Deep tech founders face a unique challenge: turning breakthrough science into a scalable startup. From navigating academia and IP to fundraising, manufacturing, and product-market fit, the path from research lab to real-world impact is anything but straightforward.
This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of geCKo Materials and 2024 Startup Battlefield runner-up. GeCKo Materials is building a bio-inspired adhesive with applications across robotics, manufacturing, and even space. In this episode, they explore how Kerst turned a Stanford PhD breakthrough into a venture-backed deep tech company.
This conversation covers:
- How to turn academic research into a scalable startup.
- The challenges of moving from Stanford PhD to founder and CEO.
- What it takes to raise capital as a deep tech and hardware startup.
- Why commercialization and manufacturing are the hardest parts of innovation.
- How to identify real-world use cases and achieve product-market fit.
Following recent episodes on building teams, this conversation focuses on the foundation behind every startup: transforming breakthrough technology into a viable business.
New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
