Episode #72: Three Breakthroughs: AI and Nuclear Energy
Tech Optimist Podcast — Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy explore transformative innovations reshaping our future. They discuss AI-powered nuclear energy solutions fueling data centers, the rise of self-driving cars like Tesla’s Cyber Taxis and Waymo’s fleets, and their potential to revolutionize cities and transportation.
Episode #72: Three Breakthroughs: AI and Nuclear Energy
See video policy below.
This week on the Tech Optimist podcast, join Alumni Ventures’ Mike Collins and Naren Ramaswamy as they spotlight three transformative innovations:
- AI-Powered Nuclear Energy Solutions – Advancing sustainable energy by fueling data centers with clean, efficient power.
- Self-Driving Cars – Autonomous fleets like Tesla’s Cyber Taxis and Waymo’s are set to revolutionize urban transportation and reshape cities.
- Qure.ai’s AI for Early Lung Cancer Detection – A breakthrough in healthcare, enabling life-saving early cancer diagnosis with AI technology.
These innovations highlight how technology is solving critical challenges and paving the way for a brighter future.
Watch Time ~44 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.
To Learn More
Click the logos below for more information.
Important Disclosure Information
The Tech Optimist Podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not personalized advice and is neither an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any security. Such offers are made only to eligible investors, pursuant to the formal offering documents of appropriate investment funds. Please consult with your advisors before making any investment with Alumni Ventures. For more information, please see here.
One or more investment funds affiliated with AV may have invested, or may in the future invest, in some of the companies featured on the Podcast. This circumstance constitutes a conflict of interest. Any testimonials or endorsements regarding AV on the Podcast are made without compensation but the providers may in some cases have a relationship with AV from which they benefit. All views expressed on the Podcast are the speaker’s own. Any testimonials or endorsements expressed on the Podcast do not represent the experience of all investors or companies with which AV invests or does business.
The Podcast includes forward-looking statements, generally consisting of any statement pertaining to any issue other than historical fact, including without limitation predictions, financial projections, the anticipated results of the execution of any plan or strategy, the expectation or belief of the speaker, or other events or circumstances to exist in the future. Forward looking statements are not representations of actual fact, depend on certain assumptions that may not be realized, and are not guaranteed to occur. Any forward- looking statements included in this communication speak only as of the date of the communication. AV and its affiliates disclaim any obligation to update, amend, or alter such forward-looking statements whether due to subsequent events, new information, or otherwise.