February 20, 2025

Why Fortune 500 Companies Invest in This Technology

In this episode of The Gross Profit Podcast, James speaks with Frederik Hendriksen, who shares his journey from a finance and VC background, to co-founding his HVAC business, Rensair. Frederik discusses the pros and cons of bootstrapping, his early career across diverse geographies, and the initial challenges and strategic pivots in growing Rensair. He also delves into the importance of indoor air quality, the impact on health and productivity, and Rensair’s unique approach to market with energy optimization solutions. Tune in for a detailed discussion on entrepreneurship, market testing, and scaling a business with innovative technology.
The Gross Profit Podcast
The Gross Profit Podcast
Why Fortune 500 Companies Invest in This Technology
Loading
/

Show Notes

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Frederik Hendriksen, co-founder of Rensair, to discuss his journey from finance and venture capital to building a high-growth HVAC technology company.

Frederik shares the pros and cons of bootstrapping, the challenges of scaling a tech startup, and the strategic pivots that helped Rensair grow. He also dives deep into why indoor air quality (IAQ) is a game-changer for both health and productivity, and how Rensair’s energy optimization solutions are helping businesses reduce costs while improving air quality.

What You’ll Learn:

🔹 Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital – The trade-offs between self-funding and seeking investment.
🔹 Scaling a Tech Business – How Rensair overcame early market challenges and strategically pivoted.
🔹 The Future of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) – Why Fortune 500 companies are prioritizing cleaner air for healthier workplaces.
🔹 Energy Efficiency in HVAC – How Rensair’s Smart Demand Controlled Ventilation (SDCV) technology is helping businesses cut energy costs by 40%+ and reduce carbon emissions by 50%.
🔹 Market Testing and Customer Adoption – Lessons from launching an industry-first HVAC technology.

Episode Highlights:

💬 “Bootstrapping forces you to be disciplined—but it also means you have to be really smart about where you invest.” – Frederik Hendriksen

💬 “Indoor air quality isn’t just about comfort—it’s about productivity, health, and long-term cost savings.”

💬 “We’re seeing a major shift: smart ventilation technology is becoming essential for sustainability and energy optimization.”

At Rensair, Frederik and his team are revolutionizing indoor air quality with patented air purification and smart HVAC solutions. Their IoT-connected systems help businesses optimize ventilation, improve air quality, and significantly lower energy costs.

The Gross Profit Podcast

More Episodes

Merushka Chetty

Elliott Gaspar – UK’s Secret Weapon Against Silicon Valley

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Elliott Gaspar, UK-based Fractional CFO and founder of a fast-growing finance practice, to unpack how the UK’s unique tax-advantaged investment schemes (SEIS/EIS) can accelerate early-stage growth – and how easily founders can lose their eligibility without realizing it.

Drawing on a career that started in Oxford University finance, scaled through private-equity-backed energy infrastructure, and evolved into advising high-growth, asset-heavy startups, Elliott explains why CFOs must be storytellers, how to build investor-ready financial models, and why UK entrepreneurs still underestimate the power of compliance-driven incentives.

They also explore:
– Why the UK remains one of the world’s best places to raise capital
– How founders accidentally invalidate SEIS/EIS (and how to avoid it)
– When asset-heavy roll-ups can unlock better financing
– The role of the Fractional CFO community in raising standards

Listen Now »
Merushka Chetty

Chris Gwinn – CFO Adds $1M EBITDA Without Timesheets

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Chris Gwinn, CFA and founder of Midwest CFO, to unpack how a fractional CFO helped a $7.5M digital agency boost gross margins from 26% to 48% and add $1M in EBITDA – without forcing creatives into traditional timesheets. Chris shares why he exited a successful process-improvement consultancy to build a more recurring, finance-driven practice, how he uses podcasts as a growth engine, and the simple pricing and cost-allocation shifts any B2B services firm can use to increase valuation.

Listen Now »
Merushka Chetty

Carolina Aponte – Venezuelan Immigrant’s Rise to Top CFO Success

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Carolina Aponte – fractional CFO, founder, and co-host of the Breaking Even Better podcast – to trace her journey from teen tour guide in Venezuela to award-winning North Carolina business owner. Carolina shares how she arrived in the U.S. at 20 without a high school diploma, juggled three jobs to survive, and used night classes plus on-the-job learning to climb from receptionist to controller and ultimately firm owner.

They unpack what a great controller actually does, how finance leaders can influence (but not control!) CEOs, and why relationships, resilience, and “improv” are just as important as debits and credits. Carolina also talks about helping more than 10 clients break the $1M revenue barrier and how her team-based model delivers 90%+ client retention.

Listen Now »