Why Deep Tech Startups Are So Hard to Build

What does it take to build the next generation of world-changing companies — from rockets and quantum computing to AI models trained on proprietary data?

This clip from episode 47 of The Generalists, we sit down with Aditya Mathur and Remi Choong, the founding team behind Elev8.VC — Southeast Asia’s only venture firm built from the ground up for deep-tech investing.

From pre-seed lab spinouts to companies launching rockets and redefining AI, they reveal how deep-tech venture capital really works: why it’s harder, slower, and far more transformative than anything in consumer tech. We unpack how Singapore is positioning itself as a global deep-tech hub, why “bench-to-market” is the new startup journey, and the mindset founders need to survive a 10-year build cycle.

📖 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• Why Elev8.VC invests exclusively in deep-tech — from semiconductors to photonics
• How to turn research into scalable products (“bench to market”)
• What the Ignite program does for professors and PhDs considering spin-outs
• How government co-investment and RIE funding fuel the ecosystem
• What VCs really look for in founders (hint: superpowers and doggedness)
• The due-diligence playbook: engaging corporate buyers before investing
• Why TRL stages and productization matter more than pitch decks
• The truth about valuations, AI “wrappers,” and what counts as deep tech
• How global investors are now looking to Singapore for deep-tech deal flow
• What deep-tech fundraising rounds look like — and how Elev8 structures them

👥 Hosts
Michael Smith Jr.:   / smittysgp  
Raz Kotler:   / razko282  

👤 Guests
Aditya Mathur:   / aditya-mathur-0a0563  
Remi Choong:   / remichoong  

🔔 If you love founder stories, venture deep dives, and hard-won lessons from investors backing frontier technology — hit subscribe and turn on notifications!
👉👉👉 Subscribe Now:    / @thegeneralistspodcast  

🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned
🚀 Companies, Funds & Ecosystem Players
Elev8.VC (Deep-tech venture capital): https://www.elev8.vc/
ASTAR – Agency for Science, Technology and Research: https://www.a-star.edu.sg/
NTU – Nanyang Technological University: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/
SUTD – Singapore University of Technology and Design: https://www.sutd.edu.sg/
Startup SG Equity – Co-investment programme: https://www.startupsg.gov.sg/programm...
Enterprise Singapore: https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/
Temasek Holdings: https://www.temasek.com.sg/
Equatorial Space Systems (Rocket launch startup): https://www.equatorialspace.com/
Polybee (Precision pollination robotics): https://www.polybee.co/
Tropical Labs – Deep-tech startup (stealth)
Wind Technologies – Portfolio company (private)
🏛️ National Initiatives & Programs
Research, Innovation & Enterprise (RIE) Plan: https://www.nrf.gov.sg/programmes/res...
SPRING SEEDS Capital (archived): https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/finan...
📚 Books, Podcasts & Thought Leadership
SuperAging – Eric Topol: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Aging-Er...
Lex Fridman Podcast – Janna Levin interview: https://lexfridman.com/janna-levin/
🧠 Frameworks & Concepts
NASA Technology Readiness Levels (TRL): https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/som...
Joint Development Agreements (JDAs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_d...

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