Science VC

JP Orlov
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Science VC explores the intersection of deeptech startups and venture capital. Each episode features conversations with startup founders, venture capitalists, and industry experts. Discover their stories, lessons learned, and predictions for the future.  Learn more about the challenges and opportunities of fundraising for venture-backed startups innovating in agtech, biotech, energy, foodtech, healthtech, and sustainability.

Episodes

  1. 04/17/2025

    Why Not All Traction Is Equal | Aligning Latam’s Agtech Innovation with Industry Needs | The Role of LPs in Early VC Investing | Long-Term Thinking in Fundraising, with Galit Flasterstein, Managing Partner @ Danta Fund | Ep 8

    Biodiversity as an Advantage Galit is a Managing Partner at Danta Fund, a VC firm that backs early-stage agritech startups in Latin America. Danta Fund has the mission of filling three main voids in Latin America: funding in early-stage agri-tech startups, mentorship to guide their founders, and connection with larger markets to help them grow. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 0:57 Galit’s Path From Founder to VC   5:12 How Danta’s Mentors Help Startups   7:08 Danta’s North Star for Startup Selection   9:24 What Makes an LOI Count   10:37 Helping Startups Enter Global Markets   14:28 How Corporates Can Engage Startups   21:57 Why Danta Passes on Startups   25:08 Common Founder Aha Moments   26:49 Why LPs Join Startup Interviews   31:50 What Founders Miss About VCs   33:35 How LATAM Agtech Differs Globally   38:04 Finding & Validating Customers   41:21 What Drives Demand for Sustainability   44:50 Saying No to High-Risk Startups   47:17 Why Danta Focuses on the U.S.   52:27 Who Should Apply to Danta Fund   53:32 Connect With Galit  Connect with Galit on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/galitflasterstein/ Follow Danta Fund on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/danta-fund/ Visit Danta Fund's Website and Subscribe to their Newsletter https://dantafund.com/ Email Galit galit@dantafund.com Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVC Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    55 min

  2. 04/10/2025

    Unlocking Unsung Potential | LATAM Biotech’s Global Path | What Investors Really Look For | Avoiding Unforced Errors | Why Tulsa? | Building Cross-Border Deeptech Startups, with Michael Basch, GP and CEO @ Atento Capital | Ep 7

    Why not Tulsa? Michael is the Founder, CEO, and General Partner of Atento Capital, a pre-seed and seed-stage VC firm focused on partnering with founders to build technology around healthcare, climate-tech, and business services. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:13 Michael’s Career Journey: From Founder to VC 4:07 The Origin Story of Atento Capital 5:04 Backing from the George Kaiser Family Foundation 10:13 Why Atento Capital Partnered with GRIDX 12:50 Tulsa’s Startup Ecosystem 20:43 How Being a Founder Shapes Michael’s Investment Approach 25:40 Explaining Science Simply to Investors 30:42 The Convergence of Exponential Technologies 34:19 Capital Concentration in Mega Funds 46:01 What to Include in Effective Investor Updates 48:18 Inside the Atento Capital x GRIDX Demo Day 50:35 What’s Next for Atento Capital 52:02 Connect With Michael Connect with Michael on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebasch/ Follow Atento Capital on LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/company/atento-capital/posts/?feedView=all  Visit Atento Capital’s Website https://www.atentocapital.com/  Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4XcR1Efx8SUqZqMZROQfQl Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    53 min

  3. 04/03/2025

    Why No Idea Is Truly Unique | Leveraging Warm Intros and Mentorships | Communicating Urgency and Opportunities to VCs | Success Beyond Funding | Inside NYU’s Acceleration Program with Khoa Ma, Associate Director @ Endless Frontier Labs | Ep 6

    Are there unique ideas anymore? Khoa Ma is an Associate Director at Endless Frontier Labs, a program at NYU Stern School of Business for early-stage science and technology startups.  Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:07 Khoa’s Career Path 3:22 How Endless Frontier Labs Evaluates Startups 8:45 What Gets Startups Into Endless Frontier Labs 11:22 Most Impressive Startup Pitch 14:49 Maximizing Mentor Relationships 18:38 Building Investor Connections 26:20 Measuring Success Beyond Funding 29:33 Showing Traction Pre-Revenue 33:16 VC Blind Spots in Deeptech 36:32 Separating Sci-Fi From Reality 39:13 Underrated Deeptech Opportunities 42:31 Communicating Urgency to Investors 45:14 Founders’ Aha Moments 48:50 Best Cold Outreach Examples 51:55 No Unique Ideas Anymore 57:28 Reading Books vs. Doing 1:00:22 Who Should Apply to Endless Frontier Labs 1:01:46 Connect With Khoa Connect with Khoa on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/khoahma/ Follow Endless Frontier Labs on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/endlessfrontierlabs/posts/?feedView=all Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVC Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    1h 3m

  4. 03/27/2025

    Balancing Risk Across Two Industries | From Scientist to VC to Founder | Building Trust Among Co-founders | Protecting IP & Unlocking Markets | Fundraising Insights from Brazil with Larissa de Farias Viana, CEO @ APEXzymes | Ep 5

    Can a single innovation unlock multiple billion-dollar markets? Larissa is the CEO of APEXzymes, a Brazilian biotech startup that produces cost-effective enzymes for sustainable industrial applications. During our conversation, Larissa shares her journey from chemical engineering to venture capital and entrepreneurship. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:06 From Chemical Engineer to VC to Founder 4:56 Why Leave Venture Capital to Build a Startup? 6:38 How Self-Doubt Can Drive Innovation 8:25 Advice Before Starting APEXzymes 9:34 What Are Enzymes and Why Do They Matter? 12:19 APEXzymes’ Value Proposition 13:40 What Investors Miss About APEXzymes 17:13 Key Markets: Biofuels, Cattle Feed & More 19:48 How Enzymes Boost Productivity and Cut Methane 22:11 Early Commercial Traction 23:58 Communicating Traction to Investors 27:50 Turning Enzyme Strains Into Patentable Assets 32:43 Balancing Focus vs. Market Size 38:12 Lessons from Fundraising and Non-Dilutive Grants 43:33 What GRIDX Saw in APEXzymes 46:05 Building Trust With Co-Founders 49:00 Aligning Weekly Tasks With Long-Term Vision 55:22 What’s Next for APEXzymes? Follow APEXzymes on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/apexzymes/posts/?feedView=all Connect with Larissa on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissadefv/ Email Larissa larissa.viana@apexzymes.com Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVC Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    57 min

  5. 03/19/2025

    The Business Case for Carbon Capture | A $200B Opportunity | Rethinking Industrial Supply Chains | Why You Need to Talk to Customers Early | Leveraging Non-Dilutive Capital with Alexander Ip, CEO @ CERT Systems | Ep 4

    Is it possible to transform carbon emissions into everyday products? Alex is the CEO of CERT Systems, a Canadian climatetech startup that converts CO2 emissions into high-value chemicals. In this episode, Alex shares his journey from the lab bench to raising non-dilutive capital. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro  1:16 Founding CERT Systems  3:14 Why Now for CO2 Conversion?  5:33 Unlocking Commercial Potential  8:52 Communicating Sustainability  10:45 Why Petrochemical Companies Care  13:59 Integrating CERT’s Tech  16:33 Why Investors Should Pay Attention  21:29 Biggest Bottleneck for CO2 Chemicals  24:36 Best Markets for CERT’s Tech  29:14 Scaling from Lab to Market  33:08 First Adopters of CO2 Ethylene  37:07 Ethylene’s Role in Aviation Fuel  41:43 Raising Non-Dilutive Funding  44:28 De-Risking Climate Tech Startups  47:52 Protecting IP in Deeptech  54:15 CERT’s Role in Sustainability’s Future  56:18 What’s Next for CERT?  Connect with Alex on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ipalex/?originalSubdomain=ca Follow CERT on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/co2cert/posts/?feedView=all Email Alex alex@co2cert.com Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVC Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    58 min

  6. 03/13/2025

    Raising Capital in a Controversial Industry | Psychedelics & Mental Health | Building Investor Relationships | Showing Traction Before Regulatory Approval | Imposter Syndrome in LATAM Startups with Victoria Costa Paz, CEO @ EYWA | Ep 3

    There is a lot of stigma around psychedelics. Vicky is the CEO of EYWA, a biotech startup that produces molecules for mental health treatments. In this episode, we discussed the fundraising process for a startup working with psychedelics and the stigma surrounding the industry. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro   1:07 Founding EYWA   3:53 Advice for Startup Founders in LATAM   8:51 What is Biosynthesis?   12:34 What Molecules is EYWA Focusing On?   13:35 How to Show Commercial Traction Before Regulatory Approval?   15:03 The Psychedelics Ecosystem   16:26 Scientific Data About Psychedelics   23:51 What is EYWA's Business Model?   25:49 How Does IP Shape an R&D Roadmap?   27:56 Why Use AI and Bioinformatics?   33:27 Regulatory Landscape for Psychedelics   40:14 The Investors' Perception of Psychedelics   44:17 EYWA's Most Recent Funding Round   46:14 Building Relationships with Investors   51:02 EYWA's Fundraising Plans   51:37 Recording a TV Show with Tim and Adam Draper   53:43 What's Next for EYWA   Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-costa-paz-a83499b2/ Follow EYWA on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/eywabio/posts/?feedView=all  Follow EYWA on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eywa.bio/ Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVC Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    56 min

  7. 03/06/2025

    Disrupting Drug Discovery: Combining Quantum Electrochemistry and AI | Partnering with Oxford University | Why Second-Time Founders Have a Unique Edge | The Importance of Boldness and Patience with Diego Stone, CEO @ Qnity | Ep 2

    Investors don’t care how fancy your tech is. Diego is the CEO of Qnity, a pharmatech startup that uses quantum electrochemistry to develop devices for drug discovery and screening. In this episode, we discuss his lessons as a second-time founder and his insights on fundraising in the deeptech space. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:26 How Was Qnity Founded? 3:58 What Is Krilltech? 7:39 What Is Smart Money? 9:12 How to Talk About Deeptech to Investors 16:27 How to Build a Product Roadmap 22:49 Creating Interest and Managing Investor Objections 28:15 Advice for Deeptech Founders 31:31 Partnering with Oxford University 34:45 Marketing Strategies for Deeptech Startups 38:51 Understanding the Drug Discovery Market 41:37 Inside Qnity's Fundraising Journey 44:15 Expanding the Team 45:27 Fundraising Milestones for a Seed Round 48:22 Challenges in Building Client Relationships 50:08 How to Find the Right Capital for Your Startup 51:55 The Most Important Trait of a Deeptech Founder 57:29 What's Next for Qnity? Connect with Diego on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/diegostoneaires/?originalSubdomain=br Follow Qnity on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/qnity/posts/?feedView=all Visit Qnity’s Website http://qnity.bio/ Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVC Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    59 min

  8. 02/27/2025

    Picking the VCs You Approach | Protecting Your IP and Building Your Business Model | Creating Therapeutics for Animals Using Black Soldier Flies | Standing Out to Investors While Raising a Seed Round, with Gerardo Bluske, CBO @ ByBug | Ep 1

    Why do founders have to be very picky about what VCs they approach? Gerardo Bluske is the Chief Business Officer of ByBug, a biotech startup that creates therapeutics for animals using black soldier flies. In this episode, Gerardo shares his insights about business development and fundraising. Topics in this episode 0:00 Intro 1:27 Who Is Gerardo Bluske? 2:13 How Was ByBug Founded? 6:47 What Does ByBug Actually Do? 11:57 ByBug's Business Model Explained 18:41 ByBug's Funding Journey 21:29 How to Stand Out to Investors 25:56 Advice for Founders on Data Rooms 32:03 Inside ByBug's Seed Round 35:57 How to Create Commercial Traction 42:16 The Risks of Not Protecting Your IP Properly 44:49 Will the GMO Regulatory Landscape Change? 49:17 Expanding and Managing an International Team 51:55 What Does Company Culture Really Mean? 54:24 What's Next for ByBug? Connect with Gerardo on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerardobluske/ Follow ByBug on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bybug/ Follow ByBug on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bybug_inc?igsh=Y252ZXU4cWhtNGFm Connect with JP Orlov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-orlov/ Follow Science VC on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/science-vc Follow Science VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/science.vc Subscribe to Science VC on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVC Subscribe to our Newsletter https://substack.com/@jporlov Learn how WeArePalta can help your deeptech company communicate its science and impact https://www.wearepalta.com/

    56 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

Science VC explores the intersection of deeptech startups and venture capital. Each episode features conversations with startup founders, venture capitalists, and industry experts. Discover their stories, lessons learned, and predictions for the future.  Learn more about the challenges and opportunities of fundraising for venture-backed startups innovating in agtech, biotech, energy, foodtech, healthtech, and sustainability.

Information

  • Creator
    JP Orlov
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Science VC
  • Show Website
    Science VC