Connect with us

Science & Technology

Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt is betting on space solar | Equity Podcast

As the interest in both space and solar grows, one startup aims to merge the two industries. By tapping into the momentum of the commercial space industry and the increasing demand for renewable energy, Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt is on a mission to make space-based solar power a reality with his latest startup: Aetherflux ()…

Published

1 year ago

on

As the interest in both space and solar grows, one startup aims to merge the two industries. By tapping into the momentum of the commercial space industry and the increasing demand for renewable energy, Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt is on a mission to make space-based solar power a reality with his latest startup: Aetherflux () .

Today on Equity () , Rebecca Bellan caught up with Bhatt to talk about his transition from fintech to deep tech and why he believes now is the right time to scatter solar power-collecting satellites across the skies. 

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

• How Aetherflux approached funding as a bootstrapped startup (for now), and what investor interest in space-based solar looks like.

• The challenge of scaling tech that’s literally out of this world.

• And Bellan and Bhatt’s idea for a Burning Man light show.

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. 

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts () , Overcast () , Spotify () and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X () and Threads () , at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here () .

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we’ll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ()

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. @gtleshow

    February 11, 2025 at 11:27 pm

    Craftsmanship challenges in manufacturing are nothing new, but the real conversation should be about how automation and AI-driven quality control are evolving to minimize these issues. Hopefully, the industry starts focusing more on scalable solutions rather than just identifying the same old problems.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Science

Americans loved drinking radioactive ‘miracle water’ in 1920s

Radithor promised to cure everything from wrinkles to leukemia, but its unintended results were deadly. Watch the full video:

Published

1 day ago

on

April 9, 2026

By

Radithor promised to cure everything from wrinkles to leukemia, but its unintended results were deadly.

Watch the full video:

Continue Reading

Science & Technology

How to handle layoffs with compassion with Ayal Yogev, Anjuna

This week’s guest is Ayal Yogev, co-founder and CEO of Anjuna Security, who has experienced both sides of the startup journey: scaling quickly during the boom years and then making the incredibly difficult decision to lay off a significant portion of his team when the market shifted. From growing to 75 employees to scaling back…

Published

1 day ago

on

April 9, 2026

By

This week’s guest is Ayal Yogev, co-founder and CEO of Anjuna Security, who has experienced both sides of the startup journey: scaling quickly during the boom years and then making the incredibly difficult decision to lay off a significant portion of his team when the market shifted.

From growing to 75 employees to scaling back and rebuilding, Yogev learned firsthand that the hardest part of leadership isn’t hiring fast, it’s making tough decisions with care, transparency, and integrity.

In this episode, Isabelle Johannessen and Yogev unpack what it really means to lead through layoffs with compassion and how founders can support their teams even in the most challenging moments. They also explore the lessons learned from scaling too quickly and how to build a more resilient company the second time around.

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: 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.

Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type.

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.

Chapters:
00:00 We grew too fast
02:30 What Anjuna actually does
04:45 Scaling the team quickly
06:10 The market crash hits
09:40 Handling layoffs with empathy
12:10 Supporting employees the right way
15:30 Why culture matters in crisis
20:50 The hiring mistake founders make
27:40 When to scale your sales team
34:40 Rebuilding after layoffs

Continue Reading

CNET

First Look at Dyson’s $99 HushJet Mini Cool Portable Fan 🪭

Dyson has now entered the handheld fan space. The company just unveiled the HushJet Mini Cool, a 7.5-oz fan with five speeds and a boost mode for airflow up to 55 mph. It costs $99 and comes in three colors: blush pink, available now; red, available in May; and blue, available in June. Dyson’s Senior…

Published

2 days ago

on

April 8, 2026

By

Dyson has now entered the handheld fan space. The company just unveiled the HushJet Mini Cool, a 7.5-oz fan with five speeds and a boost mode for airflow up to 55 mph. It costs $99 and comes in three colors: blush pink, available now; red, available in May; and blue, available in June. Dyson’s Senior Design Manager Stuart Thompson gave us a walkthrough of the device. 🪭🥵 #dyson #hushjetminicool #portablefan #handheldfan #Tech

Continue Reading

Trending