25. Mark Vreeke (Chemical Angel Network) on investing at the chemical frontier

This episode features Mark Vreeke, the co-founder of the Chemical Angel Network, who shares his views about investing in deep tech ventures. Aaron Santos, co-founder of DNP123, joins me as co-host. OUTLINE (0:00) Introduction to Mark and Aaron (1:16) Definition of deep tech (2:12) What is fueling investment into deep tech (3:21) Misconceptions about deep tech (4:04) Challenges in deep tech investing (4:35) Risk mitigation (5:12) Deep tech ecosystem (6:58) Academia to entrepreneurship (8:47) Mark’s background (11:17) Advice about starting a chemical venture (12:24) Why Mark started Chemical Angel Network (14:50) Chemical Angel Network’s mission, investment philosophy, and portfolio companies (18:50) How to evaluate early stage deep tech startups (20:44) Obstacles deep tech startups face (23:18) Future of Chemical Angel Network (24:28) Fun question!