The Techne Connect

David Shapira, CCO & Co-Founder of CDDS, shares his journey from mechanical engineering and entrepreneurship to building autonomous defence technology. He discusses the origins of CDDS, the importance of solving a genuine problem, and why continuous customer feedback is essential when developing products that need to work in the real world. David also explores how defence is evolving, from the...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect we are joined by Jonathan Huffman, CEO and Founder of Orbital Arc, to discuss the future of satellite propulsion and the commercialisation of deep space technology. Jonathan shares his journey from biotech consulting and self-directed research to building a company focused on developing smaller, lighter and more efficient electric propulsion systems for satellites...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to Visionaries, Karim is joined by Shreyas, COO and Co-Founder of Katalyse AI, to explore the role of artificial intelligence in transforming pharmaceutical development and improving access to life-saving medicines. Shreyas shares his journey from competitive tennis to entrepreneurship, including his experience at BCG and Sanofi, where he gained insight into the c...

In the latest episode of TECHNE Connect to Venture Capital, Joe Reed is joined by Philip Veber, Principal at Gaingels, for a deep dive into the world of venture capital, investing and building relationships with founders. Philip shares his journey from joining Gaingels as a teenager to becoming a Principal, alongside insights from working with founders and investors across the technology ecosystem...

In this episode of Connect Live, Tom Sloan sits down with Saleem Miyan, Co-founder & CEO of Max Space, inside the company’s facility in Florida to explore the technology and ambition behind the next generation of space habitats. Saleem shares his journey from semiconductors and satellite technology to entrepreneurship and ultimately founding Max Space, discussing the lessons he’s learned from...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to Visionaries, we are joined by Laura, CEO and Co-Founder of Otherson, to explore the journey of building a health tech company focused on nervous system regulation. Laura shares her transition from Nokia executive to entrepreneur, how music and neuroscience inspired the creation of Otherson, and the challenges of turning a personal mission into a global technolo...

Six years of development. Starting with zero customers. One clear mission to make space more sustainable. In our latest episode of TECHNE Connect to Visionaries, we're joined by Sara Correyero Plaza, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of IENAI Space, to explore the journey of developing next-generation propulsion technology for satellites. From an initial university research project to seeing their technol...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to Orbit, we are joined by James Murphy, CTO and Co-Founder of Setana Space, to discuss the future of onboard AI and satellite computing. James shares his journey from working on spacecraft systems and AI-enabled satellite projects to founding a company focused on bringing scalable computing platforms to space. They explore how reduced launch costs, growing satell...

The future of aviation is changing, and the next generation of aircraft is being built today. In the latest episode of TECHNE Connect to Flight, we sit down with Marina Hutter, Head of People at VÆRIDION, to discuss the journey of building a fully electric regional aircraft and scaling a deep tech company from the ground up. Marina shares: How VÆRIDION is developing a fully electric nine-seater pa...

What does it take to build and scale teams capable of solving the world’s hardest problems? In the latest episode of TECHNE Connect to Visionaries, we sit down with Matt Gjertsen, Founder of Built, to discuss his journey from US Air Force pilot to SpaceX training leader and now helping hard tech companies build the leadership capability needed to scale. Matt shares insights from his time at SpaceX...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to Health Tech, we speak with Abhi, VP of Engineering at Bunker Hill Health. Abhi shares his journey from studying computer vision and robotics at Stanford to building AI-powered healthcare technology. With a background shaped by both engineering and healthcare, Abhi discusses how his experiences led him to Bunker Hill Health and the mission of helping healthcare...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect To Visionaries, we speak with Sanjay Vijendran, Co-Founder & CTO of TerraSpark, about his journey from Mars exploration to building the future of space-based energy. Sanjay shares his career journey, from working on NASA’s Phoenix Mars Mission, helping develop technology that explored the Martian surface, to spending over a decade at the European Space Agency...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to HealthTech, we speak with Jeffrey Durmer Chief Medical Officer at Happy Health. Jeffrey discusses the importance of sleep health, the scale of sleep disorders, and why improving our understanding of sleep is critical for the future of healthcare. With a background in sleep medicine and neuroscience, Jeffrey shares his perspective on why sleep problems are so wi...

In this episode of Connect to Visionaries , Harrison is joined by Sophia Hummelman, Co-Founder and CCO of Remedium Energy , to explore her journey from investment banking into climate tech entrepreneurship. Sophia shares how an early interest in entrepreneurship led her to co-found a direct air capture company before turning her attention to the energy sector. Sophia discusses Remedium Energy’s ap...

In this episode of Connective Visionaries , Tom is joined by Brett Velicovich, Co-Founder and President of Powerus , to explore his journey from the military into entrepreneurship and defence technology. Brett shares how his experiences working with drone technology and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine exposed significant gaps in the US defence industry and ultimately inspired him to build PowerUs....

In this episode of TECHNE Connect, Joe Reed sits down with Mel Torrie, CEO and Founder of Autonomous Solutions Inc. (ASI), to discuss his journey through robotics, entrepreneurship and building autonomous systems for real-world industries. Mel shares how growing up on a farm in Canada inspired his interest in automation, eventually leading him from electrical engineering into robotics and founding...

In this episode of Connect to Orbit: Visionaries, we speak with Mark Keremedjiev, CEO & Co-Founder of Orbital Sentry. Mark shares his journey from studying astrophysics at Cornell and building infrared cameras for black hole research, to working within the US intelligence community on advanced satellite programmes, before moving into the commercial space sector with Planet. Now, as the founder...

The next generation of space infrastructure could be built much closer to Earth. In the latest episode of TECHNE Connect to Visionaries, we sit down with Steven P. Shepard , Co-Founder and CEO of Vaxon Space , to discuss the future of very low Earth orbit (VLEO) and why this emerging orbital regime could transform satellite technology. Steven shares his journey from working on advanced space progr...

Gerry Vannuffelen left a global head of robotics role at one of the world's largest automation OEMs to found Mantis Robotics, betting that robots could work alongside people without cages, fences, or dedicated specialists to deploy them. In this episode, he unpacks the technology behind that bet: a "nervous system" for robotics that gives any robot the reflexes to operate safely in the real world,...

In this episode of Connect to Visionaries, we speak with Mitchell Fogelson, Co-Founder and CEO of Beyond Reach Labs, about the future of large-scale infrastructure in space. Mitchell shares his journey from mechanical engineering and robotics research through iRobot, robotics innovation in Japan, and a NASA-funded PhD at Carnegie Mellon University, which led to the creation of Beyond Reach Labs. T...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to Flight , Tom Sloan sits down with Phillip Gomez, VP of Product and Defense Systems at MagLev Aero, to explore his journey through aerospace and defence. Phillip shares how early experience at startup AVX Aircraft, followed by seven years at Bell, shaped his technical expertise, leadership approach and understanding of the full aircraft development lifecycle. Th...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect, Joe Reed sits down with Leo Pauly, CEO & Co-Founder of Plasma Orbital, to discuss building the next generation of intelligent satellite systems. Leo shares his journey from electronics engineering and AI & robotics research into entrepreneurship, including the experiences that led him to create Plasma Orbital. Plasma Orbital is developing smart satellite...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to Health Tech, we speak with Abhi, VP of Engineering at Bunker Hill Health. Abhi shares his journey from studying computer vision and robotics at Stanford to building AI-powered healthcare technology. With a background shaped by both engineering and healthcare, Abhi discusses how his experiences led him to Bunker Hill Health and the mission of helping healthcare...

In this episode of TECHNE Connect to Visionaries, Joe Reed speaks with Brent Klavon, Chief Strategy Officer at ANRA Technologies, about the evolution of autonomous systems, the future of airspace and what it takes to scale drone and robotics technology safely. The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧 Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shap...

Building the Infrastructure for the Next Era of Space with Symphony Space In this episode of Connect to Visionaries, Joe Reed speaks with Merry Walker, Co-Founder of Symphony Space. Merry discusses her journey from engineering and energy systems, through a career in diplomacy focused on emerging technologies, to founding a company focused on simplifying access to space. Symphony Space is building...