Building in Deep Tech: Fundraising, Inflection Points & Energy Innovation with Andrew Rubenstein

In this episode, we’re joined by Andrew from Shorewind Capital, a venture capital firm focused on follow-on investing in deep tech, health, and climate startups. Andrew dives into Shorewind’s unique investment strategy, which emphasizes backing companies post-seed through Series A and beyond, particularly in sectors where scientific or engineering breakthroughs can unlock enormous value. In the first half of the conversation, Andrew shares Shorewind's approach to follow-on investing—how they evaluate technical milestones, why capital efficiency matters, and what makes dual-use (commercial and defense) technologies especially compelling. He also talks about what it's like working with founders from technical backgrounds (often with military or research roots) and how Shorewind supports them through company-building inflection points. In the second half, the discussion moves to founder advice, especially around fundraising strategy—timing rounds to follow key value inflection points, avoiding over-reliance on government grants, and understanding how investor expectations shift from pre-seed to Series B. Andrew also touches on the evolving venture capital landscape, how AI and market cycles might reshape early-stage investing by 2029, and how Shorewind is thinking about its own growth as a fund. To close, Andrew reflects on the future of energy and healthcare innovation, his optimism about long-term trends in both sectors, and the kinds of founders building market-ready solutions that also solve critical global problems. Stick around for a fun rapid-fire round on favorite books, movies, snacks, and travel spots—plus a deep-dive book recommendation on ASML that any tech enthusiast will love. #DeepTech #VentureCapital #ClimateTech #HealthTech #StartupFunding #DualUseTech #SBIR #FounderAdvice #ShorewindCapital #EmergingManagers #VCInsights #StartupMilestones #CapitalMarkets #TailwindPodcast