E15 – Space Drugs & Hypersonics
from The Merge Hosted by The Merge
Mike and Jake host Varda Delian Asparouhov, Founders Fund partner and co-founder of Varda Space Industries, to talk about venture capital investing, Varda’s efforts to make drugs in space, and why the Air Force is interested in using their orbiting pharmaceutical lab to help test hypersonic weapons. For those who like #military #technology #airforce #aviation #aerospace #space ---- Links • Sign up for our amazing newsletter! • Support us on Patreon • Mike Benitez LinkedIn • Jake Chapman X (Twitter) • Delian Asparouhov X (Twitter) ---- Follow us on... • Instagram • Facebook • X (Twitter) • LinkedIn • Website ---- Show Notes (00:47) intro (05:00) Varda’s connection to Palantir and Anduril (06:22) Varda’s origin story (08:58) how to find a co-founder (11:42) why drugs (13:23) naming the company (15:39) the space capsule (17:08) Falcon 9 launched into space (19:00) why Ritonavir (22:19) patent a space drug? (26:47) stuck in orbit? (28:27) how it comes back to Earth (30:20) how the Air Force became a customer (33:40) China’s hypersonic news (34:23) Varda’s Air Force STRATFI contract (37:14) Varda’s mission (39:17) Silicon Valley and Congress (42:48) Defense tech investing (47:31) lightning round (56:00) outro
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