Deep tech founders face a uniquely tough hurdle: turning groundbreaking scientific discoveries into a scalable, sustainable startup. From navigating academia and intellectual property (IP) strategy to securing funding, scaling manufacturing, and locking in product-market fit, the journey from a university research lab to tangible real-world impact is anything but simple or predictable.

This week on Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannessen sits down for an in-depth conversation with Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of geCKo Materials and 2024 Startup Battlefield runner-up. geCKo Materials is developing a revolutionary bio-inspired adhesive with versatile applications spanning robotics, manufacturing, and even space exploration. In this episode, the pair unpack how Kerst turned a breakthrough research discovery from her Stanford PhD program into a fully venture-backed deep tech company.

This wide-ranging conversation covers:

• Actionable strategies for turning academic research into a scalable startup

• The unique personal and professional challenges of transitioning from Stanford PhD candidate to full-time founder and CEO

• What it takes to successfully raise capital as an early-stage deep tech and hardware startup

• Why commercialization and manufacturing are consistently the most difficult stages of deep tech innovation

• How to identify high-value real-world use cases and lock in long-term product-market fit

Following recent episodes focused on building high-performing founding teams, this conversation centers on the most foundational element of any successful startup: turning breakthrough technology into a viable, growing business.

New episodes of Build Mode launch every Thursday.

Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen

Produced and edited by Maggie Nye

Audience development led by Morgan Little

Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams