Episode #23: Three Breakthroughs: Regulatory Pushback, Glassy Gels, and the Year of the Drone
Tech Optimist Podcast — Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
Join Alumni Ventures’ Mike Collins and Managing Partner Matt Caspari in this enlightening episode of the Tech Optimist as they delve into three significant breakthroughs. First, explore the recent U.S. appeals court decision that crucially impacts venture capital and private equity. Next, discover the revolutionary ‘glassy gels,’ a material innovation that blends the hardness of plastics with the flexibility of gels, promising advances in robotics, healthcare, and sports equipment. Lastly, learn why this year could be labeled the year of the drone, as these versatile machines extend beyond military uses to solve real-world commercial challenges. Tune in to see how these breakthroughs are reshaping industries and potentially transforming our daily lives.
Episode #23 – Three Breakthroughs
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This week on the Tech Optimist podcast, join Alumni Ventures’ Mike Collins and Matt Caspari as they cover three exciting breakthroughs:
- U.S. Appeals Court Decision: A recent ruling that impacts venture capital and private equity.
- ‘Glassy Gels’ Material Innovation: A new material combining the hardness of plastics with the flexibility of gels, with applications in robotics, healthcare, and sports equipment.
- The Year of the Drone: The expanding use of drones beyond military applications to solve commercial challenges, marking 2024 as a pivotal year for drone technology.
Tune in to discover how these innovations are shaping the future.
Watch Time ~29 minutes
The show is produced by Alumni Ventures, which has been recognized as a “Top 20 Venture Firm” by CB Insights (’24) and as the “#1 Most Active Venture Firm in the US” by Pitchbook (’22 & ’23).
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Creators and Guests
HOST
Mike Collins
CEO, and Co-Founder at Alumni Ventures
Mike has been involved in almost every facet of venturing, from angel investing to venture capital, new business and product launches, and innovation consulting. He is currently CEO of Alumni Ventures Group, the managing company for our fund, and launched AV’s first alumni fund, Green D Ventures, where he oversaw the portfolio as Managing Partner and is now Managing Partner Emeritus. Mike is a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple companies, including Kid Galaxy, Big Idea Group (partially owned by WPP), and RDM. He began his career at VC firm TA Associates. He holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering Science from Dartmouth and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
GUEST
Matt Caspari
Managing Partner, Alumni Ventures
Matt Caspari is a Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures, where he leads the Deep Tech, Georgetown (Potomac Ventures) and UC Berkeley (Strawberry Creek Ventures) funds. He invests in mission-driven founders developing groundbreaking technologies. His investments encompass a diverse range of sectors, including AI, agriculture, aviation, battery technology, cybersecurity, direct air capture of CO2, energy generation, longevity, and robotics.
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