Tech. Cars. Machines.

In Lightmatter co-founder Nick Harris, Ph.D, tells us how he’s spending the $800MM entrusted to him by investors. We explore how photonics is reshaping datacenter communications today. The physics of why light beats electricity for data transport, and how Lightmatter’s Passage interconnects and Guide lasers deliver. 

0:11 – Welcome & introduction to Nick Harris and Lightmatter 

0:49 – Lightmatter’s mission: a new Moore’s Law with light 

2:46 – Nick’s origin story: from Micron to MIT to founding Lightmatter 

10:35 – Why light beats electricity for moving data 

16:12 – The chip “shoreline problem” and inventing Passage 

25:00 – The photonic interposer: Lightmatter’s flagship breakthrough 

38:19 – What sets Lightmatter apart 

42:45 – Back to the original vision: the future of optical computing 

Humans have thought about UFOs and alien creatures descending from the stars for about as long as they have dreamt about having their own self driving cars. A two-day drive in a Tesla, with 96% of miles driven in “self-driving” mode with zero interventions, showed me that consumer self-driving cars are essentially here. Could Space Cows be far behind? 

Related episodes include:

60. Alex Kendall, Co Founder & CEO, Wayve

43. Georges Massing, VP MB.OS Automated Driving & E/E Integration, Mercedes-Benz

15. Everybody Hates Tesla, Part 1

16. Everybody Hates Tesla, Part 2

44. Everybody Still Hates Tesla, Part 1

45. Everybody Still Hates Tesla, Part 2

Xcimer’s Founder, CEO, and Chief Science Officer Conner Galloway and Co-founder, President, and Chief Technology Officer Alex Valise are building the world’s most powerful gas lasers to ignite fusion energy. With $170MM of capital raised, they are, step-by-step, commercializing scientifically validated concepts to deliver big, beautiful, clean energy.  

00:00 Welcome 

00:28 Meet Conner, Alex, and Xcimer 

12:44 Fusion Basics Explained 

18:41 Inside the Fuel Pellet 

28:49 Excimer Lasers and Pulse Compression 

35:08 Warehouse Scale Facility 

41:55 Liquid Wall Target Chamber 

49:27 Efficiency and Target Gain 

52:04 Roadmap Phoenix to Athena 

58:56 Directed Energy Spinoffs 

01:00:44 Conclusion

Alex Kendall, founder and CEO of Wayve, a UK-based company with $1.3 billion of funding from Microsoft, NVIDIA, Softbank and Uber, discusses Wayve’s head start in end-to-end AI for driving, its efficient training and run-time architecture, and its suitability to any car manufacturer. 

00:00 Welcome to Tech Cars Machines 

01:32 Introduction to Alex Kendall and Wayve 

02:00 Wayve’s Autonomous Technology Explained 

04:21 The End-to-End AI Approach 

06:54 Wayve’s Data Efficiency and Learning 

09:13 Alex Kendall’s Background and Journey 

12:07 Wayve’s Path to Commercialization 

23:22 Wayve’s Competitive Edge and Market Position 

25:41 Adoption and Consumer Perception of Autonomous Vehicles 

31:56 Customization and OEM Integration 

35:51 Future of Autonomous Driving and Industry Impact 

Brandon Sorbom, Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, is helping spend $3+ billion to turn hydrogen into abundant, safe and readily available energy. In our fourth fusion episode, Brandon educates us on the most time-tested approach to fusion which uses powerful magnets. CFS hopes to deliver commercial energy by the early 2030s. 

0:00 Introduction 

02:33 The Journey from MIT to Commonwealth Fusion Systems 

04:30 Securing Funding and Building Credibility 

05:44 Understanding Fusion and Tokamaks 

08:44 Brandon’s Personal Journey to Fusion 

12:34 Explaining the Tokamak and Fusion Process 

28:23 Neutrons and Energy Conversion 

31:39 High Temperature Superconducting Material 

39:26 Scaling Up Production and Cost Considerations 

42:53 The SPARC Prototype and Its Challenges 

48:23 Transitioning from Spark to ARC 

01:04:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 

Will Regan, President and Co-founder of Pacific Fusion, is helping spend $1+ billion to mimic the sun’s method for producing energy. In our third fusion episode, Will educates us on inertial confinement. He discusses the advancements that help smooth Pacific Fusion’s path to delivering commercial energy by the mid-2030s. 

00:00 Welcome to Tech Cars Episode 58 

04:09 Introduction to Pacific Fusion 

07:24 Will Regan’s Journey to Pacific Fusion 

10:57 Explaining Fusion and Inertial Confinement 

19:12 The Engineering and Science Behind Fusion 

21:15 Physical Description of Pacific Fusion’s Facility 

26:03 Understanding Marx Generators 

29:16 Fusion Chamber and Magnetic Compression 

32:34 Energy Output and Power Plant Efficiency 

35:17 Handling Neutrons and Chamber Protection 

38:55 Manufacturability and Supply Chain 

“Twisty donuts” if you lean Republican, “French cruller” if you lean left. CEO and Co-founder Brian Berzin, describes how this shape and a focus on manufacturability will allow Thea Energy to deliver fusion energy in a cost-competitive manner.  

Following up on last week’s episode with Dr. Scott Hsu of Lowercarbon Capital, Brian discusses the innovative approach Thea Energy is taking to commercialize fusion energy. The conversation covers the company’s origins in the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, and their groundbreaking ‘stellarator’ design. Brian explains how modularization, software and AI helps overcome the fiendishly difficult construction of stellerators. He shares insights into the company’s rapid iteration and development cycles, culminating in their goal to scale up to commercial levels.  

00:00 Welcome to the Fusion Energy Series 

01:06 Introducing Brian Berzin and Thea Energy 

11:46 Technical and Financial Milestones 

14:54 Understanding Fusion: A Simplified Explanation 

23:58 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Stellerators 

29:30 Innovations in Superconducting Magnets 

34:52 The Role of Software in Magnet Control 

41:07 Scaling Up to Commercial Relevance 

48:45 First Walls and Blankets in Fusion Reactors 

51:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Why have the biggest names (such as Bill Gates, Lowercarbon Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Google and Sam Altman) put billions into dozens of fusion energy companies? An engaging, accessible discussion with Dr. Scott Hsu on the fascinating world and private company ecosystem of the fusion energy. Scott was with with the DOE where he helped allocate $100MM of fusion R&D investment. He is now Partner at Lowercarbon Capital. We explore the fundamentals of fusion, compare magnetic and inertial confinement methods, and discuss innovative companies like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Pacific Fusion, Thea Energy, Xcimer and Avalanche Energy. Scott explains why there’s new hope for making fusion commercially viable in the coming years. He highlights the challenges and opportunities in building the necessary infrastructure. 

00:00 Introduction 

01:42 Scott’s Background and Career 

02:39 Lowercarbon Capital and Fusion Investments 

10:42 Fusion Basics and Scientific Principles 

19:57 Magnetic and Inertial Fusion Approaches 

22:52 Understanding the Magnetic Confinement (Commonwealth, Thea) 

23:35 Challenges of Plasma Confinement 

25:31 Innovations in Modern Tokamaks 

29:17 Exploring Alternative Fusion Devices (Pacific Fusion, Avalanche) 

32:40 Laser Inertial Confinement Fusion (Xcimer) 

41:26 Future of Fusion Energy

Protecting $500 billion dollars of real estate value: Mike Zukerman, CEO of CSAA, an $8 billion carrier of insurance distributed through AAA Clubs, tells how technology helps protect that massive asset. He tells us how enterprise technology can “surprise and delight” CSAA’s 3 million policy holders, and how self-driving cars will change insurance strategy.   

00:00 Introduction to Mike Zukerman & CSAA 

01:40 Understanding CSAA and Its Business 

04:24 Remote Work and Employee Satisfaction 

08:30 Mike Zukerman’s Background and Career Journey 

11:57 The Future of Auto Insurance and Autonomous Vehicles 

18:51 Understanding Auto and Home Insurance Regulations 

20:10 Challenges of Homeowners Insurance in California 

21:55 Innovative Wildfire Mitigation Technologies 

29:16 Leveraging AI for Customer Delight in Insurance 

35:03 Why CSAA is a Great Place to Work

Jeff Huebner, Head of Mobilitas, discusses how he helps his commercial transportation networks manage their second-high expense: insurance. Ride sharing networks, last-mile delivery networks, and autonomous vehicle companies are his customers, and an enormous amount of customization and data ingestion and processing is involved. 

00:00 Introduction 

00:53  Jeff Hubner’s Background and Reconnection 

01:48  Understanding AAA, CSAA, and Mobilitas 

04:33  Mobils’ Mission and Services 

06:25  Jeff Hubner’s Career Journey 

08:35  Risk Management and Commercial Insurance 

11:16  Market Trends and Innovations 

24:21  Data Integration and Risk Management 

32:37  Advances in Vehicle Technologies 

34:47  Final Thoughts