The Techne Connect

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Nathan Mintz , CEO and Co-Founder of CX2 , talks about his journey from Boeing and Raytheon to building three deep-tech companies in aerospace and defence. Nathan shares the early influences that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset, how he moved from initial concepts to launching each venture, and the lessons he learned from building hardware-driven businesses...

In this episode of the Techne Connect, Paolo Pucci , Head of Motion Control Systems and Software, talks through his career across Italy, the UK and California and how he built a high performing team from scratch. Paolo shares his experience in controls, chassis, ADAS, steering systems and functional safety, including his work on full steer by wire at Canoo and the impact of seeing his features rea...

Recorded onsite, this episode brings you into the heart of Longbow, a new British sports car brand shaping a featherweight electric segment. You hear from co-founders Mark Tapscott and Daniel Davey as they share the story behind the name, the mission, and the rapid six-month journey from a blank sheet to a fully built prototype. They discuss engineering focus, supplier strategy, 3D printed manufac...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Christopher Savoia , Global Head of the UR+ Ecosystem at Universal Robots , explains how the company reshaped industrial automation with safe and flexible collaborative robots. Christopher shares how the UR Plus platform supports startups and global manufacturers with hardware, software and full application solutions. He talks about his path from biomedical e...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Jeremiah Pate , Founder and CTO of Lunasonde, shares how his team is inventing a new way to see underground. He explains georadiotomography (GRT): a subsurface imaging technology that uses low-frequency radio from airborne—and ultimately space-borne—platforms to map minerals, fault lines, aquifers and more for defense and critical-minerals exploration. Jeremi...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Jeremy Fix , Chief Engineer at ispace-U.S. , shares his journey through three decades in the space industry and how innovation is accelerating faster than ever before. He explains how iSpace is redefining lunar exploration through its ambitious Moon Valley 2040 vision, combining global collaboration and cutting-edge technology to make commercial missions to t...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Eric Zaremski , Director of Technical Operations at Fort Robotics shares how his team is building safer, smarter autonomy for real-world robotics. He explains how Fort’s safety-certified controllers and radios enable secure remote and autonomous operation, and why “proactive safety” systems still rely on a simple big red button. Eric also discusses bridging e...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Sid Shaikh , CTO at Fieldwork Robotics , discusses how his team is tackling one of agriculture’s toughest challenges — automating the delicate process of raspberry picking. Sid shares how Fieldwork’s robots are designed to handle soft fruit with precision, consistency, and efficiency, addressing labour shortages and reducing waste across farms worldwide. He e...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Kevin Kleber , CTO and Co-Founder of Suind , explains how they are tackling crop losses through fully autonomous drones designed for complex, real-world environments like India’s rugged rubber plantations. He shares how the team’s mission-driven approach targets the most challenging agricultural conditions, bringing measurable sustainability benefits such as...

In this episode of the Techne Connect, Deepa Ramaswamy , Chief Engineer at Ford , shares how her work is shaping the next generation of software-defined vehicles and advancing automotive innovation. She explains how her team integrates advanced driver assistance systems, electrical architectures, and AI tools to improve vehicle safety, performance, and quality. Deepa also discusses the lessons lea...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Dan Scheuer, Director of Engineering (Space) at General Atomics , lifts the lid on building and operating end-to-end space systems. He traces his path from San Diego aviation fan to leading a 130-strong, full-discipline team delivering optical payloads, space vehicles and ground operations—sharing highlights from MQ-9 Block 50 control stations to weather sate...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Chris Jannette , President and CEO of BlackStar Orbital , reveals how his team is building a hypersonic, reusable spacecraft to make space fast, reliable and built to last. He traces the journey from the US Air Force and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to leading an engineering-led startup executing a Space Force Phase II contract, fresh from wind-tunnel campaign...

In this episode of the Techne Connect, Jonathan Andree , Technical Director at Galvion , shares how his team builds integrated soldier systems. He explains tactical helmet platforms, the Cortex AR capability, and open architectures that join radios, sensors, and Android tools to deliver the right information at the right time Jonathan traces his path from financial IT into defence. He talks about...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Werner Koestler , Executive Officer at Pioneer , explores how next-generation in-car experience is evolving at the intersection of human–machine interface, immersive audio and autonomous mobility to build trust and safety in real-world environments. He shares his journey from Vienna to Tokyo, becoming Pioneer’s first Western board member, and reflects on less...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Anshuman Kumar , Head of Hardware at Matic Robots , unpacks how consumer robotics is moving from flashy demos to real, in-home utility. He shares how Matic built a genuinely effective floor-cleaning robot, picking up dirty water rather than spreading it, while driving down noise and filing multiple patents across mechanics, electronics and perception. He trac...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Rishabh Aggarwal , CTO at Raise Robotics , shares how his team is redefining construction and manufacturing safety through autonomous robotics. Rishabh discusses his journey from mechanical engineering and automotive design to leading-edge robotics, spanning renewable energy, aerospace collaborations with NASA, and agricultural automation. He explains how Rai...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Youssef Demitri , VP of Engineering at Wingtra , lifts the lid on building robots that map the world at scale. He explains how Wingtra’s end-to-end platform spans hardware, firmware and software to turn vast sites into accurate 2D and 3D digital twins for construction, mining and environmental monitoring. He shares what his day really looks like, switching be...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Jim Castelaz , Founder and CEO of Arcticar and former Founder of Motive Electric Trucks, shares how a lifelong mission to free fleets from fossil fuels shaped his path from Stanford engineer to serial entrepreneur. Jim reflects on the leap from academia to founding Motive, why values-based hiring and strong customer support built lasting trust, and the moment...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Paul Mikesell , Founder and CEO of Carbon Robotics , shares how his team is redefining agriculture through AI-driven robotics — from the laser-powered weeder eliminating the need for chemicals, to the autonomous tractor kit that converts standard machines into self-driving systems. Paul reflects on his journey from scaling startups and leading AI development...

In this episode, we speak with Parsa Bakhtiari , Co-Founder of Feather Robotics , about his journey from helping launch the Tesla Model 3 to pioneering a new generation of affordable, deployable humanoid robots. Parsa shares how his background as an Iranian immigrant shaped his entrepreneurial mindset, the lessons learned from working alongside Elon Musk, and the sacrifices required to turn an ide...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Brent Bradbury , VP of Software at Stoke Space , shares how software-driven innovation is transforming the way rockets are built, tested, and launched. He traces his unconventional path from futures trading and SaaS development to leading within the new space economy, showing how cross-industry thinking and startup agility are accelerating progress in aerospa...

In this episode of The Techne Connect , Carl Dietrich, founder and CEO of Jump Aero, shares his journey from MIT to pioneering flying cars and now building eVTOL aircraft for emergency response. Carl reflects on lessons learned in aerospace entrepreneurship, the challenges of scaling advanced air mobility, and the vision behind Jump Aero’s mission to cut rural emergency response times in half. He...

In this episode of The Techne Connect , Adam Ewing sits down with Morten Skov , co-founder and CTO of Sky Puzzler , a Danish deep tech startup building centralized air traffic control systems for drones. Morten shares his journey into robotics and AI, the challenges of leading a startup, and the importance of work-life balance in the fast-moving world of technology. He offers insights into simulat...

In this episode of The Techne Connect: Behind the Robot, Bibhrajit Halder , Founder and CEO of SafeAI , shares how autonomous systems are transforming heavy industries through safety, efficiency, and intelligent automation. He discusses his journey from working at Caterpillar, Ford, and Apple to founding SafeAI in Silicon Valley, explaining how startup life taught him to think like a customer and...

In this episode of The Techne Connect, Jason Kline , Head of Design at Humanoid , unpacks how humanoid robotics is advancing at the intersection of industrial design, HRI and fashion to build trust, safety and acceptance in real-world environments. He shares his path from automotive design into robotics leadership, and why systems thinking, rapid prototyping and close collaboration across software...