Tough Tech Today with Meyen and Miller Tue, 26 May 2026 22:38:04 -0400 http://www.toughtechtoday.com en-us © 2026 Tough Tech Today, by Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen yes 3fc5c627-8212-501f-8cba-eb308050a4de Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen episodic false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) tough tech, frontier technology, entrepreneur, startup, venture Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen https://storage.buzzsprout.com/pqkm9pbobcdhs2o361w6cyayabap?.jpg Tough Tech Today with Meyen and Miller http://www.toughtechtoday.com Forrest Meyen Jonathan “JMill” Miller Solving the Unknown, featuring Forrest and JMill Solving the Unknown, featuring Forrest and JMill What do you do when the sky stops behaving the way the textbooks say it should?

For decades, talk of unidentified flying objects (“UFOs”) sat on the margins. That’s become harder to shrug off when decorated pilots, radar operators, and intel officers are raising their right hands in Congress and saying, I saw something I couldn’t file away as a drone, jet, or planet.

In this episode, we (JMill and Forrest) pull Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) into familiar territory: sensors, safety, and systems. They start with what crews actually see and record. How does a night-vision video line up with radar tracks? What happens when the infrared feed disagrees with the eyeballs in the cockpit? And why does the boring part like timestamps, logs, and chain-of-custody matter even more now that anyone can synthesize a convincing “leak” in an afternoon?

Our conversation also zooms-out from individual cases to the wider mix. Many reports collapse to balloons, consumer drones, or reflected light once you have enough data. Some look a lot like foreign reconnaissance or test articles, which raises airspace and infrastructure questions. A small remainder still looks odd after serious review: abrupt accelerations, transmedium paths, signatures that do not match the usual catalog. So rather than chase headlines, the focus stays on a simpler test: what conditions would have to hold for this report to stand up?

We also talk about JMill's new MIT course, Confronting Unknowns, which treats UAP as one of several challenge areas for sense-making under pressure. Forrest connects us back to tough tech in general, in which fusion, lunar rovers, new materials (to name just a few areas) all begin as something messy, uncertain, and science fiction, before hard work and big discoveries could make them science fact.

So, the aim of the episode and the research we touch on is not to explain every light in the sky, but is instead a conversation on how we may practice how to think when the data are noisy, the stakes are serious, and “we don’t know yet” is an honest, useful starting point. 

Tough tech is, almost by definition about building into uncertainty. UAPs are an extreme example, but the mindset – rigor, curiosity, and a willingness to update one's assumptions – is wholly shared.

📺Watch:

https://youtu.be/v4uqp6SXC3g

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest
  • Editing: Forrest
  • Transcript: JMill with AI assistance
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Direction: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:
00:00:02 Cozy open with fireside vibe
00:01:40 What UAP means here
00:03:45 Observables that defy expectations
00:06:30 The Hellfire clip and skepticism
00:07:56 Why chain of custody matters
00:10:53 Transmedium claims and the physics check
00:14:09 Citizen science toolkit: ADS-B, stars, satellites
00:17:20 Hypotheses from mundane to exotic
00:21:22 Adversary tech or unknowns
00:25:40 Balloons, filter retuning, detection gaps
00:29:47 Sensors, electronic warfare, and analog film
00:33:16 Course preview: MIT Confronting Unknowns
00:44:57 Lunar Outpost mission validation

]]> What do you do when the sky stops behaving the way the textbooks say it should?

For decades, talk of unidentified flying objects (“UFOs”) sat on the margins. That’s become harder to shrug off when decorated pilots, radar operators, and intel officers are raising their right hands in Congress and saying, I saw something I couldn’t file away as a drone, jet, or planet.

In this episode, we (JMill and Forrest) pull Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) into familiar territory: sensors, safety, and systems. They start with what crews actually see and record. How does a night-vision video line up with radar tracks? What happens when the infrared feed disagrees with the eyeballs in the cockpit? And why does the boring part like timestamps, logs, and chain-of-custody matter even more now that anyone can synthesize a convincing “leak” in an afternoon?

Our conversation also zooms-out from individual cases to the wider mix. Many reports collapse to balloons, consumer drones, or reflected light once you have enough data. Some look a lot like foreign reconnaissance or test articles, which raises airspace and infrastructure questions. A small remainder still looks odd after serious review: abrupt accelerations, transmedium paths, signatures that do not match the usual catalog. So rather than chase headlines, the focus stays on a simpler test: what conditions would have to hold for this report to stand up?

We also talk about JMill's new MIT course, Confronting Unknowns, which treats UAP as one of several challenge areas for sense-making under pressure. Forrest connects us back to tough tech in general, in which fusion, lunar rovers, new materials (to name just a few areas) all begin as something messy, uncertain, and science fiction, before hard work and big discoveries could make them science fact.

So, the aim of the episode and the research we touch on is not to explain every light in the sky, but is instead a conversation on how we may practice how to think when the data are noisy, the stakes are serious, and “we don’t know yet” is an honest, useful starting point. 

Tough tech is, almost by definition about building into uncertainty. UAPs are an extreme example, but the mindset – rigor, curiosity, and a willingness to update one's assumptions – is wholly shared.

📺Watch:

https://youtu.be/v4uqp6SXC3g

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest
  • Editing: Forrest
  • Transcript: JMill with AI assistance
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Direction: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:
00:00:02 Cozy open with fireside vibe
00:01:40 What UAP means here
00:03:45 Observables that defy expectations
00:06:30 The Hellfire clip and skepticism
00:07:56 Why chain of custody matters
00:10:53 Transmedium claims and the physics check
00:14:09 Citizen science toolkit: ADS-B, stars, satellites
00:17:20 Hypotheses from mundane to exotic
00:21:22 Adversary tech or unknowns
00:25:40 Balloons, filter retuning, detection gaps
00:29:47 Sensors, electronic warfare, and analog film
00:33:16 Course preview: MIT Confronting Unknowns
00:44:57 Lunar Outpost mission validation

]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/solving-the-unknown/ Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-18324816 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:00:00 -0500 2929 5 2 full false Machines that learn on the job, featuring Forrest and JMill Machines that learn on the job, featuring Forrest and JMill The way to improve physical intelligence is to simulate, discover, and do.

A dropped box tells the truth. That little skid and thud is a progress report one can feel. In this episode, Tough Tech Today Co-Hosts Forrest and JMill trace the full arc of “physical” intelligence: how we simulate the world, discover what to build, and then make hardware that learns while doing real work.

First, simulate: Before a wheel ever touches regolith or a gripper meets a crate, we spin up physics-rich worlds and run them by the thousands. This is not to find a perfect script, but to survive the imperfect ones. If a machine’s behavior holds up to domain randomization, messy lighting, uncertain friction… it may stand a chance on day one.

Then, discover: Imagine an autonomous lab bench where pipettes, sensors, and models conspire to explore their search space. The point is not cute demos, but rather new catalysts, sturdier materials, better routes to medicines. Humans keep the compass while the system earns its stripes by proposing and testing the next steps.

Finally, do: The shop floor is where timing and torque decide what actually works. Machine vision has been around for decades; what changes now is adaptation. Tactile data, trustworthy actuation, and feedback loops tight enough to correct mid-cycle help make open loops into closed loops. Ideally, we see waste reduce, uptime climb, and skills accumulate.

We also discuss the future of work and work-of-the-future. General-purpose agents capabilities will probably not arrive in a headline, instead percolating as a thousand small skills that survive contact with clutter, dust, heat, and schedule slips. That means building for failure an organization can recover from, staging rollouts, red-teaming the edge cases, and being clear who is on the hook when something goes wrong.

If we get this right, the wins will look, well, ordinary: fewer knobs to tune, fewer reworks, more jobs finished on time. But what is exception is that models are becoming matter, the foundation of systems that quietly improve with use. 

And what about that dropped box? It becomes a better grasp the very next cycle, with the machine’s learnings shared across a hundred robots operating among a swarm, broadcast to thousands of work cells around the world.

P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support. We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

📺Watch:

https://youtu.be/UqRX5h1aUF8

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill with AI assistance
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Direction: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

00:00:00 Welcome Back: Machines and Intelligence
00:01:05 Defining “Physical AI”
00:03:10 Robots for Extreme Environments
00:06:00 Sim to Real: Digital Twins
00:09:20 Humanoids and the Future of Work
00:12:15 Manufacturing 2.0: AI for Materials
00:16:00 Ground Truth vs Synthetic Data
00:19:40 Space Ops: Millions of Sim Cycles
00:23:05 Terrain Truthing: Sand and Regolith
00:26:50 Agents That Tune the Models
00:30:30 Generative CAD, Patents, Liability
00:33:45 Guardrails, Audits

]]> The way to improve physical intelligence is to simulate, discover, and do.

A dropped box tells the truth. That little skid and thud is a progress report one can feel. In this episode, Tough Tech Today Co-Hosts Forrest and JMill trace the full arc of “physical” intelligence: how we simulate the world, discover what to build, and then make hardware that learns while doing real work.

First, simulate: Before a wheel ever touches regolith or a gripper meets a crate, we spin up physics-rich worlds and run them by the thousands. This is not to find a perfect script, but to survive the imperfect ones. If a machine’s behavior holds up to domain randomization, messy lighting, uncertain friction… it may stand a chance on day one.

Then, discover: Imagine an autonomous lab bench where pipettes, sensors, and models conspire to explore their search space. The point is not cute demos, but rather new catalysts, sturdier materials, better routes to medicines. Humans keep the compass while the system earns its stripes by proposing and testing the next steps.

Finally, do: The shop floor is where timing and torque decide what actually works. Machine vision has been around for decades; what changes now is adaptation. Tactile data, trustworthy actuation, and feedback loops tight enough to correct mid-cycle help make open loops into closed loops. Ideally, we see waste reduce, uptime climb, and skills accumulate.

We also discuss the future of work and work-of-the-future. General-purpose agents capabilities will probably not arrive in a headline, instead percolating as a thousand small skills that survive contact with clutter, dust, heat, and schedule slips. That means building for failure an organization can recover from, staging rollouts, red-teaming the edge cases, and being clear who is on the hook when something goes wrong.

If we get this right, the wins will look, well, ordinary: fewer knobs to tune, fewer reworks, more jobs finished on time. But what is exception is that models are becoming matter, the foundation of systems that quietly improve with use. 

And what about that dropped box? It becomes a better grasp the very next cycle, with the machine’s learnings shared across a hundred robots operating among a swarm, broadcast to thousands of work cells around the world.

P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support. We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

📺Watch:

https://youtu.be/UqRX5h1aUF8

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill with AI assistance
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Direction: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

00:00:00 Welcome Back: Machines and Intelligence
00:01:05 Defining “Physical AI”
00:03:10 Robots for Extreme Environments
00:06:00 Sim to Real: Digital Twins
00:09:20 Humanoids and the Future of Work
00:12:15 Manufacturing 2.0: AI for Materials
00:16:00 Ground Truth vs Synthetic Data
00:19:40 Space Ops: Millions of Sim Cycles
00:23:05 Terrain Truthing: Sand and Regolith
00:26:50 Agents That Tune the Models
00:30:30 Generative CAD, Patents, Liability
00:33:45 Guardrails, Audits

]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/solving-the-unknown/ Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-18091805 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 19:00:00 -0400 2944 5 1 full false Networking the quantum internet, featuring Noel Goddard of Qunnect Networking the quantum internet, featuring Noel Goddard of Qunnect Under New York City lies a patchwork of long-dormant dark fibers that are now illuminating with entangled rubidium atoms.

In our conversation with Noel Goddard, CEO of Qunnect, we learn about the tough tech testbed named GothamQ. Qunnect is pioneering the future of the telecom industry by transforming existing fiber optics into quantum networks, providing a robust, secure communication channel for the next evolution of the digital age.

Qunnect’s rubidium-based networking devices promise to safeguard communications against eavesdropping by ensuring that any attempts at interception destroy the transmitted message. This makes digital communications that are provably secure, and is gaining attention as a key component of a layered approach to quantum networking solutions that meet the needs of clients ranging from enterprise players to government agencies.

“We work in atomic vapor,” Goddard says, “we use the same vapor that they [atomic clocks for Global Positioning Systems] do. What's nice about it is that atoms are the same everywhere in the universe, so whether it's outer space, underwater, on a mountain… atoms provide a very high precision reference tool.” Quantum networking protocols require sophisticated levels of precision “which has never been seen by normal digital communications”, adding that “atoms offer a very interesting way to do that because of this ability to locally reference them” at scale. Qunnect’s networking hardware is a physical manifestation of decades of basic and applied research into quantum physics, information theory, and optics, with the GothamQ test site as the next evolution in the broadening deployment of their hardware portfolio composed of quantum sources, quantum memory, wavelength referencers, and more.

In a candid moment, Goddard acknowledges the unique challenges facing quantum science startups, including the need for substantial capital investment and the patience to develop highly complex and sensitive technologies. However, she remains optimistic about the future, highlighting the growing interest and support from government and corporate investors willing to take long-term bets on tough tech innovations.

Goddard reflects on the broader implications of quantum security. By providing a fundamentally secure communication method, Qunnect isn’t just advancing technology but also safeguarding economic and national security in an increasingly digital world.

P.S. If you're in the Boston-Cambridge area this fall, check out JMill's Tough Tech On Tap, presented by The End Effector! 

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support. We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

📺Watch on YouTube

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Noel Goddard
  • Host: JMill
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill
]]> Under New York City lies a patchwork of long-dormant dark fibers that are now illuminating with entangled rubidium atoms.

In our conversation with Noel Goddard, CEO of Qunnect, we learn about the tough tech testbed named GothamQ. Qunnect is pioneering the future of the telecom industry by transforming existing fiber optics into quantum networks, providing a robust, secure communication channel for the next evolution of the digital age.

Qunnect’s rubidium-based networking devices promise to safeguard communications against eavesdropping by ensuring that any attempts at interception destroy the transmitted message. This makes digital communications that are provably secure, and is gaining attention as a key component of a layered approach to quantum networking solutions that meet the needs of clients ranging from enterprise players to government agencies.

“We work in atomic vapor,” Goddard says, “we use the same vapor that they [atomic clocks for Global Positioning Systems] do. What's nice about it is that atoms are the same everywhere in the universe, so whether it's outer space, underwater, on a mountain… atoms provide a very high precision reference tool.” Quantum networking protocols require sophisticated levels of precision “which has never been seen by normal digital communications”, adding that “atoms offer a very interesting way to do that because of this ability to locally reference them” at scale. Qunnect’s networking hardware is a physical manifestation of decades of basic and applied research into quantum physics, information theory, and optics, with the GothamQ test site as the next evolution in the broadening deployment of their hardware portfolio composed of quantum sources, quantum memory, wavelength referencers, and more.

In a candid moment, Goddard acknowledges the unique challenges facing quantum science startups, including the need for substantial capital investment and the patience to develop highly complex and sensitive technologies. However, she remains optimistic about the future, highlighting the growing interest and support from government and corporate investors willing to take long-term bets on tough tech innovations.

Goddard reflects on the broader implications of quantum security. By providing a fundamentally secure communication method, Qunnect isn’t just advancing technology but also safeguarding economic and national security in an increasingly digital world.

P.S. If you're in the Boston-Cambridge area this fall, check out JMill's Tough Tech On Tap, presented by The End Effector! 

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support. We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

📺Watch on YouTube

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Noel Goddard
  • Host: JMill
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill
]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/networking-the-quantum-internet/ Noel Goddard, Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-15670723 Fri, 30 Aug 2024 17:00:00 -0400 3067 4 5 full false Leading the century of atoms, featuring Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga of SandboxAQ Leading the century of atoms, featuring Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga of SandboxAQ Melding quantum mechanics with artificial intelligence is going to change how we understand our world.

Several years ago, a small team was pursuing a deeper understanding of the quantum sciences while tracking advancements in machine intelligence. Combining two complex and misunderstood fields of study, Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga, Vice President, and his colleagues formed SandboxAQ, a growing juggernaut in materials discovery, cybersecurity, computational simulation, and so much more. 

This episode is our first among several in which we examine the quantum sciences. Percolating in the burgeoning overlap between artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics, the potential areas of overlap can appear, to an outsider, to be disconnected or unfocused. However, as Fernando reveals in our conversation, there is a core upon which they are learning, building, and educating. With “the century of atoms” ahead, join us  as we learn about security, navigation, and the science of discovery.


]]> Melding quantum mechanics with artificial intelligence is going to change how we understand our world.

Several years ago, a small team was pursuing a deeper understanding of the quantum sciences while tracking advancements in machine intelligence. Combining two complex and misunderstood fields of study, Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga, Vice President, and his colleagues formed SandboxAQ, a growing juggernaut in materials discovery, cybersecurity, computational simulation, and so much more. 

This episode is our first among several in which we examine the quantum sciences. Percolating in the burgeoning overlap between artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics, the potential areas of overlap can appear, to an outsider, to be disconnected or unfocused. However, as Fernando reveals in our conversation, there is a core upon which they are learning, building, and educating. With “the century of atoms” ahead, join us  as we learn about security, navigation, and the science of discovery.


]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/leading-the-century-of-atoms/ Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga, Jonathan Miller, and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-15226889 Tue, 11 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400 2860 4 4 full false Cultivating billion-dollar narwhals, featuring Adam de Sola Pool Cultivating billion-dollar narwhals, featuring Adam de Sola Pool Where is the money in oceanographic research?

Fundamental understanding of the watery parts of our planet (i.e. most of it) is woefully under pursued. However, just as it seems some ocean systems are almost falling apart – coral bleaching, rising tides, species extinctions – we are beginning to see more attention paid to exploring the depths.

"There will be unicorns of the ocean, very successful companies which we call ‘narwhals’,” Adam de Sala Pool told us. A Special Advisor to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, de Sala Pool has seen a similar situation before: he was an early investor into what we now call climate tech. Commercial incentives can be incredibly useful when aligned with solving global challenges, and so, with growing anticipation, we may be on the cusp of having a new generation of ocean-oriented startups that could become billion dollar companies.

“This is not for the faint of heart but [ocean investments] will eventually be as successful as clean tech has been. [Oceans] cover 70% of the planet and… everything you can do on land you will be able to do in the ocean.” Near-shore commercial activities are in the works, with farther-out prospecting for how to extend humanity’s capabilities into the depths – while becoming ever more aware of how to preserve the health and integrity of our living seas.

P.S. Thank you to our episode sponsor, The End Effector! JMill will be decoding deep tech over there, so join the mailing list to get read-in. Also check out Tough Tech On Tap!

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Adam de Sola Pool
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill. Background seabed graphic credit: Center for Environmental Visualization, University of Washington
]]> Where is the money in oceanographic research?

Fundamental understanding of the watery parts of our planet (i.e. most of it) is woefully under pursued. However, just as it seems some ocean systems are almost falling apart – coral bleaching, rising tides, species extinctions – we are beginning to see more attention paid to exploring the depths.

"There will be unicorns of the ocean, very successful companies which we call ‘narwhals’,” Adam de Sala Pool told us. A Special Advisor to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, de Sala Pool has seen a similar situation before: he was an early investor into what we now call climate tech. Commercial incentives can be incredibly useful when aligned with solving global challenges, and so, with growing anticipation, we may be on the cusp of having a new generation of ocean-oriented startups that could become billion dollar companies.

“This is not for the faint of heart but [ocean investments] will eventually be as successful as clean tech has been. [Oceans] cover 70% of the planet and… everything you can do on land you will be able to do in the ocean.” Near-shore commercial activities are in the works, with farther-out prospecting for how to extend humanity’s capabilities into the depths – while becoming ever more aware of how to preserve the health and integrity of our living seas.

P.S. Thank you to our episode sponsor, The End Effector! JMill will be decoding deep tech over there, so join the mailing list to get read-in. Also check out Tough Tech On Tap!

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Adam de Sola Pool
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill. Background seabed graphic credit: Center for Environmental Visualization, University of Washington
]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/cultivating-billion-dollar-narwhals Adam de Sola Pool, Jonathan "JMill" Miller, and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-15017740 Tue, 07 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400 2595 4 3 full false Reimagining coastal transportation, featuring Billy Thalheimer of REGENT Craft Reimagining coastal transportation, featuring Billy Thalheimer of REGENT Craft It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… technically a flying boat! 
When challenged to imagine how to electrify aviation, Billy Thalheimer, CEO and co-founder of REGENT Craft, and his team set to work looking at what has been done with hydroplanes before – and what emerging technologies are available today that change the equation for what is possible and economically achievable.

“Building with atoms is harder than building with bits. You can’t just revert to your last code push,” Mr. Thalheimer told us. “Early on, it was really just finding those investors that ‘got’ tough tech.” And such investors he did find, bringing in allied capital with hands-on operational experience running manufacturing, aviation, and maritime businesses.

REGENT Craft is settling into its expanding headquarters in Rhode Island, where the team enjoys the benefits of its specially-chosen locale: access to the U.S.A’s top naval composites experts, aerospace giants, and deep-rooted talent pools in avionics, software, and other key capabilities needed to make nontraditional vessels glide above the seas. 

With the potential to fundamentally change how goods and people are shuttled along coastal communities globally, REGENT has been carefully fusing together a team of interdisciplinary specialists. While it may not be the astronaut career Mr. Thalheimer originally envisioned, it sure is an exciting ride!


P.S. Thank you to our episode sponsor, The End Effector! JMill will be decoding deep tech over there, so join the mailing list to get read-in.

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. Mariemma, you're our newest Pioneer! We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to follow Mariemma’s example, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

]]> It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… technically a flying boat! 
When challenged to imagine how to electrify aviation, Billy Thalheimer, CEO and co-founder of REGENT Craft, and his team set to work looking at what has been done with hydroplanes before – and what emerging technologies are available today that change the equation for what is possible and economically achievable.

“Building with atoms is harder than building with bits. You can’t just revert to your last code push,” Mr. Thalheimer told us. “Early on, it was really just finding those investors that ‘got’ tough tech.” And such investors he did find, bringing in allied capital with hands-on operational experience running manufacturing, aviation, and maritime businesses.

REGENT Craft is settling into its expanding headquarters in Rhode Island, where the team enjoys the benefits of its specially-chosen locale: access to the U.S.A’s top naval composites experts, aerospace giants, and deep-rooted talent pools in avionics, software, and other key capabilities needed to make nontraditional vessels glide above the seas. 

With the potential to fundamentally change how goods and people are shuttled along coastal communities globally, REGENT has been carefully fusing together a team of interdisciplinary specialists. While it may not be the astronaut career Mr. Thalheimer originally envisioned, it sure is an exciting ride!


P.S. Thank you to our episode sponsor, The End Effector! JMill will be decoding deep tech over there, so join the mailing list to get read-in.

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. Mariemma, you're our newest Pioneer! We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to follow Mariemma’s example, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/reimagining-coastal-transportation/ Billy Thalheimer, Jonathan "JMill" Miller, and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-14687153 Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:00:00 -0400 1839 maritime, hydroplane, ekranoplane, bluetech 4 2 full false Deploying undersea explorers, featuring Jeff Smith of Saab Deploying undersea explorers, featuring Jeff Smith of Saab The blue parts of our planet are beautiful yet stunningly punishing for even our toughest of technologies.


Dark, crushing, unexplored, and unknown – the depths of the seas are where an explorer like Jeff Smith has devoted his career to understanding. As the Vice President and General Manager of Autonomous and Undersea Systems at Saab, Inc., Smith has experience developing submersibles of nearly every shape and size, including some of the most advanced systems for remotely-operated and autonomous research vessels. 


A distinguished figure in the undersea robotics realm, Smith brings a wealth of experience from his involvement in innovative startups and contributions to significant projects supporting the US Navy and other long-standing partners in ocean exploration. His journey, inspired by childhood memories of Jacques Cousteau's adventures, has led him to a career where his passion for the seas intersects with cutting-edge technology, embodying the adage that when you do what you love, it hardly feels like work.


Our conversation with Smith offers an insightful look into the challenges and opportunities within ‘blue technologies’. He highlights the critical role of autonomy and robotics in probing and protecting over 70% of the Earth's surface covered by oceans. His work developing cost-effective undersea systems underscores the importance of practical approaches in advancing our understanding and capabilities in marine environments. Smith also shares his entrepreneurial journey, from his start with a credit card and a dream to building Riptide Autonomous Solutions (acquired by BAE Systems), a major force in the unmanned undersea vehicle space. 


This episode not only peers into the technical aspects of undersea exploration but also touches on the broader implications for environmental conservation and defense. Smith’s emphasis on the need for continued innovation, especially in battery technology and onboard machine intelligence, points to a future where autonomous undersea vehicles play a pivotal role in addressing some of the planet's most pressing challenges. This conversation with Jeff Smith not only educates but also inspires, reminding us of the vast, unexplored frontiers beneath the waves and the tough tech required to navigate them safely.


P.S. Thank you to our episode sponsor, The End Effector! JMill will be decoding deep tech over there, so join the mailing list to get read-in.


P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to follow Erika’s example, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

]]> The blue parts of our planet are beautiful yet stunningly punishing for even our toughest of technologies.


Dark, crushing, unexplored, and unknown – the depths of the seas are where an explorer like Jeff Smith has devoted his career to understanding. As the Vice President and General Manager of Autonomous and Undersea Systems at Saab, Inc., Smith has experience developing submersibles of nearly every shape and size, including some of the most advanced systems for remotely-operated and autonomous research vessels. 


A distinguished figure in the undersea robotics realm, Smith brings a wealth of experience from his involvement in innovative startups and contributions to significant projects supporting the US Navy and other long-standing partners in ocean exploration. His journey, inspired by childhood memories of Jacques Cousteau's adventures, has led him to a career where his passion for the seas intersects with cutting-edge technology, embodying the adage that when you do what you love, it hardly feels like work.


Our conversation with Smith offers an insightful look into the challenges and opportunities within ‘blue technologies’. He highlights the critical role of autonomy and robotics in probing and protecting over 70% of the Earth's surface covered by oceans. His work developing cost-effective undersea systems underscores the importance of practical approaches in advancing our understanding and capabilities in marine environments. Smith also shares his entrepreneurial journey, from his start with a credit card and a dream to building Riptide Autonomous Solutions (acquired by BAE Systems), a major force in the unmanned undersea vehicle space. 


This episode not only peers into the technical aspects of undersea exploration but also touches on the broader implications for environmental conservation and defense. Smith’s emphasis on the need for continued innovation, especially in battery technology and onboard machine intelligence, points to a future where autonomous undersea vehicles play a pivotal role in addressing some of the planet's most pressing challenges. This conversation with Jeff Smith not only educates but also inspires, reminding us of the vast, unexplored frontiers beneath the waves and the tough tech required to navigate them safely.


P.S. Thank you to our episode sponsor, The End Effector! JMill will be decoding deep tech over there, so join the mailing list to get read-in.


P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to follow Erika’s example, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/deploying-undersea-explorers Jonathan 'JMill' Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Jeff Smith Buzzsprout-14495331 Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0500 3294 4 1 full false Tough Tech Today Season 4 Preview: Exploring Oceans, Quantum Realms, and Machine Intelligence Tough Tech Today Season 4 Preview: Exploring Oceans, Quantum Realms, and Machine Intelligence Tough Tech Today is transitioning seasons, recapping our Season 3 themes exploring the tough tech domains of biology, space, and fusion energy. We are also preparing for the show's fourth season and we are really excited for it!

Upcoming themes:

  • Blue tech – The advanced technologies of the maritime industry. Incredible machines, sustainable oceans, and mysteries to solve in our planet's seas.
  • Quantum sciences – A wild world where physics gets weird, we are super curious about opportunities in computing, sensing, and communication.
  • Artificial Intelligence – While it was only fairly recently that "A.I." has debuted on the pop-culture zeitgeist, for years tech trailblazers have been developing incredible applications of machine intelligence to solve our world's toughest challenges.

Thank you, our Season 3 guests!

  • BioTech
    • New Equilibrium Biosciences - Virginia Burger
    • Elevian - Mark Allen
    • Concerto Biosciences - Cheri Ackerman
  • Space
    • Space Capital - Chad Anderson
    • Mithril Technologies - Scarlett Koller
    • Arkenstone Ventures/USAF USSF - Preston Dunlap
  • Fusion
    • Proxima Fusion - Francesco Sciortino
    • TDK Ventures / Type One Energy - Tina Tosukhowong
    • Focused Energy - Thomas Forner and Pravesh Patel

P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to level-up your support of our work, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

]]> Tough Tech Today is transitioning seasons, recapping our Season 3 themes exploring the tough tech domains of biology, space, and fusion energy. We are also preparing for the show's fourth season and we are really excited for it!

Upcoming themes:

  • Blue tech – The advanced technologies of the maritime industry. Incredible machines, sustainable oceans, and mysteries to solve in our planet's seas.
  • Quantum sciences – A wild world where physics gets weird, we are super curious about opportunities in computing, sensing, and communication.
  • Artificial Intelligence – While it was only fairly recently that "A.I." has debuted on the pop-culture zeitgeist, for years tech trailblazers have been developing incredible applications of machine intelligence to solve our world's toughest challenges.

Thank you, our Season 3 guests!

  • BioTech
    • New Equilibrium Biosciences - Virginia Burger
    • Elevian - Mark Allen
    • Concerto Biosciences - Cheri Ackerman
  • Space
    • Space Capital - Chad Anderson
    • Mithril Technologies - Scarlett Koller
    • Arkenstone Ventures/USAF USSF - Preston Dunlap
  • Fusion
    • Proxima Fusion - Francesco Sciortino
    • TDK Ventures / Type One Energy - Tina Tosukhowong
    • Focused Energy - Thomas Forner and Pravesh Patel

P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to level-up your support of our work, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/season-4-preview/ Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-14273162 Tue, 09 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500 812 3 10 full false Fusing atoms with lasers, featuring Thomas Forner and Pravesh Patel of Focused Energy Fusing atoms with lasers, featuring Thomas Forner and Pravesh Patel of Focused Energy If this company perfectly combines lasers and atoms, the reaction could be worth trillions of dollars.

Focused Energy’s Thomas Forner, CEO, and Pravesh Patel, CTO, join us to talk about making lasers. Lots and lots of lasers. But for what aim? They are pointing hundreds of directed beams at a tiny target: a millimeter-sized plastic capsule of deuterium and tritium, about the size of a peppercorn. These experiments may reveal a commercial pathway to grid-scale fusion energy. In contrast to other pursuits for nearly limitless clean energy such as stellarators and tokamaks, our third installment of the Tough Tech Today fusion series spotlights Focused Energy’s inertial approach to excite hydrogen isotopes. 

Uniquely straddling the Atlantic to tap into specialized talent pools in Austin, Texas, and Darmstadt, Germany, this team is leveraging discoveries from top fusion labs in the U.S. and Europe. The company has spun out of the Technical University of Darmstadt and combined with talent from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where the first net energy gain from nuclear fusion was demonstrated in 2022.

In a planet hungry for energy, the company aims to generate significant revenues within a few years, fast-tracking commercialization of fusion energy while tapping into early revenues streams Focused Energy is deriving from testing other organizations’ technologies, cleaning up nuclear waste, and providing other valuable services as the company matures its laser drivers, high-gain ignition facility, and, eventually, establishes a pilot power plant. It is a lot of progress for a venture that has raised $82 million to date, including closing an $11 million Series A in 2023. From maintaining a permanent presence among regulators in Washington, D.C., to working with other energy companies to ‘educate the market’ about why fusion energy is now a venture-class investment opportunity, Forner, Patel, and the Focused Energy team exemplify a multinational collaboration of some of the world’s top minds.

P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to level-up your support of our work, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

🔖Topic Timecodes:

[1:50] Focused Energy’s approach to fusion
[6:07] Differences from WX-7
[7:41] Magnetic vs. inertial fusion
[11:16] How ignition discovery changed the inertial fusion industry
[12:46] Focused’s focus
[14:18] Biggest misconception about fusion in venture capital
[17:52] Comparison of risks between fusion, fission, and autonomous driving industry
[20:57] Developing in public vs private sector
[24:48] Founding story of Focused Energy
[28:23] Working between US and Germany
[34:30] Balancing cooperation and competition
[36:16] Connections to government and politics
[40:10] What’s on the whiteboard
[41:53] Number one technology priority for Focused Energy
[43:28] How does inertial fusion work?
[48:30] Focused Energy is hiring




🧠Relevant Links:


👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guests: Thomas Forner and Pravesh Patel
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill
  • Blog Auth
]]> If this company perfectly combines lasers and atoms, the reaction could be worth trillions of dollars.

Focused Energy’s Thomas Forner, CEO, and Pravesh Patel, CTO, join us to talk about making lasers. Lots and lots of lasers. But for what aim? They are pointing hundreds of directed beams at a tiny target: a millimeter-sized plastic capsule of deuterium and tritium, about the size of a peppercorn. These experiments may reveal a commercial pathway to grid-scale fusion energy. In contrast to other pursuits for nearly limitless clean energy such as stellarators and tokamaks, our third installment of the Tough Tech Today fusion series spotlights Focused Energy’s inertial approach to excite hydrogen isotopes. 

Uniquely straddling the Atlantic to tap into specialized talent pools in Austin, Texas, and Darmstadt, Germany, this team is leveraging discoveries from top fusion labs in the U.S. and Europe. The company has spun out of the Technical University of Darmstadt and combined with talent from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where the first net energy gain from nuclear fusion was demonstrated in 2022.

In a planet hungry for energy, the company aims to generate significant revenues within a few years, fast-tracking commercialization of fusion energy while tapping into early revenues streams Focused Energy is deriving from testing other organizations’ technologies, cleaning up nuclear waste, and providing other valuable services as the company matures its laser drivers, high-gain ignition facility, and, eventually, establishes a pilot power plant. It is a lot of progress for a venture that has raised $82 million to date, including closing an $11 million Series A in 2023. From maintaining a permanent presence among regulators in Washington, D.C., to working with other energy companies to ‘educate the market’ about why fusion energy is now a venture-class investment opportunity, Forner, Patel, and the Focused Energy team exemplify a multinational collaboration of some of the world’s top minds.

P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to level-up your support of our work, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

🔖Topic Timecodes:

[1:50] Focused Energy’s approach to fusion
[6:07] Differences from WX-7
[7:41] Magnetic vs. inertial fusion
[11:16] How ignition discovery changed the inertial fusion industry
[12:46] Focused’s focus
[14:18] Biggest misconception about fusion in venture capital
[17:52] Comparison of risks between fusion, fission, and autonomous driving industry
[20:57] Developing in public vs private sector
[24:48] Founding story of Focused Energy
[28:23] Working between US and Germany
[34:30] Balancing cooperation and competition
[36:16] Connections to government and politics
[40:10] What’s on the whiteboard
[41:53] Number one technology priority for Focused Energy
[43:28] How does inertial fusion work?
[48:30] Focused Energy is hiring




🧠Relevant Links:


👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guests: Thomas Forner and Pravesh Patel
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: JMill
  • Blog Auth
]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/fusing-atoms-with-lasers/ Thomas Forner, Pravesh Patel, Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-14129963 Tue, 12 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500 3033 3 9 full false Bringing fusion to the grid, featuring Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures Bringing fusion to the grid, featuring Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures Investors are betting big on clean energy becoming the norm.

Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures joins us for a review of the major approaches to curbing carbon emissions in hard-to-abate industries. A thorough assessment led Tosukhowong to opportunities for practical, grid-scale fusion. TDK Ventures invested in Type One Energy Group, a private fusion company affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their stellarator-based design is one of several that have emerged in recent years, with the Type One team and their thesis-driven backers like Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures being among the leaders of commercial fusion approaches in the United States.

TDK Ventures is pursuing “big ticket items that contribute to climate change”, Tosukhowong states, including  aviation, shipping, cement, steel, industrial heat, and the overall building sector. Each is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, each is foundational to our society’s operation, and each is in the crosshairs of tough tech startups looking to preserve the habitability of our planet for future generations. 

]]> Investors are betting big on clean energy becoming the norm.

Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures joins us for a review of the major approaches to curbing carbon emissions in hard-to-abate industries. A thorough assessment led Tosukhowong to opportunities for practical, grid-scale fusion. TDK Ventures invested in Type One Energy Group, a private fusion company affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their stellarator-based design is one of several that have emerged in recent years, with the Type One team and their thesis-driven backers like Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures being among the leaders of commercial fusion approaches in the United States.

TDK Ventures is pursuing “big ticket items that contribute to climate change”, Tosukhowong states, including  aviation, shipping, cement, steel, industrial heat, and the overall building sector. Each is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, each is foundational to our society’s operation, and each is in the crosshairs of tough tech startups looking to preserve the habitability of our planet for future generations. 

]]> Tina Tosukhowong, Jonathan "JMill" Miller, and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-13967119 Tue, 14 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500 2736 fusion, TDK Ventures, Type One Energy Group, grid, decarbonization, venture capital 3 8 full false The Star Machine: How Proxima Fusion is Powering the Sustainable Grid! Featuring Francesco Sciortino The Star Machine: How Proxima Fusion is Powering the Sustainable Grid! Featuring Francesco Sciortino How do we harness the power of the stars to deliver clean energy on Earth?


It has been a collective goal – and, perhaps, an impending imperative – for human civilization to secure renewable energy sources for its present and future needs. The team at Proxima Fusion (https://www.proximafusion.com/about), led by co-founder and CEO Francesco Sciortino (https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-sciortino-aa340180/), is focused on one approach to build a fusion power plant. Their use of a “stellarator”, a wildly complex machine that until recently has been literally impossible to build, could prove the economic viability of the design and its underlying physics. 


Headquartered in the booming ‘tough tech’ center of Munich, Germany, and drawing in expertise globally, Francesco shares with us how his team of scientist-engineers are leveraging prior learnings from tokamak systems as well as integrating institutional knowledge from their stellarator’s predecessor, the famed Wendelstein 7-X reactor built by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.


P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. Special shoutout to Erika – you are our first Advocate member. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to follow Erika’s example, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!


🧠Relevant Links:


👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Francesco Sciortino
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill (stellarator icon credit Olena Panasovska)


🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • [forthcoming]


📖Transcript:

Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/cEyXpgYNFKgTPRZWbR78cvc-88A

]]> How do we harness the power of the stars to deliver clean energy on Earth?


It has been a collective goal – and, perhaps, an impending imperative – for human civilization to secure renewable energy sources for its present and future needs. The team at Proxima Fusion (https://www.proximafusion.com/about), led by co-founder and CEO Francesco Sciortino (https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-sciortino-aa340180/), is focused on one approach to build a fusion power plant. Their use of a “stellarator”, a wildly complex machine that until recently has been literally impossible to build, could prove the economic viability of the design and its underlying physics. 


Headquartered in the booming ‘tough tech’ center of Munich, Germany, and drawing in expertise globally, Francesco shares with us how his team of scientist-engineers are leveraging prior learnings from tokamak systems as well as integrating institutional knowledge from their stellarator’s predecessor, the famed Wendelstein 7-X reactor built by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.


P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. Special shoutout to Erika – you are our first Advocate member. We really appreciate your support! If you’d like to follow Erika’s example, take a look at our pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!


🧠Relevant Links:


👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Francesco Sciortino
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill (stellarator icon credit Olena Panasovska)


🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • [forthcoming]


📖Transcript:

Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/cEyXpgYNFKgTPRZWbR78cvc-88A

]]> Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-13745964 Tue, 10 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0400 3551 3 7 full false Mastering Billion-Dollar Tech Investments & Galactic Defense 💸🛰️👾 featuring Preston Dunlap Mastering Billion-Dollar Tech Investments & Galactic Defense 💸🛰️👾 featuring Preston Dunlap Standing up a space force within the world’s largest bureaucracy is not for the faint of heart.

Preston Dunlap – former (and first) Chief Architect / Chief Technology Officer of the United States Air Force and Space Force and present CEO of Arkenstone Ventures – has developed a privileged view into the government machinations necessary to design, develop, and buy the right mix of tough tech capabilities. Mission-focused and multidisciplinary, Dunlap and the organizations in which he engaged at the most senior levels have commanded hundreds of billions of dollars in defense acquisitions.

A curious combination of computer scientist, operations researcher, and international relations practitioner, Dunlap walks us through his approach to investing vast amounts of capital into companies and organizations big and small. We also discuss what it is like working within the government, aligning and mobilizing tremendous human resources to solve some of the biggest challenges facing the United States… which may or may not include actual space invaders.
P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks! 

🎧Listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169378/13570194-architecting-the-space-force-with-preston-dunlap-of-arkenstone-ventures 

🧠Relevant Links:


👏Credit Roll: 
Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
Guest: Preston Dunlap
Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
Editing: JMill
Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
Blog Author: JMill
Art Design: JMill (Space Force emblem credit to United States Space Force.)

🔖Topic Timecodes:
[2:08] What is Arkenstone Ventures?

[4:58] Most exciting technology areas

[7:47] Thoughts on government and VC investments in space

[14:02] New emerging phenomena, e.g. unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs)

[19:21] Bringing companies on board and helping them grow

[25:25] How starting Arkenstone was different than joining another company

[31:34] Biggest challenges as CTO of Air Force and Space Force

[37:39] Staying up to date and knowledgeable about many systems and sciences

[42:31] Does Preston spend time trying to predict the future of tech?

[46:08] Dealing with setbacks

[50:46] The name and ethos of Arkenstone Ventures 

[53:04] Preston’s closing thoughts



📖Transcript:
Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/orLilBYuMDszJkz8bsif89OoNMA

]]> Standing up a space force within the world’s largest bureaucracy is not for the faint of heart.

Preston Dunlap – former (and first) Chief Architect / Chief Technology Officer of the United States Air Force and Space Force and present CEO of Arkenstone Ventures – has developed a privileged view into the government machinations necessary to design, develop, and buy the right mix of tough tech capabilities. Mission-focused and multidisciplinary, Dunlap and the organizations in which he engaged at the most senior levels have commanded hundreds of billions of dollars in defense acquisitions.

A curious combination of computer scientist, operations researcher, and international relations practitioner, Dunlap walks us through his approach to investing vast amounts of capital into companies and organizations big and small. We also discuss what it is like working within the government, aligning and mobilizing tremendous human resources to solve some of the biggest challenges facing the United States… which may or may not include actual space invaders.
P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks! 

🎧Listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169378/13570194-architecting-the-space-force-with-preston-dunlap-of-arkenstone-ventures 

🧠Relevant Links:


👏Credit Roll: 
Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
Guest: Preston Dunlap
Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
Editing: JMill
Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
Blog Author: JMill
Art Design: JMill (Space Force emblem credit to United States Space Force.)

🔖Topic Timecodes:
[2:08] What is Arkenstone Ventures?

[4:58] Most exciting technology areas

[7:47] Thoughts on government and VC investments in space

[14:02] New emerging phenomena, e.g. unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs)

[19:21] Bringing companies on board and helping them grow

[25:25] How starting Arkenstone was different than joining another company

[31:34] Biggest challenges as CTO of Air Force and Space Force

[37:39] Staying up to date and knowledgeable about many systems and sciences

[42:31] Does Preston spend time trying to predict the future of tech?

[46:08] Dealing with setbacks

[50:46] The name and ethos of Arkenstone Ventures 

[53:04] Preston’s closing thoughts



📖Transcript:
Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/orLilBYuMDszJkz8bsif89OoNMA

]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/architecting-the-space-force/ Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-13570194 Tue, 12 Sep 2023 06:00:00 -0400 3531 3 6 full false Tracking weather from space, featuring Scarlett Koller of Mithril Technologies Tracking weather from space, featuring Scarlett Koller of Mithril Technologies An early-stage startup will offer unparalleled weather data when it unfolds its orbital sensors.

Captivated by the stars and focused on improving life on Earth, Mithril Technologies founder and CEO, Scarlett Koller, is venturing into weather awareness and storm tracking by launching and commercializing a large space-based sensor. In this episode, we have the privilege of learning how Koller and her co-founder are translating a new technology out of the lab and into a space business.

Aviation, shipping, insurance, and defense industries are each keen to get better clarity on Earth’s complex atmosphere at any given place and time. Where we currently get a partial image once a day, Mithril's technology offers nearly a complete image per second, a significant improvement that could have profound implications for disaster management. Utilizing microwave radiometry and with an incredible ambition to create huge 100-meter-diameter orbiting reflectors, Mithril’s platform would change the way storms are tracked by providing real-time images of the whole internal structure of a storm. Such holistic data is not available today, as some of the best approaches over the decades continues to be the reliance on specialized flight crews to fly instrumented airplanes through a storm… a risky, imperfect strategy that only provides incomplete snapshots of a storm system. Likewise, satellite imagery to-date provides only slivers of a weather pattern.

Though complex and fraught with challenges, the allure of space and its relationship to our planet inspires and drives tough tech trailblazers like Koller. With Mithril, she hopes to make an impact in the field of Earth observation and contribute to the realization of humankind's space dreams.

P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks! 

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Scarlett Koller
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • timecodes will be available after release.

📖Transcript:

Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/93uhbOa_QUnHu3_8HDut2FamviI

]]> An early-stage startup will offer unparalleled weather data when it unfolds its orbital sensors.

Captivated by the stars and focused on improving life on Earth, Mithril Technologies founder and CEO, Scarlett Koller, is venturing into weather awareness and storm tracking by launching and commercializing a large space-based sensor. In this episode, we have the privilege of learning how Koller and her co-founder are translating a new technology out of the lab and into a space business.

Aviation, shipping, insurance, and defense industries are each keen to get better clarity on Earth’s complex atmosphere at any given place and time. Where we currently get a partial image once a day, Mithril's technology offers nearly a complete image per second, a significant improvement that could have profound implications for disaster management. Utilizing microwave radiometry and with an incredible ambition to create huge 100-meter-diameter orbiting reflectors, Mithril’s platform would change the way storms are tracked by providing real-time images of the whole internal structure of a storm. Such holistic data is not available today, as some of the best approaches over the decades continues to be the reliance on specialized flight crews to fly instrumented airplanes through a storm… a risky, imperfect strategy that only provides incomplete snapshots of a storm system. Likewise, satellite imagery to-date provides only slivers of a weather pattern.

Though complex and fraught with challenges, the allure of space and its relationship to our planet inspires and drives tough tech trailblazers like Koller. With Mithril, she hopes to make an impact in the field of Earth observation and contribute to the realization of humankind's space dreams.

P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks! 

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Scarlett Koller
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • timecodes will be available after release.

📖Transcript:

Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/93uhbOa_QUnHu3_8HDut2FamviI

]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/tracking-weather-from-space/ Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-13357482 Tue, 08 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400 3095 3 5 full false Betting on Space, featuring Chad Anderson of Space Capital Betting on Space, featuring Chad Anderson of Space Capital In one sentence: The space economy is booming in more ways than one.
Space-based assets are changing the way industries operate on Earth. Chad Anderson – Founder and Managing Partner at Space Capital – is one of those individuals who has a deep perspective on the what it is like backing the entrepreneurs who are launching the newest breed of space companies.
An investor by profession and explorer by passion, Anderson relates to us how “the economy of the future” will be built on global positioning systems, geospatial intelligence, and communications.
To paraphrase the title of a book by Ashlee Vance, the heavens have gone on sale. Anderson’s evangelism is perhaps not only warranted, but perhaps fully validated, as exhibited by his and his team’s early investments in mature startups such as Planet and LeoLabs and younger companies such as Quantum Exchange and Lunar Outpost. (Note that Lunar Outpost is Tough Tech Today co-host Forrest Meyen’s company, which we covered in episode 9 with the founder and CEO, Justin Cyrus.)
We also learn about Anderson’s unique experiences concocting whiskey and mezcal in pursuit of adventure and cultural discovery.

P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

🧠Relevant Links:
Episode homepage: https://www.toughtechtoday.com/betting-on-space/
Chad Anderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadson/
Space Capital homepage: https://www.spacecapital.com

👏Credit Roll: 
Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
Guest: Chad Anderson
Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
Editing: JMill
Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
Blog Author: JMill
Art Design: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • [0:51] Chad Anderson’s bio and story
  • [07:21] Recent transformations in the space market
  • [10:55] Space Capital’s first investment
  • [14:37] Identified the most promising seed stage startups
  • [17:22] How time horizons affect investing in early-stage space startups
  • [23:05] How awareness about space is affecting companies and markets
  • [27:30] More applications for space, namely satellite communications
  • [31:02] Space Capital's investment in Rendered.ai
  • [37:59] Toughest technology challenges to solve in space
  • [45:17] Geopolitical subtext to commercial space pursuits
  • [52:44] Chad’s side projects



📖Transcript:
Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/1LGDcrnMBxtkqjzd9QvvfS5Toq4

]]> In one sentence: The space economy is booming in more ways than one.
Space-based assets are changing the way industries operate on Earth. Chad Anderson – Founder and Managing Partner at Space Capital – is one of those individuals who has a deep perspective on the what it is like backing the entrepreneurs who are launching the newest breed of space companies.
An investor by profession and explorer by passion, Anderson relates to us how “the economy of the future” will be built on global positioning systems, geospatial intelligence, and communications.
To paraphrase the title of a book by Ashlee Vance, the heavens have gone on sale. Anderson’s evangelism is perhaps not only warranted, but perhaps fully validated, as exhibited by his and his team’s early investments in mature startups such as Planet and LeoLabs and younger companies such as Quantum Exchange and Lunar Outpost. (Note that Lunar Outpost is Tough Tech Today co-host Forrest Meyen’s company, which we covered in episode 9 with the founder and CEO, Justin Cyrus.)
We also learn about Anderson’s unique experiences concocting whiskey and mezcal in pursuit of adventure and cultural discovery.

P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

🧠Relevant Links:
Episode homepage: https://www.toughtechtoday.com/betting-on-space/
Chad Anderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadson/
Space Capital homepage: https://www.spacecapital.com

👏Credit Roll: 
Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
Guest: Chad Anderson
Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
Editing: JMill
Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
Blog Author: JMill
Art Design: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • [0:51] Chad Anderson’s bio and story
  • [07:21] Recent transformations in the space market
  • [10:55] Space Capital’s first investment
  • [14:37] Identified the most promising seed stage startups
  • [17:22] How time horizons affect investing in early-stage space startups
  • [23:05] How awareness about space is affecting companies and markets
  • [27:30] More applications for space, namely satellite communications
  • [31:02] Space Capital's investment in Rendered.ai
  • [37:59] Toughest technology challenges to solve in space
  • [45:17] Geopolitical subtext to commercial space pursuits
  • [52:44] Chad’s side projects



📖Transcript:
Transcript is viewable here: https://otter.ai/u/1LGDcrnMBxtkqjzd9QvvfS5Toq4

]]> Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-13195936 Tue, 11 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400 3569 3 4 full false Orchestrating microbes, featuring Cheri Ackerman of Concerto Biosciences Orchestrating microbes, featuring Cheri Ackerman of Concerto Biosciences In one sentence... The interactions of the microbial world within us has been incredibly difficult to see – until now.

From the depths of our intestines to the surface of our skin, our bodies are host to trillions of microbial cells spanning thousands of species. While critical to helping us to fend off illnesses and digest complex foods, we know very little about the complex interactions among these microbes.

The team at Concerto Biosciences, led by CEO and Cofounder Cheri Ackerman, has put in place a key step in advancing the understanding of ourselves: a system, the “kChip”, that enables measurement of the interactions that occur among a multitude of species. The result of Concerto Biosciences’s high-throughput, combinatorial approach includes new medications, better health outcomes, and the early glimpses into previously undiscovered relationships occurring in and among every living creature, with fascinating applications beyond therapeutics such as within agriculture. Building an ensemble of microbial species and orchestrating them for a particular purpose is non-trivial and previously unimaginable. Much works remains, as it is difficult to capture real-world bacterial diversity or environmental complexity, but the kChip platform and library of multifactorial interactions enables a robust foundation for new research and development.

Dr. Ackerman and her colleagues have set their company’s sight on first addressing imbalances with the skin microbiome, with particular attention on developing a sophisticated yogurt-like topical treatment for eczema. We dive deep into how this all works, from the invention of the kChips’ droplets-based platform to how the raw technology is maturing past its origins in an academic research lab.

P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks! 

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Cheri Ackerman
  • Hosts: JMill, Forrest Meyen, Malvika Verma Miller
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • [2:12] Introduction to kChip and why it matters
  • [5:57] Range of microbes the kChip can test
  • [8:31] Cheri’s cofounder, working from Killian Court at MIT
  • [9:27] Physicality of the kChip
  • [10:34] Business aspects of Concerto
  • [13:35] Manufacturing the kChip and scaling experiments
  • [14:50] Invention of kChip and toughest technical challenge at Concerto
  • [16:33] Different markets for kChip, different microbiomes
  • [18:49] Complexity of these microbiomes and how well kChip approximates a microbiome, e.g. skin microbiome
  • [22:40] Value creation of Concerto
  • [24:32] Who owns the data and do Concerto’s partners care about it?
  • [26:17] Ag tech applications of microbes
  • [30:29] Microbes and relationship to synthetic biology
  • [33:33] Delivery mechanism and formulation of Concerto’s products
  • [35:07] Post-Series A. Focusing on eczema and then platform development
  • [36:14] Out-licensing at Concerto
  • [39:36] Upcoming technical milestones
  • [43:12] Cheri’s responsibilities, past experiences
]]> In one sentence... The interactions of the microbial world within us has been incredibly difficult to see – until now.

From the depths of our intestines to the surface of our skin, our bodies are host to trillions of microbial cells spanning thousands of species. While critical to helping us to fend off illnesses and digest complex foods, we know very little about the complex interactions among these microbes.

The team at Concerto Biosciences, led by CEO and Cofounder Cheri Ackerman, has put in place a key step in advancing the understanding of ourselves: a system, the “kChip”, that enables measurement of the interactions that occur among a multitude of species. The result of Concerto Biosciences’s high-throughput, combinatorial approach includes new medications, better health outcomes, and the early glimpses into previously undiscovered relationships occurring in and among every living creature, with fascinating applications beyond therapeutics such as within agriculture. Building an ensemble of microbial species and orchestrating them for a particular purpose is non-trivial and previously unimaginable. Much works remains, as it is difficult to capture real-world bacterial diversity or environmental complexity, but the kChip platform and library of multifactorial interactions enables a robust foundation for new research and development.

Dr. Ackerman and her colleagues have set their company’s sight on first addressing imbalances with the skin microbiome, with particular attention on developing a sophisticated yogurt-like topical treatment for eczema. We dive deep into how this all works, from the invention of the kChips’ droplets-based platform to how the raw technology is maturing past its origins in an academic research lab.

P.S. Tough Tech Today is now open to patron support, so we have launched a pay-if-you-can membership so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks! 

🧠Relevant Links:

👏Credit Roll: 

  • Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Guest: Cheri Ackerman
  • Hosts: JMill, Forrest Meyen, Malvika Verma Miller
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

🔖Topic Timecodes:

  • [2:12] Introduction to kChip and why it matters
  • [5:57] Range of microbes the kChip can test
  • [8:31] Cheri’s cofounder, working from Killian Court at MIT
  • [9:27] Physicality of the kChip
  • [10:34] Business aspects of Concerto
  • [13:35] Manufacturing the kChip and scaling experiments
  • [14:50] Invention of kChip and toughest technical challenge at Concerto
  • [16:33] Different markets for kChip, different microbiomes
  • [18:49] Complexity of these microbiomes and how well kChip approximates a microbiome, e.g. skin microbiome
  • [22:40] Value creation of Concerto
  • [24:32] Who owns the data and do Concerto’s partners care about it?
  • [26:17] Ag tech applications of microbes
  • [30:29] Microbes and relationship to synthetic biology
  • [33:33] Delivery mechanism and formulation of Concerto’s products
  • [35:07] Post-Series A. Focusing on eczema and then platform development
  • [36:14] Out-licensing at Concerto
  • [39:36] Upcoming technical milestones
  • [43:12] Cheri’s responsibilities, past experiences
]]> https://www.toughtechtoday.com/orchestrating-microbes/ Cheri Ackerman, Malvika V. Miller, Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-12988806 Tue, 13 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400 3327 microbes, life sciences, biotech, Concerto Biosciences, Cheri Ackerman, Tough Tech Today 3 3 full false Unveiling age-defying proteins, featuring Mark Allen of Elevian Unveiling age-defying proteins, featuring Mark Allen of Elevian In one sentence...

Aging is malleable and there is a particular, mysterious protein of interest that may enable new therapies for age-related diseases such as stroke, diabetes, and obesity.

Young blood in old bodies has been demonstrated in several studies to counteract some age-correlated ailments. Mark Allen, a medical doctor by training and an entrepreneur in practice, co-founded Elevian to understand and commercialize therapies using a recombinant growth differentiation factor known as GDF11, a ‘magic’ protein, as referenced by the New York Times. 

Dr. Allen describes how his team is developing new medicines targeting the aging process, rather than the prevailing approach of most pharmaceutical products that target individual diseases. Highlighting a surprising result, if humanity was able to eradicate cancer completely, the outcome would only increase the average human lifespan by an estimated two to three years, while doubling the incidence of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. 

With its scientific foundations beginning emerging from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Elevian team is rigorously exploring GDF11 and its effective use while navigating commercialization challenges. Specifically, how can an age-related therapy be reimbursable when “age” is not yet officially a disease (based on medical billing code)? We discuss with Dr. Allen about Elevian’s path ahead and the strategies at work.

🧠 Relevant Links:

👏 Credit Roll:

  • Producers: JMill and Forrest
  • Guest: Mark Allen
  • Hosts: Jonathan ‘JMill’ Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

🔖 Topic Timecodes:

[2:02] What does Elevian do and why dealing with aging matters

[3:42] Initial research and discovering GDF11

[7:17] What does giving GDF11 do?

[8:54] How Eleven strategically went about finding product-market fit with its GDF11 discoveries

[11:17] Protecting their invention

[14:27] History: from the lab to Elevian

[20:33] GDF11 vs. GDF8

[25:17] Parabiosis model and common misconceptions of GDF11

[26:22] Recombinant protein manufacture and the biotech industry

[30:03] Elevian’s hypothesis and why these proteins are exciting

[31:44] More on how Elevian came to be: Mark Allen’s background

[37:42] Malleability of biological age and Elevian’s role

[40:36] Accessibility of Elevian, and reimbursement model

[42:18] Stroke as the first disease for Elevian's commercial application of GDF

[46:16] Experiments in mice to humans to widely available treatments: how far along Elevian is in the process

[48:34] More on Mark’s background

[51:44] Solving aging

[55:21] “Anti-aging”

[56:44] What do GDF11 and GDF8 look like?

[58:39] Biotech collaborations and the industry

[1:00:15] Mark’s final message



]]> In one sentence...

Aging is malleable and there is a particular, mysterious protein of interest that may enable new therapies for age-related diseases such as stroke, diabetes, and obesity.

Young blood in old bodies has been demonstrated in several studies to counteract some age-correlated ailments. Mark Allen, a medical doctor by training and an entrepreneur in practice, co-founded Elevian to understand and commercialize therapies using a recombinant growth differentiation factor known as GDF11, a ‘magic’ protein, as referenced by the New York Times. 

Dr. Allen describes how his team is developing new medicines targeting the aging process, rather than the prevailing approach of most pharmaceutical products that target individual diseases. Highlighting a surprising result, if humanity was able to eradicate cancer completely, the outcome would only increase the average human lifespan by an estimated two to three years, while doubling the incidence of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. 

With its scientific foundations beginning emerging from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Elevian team is rigorously exploring GDF11 and its effective use while navigating commercialization challenges. Specifically, how can an age-related therapy be reimbursable when “age” is not yet officially a disease (based on medical billing code)? We discuss with Dr. Allen about Elevian’s path ahead and the strategies at work.

🧠 Relevant Links:

👏 Credit Roll:

  • Producers: JMill and Forrest
  • Guest: Mark Allen
  • Hosts: Jonathan ‘JMill’ Miller and Forrest Meyen
  • Editing: JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

🔖 Topic Timecodes:

[2:02] What does Elevian do and why dealing with aging matters

[3:42] Initial research and discovering GDF11

[7:17] What does giving GDF11 do?

[8:54] How Eleven strategically went about finding product-market fit with its GDF11 discoveries

[11:17] Protecting their invention

[14:27] History: from the lab to Elevian

[20:33] GDF11 vs. GDF8

[25:17] Parabiosis model and common misconceptions of GDF11

[26:22] Recombinant protein manufacture and the biotech industry

[30:03] Elevian’s hypothesis and why these proteins are exciting

[31:44] More on how Elevian came to be: Mark Allen’s background

[37:42] Malleability of biological age and Elevian’s role

[40:36] Accessibility of Elevian, and reimbursement model

[42:18] Stroke as the first disease for Elevian's commercial application of GDF

[46:16] Experiments in mice to humans to widely available treatments: how far along Elevian is in the process

[48:34] More on Mark’s background

[51:44] Solving aging

[55:21] “Anti-aging”

[56:44] What do GDF11 and GDF8 look like?

[58:39] Biotech collaborations and the industry

[1:00:15] Mark’s final message



]]> https://toughtechtoday.com/unveiling-age-defying-proteins Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-12770513 Tue, 09 May 2023 09:00:00 -0400 3742 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,jmill,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Elevian, Mark Allen, GDF11, rGDF11, recombinant growth factor, anti-aging, stroke, diabe 3 2 full false Creating new and better medicines, featuring Virginia Burger of New Equilibrium Biosciences Creating new and better medicines, featuring Virginia Burger of New Equilibrium Biosciences In one sentence...
Computational biology is enhancing our understanding of intrinsically disordered proteins, leading to exciting new medical treatments.

Overview

From videogames to protein discovery, high performance computing impacts how we understand and engage with each other and the world around us. Virginia Burger, CEO and Co-Founder of New Equilibrium Biosciences, epitomizes the value of interdisciplinary skills applied to a hunch that biology and computer modeling can lead to new medical discoveries. 

“[New Equilibrium is] taking a problem that a lot of people have looked at before and looking at it from a completely new lens,” observes Malvika V. Miller, our biotech contributor. With their own in-house datasets and simulation capabilities purpose built for drug discovery, Dr. Burger and her team have been pushing the boundaries of generative artificial intelligence well ahead of the popular recognition of the phrase. 

Show Notes

Credit Roll

  • Producers: Jonathan "JMill" Miller and Forrest
  • Guest: Virginia Burger
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Contributing Expert: Malvika V. Miller
  • Editing: Giro Studio and JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

Topic Timecodes

[2:02] What is New Equilibrium working on and what are intrinsically disordered proteins

[3:17] Pervasiveness of IDPs

[4:21] What does "intrinsically disordered" mean?

[6:12] Commercializing the science

[7:51] History of IDPs

[9:26] Virginia’s co-founder and his book

[13:10] Simulating IDPs & the computational wave

[19:57] Quantum computing applications & algorithm design
[21:16] Training data for AI models

[22:55] Partnerships

[24:41] Recent funding round & hiring

[26:46] How to stay on top of the field

[31:35] Virginia’s path

[36:57] State of the field of protein folding

[39:24] Biggest challenge for IDPs

[40:08] The leap into starting a company

[43:47] Being incubated at Petri Bio

[46:19] Virginia’s advice re: startups

[49:24] Virginia’s pitch to potential employees

[50:45] What Virginia’s reading




]]> In one sentence...
Computational biology is enhancing our understanding of intrinsically disordered proteins, leading to exciting new medical treatments.

Overview

From videogames to protein discovery, high performance computing impacts how we understand and engage with each other and the world around us. Virginia Burger, CEO and Co-Founder of New Equilibrium Biosciences, epitomizes the value of interdisciplinary skills applied to a hunch that biology and computer modeling can lead to new medical discoveries. 

“[New Equilibrium is] taking a problem that a lot of people have looked at before and looking at it from a completely new lens,” observes Malvika V. Miller, our biotech contributor. With their own in-house datasets and simulation capabilities purpose built for drug discovery, Dr. Burger and her team have been pushing the boundaries of generative artificial intelligence well ahead of the popular recognition of the phrase. 

Show Notes

Credit Roll

  • Producers: Jonathan "JMill" Miller and Forrest
  • Guest: Virginia Burger
  • Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
  • Contributing Expert: Malvika V. Miller
  • Editing: Giro Studio and JMill
  • Transcript: Alan Yan and JMill
  • Blog Author: JMill
  • Art Design: JMill

Topic Timecodes

[2:02] What is New Equilibrium working on and what are intrinsically disordered proteins

[3:17] Pervasiveness of IDPs

[4:21] What does "intrinsically disordered" mean?

[6:12] Commercializing the science

[7:51] History of IDPs

[9:26] Virginia’s co-founder and his book

[13:10] Simulating IDPs & the computational wave

[19:57] Quantum computing applications & algorithm design
[21:16] Training data for AI models

[22:55] Partnerships

[24:41] Recent funding round & hiring

[26:46] How to stay on top of the field

[31:35] Virginia’s path

[36:57] State of the field of protein folding

[39:24] Biggest challenge for IDPs

[40:08] The leap into starting a company

[43:47] Being incubated at Petri Bio

[46:19] Virginia’s advice re: startups

[49:24] Virginia’s pitch to potential employees

[50:45] What Virginia’s reading




]]> https://toughtechtoday.com/creating-new-medicines/ Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-12433246 Tue, 11 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0400 3214 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,New Equilibrium Biosciences,computational biology,biology,Virginia Burger,IDP,intrinsically di 3 1 full false JMill & Forrest's Epic Reveal: New Tough Tech Today Season, Monthly Groove & Upcoming Themes! 🚀🧬🔋 JMill & Forrest's Epic Reveal: New Tough Tech Today Season, Monthly Groove & Upcoming Themes! 🚀🧬🔋 Join a tag-up among JMill and Forrest as we reveal something really exciting for what’s ahead: the launch of the newest season of Tough Tech Today! Plus, we mention work and babies.

We set the stage for our new monthly cadence, with a new release occurring on the second Tuesday of each month. Each quarter (3 months), we focus on a theme. The next three themes are Biology (2023Q2), Space (2023Q3), and Energy (2023Q4). 

We really appreciate your support and enthusiasm for Tough Tech Today, and it is our honor to share with you our conversations with tough tech trailblazers on all the upcoming episodes!

Stay tough!

Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/epic-reveal-new-season/
Subscribe with your favorite podcast service: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169378/12603524-jmill-forrest-s-epic-reveal-new-tough-tech-today-season-monthly-groove-upcoming-themes 

Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Yf7a9oWT01k 

]]> Join a tag-up among JMill and Forrest as we reveal something really exciting for what’s ahead: the launch of the newest season of Tough Tech Today! Plus, we mention work and babies.

We set the stage for our new monthly cadence, with a new release occurring on the second Tuesday of each month. Each quarter (3 months), we focus on a theme. The next three themes are Biology (2023Q2), Space (2023Q3), and Energy (2023Q4). 

We really appreciate your support and enthusiasm for Tough Tech Today, and it is our honor to share with you our conversations with tough tech trailblazers on all the upcoming episodes!

Stay tough!

Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/epic-reveal-new-season/
Subscribe with your favorite podcast service: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169378/12603524-jmill-forrest-s-epic-reveal-new-tough-tech-today-season-monthly-groove-upcoming-themes 

Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Yf7a9oWT01k 

]]> Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-12603524 Fri, 07 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0400 234 3 0 full false M12 bets big on the digital frontier with Matt Goldstein M12 bets big on the digital frontier with Matt Goldstein
  • Digitization of the physical world brings new synergies and expanding attack surfaces – so it is key to invest in those who defend us.

    • —————

    Overview: 

    Probing the cybersecurity of 3D printing, scaling the digital transformation of manufacturing, and developing quantum-safe encryption for the next evolution of the Internet, Matt Goldstein, Managing Director at M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, shares with us the criticality of investing in companies exploring the frontiers of cybersecurity and infrastructure.

    “No one thinks their front door lock is obnoxious,” shares Goldstein, yet there remains a consumer hurdle in adopting baseline cybersecurity practices such as updating software, avoiding password reuse, and leveraging multi-factor authentication. Fear-mongering is one approach, but also “it’s up to us both as cybersecurity practitioners – call them lockbuilders – as well as the homebuilders, the application builders, to make their solutions and products inherently more secure and inherently less attractive to attackers,” tells Goldstein. 

    Also discussed is Goldstein’s path from being a “bad software developer” to venture capital, including the workings of M12, its relationship with Microsoft, and ever-present opportunities for value creation among security startups. “Cybersecurity will never be solved. It is a fundamentally asymmetric problem. The economic incentives of attackers to get incredibly creative match the economic incentives of defenders to find newer and better creative solutions to their attacks.”

    —————

    Show Notes: 


    ]]>
  • Digitization of the physical world brings new synergies and expanding attack surfaces – so it is key to invest in those who defend us.

    • —————

    Overview: 

    Probing the cybersecurity of 3D printing, scaling the digital transformation of manufacturing, and developing quantum-safe encryption for the next evolution of the Internet, Matt Goldstein, Managing Director at M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, shares with us the criticality of investing in companies exploring the frontiers of cybersecurity and infrastructure.

    “No one thinks their front door lock is obnoxious,” shares Goldstein, yet there remains a consumer hurdle in adopting baseline cybersecurity practices such as updating software, avoiding password reuse, and leveraging multi-factor authentication. Fear-mongering is one approach, but also “it’s up to us both as cybersecurity practitioners – call them lockbuilders – as well as the homebuilders, the application builders, to make their solutions and products inherently more secure and inherently less attractive to attackers,” tells Goldstein. 

    Also discussed is Goldstein’s path from being a “bad software developer” to venture capital, including the workings of M12, its relationship with Microsoft, and ever-present opportunities for value creation among security startups. “Cybersecurity will never be solved. It is a fundamentally asymmetric problem. The economic incentives of attackers to get incredibly creative match the economic incentives of defenders to find newer and better creative solutions to their attacks.”

    —————

    Show Notes: 


    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/cybersecurity-investing/ Jonathan 'jmill' Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Matt Goldstein Buzzsprout-8742841 Tue, 22 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0400 3515 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,investment,cybersec,cybersecurity,3D printing,manufacturing,VC,Microsoft,M12,venture,business, 2 7 full false     Synthesizing High-Tech Food is TOUGH, featuring Kate Krueger of Helikon Synthesizing High-Tech Food is TOUGH, featuring Kate Krueger of Helikon In one sentence: “Synthesizing” and “food” are uncommon word pairings, but the engineered dishes they serve may be an appetizing feast for the senses.

    Overview:
    Climate change, a growing global population, and maturation of new biotechnologies are driving the motivation for – and means of – producing more food. Engineering is improving traditional agricultural means for food production, yet, in our conversation with Kate Krueger of Helikon, emerging synthesization techniques are bringing food from the lab to the market, with exciting and healthy results.

    Topic Timecodes:
    00:59 What is "high-tech food"

    01:57 "Cheese doodle" tech

    04:06 Recombinant protein technology

    06:17 Relationship between recombinant protein technology and climate change

    08:07 Growth factors & proteins

    11:58 Veracity of claims of cosmetic benefits due to wheat-grown proteins

    12:38 Analogy to stem cells

    13:04 Economic challenge of growing growth factors

    14:42 Summary of mechanism for generating proteins genetically

    16:50 Is eating meat bad for the environment?

    19:01 Wildtype and genetically-engineered salmon

    19:41 Taste of lab-grown meat & "fat tech"

    21:02 Politics around meat-eating & environmental sustainability concerns

    23:00 Potential for lab-grown meat

    25:28 More funding for startups than universities & Kate's cross-silo experience in cell ag space

    28:39 Helikon Consulting

    32:01 Potential harms for "high-tech food" & regulation by FDA/USDA

    34:43 Long-term effects on human microbiome due to consumption of lab-grown meat as opposed to more "biodiverse", from-the-wild foods

    36:50 Red tomatoes & ethylene gas

    38:45 Kid Kate & why biology/chemistry as concentration

    40:01 Why consulting for Kate now?

    41:10 Balancing industry and academic perspectives

    45:40 Rapid-fire questions for Kate

    47:45 Kate asks us rapid-fire questions

    51:44 Kate's advice to audience


    Show Notes:

    • Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://www.toughtechtoday.com/synthesizing-food/
    • Kate Kruger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktkrueger
    • Helikon (company): https://www.helikon.xyz
    • Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/W55ZojPWblc

    𝞣 

    ]]>     In one sentence: “Synthesizing” and “food” are uncommon word pairings, but the engineered dishes they serve may be an appetizing feast for the senses.

    Overview:
    Climate change, a growing global population, and maturation of new biotechnologies are driving the motivation for – and means of – producing more food. Engineering is improving traditional agricultural means for food production, yet, in our conversation with Kate Krueger of Helikon, emerging synthesization techniques are bringing food from the lab to the market, with exciting and healthy results.

    Topic Timecodes:
    00:59 What is "high-tech food"

    01:57 "Cheese doodle" tech

    04:06 Recombinant protein technology

    06:17 Relationship between recombinant protein technology and climate change

    08:07 Growth factors & proteins

    11:58 Veracity of claims of cosmetic benefits due to wheat-grown proteins

    12:38 Analogy to stem cells

    13:04 Economic challenge of growing growth factors

    14:42 Summary of mechanism for generating proteins genetically

    16:50 Is eating meat bad for the environment?

    19:01 Wildtype and genetically-engineered salmon

    19:41 Taste of lab-grown meat & "fat tech"

    21:02 Politics around meat-eating & environmental sustainability concerns

    23:00 Potential for lab-grown meat

    25:28 More funding for startups than universities & Kate's cross-silo experience in cell ag space

    28:39 Helikon Consulting

    32:01 Potential harms for "high-tech food" & regulation by FDA/USDA

    34:43 Long-term effects on human microbiome due to consumption of lab-grown meat as opposed to more "biodiverse", from-the-wild foods

    36:50 Red tomatoes & ethylene gas

    38:45 Kid Kate & why biology/chemistry as concentration

    40:01 Why consulting for Kate now?

    41:10 Balancing industry and academic perspectives

    45:40 Rapid-fire questions for Kate

    47:45 Kate asks us rapid-fire questions

    51:44 Kate's advice to audience


    Show Notes:

    • Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://www.toughtechtoday.com/synthesizing-food/
    • Kate Kruger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktkrueger
    • Helikon (company): https://www.helikon.xyz
    • Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/W55ZojPWblc

    𝞣 

    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/synthesizing-food/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Kate Krueger Buzzsprout-8296046 Thu, 08 Apr 2021 10:00:00 -0400 3163 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Food,Cell-based meat,Synbio,synthetic biology,Kate Krueger,Helikon 2 6 full false     Exposing cancer with bioengineering, featuring Cyriac Roeding of Earli Exposing cancer with bioengineering, featuring Cyriac Roeding of Earli In one sentence:

    We can make cancer cells tell us exactly where they are.
    —————

    Overview:

    Consumer internet entrepreneurs lack many of the skills for the life sciences revolution – or do they? Cyriac Roeding, CEO and co-founder of Earli, shows us what his team of bioengineers are accomplishing by applying fast-learning software development discipline to hard life science problems. Earli’s mouse and canine models are producing exciting results inducing cancer cells to expose their locations, enabling precision medicine to pinpoint malignant from benign many months earlier than state-of-the-art techniques. “I love the idea of having multiple shots on goal… rather than spending a billion dollars on small molecule development,” says Cyriac.

    As expeditiously as it has progressed, the Earli story is not without its difficult periods, including the death of a gifted co-founder. “First, I cried... I [had become] very close to him. As brilliant a scientist as he was, he was an even more wonderful human being. I loved this man,” shares Cyriac. “Our team rallied behind the whole situation,” and we learn how Cyriac, his co-founder, and the Earli team reinforced their commitment to save lives as quickly as they can.

     —————

    Show Notes:


    ]]>     In one sentence:

    We can make cancer cells tell us exactly where they are.
    —————

    Overview:

    Consumer internet entrepreneurs lack many of the skills for the life sciences revolution – or do they? Cyriac Roeding, CEO and co-founder of Earli, shows us what his team of bioengineers are accomplishing by applying fast-learning software development discipline to hard life science problems. Earli’s mouse and canine models are producing exciting results inducing cancer cells to expose their locations, enabling precision medicine to pinpoint malignant from benign many months earlier than state-of-the-art techniques. “I love the idea of having multiple shots on goal… rather than spending a billion dollars on small molecule development,” says Cyriac.

    As expeditiously as it has progressed, the Earli story is not without its difficult periods, including the death of a gifted co-founder. “First, I cried... I [had become] very close to him. As brilliant a scientist as he was, he was an even more wonderful human being. I loved this man,” shares Cyriac. “Our team rallied behind the whole situation,” and we learn how Cyriac, his co-founder, and the Earli team reinforced their commitment to save lives as quickly as they can.

     —————

    Show Notes:


    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/exposing-cancer/ Jonathan 'jmill' Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Cyriac Roeding Buzzsprout-8195919 Tue, 23 Mar 2021 12:00:00 -0400 3944 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Earli,Cyriac Roeding,bioengineering,biotech,cancer, life sciences 2 5 full false     Jmill goes glamping while Forrest lands on Mars and launches a new company. Jmill goes glamping while Forrest lands on Mars and launches a new company. Just a quick Tough Tech Today update as we take a bye week and prepare for our guest in two weeks.

    ]]>     Just a quick Tough Tech Today update as we take a bye week and prepare for our guest in two weeks.

    ]]>     Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-8062521 Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:00:00 -0500 471 2 4 full false     Google Maps for gold? AI-Assisted Mine Prospecting is Tough! Google Maps for gold? AI-Assisted Mine Prospecting is Tough! In one sentence: When the frontiers of geology overlap with the frontlines of contested regions, international collaborations help protect minerals core to our civilization.

    —————
    Overview:
    There’s a world of minerals in every electronic device. Anything that cannot be grown must be mined, Emily King tells us. A global mining expert and founder of Prospector Portal, Emily shares stories and advancements in the finding, protecting, and stewarding of minerals.

    From digitizing and structuring disparate datasets sourced around the globe, to mobilizing with armed teams to identify and secure minerals critical to humanity’s future, our conversation takes a journey from the rocks beneath us to the rocks above us, where advanced space technologies further our understanding of lunar regolith, Martian soil, and frozen asteroids – as well as the legal and commercial implications of their mining.

    —————
    Show Notes:
    → Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/mine-prospecting/
    → Emily King on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-scott-king/
    → Prospector Portal (company): https://www.prospectorportal.com/
    → On the Rocks (podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-rocks/id1536817770
    → Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/mcE96CrNgpo

    ]]>     In one sentence: When the frontiers of geology overlap with the frontlines of contested regions, international collaborations help protect minerals core to our civilization.

    —————
    Overview:
    There’s a world of minerals in every electronic device. Anything that cannot be grown must be mined, Emily King tells us. A global mining expert and founder of Prospector Portal, Emily shares stories and advancements in the finding, protecting, and stewarding of minerals.

    From digitizing and structuring disparate datasets sourced around the globe, to mobilizing with armed teams to identify and secure minerals critical to humanity’s future, our conversation takes a journey from the rocks beneath us to the rocks above us, where advanced space technologies further our understanding of lunar regolith, Martian soil, and frozen asteroids – as well as the legal and commercial implications of their mining.

    —————
    Show Notes:
    → Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/mine-prospecting/
    → Emily King on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-scott-king/
    → Prospector Portal (company): https://www.prospectorportal.com/
    → On the Rocks (podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-rocks/id1536817770
    → Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/mcE96CrNgpo

    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/mine-prospecting/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Emily King Buzzsprout-7937593 Thu, 18 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0500 3231 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,mining,minerals,AI,artificial intelligence 2 3 full false     Unlocking new mRNA Treatments with Jake Becraft, CEO of Strand Therapeutics Unlocking new mRNA Treatments with Jake Becraft, CEO of Strand Therapeutics In one sentence: Unlocking new mRNA treatments will save lives, but it's not as simple as that.
    —————
    Overview
    —————
    Jake Becraft of Strand Therapeutics is an expert in designing and programming mRNA, critical strands of genetic material that provide instructions for making proteins. As one suite of tools in the emerging synthetic biology toolkit, mRNA is a twenty-first century harbinger of life. 

    Yet, with all powerful tools, there are risks of accidental or intentional misuse. It is this shared responsibility among the scientific, private, and public realms that Becraft advocates for thoughtful, anticipatory stewardship of these influential technologies. Stunningly, it's no longer science fiction to consider pre-making vast numbers of vaccines for every conceivable pandemic vector and their mutations. This, the 'Manhattan project for vaccines', is a matter of national defense, Becraft argues.

    We are joined by contributing expert Malvika V. Miller for an episode featuring a wide-ranging discussion on synbio, STEM advocacy, national security policy, and more.

    —————
    Topic Timecodes
    —————
    [01:04] What Strand Therapeutics does
    [03:24] Using messenger RNA technology for cancer and other rare diseases
    [07:20] What is unique about Strand’s tech and its therapeutic delivery mechanism
    [11:31] Targeting mechanism for constantly-changing heterogenous targets
    [16:18] Biohacking and open-source science
    [20:32] Biohacking security and regulation
    [24:46] Increasing importance of biotech security
    [29:33] Starting Strand Therapeutics
    [32:14] mRNA vs. DNA
    [35:38] Current challenges of synthetic biology field
    [37:56] Prioritizing at Strand across many use cases of mRNA, a platform therapeutic
    [40:41] Making medical developments more efficient and quicker
    [42:28] Cancer as a key focus at Strand & strategy outlook
    [43:20] Different perceptions of justifiable speed in developing consumer products vs. biotech
    [46:23] Perception that COVID-19 vaccine was “rushed” & trusting regulatory agencies
    [50:22] “Manhattan Project for vaccines”
    [57:13] Who supports and pays for such a defense project

    —————
    Show Notes
    —————


    ]]>     In one sentence: Unlocking new mRNA treatments will save lives, but it's not as simple as that.
    —————
    Overview
    —————
    Jake Becraft of Strand Therapeutics is an expert in designing and programming mRNA, critical strands of genetic material that provide instructions for making proteins. As one suite of tools in the emerging synthetic biology toolkit, mRNA is a twenty-first century harbinger of life. 

    Yet, with all powerful tools, there are risks of accidental or intentional misuse. It is this shared responsibility among the scientific, private, and public realms that Becraft advocates for thoughtful, anticipatory stewardship of these influential technologies. Stunningly, it's no longer science fiction to consider pre-making vast numbers of vaccines for every conceivable pandemic vector and their mutations. This, the 'Manhattan project for vaccines', is a matter of national defense, Becraft argues.

    We are joined by contributing expert Malvika V. Miller for an episode featuring a wide-ranging discussion on synbio, STEM advocacy, national security policy, and more.

    —————
    Topic Timecodes
    —————
    [01:04] What Strand Therapeutics does
    [03:24] Using messenger RNA technology for cancer and other rare diseases
    [07:20] What is unique about Strand’s tech and its therapeutic delivery mechanism
    [11:31] Targeting mechanism for constantly-changing heterogenous targets
    [16:18] Biohacking and open-source science
    [20:32] Biohacking security and regulation
    [24:46] Increasing importance of biotech security
    [29:33] Starting Strand Therapeutics
    [32:14] mRNA vs. DNA
    [35:38] Current challenges of synthetic biology field
    [37:56] Prioritizing at Strand across many use cases of mRNA, a platform therapeutic
    [40:41] Making medical developments more efficient and quicker
    [42:28] Cancer as a key focus at Strand & strategy outlook
    [43:20] Different perceptions of justifiable speed in developing consumer products vs. biotech
    [46:23] Perception that COVID-19 vaccine was “rushed” & trusting regulatory agencies
    [50:22] “Manhattan Project for vaccines”
    [57:13] Who supports and pays for such a defense project

    —————
    Show Notes
    —————


    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/programming-mrna/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Jake Becraft Buzzsprout-7631545 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0500 3597 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,malvika miller,malvika verma,jake becraft,jacob becraft,Therapeutics,strand therapeutics,mrna, 2 2 full false     Freedom Without Fear - Making injections effortless with autoinjector tech to saves lives, with Conor Cullinane of Pirouette Medical Freedom Without Fear - Making injections effortless with autoinjector tech to saves lives, with Conor Cullinane of Pirouette Medical In one sentence: A needle shaped like a hockey puck is a ‘revolutionary’ medical device that can deliver epinephrine during a severe allergic reaction on Earth or in space.  
    —————
    Overview
    —————
    EpiPens and other emergency auto-injectors have changed little for decades, though there are known limitations in their accidental (mis)use. Conor Cullinane, co-founder of Pirouette Medical, shows us his team’s surprisingly non-needlelike auto-injector that is shaped smooth, flat, and round, and easily totable so those at risk can have, in the company’s words, “freedom without fear”.

    Following a patient-centered design process supported by the founders’ expertise in human factors engineering for bioastronautics applications, the team is shepherding their medical device through the US Food & Drug Administration review process. We have a front row seat in how they are managing the translational process of medical device design and development.
    —————
    Show Notes
    —————

    • Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/making-injections-effortless/
    • Conor Cullinane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorrcullinane/
    • Pirouette Medical (company): https://www.pirouettemedical.com/
    • Subscribe with your favorite podcast service: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169378/7277551
    • Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/AMX2ans63UA


    ]]>     In one sentence: A needle shaped like a hockey puck is a ‘revolutionary’ medical device that can deliver epinephrine during a severe allergic reaction on Earth or in space.  
    —————
    Overview
    —————
    EpiPens and other emergency auto-injectors have changed little for decades, though there are known limitations in their accidental (mis)use. Conor Cullinane, co-founder of Pirouette Medical, shows us his team’s surprisingly non-needlelike auto-injector that is shaped smooth, flat, and round, and easily totable so those at risk can have, in the company’s words, “freedom without fear”.

    Following a patient-centered design process supported by the founders’ expertise in human factors engineering for bioastronautics applications, the team is shepherding their medical device through the US Food & Drug Administration review process. We have a front row seat in how they are managing the translational process of medical device design and development.
    —————
    Show Notes
    —————

    • Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/making-injections-effortless/
    • Conor Cullinane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorrcullinane/
    • Pirouette Medical (company): https://www.pirouettemedical.com/
    • Subscribe with your favorite podcast service: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169378/7277551
    • Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/AMX2ans63UA


    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/making-injections-effortless/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Conor Cullinane Buzzsprout-7277551 Wed, 13 Jan 2021 13:00:00 -0500 3930 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Conor Cullinane,autoinjector,epinephrine,self-injection,Pirouette Medical,medtech 2 1 full false     Tough Tech Today in 2020 and Beyond (Year in Review) Tough Tech Today in 2020 and Beyond (Year in Review) A chat to review the first year of Tough Tech Today.

    ]]>     A chat to review the first year of Tough Tech Today.

    ]]>     Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-7087270 Thu, 31 Dec 2020 23:00:00 -0500 2549 1 11 full false     $2.5B Exit Entrepreneur, Sujal Patel, is Creating a Proteomics Startup to Upgrade Human Health $2.5B Exit Entrepreneur, Sujal Patel, is Creating a Proteomics Startup to Upgrade Human Health In one sentence...

    Human health upgrades may be unlocked by a data storage expert focused on probing the proteome.
     

    Overview:

    It’s not everyday that one hears about the crucial relationship between digital data storage and biology, yet this is core to Sujal Patel’s work leading Nautilus Biotechnology. By any measure already an accomplished tech entrepreneur, Sujal’s experience building Isilon Systems (acquired by EMC for $2.5 billion) became a perfect, if non-obvious, ingredient for disentangling the complexities of proteins.

    If successful in analyzing the proteins within thousands of cells, Patel, his co-founder Parag Mallick, and their team may discover new drugs for present and emerging diseases. Pioneering the birth of this new proteome sequencer instrument involves deep and broad interdisciplinary collaboration. Patel says, “On our staff are mechanical engineers, software engineers, electrical engineers, and biophysicists working side-by-side with biochemists, organic chemists, bioengineering majors – all these disciplines come together to build a complete solution.” 



    Topic Timecodes:

    [00:00] Episode preview
    [00:59] Nautilus Biotechnology and why the need to understand what’s going on at the protein level
    [05:03] Isilon to Nautilus
    [11:23] Early stages of Nautilus
    [14:13] Tough stuff at Nautilus
    [19:13] Goal of Nautilus
    [21:14] How Sujal went about learning a completely new field 
    [24:17] What exactly is Nautilus building
    [26:54] Broader landscape of proteomic analysis companies
    [32:17] What is unique about Nautilus Bio
    [35:53] Nautilus Bio’s relationship with customers
    [38:22] Nautilus and COVID-19 / other pandemics
    [41:37] Going faster at Nautilus due to high demand
    [43:51] Adjusting to life with COVID-19 at Nautilus
    [48:02] Priorities for Nautilus in the near-term
    [50:58] What’s been the most fun for Sujal in building Nautilus?
    [53:36] Shameless plugs

    ]]>     In one sentence...

    Human health upgrades may be unlocked by a data storage expert focused on probing the proteome.
     

    Overview:

    It’s not everyday that one hears about the crucial relationship between digital data storage and biology, yet this is core to Sujal Patel’s work leading Nautilus Biotechnology. By any measure already an accomplished tech entrepreneur, Sujal’s experience building Isilon Systems (acquired by EMC for $2.5 billion) became a perfect, if non-obvious, ingredient for disentangling the complexities of proteins.

    If successful in analyzing the proteins within thousands of cells, Patel, his co-founder Parag Mallick, and their team may discover new drugs for present and emerging diseases. Pioneering the birth of this new proteome sequencer instrument involves deep and broad interdisciplinary collaboration. Patel says, “On our staff are mechanical engineers, software engineers, electrical engineers, and biophysicists working side-by-side with biochemists, organic chemists, bioengineering majors – all these disciplines come together to build a complete solution.” 



    Topic Timecodes:

    [00:00] Episode preview
    [00:59] Nautilus Biotechnology and why the need to understand what’s going on at the protein level
    [05:03] Isilon to Nautilus
    [11:23] Early stages of Nautilus
    [14:13] Tough stuff at Nautilus
    [19:13] Goal of Nautilus
    [21:14] How Sujal went about learning a completely new field 
    [24:17] What exactly is Nautilus building
    [26:54] Broader landscape of proteomic analysis companies
    [32:17] What is unique about Nautilus Bio
    [35:53] Nautilus Bio’s relationship with customers
    [38:22] Nautilus and COVID-19 / other pandemics
    [41:37] Going faster at Nautilus due to high demand
    [43:51] Adjusting to life with COVID-19 at Nautilus
    [48:02] Priorities for Nautilus in the near-term
    [50:58] What’s been the most fun for Sujal in building Nautilus?
    [53:36] Shameless plugs

    ]]>     http://toughtechtoday.com/probing-the-proteome/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Sujal Patel Buzzsprout-6867305 Tue, 15 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0500 3309 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Proteome,Proteomics,what is proteomics,sujal patel,nautilus bio,natilus biotech,biotech,nautil 1 10 full false     A moon rover startup gears up for launch, featuring Justin Cyrus of Lunar Outpost A moon rover startup gears up for launch, featuring Justin Cyrus of Lunar Outpost In one sentence...

    Living on the Moon requires infrastructure that Justin Cyrus of Lunar Outpost knows can be helpful here on Earth.

    Overview

    Earth’s moon is viewed as the upcoming base of operations for humanity’s further exploration of the cosmos. Justin Cyrus, founder of Lunar Outpost, shares what it is like building a suite of technologies that not only meet space objectives, but also address terrestrial challenges.


    Incredible initiatives are underway to develop our moon into a pied-à-terre for humans on their way to Mars. These initiatives require concerted efforts between public organizations and the private sector to develop necessary technologies, revenue models, and other components that must work perfectly enough for our species’ spacefaring ambitions to come to fruition. 

    Show Notes

    Topic Timecodes 

    00:50 Starting a lunar rover company

    02:27 What’s in regolith and how does this help us get to Mars?

    03:45 Advanced instrumentation and robotics

    04:42 The hassles of regolith

    06:25 Tough Tech Today exclusive: 2021 launch date set!

    09:25 What are valuable payloads?

    11:21 Swarm robotics

    12:46 At UC Boulder with a love for space

    13:24 Improving Earthlings’ environments with lunar tech

    20:26 Are there needs for space security services?

    22:44 Instagram: @thelunaroutpost

    25:17 When can we have rover races on the moon?

    27:10 Working with family to build a company

    29:27 What did your parents think about this?

    37:01 Peeking twenty years into the future


    Tags

    tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Lunar Outpost,moon,rover,regolith,ISRU,Justin Cyrus

    Transcript

    https://otter.ai/u/OrI6VxsKdm8tmODNCQI6CJzwmgA

    ]]>     In one sentence...

    Living on the Moon requires infrastructure that Justin Cyrus of Lunar Outpost knows can be helpful here on Earth.

    Overview

    Earth’s moon is viewed as the upcoming base of operations for humanity’s further exploration of the cosmos. Justin Cyrus, founder of Lunar Outpost, shares what it is like building a suite of technologies that not only meet space objectives, but also address terrestrial challenges.


    Incredible initiatives are underway to develop our moon into a pied-à-terre for humans on their way to Mars. These initiatives require concerted efforts between public organizations and the private sector to develop necessary technologies, revenue models, and other components that must work perfectly enough for our species’ spacefaring ambitions to come to fruition. 

    Show Notes

    Topic Timecodes 

    00:50 Starting a lunar rover company

    02:27 What’s in regolith and how does this help us get to Mars?

    03:45 Advanced instrumentation and robotics

    04:42 The hassles of regolith

    06:25 Tough Tech Today exclusive: 2021 launch date set!

    09:25 What are valuable payloads?

    11:21 Swarm robotics

    12:46 At UC Boulder with a love for space

    13:24 Improving Earthlings’ environments with lunar tech

    20:26 Are there needs for space security services?

    22:44 Instagram: @thelunaroutpost

    25:17 When can we have rover races on the moon?

    27:10 Working with family to build a company

    29:27 What did your parents think about this?

    37:01 Peeking twenty years into the future


    Tags

    tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Lunar Outpost,moon,rover,regolith,ISRU,Justin Cyrus

    Transcript

    https://otter.ai/u/OrI6VxsKdm8tmODNCQI6CJzwmgA

    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/moon-robots/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Justin Cyrus Buzzsprout-6633799 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 10:00:00 -0500 2513 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Lunar Outpost,moon,rover,regolith,ISRU,Justin Cyrus 1 9 full false     When tough tech and dual-use ventures collide, with the U.S. Air Force Banshee Program When tough tech and dual-use ventures collide, with the U.S. Air Force Banshee Program Banshees of the United States Air Force hunt for mission-enhancing technologies. 

    The world's largest startup accelerator, MassChallenge, teamed up with the Air Force Labs to establish the Banshees training program. Members are U.S. Department of Defense acquisitions officers who are learning how to find tough tech and nurture dual-use ventures. Such startups are jointly serving the private commercial sector and the government as clients.

    Forrest and jmill discuss tech commercialization challenges and #protips from several stakeholders' points of view: as entrepreneurs, as investors, and as government liaisons. 

    ]]>     Banshees of the United States Air Force hunt for mission-enhancing technologies. 

    The world's largest startup accelerator, MassChallenge, teamed up with the Air Force Labs to establish the Banshees training program. Members are U.S. Department of Defense acquisitions officers who are learning how to find tough tech and nurture dual-use ventures. Such startups are jointly serving the private commercial sector and the government as clients.

    Forrest and jmill discuss tech commercialization challenges and #protips from several stakeholders' points of view: as entrepreneurs, as investors, and as government liaisons. 

    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/air-force-banshees/ Jonathan Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-6426346 Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0500 2042 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,masschallenge,banshee program,AFRL,MassChallenge banshee program,defense,dual use ventures,Han 1 8 full false     Bringing heroes home, featuring Caleb Carr of Vita Inclinata Bringing heroes home, featuring Caleb Carr of Vita Inclinata In one sentence...

    A helicopter rescue mission gone awry fuels this man’s mission to bring heroes home safely with drones built for aircraft load stabilization.

    Overview

    As a Black Hawk helicopter’s rotors whop-whop-whopped overhead in their fight for command of the winds amid a stormy – and ultimately failed – rescue mission, a teenage Caleb Carr had a life-shaping experience that led him, many years later, to launch Vita Inclinata, a mission-focused company pioneering aerial load stabilization.

    Whether for medical evacuation, construction, firefighting, or many other applications, tethering loads to aircraft has always suffered from issues. Pilots of rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft alike must balance opposing forces to hoist humans and cargo safely. We learn from Caleb about the difficult decisions he’s faced in building a tech company with one mission: bringing heroes home.

    Show notes

    Tags

    tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Caleb Carr,Colorado entrepreneur,Vita Inclinata,search and rescue,vita inclinata technologies,helicopter load stabilization,hanging load stabilization,drones,ducted fan,load stabilization drone,AFWERX,tech stars airforce


    ]]>     In one sentence...

    A helicopter rescue mission gone awry fuels this man’s mission to bring heroes home safely with drones built for aircraft load stabilization.

    Overview

    As a Black Hawk helicopter’s rotors whop-whop-whopped overhead in their fight for command of the winds amid a stormy – and ultimately failed – rescue mission, a teenage Caleb Carr had a life-shaping experience that led him, many years later, to launch Vita Inclinata, a mission-focused company pioneering aerial load stabilization.

    Whether for medical evacuation, construction, firefighting, or many other applications, tethering loads to aircraft has always suffered from issues. Pilots of rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft alike must balance opposing forces to hoist humans and cargo safely. We learn from Caleb about the difficult decisions he’s faced in building a tech company with one mission: bringing heroes home.

    Show notes

    Tags

    tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Caleb Carr,Colorado entrepreneur,Vita Inclinata,search and rescue,vita inclinata technologies,helicopter load stabilization,hanging load stabilization,drones,ducted fan,load stabilization drone,AFWERX,tech stars airforce


    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/bringing-heroes-home/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Caleb Carr Buzzsprout-6210472 Tue, 03 Nov 2020 17:00:00 -0500 2882 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Caleb Carr,Colorado entrepreneur,Vita Inclinata,search and rescue,vita inclinata technologies, 1 7 full false     Bootstrapping mass spectrometry, featuring Mazdak Taghioskoui of Trace Matters Bootstrapping mass spectrometry, featuring Mazdak Taghioskoui of Trace Matters He built a mass spectrometer from scratch and reinvented it in the process!

    Bearing a smile, Mazdak “Maz” Taghioskoui says he immigrated to the United States from Iran for a good education and same-day shipping, two key features that have supported his focus on building – from scratch – a sophisticated next-generation analytical tool: the Trace Matters SPion mass spectrometer.

    Maz is the Founder and CEO/CTO of Trace Matters, and we sat down with him for show-and-tell to discuss how he and his company is reinventing the mass spectrometer to save lives here on Earth and to advance our scientific understanding of the cosmos beyond our planet.

    Show Notes

    Topic Timecodes

    00:54 A lesson in high school chemistry

    03:44 History and benefits of mass spectrometry for space and medical applications

    04:53 Screening newborn babies’ blood for disease mitigation

    06:18 Instrumentation Startup: A tiny company in a world of corporates

    07:15 Creating a mass spectrometer… from scratch

    08:56 The fallacy of“if your system is complex and it’s working, you don’t change it”

    10:11 How I built this

    12:16 A case study in the 10,000 Hour Rule and brute force science

    13:38 Seeing years of work finally come to fruition

    17:24 Seeing SPion and the frog

    18:53 Expediting mass spectrometry-assisted brain surgery

    23:36 Show-and-tell in Maz’s lab

    24:48 Inventing a lab-scale fabrication process

    28:20 Following a vision or a wandering path?

    30:08 Getting addicted to solving challenges

    32:01 Immigrating to the United States for a great education and… quick shipping

    33:26 The resources at Massachusetts’ Greentown Labs

    34:37 Bootstrapping a scientific instrument company

    37:32 A shift in how we build instruments?

    39:36 Who could be first to benefit from next-generation mass spectrometry?

    40:52 Integrating learnings into a tech roadmap

    41:23 The Harvard Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) program and COVID-19

    42:12 Advice to a younger self: persistence, love, and remembering to eat


    Tags

    tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Mazdak Taghioskoui,Trace Matters,Trace Matters LLC,Mass Spectrometry,SpIon,Spectrometer,Greentown Labs,Green town labs,Maz,NASA Mass Spectrometry,Mass Spec,Mass Spec surgery,NASA,Science,Physics,quadrupole mass spectrometer,how does a mass spectrometer work,how a mass spec works,meyen


    ]]>     He built a mass spectrometer from scratch and reinvented it in the process!

    Bearing a smile, Mazdak “Maz” Taghioskoui says he immigrated to the United States from Iran for a good education and same-day shipping, two key features that have supported his focus on building – from scratch – a sophisticated next-generation analytical tool: the Trace Matters SPion mass spectrometer.

    Maz is the Founder and CEO/CTO of Trace Matters, and we sat down with him for show-and-tell to discuss how he and his company is reinventing the mass spectrometer to save lives here on Earth and to advance our scientific understanding of the cosmos beyond our planet.

    Show Notes

    Topic Timecodes

    00:54 A lesson in high school chemistry

    03:44 History and benefits of mass spectrometry for space and medical applications

    04:53 Screening newborn babies’ blood for disease mitigation

    06:18 Instrumentation Startup: A tiny company in a world of corporates

    07:15 Creating a mass spectrometer… from scratch

    08:56 The fallacy of“if your system is complex and it’s working, you don’t change it”

    10:11 How I built this

    12:16 A case study in the 10,000 Hour Rule and brute force science

    13:38 Seeing years of work finally come to fruition

    17:24 Seeing SPion and the frog

    18:53 Expediting mass spectrometry-assisted brain surgery

    23:36 Show-and-tell in Maz’s lab

    24:48 Inventing a lab-scale fabrication process

    28:20 Following a vision or a wandering path?

    30:08 Getting addicted to solving challenges

    32:01 Immigrating to the United States for a great education and… quick shipping

    33:26 The resources at Massachusetts’ Greentown Labs

    34:37 Bootstrapping a scientific instrument company

    37:32 A shift in how we build instruments?

    39:36 Who could be first to benefit from next-generation mass spectrometry?

    40:52 Integrating learnings into a tech roadmap

    41:23 The Harvard Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) program and COVID-19

    42:12 Advice to a younger self: persistence, love, and remembering to eat


    Tags

    tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,entrepreneurship,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Mazdak Taghioskoui,Trace Matters,Trace Matters LLC,Mass Spectrometry,SpIon,Spectrometer,Greentown Labs,Green town labs,Maz,NASA Mass Spectrometry,Mass Spec,Mass Spec surgery,NASA,Science,Physics,quadrupole mass spectrometer,how does a mass spectrometer work,how a mass spec works,meyen


    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/bootstrapping-mass-spectrometry/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Mazdak Taghioskoui Buzzsprout-5983345 Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0400 2712 tough tech today,jmill,Jonathan Miller,Forrest Meyen,deep tech,hard tech,startup,venture capital,tough tech,tough technology,technology,podcast,Mazdak Taghioskoui,Trace Matters,Trace Matters LLC,Mass Spectrometry,SpIon,Spectrometer,Greentown Labs,Green to 1 6 full false     Tough Tech Venture Capital and America's Innovation Engine with Orin Hoffman Tough Tech Venture Capital and America's Innovation Engine with Orin Hoffman While aboard a plane nosediving into Baghdad, one may be forgiven for pondering how one’s life path could lead from vacuum cleaners to minesweeping robots. Yet, not only does Orin Hoffman, of MIT’s The Engine venture capital firm, share this humbling connection, but also how it advances an overarching narrative of the United States national industrial innovation base, VCs, and the crucial roles served by tough tech entrepreneurs. 

    Public-private partnerships may not be what immediately comes to most people’s minds when asked about frontier tech, though government funding for basic scientific research has been commonplace in the United States for a century. “Patient capital” – a class of investors with a temperament to nurture big-bet science and engineering ventures – is helping to bridge gaps in the national “capital stack”, Orin shares on Tough Tech Today. We learn from Orin about how his team at The Engine cultivates their investment thesis, about whether a technical founder should find a business-savvy partner, and work-in-progress ideas for improving the United States as a whole by nurturing deeply technical startups via diversified, trusted capital networks.

    Show Notes

    You may also like...

    ]]>     While aboard a plane nosediving into Baghdad, one may be forgiven for pondering how one’s life path could lead from vacuum cleaners to minesweeping robots. Yet, not only does Orin Hoffman, of MIT’s The Engine venture capital firm, share this humbling connection, but also how it advances an overarching narrative of the United States national industrial innovation base, VCs, and the crucial roles served by tough tech entrepreneurs. 

    Public-private partnerships may not be what immediately comes to most people’s minds when asked about frontier tech, though government funding for basic scientific research has been commonplace in the United States for a century. “Patient capital” – a class of investors with a temperament to nurture big-bet science and engineering ventures – is helping to bridge gaps in the national “capital stack”, Orin shares on Tough Tech Today. We learn from Orin about how his team at The Engine cultivates their investment thesis, about whether a technical founder should find a business-savvy partner, and work-in-progress ideas for improving the United States as a whole by nurturing deeply technical startups via diversified, trusted capital networks.

    Show Notes

    You may also like...

    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/investing-in-americas-innovation-engine-featuring-orin-hoffman-of-the-engine/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Orin Hoffman Buzzsprout-5761015 Tue, 06 Oct 2020 16:00:00 -0400 3116 1 5 full false     Venturing into federal tech, featuring Will Dickson and Trinity Torres of FedTech Venturing into federal tech, featuring Will Dickson and Trinity Torres of FedTech What happens to the ideas generated across the United States federal government’s research initiatives? Will Dickson and Trinity Torres walk us through the pathways of taxpayer-funded technological advancements and opportunities for a diverse pool of private citizens-entrepreneurs to find commercial success licensing patents owned by the U.S. government.

    The United States government generates vast amounts of intellectual property across its many research organizations, national laboratories, and other technical divisions. Unbeknownst by many citizens, novel technologies are available for licensing and may be a boon to ‘proto companies’ (not-quite-yet-born startups). FedTech is an organization that conducts programs oriented to supporting the exploration of tech commercialization through federal partnership with the private sector.

    Our discussion spans how to find federal intellectual property, the integration of complementary non-engineering skillsets into an engineering-driven culture, and considerations for how various groups such as NavalX and the Defense Innovation Unit are changing government funding for and acquisition of tough technologies. 

    For audience members interested in dual-use ventures and public-private partnerships and funding avenues, check out our interview entitled “Launching dual-use ventures”, featuring Katy Person of the MIT Innovation Initiative.

    Show Notes

    You may also like...



    ]]>     What happens to the ideas generated across the United States federal government’s research initiatives? Will Dickson and Trinity Torres walk us through the pathways of taxpayer-funded technological advancements and opportunities for a diverse pool of private citizens-entrepreneurs to find commercial success licensing patents owned by the U.S. government.

    The United States government generates vast amounts of intellectual property across its many research organizations, national laboratories, and other technical divisions. Unbeknownst by many citizens, novel technologies are available for licensing and may be a boon to ‘proto companies’ (not-quite-yet-born startups). FedTech is an organization that conducts programs oriented to supporting the exploration of tech commercialization through federal partnership with the private sector.

    Our discussion spans how to find federal intellectual property, the integration of complementary non-engineering skillsets into an engineering-driven culture, and considerations for how various groups such as NavalX and the Defense Innovation Unit are changing government funding for and acquisition of tough technologies. 

    For audience members interested in dual-use ventures and public-private partnerships and funding avenues, check out our interview entitled “Launching dual-use ventures”, featuring Katy Person of the MIT Innovation Initiative.

    Show Notes

    You may also like...



    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/venturing-into-federal-tech-featuring-will-dickson-and-trinity-torres-of-fedtech/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, Will Dickson, and Trinity Torres Buzzsprout-5536735 Tue, 22 Sep 2020 16:00:00 -0400 3195 fedtech,fedtech.io,startups working with the federal government,how to sell to the us government,tough tech startups,deep tech startups,the best deep tech podcast,the tough tech podcast,tough tech today,trinity torres,will dickson,jmill,jonathan miller,fo 1 4 full false     Launching dual-use ventures, featuring Katy Person of the MIT Innovation Initiative Launching dual-use ventures, featuring Katy Person of the MIT Innovation Initiative Dual-use ventures – tough tech startups pursuing commercial relationships with the private sector and federal government, are a unique class of companies with whom Kathryn "Katy" Person, of the MIT Innovation Initiative, works daily.

    "[Working with the United States government, such as the Department of Defense,] is not for everyone and not for every business. It depends on whether you come in mission-focused... and it depends on your business strategy," says Katy. As a military veteran with a background in U.S. Army acquisitions, Katy observes "the trough of disillusionment occurs between Phase II and Phase III" of government contracts, and there is a delicate, strategic relationship that may harm or benefit a dual-use venture and with whom it chooses as allies, whether prime contractors, venture funds, government liaisons, university research hubs, and other entities.

    In this episode, we discuss the challenges tough tech entrepreneurs face balancing the myriad of funding opportunities and challenges afforded to dual-use ventures serving the private sector and federal government.

    ---------------
    Show Notes

    * Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/launching-dual-use-ventures-featuring-katy-person-of-the-mit-innovation-initiative/
    * Katy Person on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyperson/
    * MIT Dual-use Ventures Incubator program: https://innovation.mit.edu/mission-innovation-program_incubator/
    * jmill’s article, Who’s Your Ally? How Tech Startups Navigate Venture Capital and Federal Funding: https://medium.com/@iamjmill/whos-your-ally-e2ff6068cd3a

    ---------------
    Topic Timecodes

    00:46 Introducing Katy and the MIT Innovation Initiative
    02:23 What are “dual-use ventures”?
    03:25 Examples of dual-use ventures
    04:14 Updating legacy systems
    05:47 Origins of dual-use technology
    06:41 Defense-oriented startups: in Boston and beyond
    08:51 DOD funding of “innovation”
    09:15 AFWERX and its Open Topic Solicitation
    10:18 The unique approaches by each branch of the U.S. military
    11:32 How the U.S. government thinks about “acquisitions”
    13:07 About Open Topics and integrating startups into defense
    14:21 Taking advantage of the “Small Business Set-Asides”
    15:58 Venture capital, DOD contracting, and dual-use startups
    17:54 New technological trends like robotics, hypersonics, and medical research
    19:14 Influences of DARPA and BARDA
    20:13 Where are the undersubscribed federal government contracts?
    21:52 Katy’s motivation for serving mission-oriented organizations
    23:43 Beware the government contracting ‘trough of disillusionment’
    24:22 The three phases of dual-use venture contracting
    26:09 Draper is a contractor ally for space startups
    27:40 Contrasting the DOD with NATO and non-US defense organizations
    30:30 The pervasive nature of ITAR regulation
    31:09 Evaluating national ‘innovation’ approaches
    31:52 The need for more students entering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
    32:46 A U.S. Space Force opportunity?
    34:11 Putting together the puzzle of government innovation cells and tech entrepreneurs
    34:56 MIT’s ‘Dual-use incubator’ and Louisiana Tech’s STTR program
    37:30 Resources for aspirational dual-use entrepreneurs

    ]]>     Dual-use ventures – tough tech startups pursuing commercial relationships with the private sector and federal government, are a unique class of companies with whom Kathryn "Katy" Person, of the MIT Innovation Initiative, works daily.

    "[Working with the United States government, such as the Department of Defense,] is not for everyone and not for every business. It depends on whether you come in mission-focused... and it depends on your business strategy," says Katy. As a military veteran with a background in U.S. Army acquisitions, Katy observes "the trough of disillusionment occurs between Phase II and Phase III" of government contracts, and there is a delicate, strategic relationship that may harm or benefit a dual-use venture and with whom it chooses as allies, whether prime contractors, venture funds, government liaisons, university research hubs, and other entities.

    In this episode, we discuss the challenges tough tech entrepreneurs face balancing the myriad of funding opportunities and challenges afforded to dual-use ventures serving the private sector and federal government.

    ---------------
    Show Notes

    * Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/launching-dual-use-ventures-featuring-katy-person-of-the-mit-innovation-initiative/
    * Katy Person on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyperson/
    * MIT Dual-use Ventures Incubator program: https://innovation.mit.edu/mission-innovation-program_incubator/
    * jmill’s article, Who’s Your Ally? How Tech Startups Navigate Venture Capital and Federal Funding: https://medium.com/@iamjmill/whos-your-ally-e2ff6068cd3a

    ---------------
    Topic Timecodes

    00:46 Introducing Katy and the MIT Innovation Initiative
    02:23 What are “dual-use ventures”?
    03:25 Examples of dual-use ventures
    04:14 Updating legacy systems
    05:47 Origins of dual-use technology
    06:41 Defense-oriented startups: in Boston and beyond
    08:51 DOD funding of “innovation”
    09:15 AFWERX and its Open Topic Solicitation
    10:18 The unique approaches by each branch of the U.S. military
    11:32 How the U.S. government thinks about “acquisitions”
    13:07 About Open Topics and integrating startups into defense
    14:21 Taking advantage of the “Small Business Set-Asides”
    15:58 Venture capital, DOD contracting, and dual-use startups
    17:54 New technological trends like robotics, hypersonics, and medical research
    19:14 Influences of DARPA and BARDA
    20:13 Where are the undersubscribed federal government contracts?
    21:52 Katy’s motivation for serving mission-oriented organizations
    23:43 Beware the government contracting ‘trough of disillusionment’
    24:22 The three phases of dual-use venture contracting
    26:09 Draper is a contractor ally for space startups
    27:40 Contrasting the DOD with NATO and non-US defense organizations
    30:30 The pervasive nature of ITAR regulation
    31:09 Evaluating national ‘innovation’ approaches
    31:52 The need for more students entering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
    32:46 A U.S. Space Force opportunity?
    34:11 Putting together the puzzle of government innovation cells and tech entrepreneurs
    34:56 MIT’s ‘Dual-use incubator’ and Louisiana Tech’s STTR program
    37:30 Resources for aspirational dual-use entrepreneurs

    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/launching-dual-use-ventures-featuring-katy-person-of-the-mit-innovation-initiative/ Jonathan Miller, Forrest Meyen, and Katy Person Buzzsprout-5350630 Tue, 08 Sep 2020 15:00:00 -0400 2465 Katy Person,Jonathan Miller,jmill,Forrest Meyen,MIT,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,MIT Innovation Initiative,Dual Use Ventures,Government funded startups,startups,entrepreneurship,How MIT promotes entrepreneurship,Tough Tech,Tough Technology,Tough 1 3 full false     Commercializing Satellite Propulsion, featuring Louis Perna of Accion Systems Commercializing Satellite Propulsion, featuring Louis Perna of Accion Systems No longer the domain of strictly nation-states, 'new space' is undergoing a wave of commercialization and growth. Two key engineering challenges, observed Louis Perna, are in-space communications and propulsion. He and his co-founder, Natalya Bailey, launched Accion Systems to provide cost-effective electrospray propulsion for satellites.

    While the complexities of space travel are something that many members of society may recognize, less obvious may be the terrestrial challenges spacefaring tech developers face: designing and manufacturing hardware, cultivating an interdisciplinary team, and working through unit economics of complicated systems. Louis details his insider's view of the privatization of space, one electrospray ion thruster at a time.

    Show Notes
    – Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/commercializing-satellite-propulsion-with-louis-perna/
    – Louis Perna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-perna-6b237621

    Topic Timecodes
    01:10 Electrospray propulsion is...
    02:54 Transitioning tech out of a lab
    04:50 The Global Founders' Skills Accelerator
    05:36 Space industry inflection point
    06:54 Lowering satellite costs
    07:31 Failure as an option
    08:53 Two challenges: communications and propulsion
    09:53 Designing for mass manufacturability
    12:01 Making thousands of thrusters
    12:53 Kessler Syndrome responsibility
    14:54 Avoiding a 10,000-year delay on spaceflight
    16:51 Maneuvering in space
    19:01 Cubesats and modular design
    20:55 What if a low-cost satellite threatens a billion dollar satellite?
    22:35 How to recruit a team to build complex systems
    26:39 Rocket science is tough, but commercializing rocket science is tougher
    29:00 Making something manufacturable
    30:32 Learning supplier relations and quality monitoring
    31:34 An entrepreneurial seed?
    33:53 Having a partner at your side
    37:32 Space to remain the domain of nation-states?
    39:42 The Earth-focus of commercial space
    41:04 Manufacturing thruster components in space
    43:14 Water propellants
    43:59 Space-testing thruster tech
    45:54 The enticement of Very Low Earth Orbit
    47:09 Air-breathing satellite propulsion
    48:36 Advice for a fellow scientist-engineer

    Tags
    Satellite Propulsion, Ion Thrust, Electrospray, Louis Perna, Accion Systems, MIT

    ]]>     No longer the domain of strictly nation-states, 'new space' is undergoing a wave of commercialization and growth. Two key engineering challenges, observed Louis Perna, are in-space communications and propulsion. He and his co-founder, Natalya Bailey, launched Accion Systems to provide cost-effective electrospray propulsion for satellites.

    While the complexities of space travel are something that many members of society may recognize, less obvious may be the terrestrial challenges spacefaring tech developers face: designing and manufacturing hardware, cultivating an interdisciplinary team, and working through unit economics of complicated systems. Louis details his insider's view of the privatization of space, one electrospray ion thruster at a time.

    Show Notes
    – Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/commercializing-satellite-propulsion-with-louis-perna/
    – Louis Perna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-perna-6b237621

    Topic Timecodes
    01:10 Electrospray propulsion is...
    02:54 Transitioning tech out of a lab
    04:50 The Global Founders' Skills Accelerator
    05:36 Space industry inflection point
    06:54 Lowering satellite costs
    07:31 Failure as an option
    08:53 Two challenges: communications and propulsion
    09:53 Designing for mass manufacturability
    12:01 Making thousands of thrusters
    12:53 Kessler Syndrome responsibility
    14:54 Avoiding a 10,000-year delay on spaceflight
    16:51 Maneuvering in space
    19:01 Cubesats and modular design
    20:55 What if a low-cost satellite threatens a billion dollar satellite?
    22:35 How to recruit a team to build complex systems
    26:39 Rocket science is tough, but commercializing rocket science is tougher
    29:00 Making something manufacturable
    30:32 Learning supplier relations and quality monitoring
    31:34 An entrepreneurial seed?
    33:53 Having a partner at your side
    37:32 Space to remain the domain of nation-states?
    39:42 The Earth-focus of commercial space
    41:04 Manufacturing thruster components in space
    43:14 Water propellants
    43:59 Space-testing thruster tech
    45:54 The enticement of Very Low Earth Orbit
    47:09 Air-breathing satellite propulsion
    48:36 Advice for a fellow scientist-engineer

    Tags
    Satellite Propulsion, Ion Thrust, Electrospray, Louis Perna, Accion Systems, MIT

    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/commercializing-satellite-propulsion-with-louis-perna/ Guest: Louis Perna. Hosts: Jonathan "jmill" Miller and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-5145706 Tue, 25 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0400 3268 tough tech today,tough tech summit,mit engine,mit,accion systems,louis perna,jmill,Jonathan miller,forrest meyen,accion,accion systems inc,Tough Tech,deep tech,frontier tech,space,space craft propulsion,electrospray thrusters,ion propulsion,rockets,satell 1 2 full false     Storing your data in DNA, with James Banal of Cache DNA Storing your data in DNA, with James Banal of Cache DNA The building blocks of life, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), can be used for computational advantage, posits Dr. James Banal, postdoctoral research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Biological Engineering, in the Bathe Lab. 

    “I work on the wackiest things in computing and storage right now, which is quantum computing and DNA data storage,” says James.

    From ultra-dense, ultra-long storage of digital data (think: storing exabytes for fifty years) to building a 'frozen zoo' or 'species time capsule' to preserve living components of our planet in case of catastrophe, DNA storage and computing leverages the life within all of us to improve not only our lives, but those who will inherit our future Earth.


    Show Notes


    Topic Timecodes

    02:16 Entering Mark Bathe’s Lab

    03:50 Compressing a datacenter into a sugar cube

    06:15 Writing DNA data

    08:17 Archiving data for decades

    09:49 How data is stored and accessed with DNA

    14:22 An advantage: High replication

    15:28 Working on ‘super hard’ problems

    16:30 Commercializing DNA storage

    18:06 Evolving a PhD research statement

    19:51 Ten-Year-Old James: “You’re crazy!”

    20:45 Counting cells for Mom and Dad

    23:26 On failure, quitting, and the low points 

    27:22 Abraham Lincoln and being skeptical of a positive signal

    31:08 Applying machine learning to DNA datasets

    33:35 Who may buy this

    34:45 ‘Datageddon’ and the post-silicon world

    39:44 Storing the world’s annual data in a cubic meter

    42:17 When will we see DNA computing deployed?

    45:25 Taking a snapshot of all species in the world

    46:33 ELI5: Never have to delete anything again

    49:12 The ‘Frozen Zoo’, ‘Frozen Ark’, and Australian wildfires

    53:59 Final points


    ]]>     The building blocks of life, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), can be used for computational advantage, posits Dr. James Banal, postdoctoral research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Biological Engineering, in the Bathe Lab. 

    “I work on the wackiest things in computing and storage right now, which is quantum computing and DNA data storage,” says James.

    From ultra-dense, ultra-long storage of digital data (think: storing exabytes for fifty years) to building a 'frozen zoo' or 'species time capsule' to preserve living components of our planet in case of catastrophe, DNA storage and computing leverages the life within all of us to improve not only our lives, but those who will inherit our future Earth.


    Show Notes


    Topic Timecodes

    02:16 Entering Mark Bathe’s Lab

    03:50 Compressing a datacenter into a sugar cube

    06:15 Writing DNA data

    08:17 Archiving data for decades

    09:49 How data is stored and accessed with DNA

    14:22 An advantage: High replication

    15:28 Working on ‘super hard’ problems

    16:30 Commercializing DNA storage

    18:06 Evolving a PhD research statement

    19:51 Ten-Year-Old James: “You’re crazy!”

    20:45 Counting cells for Mom and Dad

    23:26 On failure, quitting, and the low points 

    27:22 Abraham Lincoln and being skeptical of a positive signal

    31:08 Applying machine learning to DNA datasets

    33:35 Who may buy this

    34:45 ‘Datageddon’ and the post-silicon world

    39:44 Storing the world’s annual data in a cubic meter

    42:17 When will we see DNA computing deployed?

    45:25 Taking a snapshot of all species in the world

    46:33 ELI5: Never have to delete anything again

    49:12 The ‘Frozen Zoo’, ‘Frozen Ark’, and Australian wildfires

    53:59 Final points


    ]]>     https://toughtechtoday.com/computing-with-the-building-blocks-of-life-with-james-banal/ James Banal, Jonathan Miller, and Forrest Meyen Buzzsprout-4951973 Tue, 11 Aug 2020 12:00:00 -0400 3357 DNA storage, DNA computing, biotech, synthetic biology, MIT 1 1 full false