Episode #70: Three Breakthroughs: More on AlphaFold
Tech Optimist Podcast — Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy spotlight three pioneering advances that are shaping the future. They begin with AlphaFold 3 from Google DeepMind, which has revolutionized biology by predicting complex protein interactions, vastly accelerating drug discovery and genomics research.
Episode #70: Three Breakthroughs: More on AlphaFold
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This week on the Tech Optimist podcast, join Alumni Ventures’ Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy as spotlight three pioneering advances:
- AlphaFold 3 from Google DeepMind – A breakthrough in biology that predicts complex protein interactions, speeding up research in drug discovery and genomics.
- Tesla’s Optimus – A humanoid robot advancing automation in daily life, from household chores to industrial tasks, illustrating progress in robotics.
- SpaceX’s Starship launch and catch feat – Successfully launching and catching a skyscraper-sized rocket mid-air, reducing costs and enhancing reusability to expand the space economy.
Tune in to discover how these innovations are transforming tech’s role in healthcare, robotics, and space.
Watch Time ~39 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).
READ THE FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
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
Naren Ramaswamy
Senior Principal, Spike & Deep Tech Fund, Alumni Ventures
Naren combines a technical engineering background with experience at startups and VC firms. Before joining AV, he worked with the investing team at venture firm Data Collective (DCVC) looking at frontier tech deals. Before that, he was a Program Manager at Apple and Tesla and has worked for multiple consumer startups. Naren received a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In his free time, he enjoys teaching golf to beginners and composing music.
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