#472 Reinventing Cooling: Faizan Ahmed’s Solid-State Revolution

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive into the world of deep tech and hardware innovation with Faizan Ahmed, founder and CEO of Invensify. From solving his father’s insulin storage problem to building a patented solid-state cooling module, Faizan walks us through the journey of reinventing refrigeration and building a product-as-a-service business in a legacy-driven industry.🎯 Key Takeaways • What solid-state cooling really is—and why it matters • The surprising size of the pharma cold chain logistics market • Why hardware innovation must be 10x better to be taken seriously • How a Product-as-a-Service model creates defensibility • Fundraising for deep tech: what works and what doesn’t • Real-world sustainability beats greenwashing⸻📚 What You’ll Learn • How to identify deep tech opportunities from personal problems • The trade-offs of designing hardware with no moving parts • Why solid-state cooling is more sustainable and scalable than compressors • What it takes to commercialize deep tech in a SaaS-obsessed world • How to overcome industry resistance to innovation👤 About the GuestFaizan Ahmed is a second-time hardware founder with a background in electrical engineering and solid-state physics. Before Invensify, he exited a startup that built camera lens rain deflectors, and earlier contributed to a defense tech company acquired by the U.S. Air Force. Today, he leads Invensify in building energy-efficient, compressor-free cooling systems for healthcare and beyond.https://www.invensify.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/faizan-ahmed-a720b411/🕒 Episode Highlights & Timestamps00:00 – Intro and guest welcome01:30 – Faizan’s engineering background and past exits03:55 – The insulin travel problem that sparked Invensify05:30 – Cold chain logistics is a $6.2B market still using ice packs06:45 – What is solid-state cooling? Tech foundations explained10:00 – Efficiency, battery weight, and key trade-offs12:30 – Designing lightweight, plug-and-play cooling systems14:00 – Zero moving parts = low maintenance + high reliability15:00 – Accidental sustainability: how climate impact became a bonus17:00 – Key verticals: pharma, EV batteries, AI chips, data centers21:00 – Product-as-a-Service: Why Faizan avoided hardware sales24:30 – ESG regulations and sustainability tailwinds28:00 – Manufacturing in Malaysia and global expansion plans29:00 – Fundraising lessons from deep tech31:00 – The importance of 10x differentiation in hardware34:00 – Transferable skills from previous startups36:00 – Will solid-state cooling replace traditional refrigeration?39:00 – Faizan’s vision: Cooling fridges in off-grid areas42:00 – Which is harder—tech innovation or mindset shift?47:00 – Final advice to founders