Great stuff as always Jared! I wish that every technology with commercial potential is given a chance to be nurtured to TRL5 in a university or non-profit setting, but that's not always possible. The timing of translation from non-profit to for-profit for disruptive technologies is rarely driven exclusively by technology maturity. You note well the idea that various funding mechanisms are available to early-stage ventures even at lower TRLs to help bridge the gap. And I'd go further to suggest that you benefitted from patient equity capital investors which is something founders should be cognizant of in early financings. Go Deep Tech!
Really good addition Chris. There are investors willing to work with less developed tech and be patient. Wish there were more of them. But what I’ve seen this past year is that lots of climate tech investors are pulling back to TRL 5, especially as we wait for exits from some of the investments of the past few years.
Great stuff as always Jared! I wish that every technology with commercial potential is given a chance to be nurtured to TRL5 in a university or non-profit setting, but that's not always possible. The timing of translation from non-profit to for-profit for disruptive technologies is rarely driven exclusively by technology maturity. You note well the idea that various funding mechanisms are available to early-stage ventures even at lower TRLs to help bridge the gap. And I'd go further to suggest that you benefitted from patient equity capital investors which is something founders should be cognizant of in early financings. Go Deep Tech!
Really good addition Chris. There are investors willing to work with less developed tech and be patient. Wish there were more of them. But what I’ve seen this past year is that lots of climate tech investors are pulling back to TRL 5, especially as we wait for exits from some of the investments of the past few years.