Biodiversity as an Advantage Galit is a Managing Partner at Danta Fund, a VC firm that backs early-stage agritech startups in Latin America. Danta Fund has the mission of filling three main voids in Latin America: funding in early-stage agri-tech startups, mentorship to guide their founders, and connection with larger markets to help them grow. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 0:57 Galit’s Path From Founder to VC 5:12 How Danta’s Mentors Help Startups 7:08 Danta’s North Star...

Why not Tulsa? Michael is the Founder, CEO, and General Partner of Atento Capital, a pre-seed and seed-stage VC firm focused on partnering with founders to build technology around healthcare, climate-tech, and business services. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:13 Michael’s Career Journey: From Founder to VC 4:07 The Origin Story of Atento Capital 5:04 Backing from the George Kaiser Family Foundation 10:13 Why Atento Capital Partnered with GRIDX 12:50 Tulsa’s Startup Ecosystem 20:43 How...

Are there unique ideas anymore? Khoa Ma is an Associate Director at Endless Frontier Labs, a program at NYU Stern School of Business for early-stage science and technology startups. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:07 Khoa’s Career Path 3:22 How Endless Frontier Labs Evaluates Startups 8:45 What Gets Startups Into Endless Frontier Labs 11:22 Most Impressive Startup Pitch 14:49 Maximizing Mentor Relationships 18:38 Building Investor Connections 26:20 Measuring Success Beyond Fundin...

Can a single innovation unlock multiple billion-dollar markets? Larissa is the CEO of APEXzymes, a Brazilian biotech startup that produces cost-effective enzymes for sustainable industrial applications. During our conversation, Larissa shares her journey from chemical engineering to venture capital and entrepreneurship. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:06 From Chemical Engineer to VC to Founder 4:56 Why Leave Venture Capital to Build a Startup? 6:38 How Self-Doubt Can Drive Innovation 8...

Is it possible to transform carbon emissions into everyday products? Alex is the CEO of CERT Systems, a Canadian climatetech startup that converts CO2 emissions into high-value chemicals. In this episode, Alex shares his journey from the lab bench to raising non-dilutive capital. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:16 Founding CERT Systems 3:14 Why Now for CO2 Conversion? 5:33 Unlocking Commercial Potential 8:52 Communicating Sustainability 10:45 Why Pet...

There is a lot of stigma around psychedelics. Vicky is the CEO of EYWA, a biotech startup that produces molecules for mental health treatments. In this episode, we discussed the fundraising process for a startup working with psychedelics and the stigma surrounding the industry. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:07 Founding EYWA 3:53 Advice for Startup Founders in LATAM 8:51 What is Biosynthesis? 12:34 What Molecules is EYWA Focusing On? 13:35 How to Sho...

Investors don’t care how fancy your tech is. Diego is the CEO of Qnity, a pharmatech startup that uses quantum electrochemistry to develop devices for drug discovery and screening. In this episode, we discuss his lessons as a second-time founder and his insights on fundraising in the deeptech space. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:26 How Was Qnity Founded? 3:58 What Is Krilltech? 7:39 What Is Smart Money? 9:12 How to Talk About Deeptech to Investors 16:27 How to Build a Product Roadmap...

Why do founders have to be very picky about what VCs they approach? Gerardo Bluske is the Chief Business Officer of ByBug, a biotech startup that creates therapeutics for animals using black soldier flies. In this episode, Gerardo shares his insights about business development and fundraising. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:27 Who Is Gerardo Bluske? 2:13 How Was ByBug Founded? 6:47 What Does ByBug Actually Do? 11:57 ByBug's Business Model Explained 18:41 ByBug's Funding Journey 21:29 ...