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Maintaining Momentum and Morale while Seeking FDA Approval l Build Mode

Surviving the long road to FDA approval isn’t just about building great technology, it’s about keeping your team motivated, finding the right investors, and learning how to operate when timelines are uncertain. This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Robbie Bustami, co-founder and CEO of BioticsAI, a Startup Battlefield-winning company building an…

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Surviving the long road to FDA approval isn’t just about building great technology, it’s about keeping your team motivated, finding the right investors, and learning how to operate when timelines are uncertain.

This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Robbie Bustami, co-founder and CEO of BioticsAI, a Startup Battlefield-winning company building an AI copilot for ultrasound to help detect fetal abnormalities. From a $100K prototype to FDA clearance, Robhy shares what it actually takes to build in one of the most regulated industries in the world.

In this episode, they break down what it really looks like to build a medtech startup, where you can’t “move fast and break things,” and every milestone takes time, coordination, and trust.

This conversation covers:

• How to stay motivated and keep your team aligned when FDA approval isn’t guaranteed

• What founders need to know about navigating the FDA process from day one How to find investors who understand the slower, high-risk nature of medtech

• Why cross-functional collaboration (engineers, clinicians, researchers) is critical to success

• The role of advisors and why active industry experts matter more than big names

• How to build momentum and celebrate wins during long, uncertain timelines

 Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts () , Spotify () , or wherever you like to listen () . And watch the full videos on YouTube () .

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply () . Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.  

TechCrunch Disrupt: ([%E2%80%A6]pt2026&utm_content=ticketsales&promo=buildmode15&display=true) If you’re thinking about applying to Startup Battlefield, then October 13 to 15 in San Francisco, we’re back for TechCrunch Disrupt, where the Startup Battlefield 200 takes the stage. So if you want to cheer them on, or just network with 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, then grab your tickets. ([%E2%80%A6]pt2026&utm_content=ticketsales&promo=buildmode15&display=true)  

Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type. 

Chapters:

00:00 Building a $100K MedTech Startup

00:32 Intro: Biotics AI & the Problem with Ultrasound Misdiagnosis

02:16 What Biotics AI Actually Does (AI Copilot for Ultrasound)

02:54 Early Days: Startup Battlefield & First Product

07:10 Navigating FDA Approval (Without Guesswork)

09:22 What FDA Clearance Unlocks (Going to Market)

10:59 Selling into Hospitals & Early Customers

12:11 Keeping a Team Motivated During Long Timelines

18:54 The Hardest Parts of Building in MedTech

22:22 Fundraising, Advisors, and Building the Right Team

28:33 The Future of AI in Reproductive Healthcare

New episodes of Build Mode () drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

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CNET

Google DeepMind Demos Gemini Robotics 2 Doing Household Chores, and We Can’t Wait for the Future!

Google DeepMind released a series of videos demonstrating Gemini Robotics 2 utilizing the Apptronik Apollo 2 Humanoid Robot working alongside the Franka F3 Duo Dual-Arm System robot, and it looks like I won’t be doing too many household chores in the near future. You can read more about Google DeepMind on CNET.com Google DeepMind Will…

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11 hours ago

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July 30, 2026

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Google DeepMind released a series of videos demonstrating Gemini Robotics 2 utilizing the Apptronik Apollo 2 Humanoid Robot working alongside the Franka F3 Duo Dual-Arm System robot, and it looks like I won’t be doing too many household chores in the near future.

You can read more about Google DeepMind on CNET.com
Google DeepMind Will Train AI Models on the MMORPG Eve Online

0:00 Apollo Intro
0:07 Apollo putting away items in specific places
0:56 Gemini Robotics 2 Multi-Robot Collaboration
1:07 Duo’s Dual-Arm System putting away tools
2:04 Apollo’s Intelligent Whole Body Control
3:34 Apollo’s Advanced Dexterity

Video Credits
Producer/Editor: Stephen Beacham
Source:

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#google #ai #googledeepmind #robot #robotics #machinelearning

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Science & Technology

Why SeatGeek walked away from going public with Jack Groetzinger

SeatGeek didn’t become one of the biggest names in ticketing by following the playbook. It started as a simple ticket search engine on the TechCrunch 50 stage () (now known as TechCrunch Battlefield) and took on the industry’s massive incumbents by expanding its vision, surviving industry-defining challenges, and convincing investors that even a monopoly could…

Published

16 hours ago

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July 30, 2026

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SeatGeek didn’t become one of the biggest names in ticketing by following the playbook. It started as a simple ticket search engine on the TechCrunch 50 stage () (now known as TechCrunch Battlefield) and took on the industry’s massive incumbents by expanding its vision, surviving industry-defining challenges, and convincing investors that even a monopoly could be disrupted.

In this episode of Build Mode () , host and Startup Battlefield lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Jack Groetzinger, co-founder and CEO of SeatGeek, to unpack the company’s 17-year journey from startup to industry leader. Jack shares how SeatGeek raised nearly $400 million in venture capital, why he believes founders should think about expanding rather than pivoting, what it was like fundraising during the COVID-19 shutdown of live events, and why the company ultimately walked away from its planned SPAC. () He also explains how founders can convince investors to back them against an entrenched incumbent, why your first hires define your company’s future, and how AI is reshaping the future of live entertainment and ticketing.

They get into:

•

Why SeatGeek chose to compete with Ticketmaster and how investors evaluated that opportunity

•

How SeatGeek survived COVID and closed its hardest fundraising round during the pandemic

•

Why passionate customers can become your best fundraising asset

•

The hiring mistakes Jack wishes he could undo and why your first employees shape company culture

•

How AI is transforming ticketing, live entertainment, and the fan experience

•

Jack Groetzinger’s advice for founders building companies that challenge established incumbents

Subscribe to Build Mode on⁠ () Apple Podcasts⁠ () , ⁠Spotify⁠ () , or⁠ () wherever you like to listen⁠ () . And watch the full videos on⁠ () YouTube⁠ () . New episodes of ⁠Build Mode⁠ () drop every Thursday. 

Chapters:

•

00:00 – Intro: How Startups Enter Nvidia’s Orbit

•

01:20 – Meet Sydney Sykes: From NEA to Lightspeed to Nvidia

•

03:18 – What Sydney Does as Nvidia’s VC Alliances Lead

•

04:20 – The AI Trends Nvidia Is Watching Across Verticals

•

07:47 – How Startups Can Enter the Nvidia Orbit

•

10:34 – What Nvidia’s “Stamp of Approval” Actually Looks Like

•

12:56 – How Startups Get Noticed by Corporates (Beyond Nvidia)

•

15:18 – Does a Corporate Stamp Move VCs to Write Checks?

•

19:41 – Access, Black VC, and Gatekeeping in Venture Capital

•

30:20 – Procurement vs. Corporate VC vs. Traditional VC, Explained

•

38:28 – Final Advice for Founders Chasing Corporate Partnerships

Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams. 

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Science & Technology

SeatGeek Beat the Odds: Raising $400M, Surviving COVID & Competing with Ticketmaster l Build Mode

SeatGeek didn’t become one of the biggest names in ticketing by following the playbook. It started as a simple ticket search engine on the TechCrunch 50 stage (now known as TechCrunch Battlefield) and took on the industry’s massive incumbents by expanding its vision, surviving industry-defining challenges, and convincing investors that even a monopoly could be…

Published

16 hours ago

on

July 30, 2026

By

SeatGeek didn’t become one of the biggest names in ticketing by following the playbook. It started as a simple ticket search engine on the TechCrunch 50 stage (now known as TechCrunch Battlefield) and took on the industry’s massive incumbents by expanding its vision, surviving industry-defining challenges, and convincing investors that even a monopoly could be disrupted.

In this episode of Build Mode, host and Startup Battlefield lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Jack Groetzinger, co-founder and CEO of SeatGeek, to unpack the company’s 17-year journey from startup to industry leader. Jack shares how SeatGeek raised nearly $400 million in venture capital, why he believes founders should think about expanding rather than pivoting, what it was like fundraising during the COVID-19 shutdown of live events, and why the company ultimately walked away from its planned SPAC. He also explains how founders can convince investors to back them against an entrenched incumbent, why your first hires define your company’s future, and how AI is reshaping the future of live entertainment and ticketing.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: How SeatGeek Took on Ticketmaster
01:09 – From Startup Battlefield to Building SeatGeek
04:03 – Finding Product-Market Fit in a Broken Ticketing Industry
05:54 – Why SeatGeek Expanded Instead of Pivoting
07:14 – Raising Nearly $400M and Surviving the Hardest Fundraise During COVID
10:46 – Why SeatGeek Walked Away from Its SPAC IPO
13:57 – How to Raise Money Against a Monopoly Like Ticketmaster
17:02 – The Hiring Mistakes That Nearly Hurt SeatGeek’s Culture
19:08 – How AI Will Transform Live Entertainment and Ticketing
22:19 – Regulation, Competition, and Jack Groetzinger’s Advice for Founders

Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

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