From A Research Engineer To Launching Future Ventures w/ Maryanna Saenko (Co-Founder)
In this episode, Shamus Madan interviews venture capitalist Maryanna Saenko. They discuss her journey from science and engineering to venture capital, the formation of Future Ventures, and their investment strategy in future tech companies. The conversation also explores the concept of winner-take-all markets, Saenko's interest in sustainable solutions, and lessons from her career in venture capital.
Key Points
- Mariana Asanko, an early-stage venture capitalist and co-founder of Future Ventures, invests in frontier technologies like nuclear fusion and sustainable agriculture to democratize access to basic human needs and promote a peaceful world.
- Asanko emphasizes the importance of investing in technology-driven startups that have the potential for a significant positive impact on society, prioritizing those that offer solutions to existential threats like climate change and can show proof points early without massive capital.
- Reflecting on lessons learned throughout her career in venture capital, Asanko advises both investors and entrepreneurs to trust their intuition, focus on their unique strengths and areas of expertise, and pursue ventures that they believe are truly necessary and for which they have a deep understanding and passion.
Maryanna Saenko is an early-stage venture capitalist and co-founder of Future Ventures. She started her career as a research engineer at Cabot Corporation and later moved on to venture capital working at firms such as DFJ and Khosla Ventures. Maryanna invests in frontier technologies that make the world a better place, including nuclear fusion, sustainable agricultural and land management, bee immunology, and women’s reproductive longevity.
Twitter of Host (Shamus Madan): @mbitpodcast
Chapters
| 0:00 | |
| 2:03 | |
| 6:19 | |
| 9:33 | |
| 14:11 | |
| 16:33 | |
| 19:29 | |
| 22:46 | |
| 25:33 | |
| 27:36 |
Transcript
Loading transcript...