, and the no-brainer reasons he thinks others should invest in VoltSafe, too.
Q: You left one of the largest investment banks in Canada to join VoltSafe as the Chief Financial Officer. What made you decide to leave the security of the banking industry to work with VoltSafe?
Scott: I have been actively investing since I was sixteen years old, sat in well over a thousand company pitches, and had never been as excited about an investment opportunity as I was after leaving my first meeting with VoltSafe’s CEO and CTO. That first meeting was scheduled for thirty minutes and ended up lasting three-and-a-half hours. I then trucked in as many senior engineers, IP lawyers and tech executives as possible over a four-month due diligence period. The massive market potential of VoltSafe’s novel, world-changing technology, combined with the stamp of approval from all the domain experts who participated with me in the due diligence process, made the decision to leave an almost twenty-year professional career in capital markets an easy one.
Q: How has your background in the financial sector and personal beliefs helped to shape the financial and operational efficiency of the company?
Scott: I have been on the other side, as a shareholder writing a cheque and handing over my family’s hard-earned savings, and this experience impacts financial strategy and decision making at VoltSafe. We are stewards of the ship and work tirelessly to ensure we significantly reward all VoltSafe shareholders, who supported our vision and plan to succeed. My conservative nature with regards to budgeting, forecasting and treasury optimization also plays a large role at VoltSafe. I have always been someone who holds the purse strings tight and flips over every rock before making financial decisions. I am a big fan of data and informed decision making.
Q: Government funding is crucial for many small businesses. How has VoltSafe met the stringent criteria to secure government funding to build the business? Can you share what it means to the company to qualify for funding from the Federal and Provincial government?
Scott: We have an excellent team that excels at collaboration. The vast majority of applications include at least two-to-three team members, highlighting the disruptive nature of VoltSafe technology and the resulting positive social and economic impacts that will be unlocked with each project. Additionally, VoltSafe is a cleantech company and a large portion of government and mandate driven non-dilutive funding, not just in Canada but around the world, is being allocated to exciting new technologies that will assist in the fight against climate change.
Q: Can you share with us the growth you have seen in the company since joining as CFO and take us through the milestones that the company has passed?
Scott: When I joined VoltSafe as employee number five, the company was working out of a brick loft in Vancouver’s Gastown (which is more or less a right of passage for tech startups in Vancouver) and focused on commercializing its beachhead product. Over the past two years, VoltSafe has grown its team to 22 amazing individuals, received first-of-its-kind (in the world) Safety Certification, successfully commercialized our beachhead product (in 400+ stores across North America), filed patents in over 40 countries and received granted patent status for VoltSafe’s flagship technology in multiple countries (including the US), and developed relationships with multiple global corporations.
Q: You have not only invested your finances but also invested your life into VoltSafe – can you share the excitement that current investors have in VoltSafe and what they are saying?
Scott: When joining a startup in its early stages all team members must wear multiple hats and have very supportive families. The hours are long and days unpredictable. You can only succeed if you are passionate about the company, its vision, and truly believe the collective efforts of the team will lead to immense success. When those boxes are checked and you are working side by side in the trenches with like-minded and amazing team members, the hours become enjoyable and the sacrifices more than worth it. This is why extremely talented individuals choose to join VoltSafe, and why investors enthusiastically invest their family’s hard-earned savings.
Q: What is the key takeaway you would want people to know as to why they should invest in VoltSafe?
Scott: VoltSafe’s technology is truly unique and transformative. It is the only technology of its kind in the world to ever be safety certified. The potential market size is mind-boggling. For investors looking to get in now, VoltSafe is currently at an exciting inflection point, as the company initiates significant commercialization efforts of our flagship technology on multiple fronts. VoltSafe is changing how the world connects to electricity for the better (safer, smarter, more accessible), and playing a key role in the push for global electrification and the smart tech revolution.
VoltSafe CFO, Scott Carlson, possesses over twenty years of experience in the financial sector. His knowledge and passion for the industry clearly comes through whenever he talks about VoltSafe.
In closing, he wanted to leave potential investors with the following snapshot:
140 years of prongs is enough – it’s time for real change.
The following inventive companies are all bringing archaic 100+ yr old designs into the 4th Industrial (Smart) Revolution:
- Thermostat – Google’s Nest (~$3.2B)
- Doorbell – Amazon’s Ring (~$1.2B)
- Electrical Panel – SPAN (~$300-400M)
- Electrical Plugs – VoltSafe (<$25M)
And, as an anniversary gift for our beloved 6’7″ CFO, we will leave his daily call to action as big bold statement for anyone who is as passionate about this company as he is, and would like to learn more about joining our team or becoming a licensing partner. Happy 3rd Anniversary, Scott!