SOSV Climate Tech Podcast

SOSV Climate Tech Podcast

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SOSV Climate Tech Podcast episodes

  • s01e02 - How to capture and use carbon dioxide emissions with Lowercarbon Capital, Noya and NovoNutrients

    In this discussion from the 2021 SOSV Climate Tech Summit (Oct. 20-21, 2021), two startup founders join a climate investor to discuss the importance of carbon capture and utilization in climate mitigation. They cover:

    • The need to remove trillions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere and the potential for large-scale carbon removal.

    • The role of different technologies and markets in carbon utilization, such as the production of alternative proteins and other valuable products.

    • The importance of partnerships with corporate players and the challenges of scaling up their technologies.

    • Their hope for a climate-positive future, citing advancements in gene sequencing, cheaper gene sequencing, and the increasing interest and involvement of people in the climate career movement.

    This conversation is moderated by Jonathan Shieber, Founder, Investor and Journalist. The video  of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.

    Speakers

    • Josh Santos, CEO, Noya

    • David Tze, CEO, NovoNutrients

    • Dr. Clea Kolster, Director of Science, Lowercarbon Capital

    Moderator

    • Jonathan Shieber, Founder, Investor and Journalist

    Credits

    • Producer: Ben Joffe 

    • Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-3.5-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

    • Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

    • Intro Music: EL Waili

    • Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech


    Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    34 min
  • s01e01 - Bill Gates: Creating the Next Tech Giants and Avoiding a Climate Disaster

    In this discussion from the 2021 SOSV Climate Tech Summit (Oct. 20-21, 2021), Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Author of the best-selling book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need”, talks about climate tech investments and the challenges they pose compared to other areas.

    • Gates mentions the need for patience and the potential for high returns in climate tech investments.

    • He also emphasizes the need for government involvement and the importance of investing in hard-to-abate sectors.

    • The conversation ends with Gates expressing excitement about the agriculture space in climate tech.

    Bill Gates is interviewed by Amy Harder, Executive Editor of Cipher, a media focused on climate tech backed by Breakthrough Energy. The video of this episode and more can be found online at sosvclimatetech.com.


    Speaker

    • Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Author, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need

    Moderator

    • Amy Harder, Executive Editor, Cipher by Breakthrough Energy

    Credits

    • Producer: Ben Joffe 

    • Podcast Summary: Written by gpt-3.5-turbo, edited by Ben Joffe

    • Intro Voice: Cloned voice of Ben Joffe by ElevenLabs 

    • Intro Music: EL Waili

    • Keywords: #deeptech #venturecapital #climatetech #vc #robotics #lifesciences #biology #hardware #startups #innovation #technology #frontiertech #hardtech


    Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    25 min
  • LtM ep16 - The State Of Mental Health Tech, With Daniel Månsson, CEO of Flow Neuroscience

    Telemedicine and Mental health are hot topics, especially in those times of economic uncertainty and forced isolation.

    In this episode, Daniel Månsson, a clinical psychologist and CEO of Flow Neuroscience (a SOSV portfolio company), explains how they are bringing the first medication-free depression treatment to the home of patients.

    This podcast is hosted by Benjamin Joffe (@benjaminjoffe), Partner at SOSV, a global early stage fund focused on deep tech. SOSV runs multiple accelerator programs including HAX (hard tech) and IndieBio (new biotech).To hear about new episodes, sign up to the newsletter or follow us on twitter at @LabToMarket or @SOSV.

    For other resources covering digital health, check out SOSV’s videos on our YouTube channel.

    OVERVIEW

    Our conversation covers:

    • The origins of Flow Neuroscience.
    • How they created the first certified at-home device to treat depression using tDCS.
    • The impact of Covid-19 on mental health.
    • The technology spectrum of mental health, from wellness apps to invasive brain stimulation.
    • The brain stimulation alphabet soup: ECS, TMS, tDCS and DBS.
    • What Apple, Google, but also Amazon and Elon Musk’s Neuralink are doing.
    • Other startups in mental health diagnostics or treatment for anxiety, stress, depression and more.
    • The current push for remote patient monitoring and treatment.
    • The role of regulators to ensure both a positive effect of treatment and the safety of patients.
    • What’s ahead for Flow and their current expansion plans.


      • Other References

      • ECT: electroconvulsive therapy ('shock therapy'). ECT was invented in Italy in the late 1930s. Psychiatrists had already discovered that inducing seizures could relieve symptoms of mental illness (Source: Psychology Today). ECT remains the single most effective therapy for treatment-resistant cases of depression and some cases of bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia. Today, it is a widely accepted treatment for serious mental disorders and is taught and practiced at hospitals throughout the world. It is estimated that one million people receive ECT annually (Leiknes, Schweder, & Høie, 2012). (Source: Psychology Today).
      • TMS: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. TMS is typically used when other depression treatments haven't been effective. Source: Mayo Clinic.
      • tDCS: transCranial Direct Current Stimulation. tDCS is currently the only brain stimulation technique that doesn’t require a physician prescription, and can be used in the privacy of one’s own home. Due to the simplicity of the technology, tDCS can be incredibly affordable. While the FDA has not yet approved tDCS for medical use, tDCS devices have been publicly available as experimental kits for nearly a decade.
      • DBS: — Deep Brain Stimulation. Deep brain stimulation involves implanting electrodes within certain areas of your brain. These electrodes produce electrical impulses that regulate abnormal impulses. Source: Mayo Clinic.
      • DSM-5: Fifth update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Describes all different diagnosis in the mental health field.
      • Updated FDA regulations regarding Remote Patient Monitoring in the wake of Covid-19
        • 26 min
      • LtM ep15 - How The Fashion and Textile Industry Is Embracing Technology, With Alex Chan, Director At The Mills Fabrica

        The fashion and textile industry is at a turning point.

        • First, it is one of the most polluting due to its use of chemicals (polyester, dyes, etc.), large amounts of water, long-distance logistics, and waste (defective products and unsold inventory that ends up burnt or in landfills.
      • The Covid-19 pandemic put pressure on both retail and supply chains.
      • In this episode, we talk with Alex Chan, Co-Director of The Mills Fabrica about the industry’s growing appetite for innovation.


        • This podcast is hosted by Benjamin Joffe (@benjaminjoffe), Partner at SOSV, a global early stage fund focused on deep tech. SOSV runs multiple accelerator programs including HAX (intelligent hardware) and IndieBio (life sciences).

        To hear about new episodes, sign up to the newsletter or follow us on twitter at @LabToMarket or @SOSV.


        OVERVIEW

        In this conversation, we talk about:

        • The growing interest of the fashion and textile industry for deep tech to improve productivity, reduce its environmental impact, and build more resilient supply chains.
      • Examples of solutions for digital fabrication, on-demand and local production (including 3D printing).
      • New and sustainable biomaterials,
      • Technologies for defect prevention or waste recycling.
      • Finally, we discuss strategies and resources for startups to successfully engage with the apparel industry.


        • REFERENCES MENTIONED

        Startups

        Disclosure: SOSV, TheMills and Nan Fung portfolio companies are marked. The Mills Fabrica is an LP in SOSV IV.

        • Algalife (The Mills): Textile pigments and fibers from algae — TheMills.
      • AlgniKnit: algae-derived, biodegradable yarns and textiles — SOSV.
      • Bolt Threads: Sustainable Fashion Biomaterials and Fabrics — Nan Fung.
      • Evrnu: Novel engineered fiber made from discarded clothing — TheMills
      • Huue (fka Tinctorium): Sustainable, petroleum-free indigo dyes — SOSV, TheMills.
      • Kniterate: digital desktop knitting machine — SOSV.
      • Mango Materials: Biopolymers from methane — TheMills
      • MycoWorks: Mushroom-based leather — SOSV.
      • Presso: Dry-cleaning and disinfection robot — SOSV.
      • Renewcell: Technology for fabric recycling — TheMills
      • SmarTex: Real-time defect detection for textile production — SOSV.
      • Unspun: On-demand, custom jeans from 3D body scans — SOSV, TheMills.


        • Other References

        • Fashion for Good (Amsterdam): Platform for sustainable fashion innovation
      • Global Change Award: Back by the non-profit H&M Foundation to make the entire fashion industry circular.
      • Shima Seiki: A global leader in knitting machines.
      • Techstyle Innovations: Report by TheMills Fabrica.
      • Covid-19: Reconstructing the Apparel Value Chain: Report by TheMills Fabrica.


        • RECENT EPISODES

        15. The State Of Robotics (Fady Saad, MassRobotics)

        14. How Khosla Ventures Invests In Deep Tech ( Kanu Gulati and Rajesh Swaminathan)

        13. Australia's Deep Tech Ambitions (Phil Morle, Main Sequence Ventures)

        12. Funding Science Fiction That Works (Habib Haddad & Calvin Chin, E14 Fund of MIT Media Lab)

        11. How to Select Industrial Partners (Robert Gallenberger, btov Partners)


        RESOURCES ON DEEP TECH

        • DeepTech Investing Report by Different
      • The Dawn of the Deep Tech Ecosystem by Hello Tomorrow and BCG
      • Deep Tech Investors Mapping by Hello Tomorrow
      • Deep Tech Trends Report, Hardware Trends Reports and Hardware Investment Outlook by SOSV
        • 29 min
      • LtM ep14 - The State and Opportunities In Robotics, with Fady Saad of MassRobotics

        MassRobotics helps startups commercialize innovations in robotics. Its ecosystem includes 350 startups, 40 corporates and over 100 VCs, PEs and LPs they advise. In this episode, Fady Saad talks about trends, acquisitions, failures and what has changed over the past decade in robotics. It is a little crash course on the robotics market.

        This podcast is hosted by Benjamin Joffe (@benjaminjoffe), Partner at SOSV, a global early stage fund focused on deep tech. SOSV runs multiple accelerator programs including HAX (intelligent hardware) and IndieBio (life sciences).

        To hear about new episodes, sign up to the newsletter or follow us on twitter at @LabToMarket or @SOSV.


        OVERVIEW

        Robotics often conjures images of giant factories or sci-fi dystopias. But what is the reality beyond the hype and fear?

        Fady Saad is a former engineer who got exposed to cutting edge technologies of DARPA, NASA, the NSF and the AirForce. He grew a passion for robotics and founded MassRobotics in Boston as a robotics ‘escalator’ to help companies commercialize their innovations.

        • It is now a cluster of 350 robotics companies, 50 resident startups and 40 strategic partners.
      • They advise 150 VC firms, as well as investment banks, PE funds and corporates like GM and Lockheed Martin.


        • In this conversation, the most important takeaway is that robotics today is vastly different from 10 years ago. We also discuss:

        • The nature of robots,
      • The power of complex systems and emerging properties,
      • The difficulty of finding viable business applications,
      • Why we have a Roomba instead of a two-armed Rosey,
      • Trends, Acquisitions (over $8 billion in 2019), Failures,
      • The legacy of Willow Garage,
      • How to apply lean startup to robotics,
      • What successful companies do beyond tech skills and raising capital.


        • For other episodes covering robotics, listen to our podcasts with Robert Gallenberger (btov Partners), Kelly Chen (DCVC) and John Ho (Anzu Partners).


        RECENT EPISODES

        14. How Khosla Ventures Invests In Deep Tech — Kanu Gulati and Rajesh Swaminathan

        13. Phil Morle (Main Sequence Ventures) on Australia's Deep Tech Ambitions

        12. Habib Haddad and Calvin Chin (E14 Fund of MIT Media Lab) on Funding Science Fiction That Works

        11. Robert Gallenberger (btov Partners) on How to Select Industrial Partners


        RESOURCES ON DEEP TECH

        • DeepTech Investing Report by Different
      • The Dawn of the Deep Tech Ecosystem by Hello Tomorrow and BCG
      • Deep Tech Investors Mapping by Hello Tomorrow
      • Deep Tech Trends Report, Hardware Trends Reports and Hardware Investment Outlook by SOSV
        • 43 min
      • LtM ep13 - How Khosla Ventures Invests In Deep Tech, with Kanu Gulati and Rajesh Swaminathan

        Khosla Ventures (KV) has been an active investor in deep tech for 15 years. In this episode they share ideas on how they select sectors to invest in and prioritize and retire risk, how to best support startups, and what investors need to enter the deep tech field (hint: it's not a PhD).

        This podcast is hosted by Benjamin Joffe, Partner at SOSV, a global early stage fund focused on deep tech. SOSV runs multiple accelerator programs including HAX (intelligent hardware) and IndieBio (life sciences). To hear about new episodes, sign up to the newsletter or follow us on twitter at @LabToMarket.


        OVERVIEW

        Kanu Gulati and Rajesh Swaminathan are Investment Partners focused on deep tech at Khosla Ventures. The firm was founded by Vinod Khosla -- co-founder of Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle for US$7.4 billion in 2009) and former General Partner at Kleiner Perkins -- with the goal of ‘Reinventing Social Infrastructure with Technology’, to elevate the entire planet’s quality of life without destroying it.

        • Over the past 15 years, KV has raised over $5B across 6 funds and invested in about 400 startups including Impossible Foods, Rocket Lab, DoorDash, OpenAI and many more. 
      • They invest mostly at early stage — signing checks ranging from a few hundred $k, up to $50 million — and without shying away from the high technical risk of deep tech.


        • After an introduction and examples from KV’s portfolio, the conversation goes into:

        • Why it is crucial to prioritize risks and retire them in the right order.
      • The 12 different technologies that can move the needle for the climate crisis.
      • Their approach to detecting startups from centers of excellence.
      • What sectors KV focuses on, including climate tech, hyperlocal and bio-manufacturing, hardware acceleration for AI, and more.
      • What investment and operating partners do.
      • How they support their portfolio in particular with recruiting (white paper). Vinod Khosla even calls himself a ‘glorified recruiter’!
      • How conviction, immersion, patience and staying power matter more than a PhD to start investing in deep tech.
      • How more engagement between financial and corporate VCs, building more forums and reducing inefficiencies in the deep tech ecosystem could help.


        • PREVIOUS EPISODES

        • Phil Morle (Main Sequence Ventures) on Australia's Deep Tech Ambitions
      • Habib Haddad and Calvin Chin (E14 Fund of MIT Media Lab) on Funding Science Fiction That Works
      • Robert Gallenberger (btov Partners) on How to Select Industrial Partners
      • Xavier Duportet (Eligo Bioscience & Hello Tomorrow) on Science Entrepreneurship
      • Deep Tech Startups vs. Covid-19, with IndieBio, Khosla Ventures and 50 Years
      • Eric Rosenblum (Tsingyuan Ventures) on Chinese Founders in the US
      • Overview of Deep Tech Investment, Based on the Report by Different
      • Sota Nagano (Abies Ventures) on Japan’s Deep Tech Scene
      • Seth Bannon (Fifty Years) on Solving Global Problems
      • Kelly Chen (DCVC) on Investing in Old School Industries
      • Manish Singhal (pi Ventures) on India’s Deep Tech Scene
      • John Ho (Anzu Partners) on Breakthrough Industrial Tech
      • Matt Clifford (EF / Entrepreneur First) on Investing in Talent and Pre-Product


        • RESOURCES ON DEEP TECH

        • DeepTech Investing Report by Different
      • The Dawn of the Deep Tech Ecosystem by Hello Tomorrow and BCG
      • Deep Tech Investors Mapping by Hello Tomorrow
      • Deep Tech Trends Report, Hardware Trends Reports and Hardware Investment Outlook by SOSV


        • SUBSCRIBE

        • Podcast: Apple Podcast, Spotify, other platforms
      • Twitter: @LabToMarket
      • Lab to Market Newsletter
        • 38 min
      • LtM ep12 - Australia’s Deep Tech Ambitions With Phil Morle, Startup Pioneer and Partner at Main Sequence Ventures

        Getting innovation from lab to market is not an easy feat, and few countries do it well. Australia’s research output, for instance, punches way above its commercial applications (e.g. #10 in the SJR ranking and Nature Index).

        Are there ways to accelerate that transformation? Australia set up Main Sequence Ventures (@mseqvc) as a AU$240M (about US$170M) deep tech fund backed by the CSIRO and private investors, to target that opportunity notably in domains such as ag-tech, synthetic biology, quantum and space (the CSIRO is the Australia’s federal government agency responsible for scientific research).

        This podcast is hosted by Benjamin Joffe, Partner at SOSV, a global early stage fund focused on deep tech. SOSV runs multiple accelerator programs including HAX (intelligent hardware) and IndieBio (life sciences). To hear about new episodes, sign up to the newsletter or follow us on twitter at @LabToMarket.

        For other episodes on foreign deep tech ecosystems, check out India and Japan.


        OVERVIEW

        In this episode, Phil Morle (@philmorle), partner and long-time pioneer of the country’s startup scene (wikipedia), explains the commonalities he found between entrepreneurs and scientists, how the fund extended its investment domains and helps compress development timelines.

        He closes with thoughts on the tough year it has been with fires, drought and Covid, and how returns and impact now go hand in hand, from responding to new threats, feeding the planet, to delivering healthcare at scale.

        Before Main Sequence Ventures, Phil had three lives:

        • He spent a decade as a theatre director, learning how to create things from scratch.
      • Another decade with startups including as CTO of Kazaa — the then-dominant P2P file-sharing service,
      • And another as the founder of Australia’s first Silicon Valley-style startup incubator, called Pollenizer, where he also advised numerous organizations including the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) on setting up their own incubators.
      • He was then tapped by the CSIRO to set up a fund to support the translation of Australian research into commercial applications, including the output of CSIRO’s 3,500 scientists.


        • Among the lessons learned:

        • How he got scientists to grow an entrepreneurial mindset.
      • How to look for early proof points for the whole company.
      • How spending too long in the science exclusively sends weak signals into the market.
      • How deal creation is more valuable than mere deal assessment and de-risking.
      • How they designed a plant-based meat company, assembled a team, and got a product to market in 9 months only.
      • How bridge-building between scientific domains, business expertise and geographies is crucial to startup success.
      • How Covid-19 has lit a fire in the innovation ecosystem.


        • PREVIOUS EPISODES

        • Habib Haddad and Calvin Chin (E14 Fund of MIT Media Lab) on Funding Science Fiction That Works
      • Robert Gallenberger (btov Partners) on How to Select Industrial Partners
      • Xavier Duportet (Eligo Bioscience & Hello Tomorrow) on Science Entrepreneurship
      • Deep Tech Startups vs. Covid-19, with IndieBio, Khosla Ventures and 50 Years
      • Eric Rosenblum (Tsingyuan Ventures) on Chinese Founders in the US
      • Overview of Deep Tech Investment, Based on the Report by Different
      • Sota Nagano (Abies Ventures) on Japan’s Deep Tech Scene
      • Seth Bannon (Fifty Years) on Solving Global Problems
      • Kelly Chen (DCVC) on Investing in Old School Industries
      • Manish Singhal (pi Ventures) on India’s Deep Tech Scene
      • John Ho (Anzu Partners) on Breakthrough Industrial Tech
      • Matt Clifford (EF / Entrepreneur First) on Investing in Talent and Pre-Product


        • RESOURCES ON DEEP TECH

        • DeepTech Investing Report by Different
      • The Dawn of the Deep Tech Ecosystem by Hello Tomorrow and BCG
      • Deep Tech Investors Mapping by Hello Tomorrow
      • Deep Tech Trends Report, Hardware Trends Reports and Hardware Investment Outlook by SOSV


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        • Podcast: Apple Podcast, Spotify, other platforms
      • Twitter: @LabToMarket
      • Lab to Market Newsletter
        • 37 min
      • LtM ep11 - Funding Science Fiction That Works From The MIT Media Lab, With Habib Haddad and Calvin Chin From The E14 Fund

        Habib Haddad and Calvin Chin are the Managing Partners of the E14 Fund, an early stage deep tech fund that invests exclusively in startups from the prolifically inventive MIT Media Lab community.

        This podcast is hosted by Benjamin Joffe, Partner at SOSV, a global early stage fund focused on deep tech. SOSV runs multiple accelerator programs including HAX (intelligent hardware) and IndieBio (life sciences). To hear about new episodes, sign up to the newsletter or follow us on twitter at @LabToMarket.

        For another episode covering Boston & Cambridge’s deep tech ecosystem, check out John Ho (Anzu Partners) on Breakthrough Industrial Tech.


        INTRODUCTION

        There is a bit of mystery shrouding the MIT Media Lab. If you’ve watched the movies Minority Report or Disney’s Big Hero 6, if you’ve used a touch screen, an e-reader, AR/VR devices, or played the game Guitar Hero, you’ve been touched by innovations from the Media Lab and its alumni.

        The Media Lab is especially renowned for its interdisciplinary research. Its departments have names such as molecular machines, synthetic neurobiology or tangible media (if you stick until the end of the podcast, you will hear about a very curious project mixing wearable computing, emotions sensors and video).

        In this episode, Habib and Calvin describe:

        • The journey that brought them to create the E14 Fund in 2013 (and why it’s named this way).
      • The importance of the community built around the Media Lab and the fund.
      • How they work with founders, supporting them sometimes years before it’s a startup ready for investment,
      • What differentiates the best founders from others,
      • What simple question you can ask founders to determine their ability to navigate both the short and long term,
      • How deep tech startups can be both less capital intensive, and more capital efficient than many think,
      • Why attracting, training and keeping foreign scientific talent in the US matters,
      • We end with some ideas on how to grow the investment in deep tech, and why this sector inevitably matter a great deal.


        • REFERENCES MENTIONED

        • E14 Fund
      • MIT Media Lab
      • Figur8: musculoskeletal health analysis. Founder: Nan-Wei Gong
      • OPT Industries: Computational manufacturing platform for functional materials. Founder: Jifei Ou
      • ThurWave: 3d imaging with mm waves. Founder: Matt Reynolds.
      • Whiplash: a movie about drums, and much more.


        • PREVIOUS EPISODES

        • Robert Gallenberger (btov Partners) on How to Select Industrial Partners
      • Deep Tech Startups vs. Covid-19, with IndieBio, Khosla Ventures and 50 Years
      • Eric Rosenblum (Tsingyuan Ventures) on Chinese Founders in the US
      • Overview of Deep Tech Investment, Based on the Report by Different
      • Sota Nagano (Abies Ventures) on Japan’s Deep Tech Scene
      • Seth Bannon (Fifty Years) on Solving Global Problems
      • Kelly Chen (DCVC) on Investing in Old School Industries
      • Manish Singhal (pi Ventures) on India’s Deep Tech Scene
      • John Ho (Anzu Partners) on Breakthrough Industrial Tech
      • Matt Clifford (EF / Entrepreneur First) on Investing in Talent and Pre-Product


        • RESOURCES ON DEEP TECH

        • DeepTech Investing Report by Different
      • The Dawn of the Deep Tech Ecosystem by Hello Tomorrow and BCG
      • Deep Tech Investors Mapping by Hello Tomorrow
      • Deep Tech Trends Report, Hardware Trends Reports and hardware investment outlook by SOSV


        • SUBSCRIBE

        • Podcast: Apple Podcast, Spotify, etc.
      • Twitter: LabToMarket
      • Newsletter: LabToMarket
        • 50 min
      • LtM ep10 - How to Select Industrial Partners with Robert Gallenberger, Partner at btov Partners

        Few VC funds focus on deep tech in industry, and few investors have a strong industrial background. Robert Gallenberger at btov Partners is one of those rare people. He invests across Europe where he sees an industrial renaissance based on the combination of fresh tech talent with industry veterans, and making use of the strong industrial base particularly in Germany, Switzerland and more.

        This podcast is hosted by Benjamin Joffe, Partner at SOSV, a global early stage fund focused on deep tech. SOSV runs multiple accelerator programs including HAX (intelligent hardware) and IndieBio (life sciences). To hear about new episodes, sign up to the newsletter or follow us on twitter at @LabToMarket.

        For other episodes covering industrial investments, check out Kelly Chen (DCVC) on Investing in Old School Industries and John Ho (Anzu Partners) on Breakthrough Industrial Tech.


        ABOUT ROBERT AND BTOV

        Robert Gallenberger loves industrial technologies.

        • A former BMW engineer, MBA from London Business School and BCG consultant, he became a VC over a decade ago, and has mostly focused on industry startups ever since.
      • He is now a Partner in charge of the €100M Industrial Technologies Fund at btov  (Twitter: btovPartners), an early stage European VC firm managing over €500M.


        • Founded 20 years ago as 'brains to ventures', and early investors in deep tech companies such as Volocopter (raised €118.2M) and OrCam (raised $86.4M), btov also built a network of 250 Private Investors to support their portfolio.

        In this episode, Robert talks about:

        • His transition from industry to investment,
      • His vision on the opportunities in the sector (including 3D printing and the reinvention of supply chains in a post-covid world).


        • He also shares:

        • His approach to investment in industry 4.0,
      • Practical insights on how startups can avoid wasting time with the wrong industrial partners,
      • What could be done to grow the ecosystem.


        • PREVIOUS EPISODES

        • Deep Tech Startups vs. Covid-19, with IndieBio, Khosla Ventures and 50 Years
      • Eric Rosenblum (Tsingyuan Ventures) on Chinese Founders in the US
      • Overview of Deep Tech Investment, Based on the Report by Different
      • Sota Nagano (Abies Ventures) on Japan’s Deep Tech Scene
      • Seth Bannon (Fifty Years) on Solving Global Problems
      • Kelly Chen (DCVC) on Investing in Old School Industries
      • Manish Singhal (pi Ventures) on India’s Deep Tech Scene
      • John Ho (Anzu Partners) on Breakthrough Industrial Tech
      • Matt Clifford (EF / Entrepreneur First) on Investing in Talent and Pre-Product


        • RESOURCES ON DEEP TECH

        • DeepTech Investing Report by Different
      • The Dawn of the Deep Tech Ecosystem by Hello Tomorrow and BCG
      • Deep Tech Investors Mapping by Hello Tomorrow
      • Deep Tech Trends Report, Hardware Trends Reports and hardware investment outlook by SOSV


        • SUBSCRIBE

        • Podcast: Apple Podcast, Spotify, etc.
      • Twitter: LabToMarket
      • Newsletter: LabToMarket
        • 35 min
      • LtM ep9 - Xavier Duportet of Eligo and Hello Tomorrow on Science Entrepreneurship and Founding World's Largest Deep Tech Community and Event

        First, let’s state that I have been a fan of Xavier since I was first invited to speak about hardware startups at his Hello Tomorrow Global Summit in 2016. Hello Tomorrow is a #deeptech community, and its Summit is the largest deep tech event in the world, featuring yearly 500 global startups.

        I was impressed by the production quality and general vibe; I’ve attended every year since then, and it only got better (trivia: on that day, I also remember meeting another man who talked about embracing tech entrepreneurship. He shook everyone’s hand on his way to the stage, where he was speaking right before me. Can you guess who that was?).


        ABOUT XAVIER AND HELLO TOMORROW


        Now, Xavier Duportet turned out to be more than the founder of what is probably the world’s largest deep tech event. He’s also a synthetic biology PhD with an unusual path:

        • He was born in France, grew a passion for insects (especially ants — he hosts a colony of leaf-cutter ants from Trinidad in his office) that lead him to an internship in a genetics lab at age 12, which ignited his passion for science.
        • Fast forward a few years, after a first startup attempt, he earned his PhD across multiple labs including a stay at MIT which had a profound effect on his mindset and understanding of ecosystems.
        • He came back to France and became a catalyst in the emerging deep tech community by founding in 2011 a non-profit called Hello Tomorrow to bring together scientists, investors and corporates. Today, the event is — afaik — the largest deep tech conference in the world and highlights every year 500 of the top early stage startups. The next summit will take place in Paris and online in October 2020.
        • In 2018, he co-founded Deeptech Founders, a 6-months program that already helped hundreds of global scientists and engineers to accelerate their startup projects.
        • Today, he is the founder of Eligo Bioscience, a biotech startup using CRISPR to create a new class of biotherapeutic agents to selectively intervene on the microbiome. Eligo raised $27.4M from French and US investors including Khosla Ventures and Seventure Partners.
        • Finally, Xavier has been selected as a World Economic Forum Pioneer and Young Global Leader, as well as one of the top innovators under 35 by MIT.


          • OVERVIEW


          • In this episode, Xavier shares ideas about science entrepreneurship and the importance of a product-driven mindset.
          • We also discuss how co-founders need be complementary, and combine technology with storytelling and networks to succeed.
          • Finally, he shares his hopes about deep tech’s ability to solve critical problems that digital alone can’t solve, and the importance of accessible role models to support this mission (his historical role model could be called ‘the Edison of biology’ — here is one of his key patents).


            • REFERENCES MENTIONED


            • Eligo Bioscience, Xavier’s startup developing new therapies for the microbiome.
            • Deeptech Founders, a training program for global founders.
            • Hello Tomorrow, organizers of the largest deep tech event in the world.
            • Tim Lu, Associate Professor of Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT
            • The Story of Louis Pasteur. A documentary from 1936 on this unique science entrepreneur.
            • A brief history of Genentech, the first publicly-owned biotech company (IPO in 1980 thanks notably to its groundbreaking synthetic insulin).



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              • Podcast: Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, etc.
              • Twitter: LabToMarket
                • 48 min

              About SOSV Climate Tech Podcast

              From the publisher's feed

              This podcast features conversations featuring world-class innovators, investors and policy experts that took place at the annual SOSV Climate Tech Summit. The event is hosted by SOSV, a deep tech VC writing its first checks via its startup programs HAX (hard tech) and IndieBio (life sciences). SOSV has over 1,000 startups in portfolio and manages over $1.5 billion.