DeepTech Unleashed

In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske sits down with Adrien Briod, co-founder and CTO of Flyability. Founded in 2014 as a spin-off from EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, Flyability is a global pioneer in indoor inspection robotics. Their collision-tolerant drones allow heavy industries—ranging from power generation and mining to chemical refining—to inspect hazardous, confined spaces without putting human lives at risk.

Adrien reflects on Flyability’s 12-year journey from an initial research breakthrough inspired by insects to a thriving company of 140 people servicing 1,500 clients worldwide. The conversation explores the technical choices behind building hardware that can withstand extreme environments, the integration of 3D mapping and LiDAR to create digital twins, and how emerging Physical AI will shift drones from manual teleoperation to prompt-driven assistants. Adrien also shares his perspectives on leadership, explaining how cultivating a culture of purpose, ownership, and constructive feedback enables deep tech teams to compete at the highest level.

What you will learn in this episode:

Mechanical Intelligence vs. Software: How drawing inspiration from nature led to collision-tolerant hardware, proving intelligence begins with physical design.

The Evolution of Indoor Inspection: Combining LiDAR measurements with computer vision to create 3D mapping and digital twins for risk-based maintenance.

The Impact of Physical AI: Moving beyond joystick control to prompt-driven assistants capable of understanding complex environments.

Building a High-Performance Culture: Shifting from top-down management to a culture grounded in purpose, transparent micro-decisions, and team alignment.

Leadership and Constructive Feedback: Practical strategies for preserving team cohesion and encouraging fast learning from mistakes.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to DeepTech Unleashed and Adrien Briod

01:50 The Flyability Mission: Safeguarding Infrastructure and Human Lives

03:40 Teleoperation, Mazes, and Superpowers for Inspectors

05:34 The Founding Story: From EPFL Research and Fukushima to Insect-Inspired Drones

08:55 Technology Choices: Competing in the Global Hardware Stack

12:01 Software Architecture: LiDAR, Digital Twins, and Autonomous Flight

15:39 Hardware Limitations and the Physical AI Turning Point

19:07 How Physical AI Delivers Frictionless Value to Enterprise Customers

23:16 Rethinking CTO Leadership: Moving Beyond OKRs to Culture

26:30 Cultivating Purpose, Ownership, and Constructive Feedback

31:00 Operationalising Culture and Assessing Fit During Hiring

33:41 Moments of Magic: High-Stakes Field Demos and Saving Human Lives

38:48 Personal Insights: Woodworking and Simple Counterparts to Complex Tech

About the Guest: Adrien Briod

Adrien Briod is the co-founder and CTO of Flyability. His PhD research at EPFL on bio-inspired mechanisms formed the core technology behind the company, which he has scaled to 140 people developing industry-standard inspection drones.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abriod/

Website: https://www.flyability.com/

About the Host: Christian Noske

Christian Noske focuses on industrial tech, enterprise software, and deep tech investments, supporting founders who are solving complex technical challenges.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-noske

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske sits down with Sai Shivareddy, the CEO and co-founder of Nyobolt. Born out of a decade of cutting-edge research at the University of Cambridge, Nyobolt is a battery scale-up tackling the all-important last metre of energy storage. Their revolutionary technology enables ultrafast charging, reaching an 80% charge in under five minutes, without the typical degradation associated with conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Sai shares his 15-year journey across the battery value chain, reflecting on how early research funded by Dyson sparked his entrepreneurial drive. The conversation dives deep into the strategic choices that have driven Nyobolt's success, including a deliberate choice to focus on application-layer solutions and power density to uniquely solve industrial pain points. Sai also details the reality of navigating multiple hype cycles, building commercial credibility, and the milestone achievements that have validated their hardware stack—from a groundbreaking sports car demonstration to capturing massive automation contracts with reference customers like Symbotic.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to DeepTech Unleashed and Sai Shivareddy

01:17 Sai's Background: From Cambridge Research to Dyson

06:03 The Trade-Offs of Physics: Energy Density vs. Power Density

09:03 Owning the Supply Chain and Navigating the Application Layer

12:51 Fast Charging vs. Battery Swapping in Robotics

16:04 Empowering the Physical AI Cake and Data Centre Architecture

23:42 Juggling Hype Cycles and Managing an Experienced Team

28:13 Advice for the Next Generation: Capital Efficiency and Niche Markets

37:51 Moments of Magic: The 4-Minute EV Charge and the Symbotic Deal

42:54 Personal Insights: Technology's Impact on Society and Farming Hobbies

About the Guest: Sai Shivareddy

Sai has dedicated his career to the mission of finding seamless solutions for energy storage and retrieval. His passion lies in clean energy and materials innovation, which drive Nyobolt’s unique high-power batteries with ultrafast charging times. Since founding Nyobolt in 2019, Sai has applied a whole systems approach to address the need for accessible power. His experience in inventing and developing various energy storage technologies across different industries for over a decade informs his vision. Sai collaborates with a world-class team—scientists, engineers, and industry experts—united by a shared purpose: unlocking the potential of battery technology. Together, they challenge conventions and inspire a paradigm shift in energy storage systems. Sai holds a PhD in Engineering from St John’s College, Cambridge, where he collaborated with Dyson on groundbreaking concepts for high-power energy storage technologies.

Follow Sai Shivareddy on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saishivareddy/ 

Find out more about Nyobolt here: https://nyobolt.com/ 

About the Host: Christian Noske

Host Christian Noske focuses on industrial tech, enterprise software, and deep tech investments. With a wealth of experience in the venture capital landscape, Christian is dedicated to supporting founders who are solving complex technical challenges. Through DeepTech Unleashed, he brings listeners behind the scenes of the world’s most ambitious startups to uncover the human stories behind the hardware and code.

Follow Christian Noske on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-noske/ 

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In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host and partner at NGP Capital, Upal Basu, sits down with Brian Manning, Co-Founder and CEO of Xona, to explore the future of satellite navigation. Xona is pioneering a secure, high-performance navigation system from low Earth orbit (LEO) designed to meet the demands of modern automation, providing accuracy down to the centimetre level.

The Entrepreneurial Spark: From tinkering in a family plumbing business to working at SpaceX on the Falcon rocket thrust structure, and how those formative experiences shaped Brian’s journey.

The Limitations of GPS: Why traditional GPS is no longer sufficient for the era of 'hands-off' machine control, autonomous vehicles, and automated infrastructure.

Validating Deep Tech: The parallel approach required to prove complex satellite technology and market demand simultaneously, avoiding the pitfalls of building in a vacuum.

Overcoming the Doubters: Navigating early fundraising hurdles, managing runway through volatile periods like COVID-19, and the ultimate validation of launching Xona’s first satellite.

The Launch Bottleneck: The current state of the space industry where satellite manufacturing capacity heavily outstrips available commercial launch supply.

A Vision of Ubiquitous Precision: Looking ahead to a future where high-precision positioning transforms precision agriculture, critical infrastructure, and consumer applications.

00:00 Introduction to Pulsar-0 and Market Opportunity

02:57 Brian Manning's Journey to Entrepreneurship

05:57 Inspiration from SpaceX and the Apollo Era

09:04 The Transition from Automotive to Space Tech

11:52 Identifying the Gaps in GPS Technology

14:47 Commercial vs. Defense Applications of Navigation Systems

17:47 Overcoming Investor Skepticism

21:12 Parallel Validation of Technology and Market Needs

24:06 Building a Strong Founding Team

27:24 The Early Struggles of Fundraising

34:05 The Launch of Pulsar-0 and Its Impact

37:02 Transitioning from Technology Developer to Service Provider

39:50 Future Use Cases and Consumer Impact

46:05 Reflections and Advice for Entrepreneurs

Upal has worked in the mobile and software technology industry for over 20 years. At NGP Capital, Upal leads the US investment team. Prior to NGP Capital, he was Founder and CEO of Mformation Technologies, the world’s largest mobile device management company, which was acquired by Alcatel-Lucent. 

Previously he was a management consultant for McKinsey & Company in New York and London. Prior to joining McKinsey, Upal led Product Management activities for Risk Management Solutions (RMS), a leading provider of software technologies for the management of insurance risks. 

Upal has an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MS in Engineering from Stanford University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Imperial College, London.

Follow Upal Basu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/upalbasu 

Find out more about NGP Capital here: https://www.ngpcap.com 

Brian Manning is the Co-Founder and CEO of Xona. An engineer and mechanic at heart, he holds an aerospace engineering degree and an MBA from London Business School. He is dedicated to building the foundation layer for the next generation of autonomous and connected devices by providing modern, secure, and ultra-precise satellite navigation.

Follow Brian Manning on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-manning-x/ 

Find out more about Xona here: https://www.xonaspace.com/ 

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In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske sits down with Rhona Togher, the CEO and co-founder of Lios. Based in Dublin, Lios is on a mission to reduce noise pollution and prevent hearing damage through advanced material science. Rhona and her co-founder, Eimear O'Carroll, have developed SoundBounce, an award-winning acoustic material that is thinner, lighter, and significantly more effective at dampening low-frequency noise than traditional solutions. From its origins as a school science project to winning the European Patent Office’s Invention of the Year 2023, Rhona shares the remarkable story of Lios’s growth. The conversation explores the challenges of building a hardware powerhouse in a risk-averse industry, the importance of long-term customer relationships, and the unique dynamics of a co-founder partnership that began in high school.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

The Founder’s Journey: How Lios evolved from a high school science project in Sligo into an advanced materials company operating across the automotive, aviation, and construction sectors, and even in space.

A Unique Co-Founder Partnership: Insights into building a long-term, successful co-founder relationship, and how constant, transparent communication serves as the foundation for overcoming the challenges of a deep tech startup.

Overcoming Industry Resistance: Strategies for convincing veteran, risk-averse industries to adopt new, breakthrough materials through multi-phase processes and long-term engagement.

Supporting Women in Tech: Why visibility and community are vital for encouraging more women to pursue careers and leadership roles in deep tech.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Deep Tech Unleashed and Rhona Togher

01:22 Lios’s Mission and SoundBounce Technology

05:04 Origin Story: From High School Project to Business

11:50 Building the Team and Scaling

14:23 Managing Funding and Capital Efficiency

18:56 Navigating Early Investor and Supplier Challenges

23:04 The Power of the Co-Founder Relationship

26:11 Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Deep Tech

31:13 Best Practices for Entering Risk-Averse Industries

34:35 Moments of Magic and Recognition

39:24 Personal Insights and Life Outside of Work

About the Guest: Rhona Togher

Rhona Togher is the co-founder and CEO of Lios, an advanced materials company based in Dublin. Along with her co-founder Eimear O'Carroll, she has spent over ten years developing breakthrough acoustic materials to combat noise pollution. Rhona’s work with Lios has earned significant recognition, including being named the European Patent Office’s Invention of the Year 2023. She is a passionate advocate for women in deep tech and focuses on building sustainable, customer-driven technology that has applications across global industries and in space.

Follow Rhona on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonatogher/ 

Find out more about Lios here: https://lios-group.com 

About the Host: Christian Noske

Christian Noske is a Partner at NGP Capital, where he focuses on industrial tech, enterprise software, and deep tech investments. With a wealth of experience in the venture capital landscape, Christian is dedicated to supporting founders who are solving complex technical challenges. Through DeepTech Unleashed, he brings listeners behind the scenes of the world’s most ambitious startups to uncover the human stories behind the hardware and code.

Follow Christian Noske here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-noske/

Find out more about NGP Capital here: https://www.ngpcap.com/

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In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Debjit Mukerji sits down with Parth Trivedi, CEO and Co-Founder of Skylo Technologies, to explore the future of satellite-based communication. Based in Mountain View, Skylo is pioneering the world’s largest standards-based non-terrestrial network (NTN), enabling everyday mobile and enterprise devices to connect seamlessly via satellite without the need for proprietary hardware.

Key topics discussed:

The Founding Journey: How a background in aerospace engineering and a frustration with cumbersome satellite protocols at Stanford led to a mission to solve global connectivity.

The Market Opportunity: Leveraging cellular standards and existing orbital infrastructure to create a network that already supports over 16 million devices across five continents.

The Human Element: Real-world stories of how direct-to-device connectivity is saving lives, including a recent pilot rescue made possible by satellite-enabled mobile messaging.

Technical Innovation: The development of a multi-orbit, orbit-agnostic technology stack that integrates with standard consumer devices like smartphones and smartwatches.

Building Deep Tech Teams: The importance of "T-shaped" individuals who possess both broad cross-functional malleability and deep technical expertise.

A "Standardised Sky": Moving towards a future where continuous global coverage is a utility that users can simply take for granted.

Chapters:

00:00 Revolutionizing Connectivity: The Skylo Approach

03:02 The Journey of a Deep Tech Founder

05:47 The Genesis of Skylo Technologies

09:10 Impactful Use Cases and Real-World Applications

11:52 User Experience as a Differentiator

14:47 The Future of Satellite and Cellular Convergence

26:46 Technical Challenges in Satellite Communication

29:10 Skylo's Unique Positioning and Ecosystem

32:06 The Future of Connectivity in the AI Era

36:29 Investment Insights and Market Opportunities

37:36 Navigating Competition in Space Tech

42:45 Building a Resilient Team and Company Culture

52:21 Future Roadmap for Skylo

About the Host: Debjit Mukerji

Debjit Mukerji is a Partner at NGP Capital, based in Palo Alto, California. A technologist at heart and engineer by training, Debjit partners with founders creating new categories or redefining existing ones with cutting-edge technology to help them navigate the complexities of global scaling. 

Follow Debjit Mukerji on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debjit-mukerji-8728a3/

Follow Debjit Mukerji on X: https://x.com/debjitmukerji 

Find out more about NGP Capital here: https://www.ngpcap.com/

About the Guest: Parth Trivedi

Parth Trivedi is the CEO and Co-Founder of Skylo, a company dedicated to providing ubiquitous, affordable, and seamless satellite connectivity for all. An aerospace engineer by training, he holds an undergraduate degree from Purdue University, conducted research at MIT, and earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is passionate about multidisciplinary engineering and leveraging space technology to solve fundamental human challenges.

Follow Parth Trivedi on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parthtrivedi/ 

Find out more about Skylo Technologies here: https://www.skylo.tech/

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In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Debjit Mukerji sits down with Ariyan Kabir, Co-Founder and CEO of GrayMatter Robotics, to explore the future of autonomous manufacturing and how to build manufacturing resilience. Based in Los Angeles, GrayMatter Robotics is pioneering generalised robotic intelligence designed to handle the 90% of manufacturing tasks that are still performed manually today.

Key topics discussed:

• The Founding Journey: How a natural disaster in Bangladesh and a PhD at the University of Southern California (USC) led to Ariyan’s interest in bridging the gap between AI and the physical world. 

• The Market Opportunity: Why robotics is a “medicine, not a vitamin” for global production and how solving the challenges presented by the projected 3.8 million unfilled manufacturing vacancies by 2033 is a multi-trillion global market opportunity. 

• The Technical Challenge: Delivering "true AI-powered robotics" and overcoming challenges like real-time adaptation to complex materials and the intricate physics of sanding, painting, and finishing.

• The Human Element: Improving the quality of life for workers by removing them from tedious and hazardous work. 

• Use case versatility: Addressing the rigorous demands of both commercial manufacturing and national security, including applications for fighter jets and submarines.

• Research to Reality: Insights into the transition from academic research to scaling a market leading startup including fundraising, teambuilding and product development. 

Chapters:

00:00 Building the Foundation of Robotics

02:48 The Journey from Research to Entrepreneurship

06:01 Market Opportunities and Labor Shortages

09:13 The Human Element in Manufacturing

11:46 Technological Challenges in Robotics

15:06 Data-Driven Robotics and AI

18:11 The Future of Humanoids in Robotics

31:33 Shifting Inefficiencies in Manufacturing

32:31 The Evolution of Grammeter Robotics

37:31 Navigating National Security and Defense

41:40 The Power of Experience Centers

52:47 Insights from the Founder Journey

Join us for a deep dive into how GrayMatter Robotics is building manufacturing resilience and shaping the next generation of industrial automation.

About the Host: Debjit Mukerji 

Debjit Mukerji is a Partner at NGP Capital, based in Palo Alto, California. A technologist at heart and engineer by training, Debjit partners with founders creating new categories or redefining existing ones with cutting-edge technology to help them navigate the complexities of global scaling. 

Follow Debjit Mukerji on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debjit-mukerji-8728a3/

Follow Debjit Mukerji on X: https://x.com/debjitmukerji 

Find out more about NGP Capital here: https://www.ngpcap.com/

About the Guest: Ariyan Kabir 

Ariyan Kabir is a Co-Founder & CEO at GrayMatter Robotics, a company focused on enhancing human productivity and improving the quality of life through AI-powered robotics solutions. He is a seasoned robotics and AI researcher with a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and prior experience as a Postdoctoral Scholar and Research Associate. His expertise spans robotics, algorithms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and control systems. He is passionate about making robots smart, easy to use, and rapidly deployable for complex operations.

Follow Ariyan Kabir on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariyankabir 

Follow Ariyan Kabir on X: https://x.com/ariyankabir 

Find out more about GrayMatter Robotics here: https://graymatter-robotics.com/ 

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In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske sits down with Hélène Huby, the co-founder and CEO of The Exploration Company. Founded in 2021, the company is on a mission to democratise access to space by developing Nyx, a reusable and in-orbit refillable cargo spacecraft designed to fly to any space station.

Hélène shares her remarkable journey from serving as a top executive at Airbus and ArianeGroup—where she led the Orion European Service Module programme—to declining a promotion to start her own venture from scratch with just four people and €50,000. Now, with over €300 million raised and a team of 450, the company is positioned as the European answer to SpaceX and is the first European firm to sign a Space Act agreement with NASA. The conversation explores the strategic development of a global company with European roots, the vital importance of international collaboration, and the unique challenges of scaling a hardware powerhouse in the space industry.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The Alternative to SpaceX: Why the global space industry requires competition and diversity beyond a single dominant player to ensure sovereignty and choice.
• Strategic Regional Excellence: How Hélène’s team leverages specific engineering strengths across Germany (avionics/software), France (re-entry/engines), and Italy (life support/mechanisms).
• From Corporate to Startup: The risks and mental shift involved in leaving an executive role at a global giant to "write space history" independently.
• The Power of Collaboration: Insights into the landmark NASA Space Act agreement and the vision for a universal vehicle that serves humanity globally.
• Hiring for Innovation: How to integrate the expertise of veterans from SpaceX and Airbus with the agile mindset of new talent to avoid recreating old corporate structures.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to DeepTech Unleashed and The Exploration Company

01:13 The Vision Behind The Exploration Company

04:28 Building a Global Company with European Roots

10:28 Competing with SpaceX and the Need for Alternatives

17:25 Cultivating a Unique Company Culture

20:49 Navigating Regulation and Funding Challenges

27:06 Best Practices for Space Startups

30:20 The Role of ESA in Supporting Startups

34:44 Leadership Style and Personal Insights

40:02 Moments of Magic in the Journey

42:47 Personal Life and Balancing Work

About the Guest: Hélène Huby

Hélène Huby is the co-founder and CEO of The Exploration Company. A former executive at Airbus and ArianeGroup, she led the Orion European Service Module programme and has been involved in some of the most complex European space programmes, including Ariane and ATV. Under her leadership, The Exploration Company has become one of the fastest-growing space firms in Europe, focused on developing reusable spacecraft that provide universal access to space.

Follow Hélène on LinkedIn HERE

Find out more about The Exploration Company at: exploration.space

About the Host: Christian Noske

Christian Noske is a Partner at NGP Capital, where he focuses on industrial tech, enterprise software, and deep tech investments. With a wealth of experience in the venture capital landscape, Christian is dedicated to supporting founders who are solving complex technical challenges. Through DeepTech Unleashed, he brings listeners behind the scenes of the world’s most ambitious startups to uncover the human stories behind the hardware and code.

Follow Christian Noske on LinkedIn HERE

Find out more about NGP Capital at: ngpcap.com

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In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Debjit Mukerji sits down with Igor Marinelli, founder and CEO of Tractian. Tractian is a category leader in Physical AI, providing an end-to-end industrial monitoring platform that helps maintenance teams avoid unplanned downtime and operate with greater precision.

Igor shares his vision for the future of physical AI and the playbook that has fueled Tractian’s rapid growth and its ability to solve critical “pain” for some of the world’s largest manufacturers.

Episode Chapters:

02:15 Introduction to DeepTech Unleashed

04:33 Origin Story of Tractian

08:05 Ignorance as an Innovation Advantage

08:43 Decoding the Customer’s Pain—and not Product—Drives Sales

12:46 Iterate and Focus for Killer Product Development

16:52 Physical AI: Data and the Human Dimension

22:24 Managing Data at Scale and the Physical Testing Edge

33:04 A Zero-Complacency Culture and Setting Your Own Benchmarks

37:55 The Ultrasound Revolution: SmartTrac UG2

41:59 Empower Great Product Ideas Decisively and Directly (No Layers)

46:21 Sales Execution Is About Knowing How to Hire

55:18 When Fundraising, Focus on People—not Terms

1:01:28 With Great Capital Comes Great Responsibility

About the Host: Debjit Mukerji:

Debjit Mukerji is a Partner at NGP Capital, based in Palo Alto, California. A technologist at heart and engineer by training, Debjit partners with founders creating new categories or redefining existing ones with cutting-edge technology to help them navigate the complexities of global scaling. He has been a partner to Tractian since its seed round, supporting the company’s expansion across the US and international markets.

Follow Debjit Mukerji https://www.linkedin.com/in/debjit-mukerji-9884502

Find out more about NGP Capital at ngpcap.com

About the Guest: Igor Marinelli:

Igor Marinelli is founder and CEO of Tractian. A mechanical engineer by training, Igor has a deep-rooted passion for the industrial sector, having witnessed the impact of machine failures firsthand through his father’s 35-year career in manufacturing. Under his leadership, Tractian has grown into a leading Physical AI company and one of North America’s fastest-growing tech companies, securing significant investment to help industrial enterprises digitalize their maintenance operations and eliminate unplanned downtime.

Follow Igor Marinelli here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igmarinelli

Find out more about Tractian here: tractian.com

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In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske sits down with Peter Leek, founder and chief scientific officer of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC). OQC is a pioneer in the quantum space, having developed three generations of quantum computers that are currently deployed in data centres across the UK, Japan, Spain, and New York City.

Peter shares his 20-year journey as a scientist and “dreamer” who turned complex physics research into a commercial reality. The conversation explores the technical breakthroughs that make OQC’s hardware unique, the challenges of navigating the intense “hype cycle” of quantum technology, and the company’s ambitious goal to enable the first useful quantum applications by the end of the decade through its new OQC TITAN system.

The discussion dives deep into the philosophy of “bold innovation,” the engineering hurdles of 3D circuit integration, and the evolving leadership dynamics within a high-growth deep tech startup.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

The Scalability Breakthrough: How OQC uses a simple, innovative approach to 3D circuit integration to overcome the “wiring bottleneck” that limits traditional 2D quantum processors.

Hype vs. Reality: Why quantum computing is both the most consequential and over-hyped technology of our time, and how to balance scientific excitement with pragmatic expectations.

Bold Innovation: The importance of taking “calculated risks” on technical ideas that experts in the field might initially question.

The Logical Era: What it means to move beyond experimental quantum systems into hardware purpose-built for real-world commercial impact.

From Founder to CSO: Peter’s personal evolution from a career scientist to a founder, and the importance of building a leadership team with complementary skills.

About the Guest: Peter Leek

Peter Leek is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC). A career scientist with over 20 years of experience in quantum computing research, Peter holds a PhD in physics and founded OQC to translate his unique intellectual property into world-changing technology. Under his scientific leadership, OQC has become a global leader in superconducting circuits, deploying scalable quantum systems to data centres and supercomputing centres worldwide.

Follow Peter Leek HERE

Find out more about Oxford Quantum Circuits at oxfordquantumcircuits.com

About the Host: Christian Noske

Christian Noske is a Partner at NGP Capital, where he focuses on industrial tech, enterprise software, and deep tech investments. With a wealth of experience in the venture capital landscape, Christian is dedicated to supporting founders who are solving complex technical challenges. Through DeepTech Unleashed, he brings listeners behind the scenes of the world’s most ambitious startups to uncover the human stories behind the hardware and code.

Follow Christian Noske HERE

Find out more about NGP Capital here: ngpcap.com

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Episode Title: Revolutionising Semiconductor Metrology with Hamed Sadeghian  

In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske sits down with Hamed Sadeghian, the co-founder and CEO of Nearfield Instruments. Based in the Netherlands, Nearfield is a semiconductor metrology powerhouse that is solving one of the industry’s most critical bottlenecks: the ability to inspect microchips at the atomic scale without destroying them.

Hamed shares his unique journey, from founding his first company at age 19 in Iran to leading Nearfield through a massive €135 million Series C round in 2024 to meet the global demand for AI-ready chips. The conversation dives deep into the “reverse origin story” of a technical founder, the philosophy of “customer obsession”, and the reality of scaling a complex hardware startup in a conservative, consolidated industry.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The Metrology Gap: How Nearfield identified a critical need in the industry as Moore’s Law pushed chips to the atomic scale.

• Customer Obsession: Why deep tech success depends on solving a customer’s specific “pain” rather than just promoting great technology.

• Building an Ecosystem: How a small startup can play with industry “gorillas” by leveraging a high-tech supply chain and strategic partnerships.

• Scaling Challenges: Navigating the transition from CTO to CEO and building a global team that takes end-to-end ownership.

• Future Trends: Hamed’s excitement for the transition towards quantum innovations and hybrid silicon-photonics solutions.

Memorable Moments:

• The First “Aha!” Moment: A chief engineer seeing data from a proof-of-concept that no other tool could provide.

• The COVID Sacrifice: Shipping the first systems in the middle of a global pandemic, with engineers spending weeks in quarantine to ensure customer delivery.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to Nearfield Instruments and Hamed’s Journey

02:49 – The Evolution of Semiconductor Metrology

05:43 – Challenges in the Semiconductor Industry

08:46 – Building a Startup in a Consolidated Market

11:56 – Leveraging Ecosystems for Growth

14:29 – Customer Obsession and Team Dynamics

17:36 – Navigating the Transition from CTO to CEO

19:59 – Moments of Magic in the Journey

22:55 – Future Trends in Technology: Quantum and Beyond

About the Guest: Hamed Sadeghian

Hamed Sadeghian is the co-founder and CEO of Nearfield Instruments. A prolific innovator with over 60 patents, Hamed has built a career at the intersection of precision engineering, optics, and advanced semiconductor equipment. Before founding Nearfield in 2016 as a spin-off from TNO, he led the nano-optomechatronics group at TNO and held a professorship at Eindhoven University of Technology. His entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 19 in Iran, and today he is recognised as a leader in developing atomic-scale process control solutions for the worldwide semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Follow Hamed Sadeghian HERE

Find out more about Nearfield Instruments at nearfieldinstruments.com

About the Host: Christian Noske

Christian Noske is a Partner at NGP Capital, where he focuses on industrial tech, enterprise software, and deep tech investments. With a wealth of experience in the venture capital landscape, Christian is dedicated to supporting founders who are solving complex technical challenges. Through DeepTech Unleashed, he brings listeners behind the scenes of the world’s most ambitious startups to uncover the human stories behind the hardware and code.

Follow Christian Noske HERE

Find out more about NGP Capital at ngpcap.com

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