Special from CLIMB by VSC: When Technology Transcends Screens with Sunil Nagaraj

This week, we’re proud to share a special episode of the CLIMB by VSC podcast with Jay Kapoor, featuring his interview with Sunil Nagaraj. CLIMB is a weekly podcast where Jay and VSC Ventures co-founder Vijay Chattha speak with leading investors, founders, and industry experts about lessons and perspectives on company-building in the world of climate tech and climate adaptation.
From CLIMB by VSC:
We're honored to host Sunil Nagaraj, a visionary investor in the intersection of deep tech and climate innovation, and founding partner of Ubiquity Ventures. Nagaraj's unique perspective on "software beyond the screen" and his commitment to supporting early-stage, tech-driven startups are at the forefront of our discussion. We dive into the essence of nurturing technologies with disciplined financing and the strategic scaling of startups to mitigate climate change.
Our conversation spans a variety of topics, from the complexities of venture capital in the climate tech space to the pivotal role of startups in driving substantial change. Sunil shares insights on the importance of focusing on high-impact areas and the potential pitfalls in the startup ecosystem, particularly emphasizing the significance of avoiding the "moonshot culture" that often hinders the progress of deep tech ventures.
About VSC Ventures:
VSC Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund led by Jay Kapoor and Vijay Chattha where we invest in early-stage startups and support our founders with hands-on PR, storytelling, and go-to-market work with help from our award-winning PR agency VSC.
Our fund has invested alongside Lowercarbon, NEA, Uncork Capital, Left Lane, Alley Corp, Obvious Ventures, Third Sphere, and other leading early-stage funds.
Through our weekly conversations on our show CLIMB by VSC, we're excited to share our work with innovative companies like Paintjet, Glacier, Concrete.AI, Presso, ⁠⁠Ample⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Actual⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Sesame Solar⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Synop⁠⁠, ⁠and Vibrant Planet⁠⁠ in addition to highlighting companies and leading voices across the early stage ecosystem.
Links discussed in this episode:
Moonshot Culture is Strangling Deeptech article: www.ubqt.vc/p/moonshot-cultur...
Ubiquity University: university.ubiquity.vc/
Episode Timestamps
00:00:00 Conor Gaughan introduces CLIMB by VSC
00:02:42 Trailer
00:03:17 Introduction
00:04:01 What defines a startup as truly 'Nerdy and Early'?"
00:07:11 What’s the first question investors make?
00:11:30 How do investors navigate unfamiliar markets?
00:16:17 The pros and cons of a singular investment strategy
00:21:49 How do 'crazy' ideas become genius investments
00:26:45 The 'Don't Repeat Yourself' mantra in Venture Capital
00:29:35 The cost of keeping secrets in Venture Capital
00:31:57 How trust accelerates organizational velocity
00:39:30 Should investors be more involved in early stage startups?
00:42:47 How can startups become better companies
00:47:19 The dangers of Moonshot Culture in Deep Tech
00:52:39 What's the one thing your startup should focus on?
00:55:07 Can technology truly turn the tide against climate change?
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🚨We’ll be back next week with a brand new episode of Consensus in Conversation
If you liked this episode, listen next to • Jay Kapoor of VSC Vent...
Consensus in Conversation is hosted and executive produced by Conor Gaughan. This episode was produced by Will Gatchel and Geoff Rock, with editing from Reasonable Volume.
Special thanks to the Consensus team, including Creative Director, Kate Tucker, Greg Herrigel on research, and Patrick Gallagher on strategy.
Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.
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