A new generation of researcher founders think like engineers: Devika Thapar & Ale Maiano, Co-founders at Wilbe

Build Weeks take scientists from idea to investment readiness in seven days, allowing Wilbe to work with hundreds of researchers each year instead of a handful of cohorts.Devika Thapar and Ale Maiano, Co-founders at Wilbe, say the shift is driven by a new generation of researchers who want to move faster and build companies earlier, as scientists increasingly think and operate more like engineers.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:00:00: Introduction00:33: Guest Introduction and Overview of Wilbe01:41: Build Week Process and Experience04:07: Motivation Behind Build Weeks and Scaling Up06:52: Early Results and Deployment08:33: Identifying Top Founders and Impact of Build Weeks10:11: Operational Challenges and Team Execution11:51: Challenges of European Academic Commercialization and University Roles16:07: Changing Focus of Scientific Founders and Emerging Trends19:59: Positioning Within the VC Ecosystem and Deep Tech Investment Risks22:59: Wilbe’s Future and Fundraising Challenges26:53: Closing Remarks