The Techne Connect

In this episode we speak with Allen McAfee, CTO of Fuse Integration.

Allen shares his path from military service into engineering, startup life, and defence technology leadership. He reflects on how his background shaped his approach to problem solving, leadership, and building systems that serve real operational needs.

The conversation explores airborne networking, mission systems, and the growing importance of connectivity across defence platforms. Allen explains how Fuse Integration is helping modernise legacy systems, why interoperability matters, and what it takes to build technology that gives operators faster access to critical information.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

In this episode we speak with David Liu, Director of Engineering at AeroVironment, about his journey from Northrop Grumman to Facebook and Meta, before moving into defence robotics at AV.

David shares how his experience across aerospace, big tech, connectivity, smart glasses, and advanced aircraft systems shaped his approach to engineering leadership. He explains how lessons from Silicon Valley, including fast iteration, early integration, openness, ownership, and managing technical debt, are now helping shape modern defence technology.

The conversation explores the future of robotic systems, from one operator managing multiple platforms to heterogeneous autonomous systems working together on shared missions. David also discusses the importance of AI efficiency, battery technology, material science, manufacturing, and why strong engineering culture is key to building reliable systems at scale.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

In this episode we speak with Deepak Jayaraj, VP of Hardware at Four Growers, a robotics company focused on autonomous harvesting in greenhouse environments.

Deepak shares his journey from control systems and space robotics in India to scaling real-world products across medical devices and agriculture. He explains what it takes to move from a working prototype to a reliable product deployed in the field, and why most robotics companies underestimate that gap.

The conversation explores the challenges of building hardware that operates in unpredictable environments, how AI is shaping hardware development, and why systems thinking is critical for engineers working in robotics. Deepak also reflects on scaling under pressure during COVID, building manufacturing infrastructure from scratch, and what it takes to deliver products that create real value for customers.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

In this episode of Behind the Power, we speak with Xu She, Senior Director of Engineering at Lunar Energy.

Xu shares his journey from studying electronics in China to building a career in the US across renewable energy, electrification, and energy storage. He reflects on the moves that shaped his career, from research and large corporates to joining a high growth startup environment.

The conversation explores the role of residential energy storage in the future of the grid, why renewable energy and storage are becoming mission critical, and how customer experience is becoming as important as hardware performance. Xu also explains why system thinking is one of the most valuable engineering skills, and why startups offer such a steep learning curve for those willing to take on the challenge.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

In this episode of Behind the Capital we sit down with Woodie Neiss, Managing Partner at D3VC, to explore how venture capital is evolving in a data-driven world.

Woodie shares his journey from Wall Street to startup founder, through to shaping investment crowdfunding legislation in the US and building a venture fund powered by proprietary data and algorithms. He explains how D3VC identifies high-potential companies by tracking signals across thousands of startups, combining AI-driven insights with human judgement.

The conversation dives into how community-backed fundraising is reshaping early-stage investment, why investor sentiment matters, and how founders can position themselves for success before raising capital. Woody also highlights common mistakes founders make, from poor communication to unrealistic valuations, and explains what investors look for beyond the pitch deck.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

We speak with Marie-Elisabeth Makohl, Co-Founder and CEO of SEAL Robotics, to explore how automation is starting to reshape one of the most overlooked parts of global logistics.

Marie-Elisabeth shares how a container voyage across the North Atlantic and North Sea led her to build a robotics company focused on container securing, a process still handled manually across ports worldwide. She explains the safety risks, labour pressures, and operational delays tied to this work, and why ports are ready for change.

The conversation also covers her path from computer science and robotics at the Technical University of Munich into entrepreneurship, the realities of building a startup in heavy industry, and why product market fit matters more than hype. They discuss fundraising, leadership, multidisciplinary engineering, and the importance of building robotics that fit the real environment, not just the lab.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

Recorded live at Prism, this episode of Behind the Flight features Jeremy Cooper, Managing Director of Platform Aerospace UK.

He shares how a 28-year RAF career shaped his leadership style and how those lessons now apply to building a high-growth aerospace business.

The conversation explores his transition from military to industry, why persistence is critical in uncrewed aerial systems, and what it takes to build a UK presence within a scaling US company. It also covers the impact of regulation and procurement on innovation, alongside the growing importance of cyber, autonomy and multi-mission systems.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

In this episode of Behind the Robot, we speak with Julian Hoffmann, Co-Founder and CTO of Sitegeist.

Julian shares how a university thesis at TU Munich led to building a robotics startup focused on one of the toughest jobs on construction sites, hydro demolition. He explains the physical demands of the work and why replacing manual processes with robotics has clear value for safety, efficiency, and long-term workforce sustainability.

The conversation explores how Sitegeist approaches robotics in a practical way, focusing on solving specific problems rather than chasing general-purpose humanoid systems. Julian outlines why construction sites are one of the most complex environments for robotics, and how tackling these challenges creates strong technical and commercial foundations.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

We sit down with Soroush Karimzadeh, Co-Founder and CEO of Novarc Technologies, to explore how autonomous welding is reshaping industrial automation.

Soroush shares his journey from engineering into entrepreneurship, and how Novarc is solving one of manufacturing’s biggest challenges, the global shortage of skilled welders. The conversation covers embodied AI, product market fit in robotics, and why reliability matters more than hype.

They also break down the realities of building a hardware business, from early sacrifices and funding challenges to scaling a multidisciplinary team. Soroush explains how Novarc is using AI-driven vision systems to enable adaptive welding, and what this means for productivity, quality, and workforce transformation.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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

In this episode we speaks with Martin Heriaud, Head of Racing Technology Development at Nissan Formula E Team.

Martin shares his journey into motorsport, from early internships to race engineering and now leading key technology development across the team. He explains how Formula E has evolved over the years, what makes the championship such a unique engineering challenge, and why software, simulator work, and systems thinking now play such a central role in performance.

The conversation also explores the team side of motorsport, the importance of consistency, how success is built across every department, and what the move into the Gen 4 era means for Nissan Formula E Team.

The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧

Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.

From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.

Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.

Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.

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