David Forsberg runs Ascent Energy Ventures, an en
ergy-focused tech fund in Denver. He will be discussing the ener
gy business, the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, and technolo
gy. His basic view is that many sectors in the energy industry (espec
ially the oil and gas industry) are “digital laggards”, thus cr
eating a huge opportunity to implement technology to improve output, effici
ency, etc. And further, that the scale of the energy transition from fossil
to clean energy is so significant that it is inevitable that fossil fuels
will be around for a very long time.
The following is a link to Ascent Energy Ventures, and Dave Fors
berg’s bio:
David Forsberg
founded Ascent Energy Ventures to execute upon the generational opportunit
y in energy technology and to support innovative founders solving today&rsq
uo;s energy problems. He brings over 15 years of experience deploying inves
tment capital for institutions, private investors, and a single-family offi
ce.
He began his investment career in quantitative finance managing algori
thmic execution and systematic investment models for Joe Ritchie at Fox Riv
er Financial Resources where he gained firsthand experience with industry-w
ide automation. After eight years managing as much as $100mm in public mark
et portfolios, David joined an energy focused single-family office where he
sourced and conducted due diligence on private investments.
Throughout hi
s life, David has been involved in numerous segments of the energy industry
- starting as a college intern for the Secretary of Energy; then as a portf
olio manager of long/short E&P equities and commodity futures; then man
aging oil & gas investments in working interests and minerals; and most
recently as an investor targeting energy technology opportunities.
In add
ition to his investment work, David acts as a strategic advisor to multiple
entrepreneurs, founders, and private investors as well as a litigation fin
ancial expert, where he prepares expert reports including complex calculati
ons of damages and financial malfeasance.
David has spoken at the Universi
ty of Colorado on the subject of investments, public market structure, and
financial sector automation. He spent seven years as the vice chairman of t
he advisory board for a $3b financial firm. David holds a BS in Finance fro
m the University of Colorado at Boulder where he delivered the student comm
encement address and received a leadership award.
David is a CFA Charterho
lder, member of the Colorado CFA Society. He is a long-term resident of Den
ver, Colorado where he lives with his wife Shannon and their young children
. Over the years, he has enjoyed global travel and is passionate about skii
ng and spending time in the mountains.