Science & Technology

What It Takes to Turn Academic Research into a Venture-Backed Startup l Build Mode

Deep tech founders face a unique challenge: turning breakthrough science into a scalable startup. From navigating academia and IP to fundraising, manufacturing, and product-market fit, the path from research lab to real-world impact is anything but straightforward. This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of @geCKoMaterials and…

Published

6 months ago

April 16, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of @geCKoMaterials and 2024 Startups Battlefield runner up. geCKo Materials is building a bio-inspired adhesive with applications across robotics, manufacturing, and even space. In this episode, they explore how she turned a Stanford PhD breakthrough into a venture-backed deep tech company.

This conversation covers:
🧩How to turn academic research into a scalable startup
🧩The challenges of moving from Stanford PhD to founder and CEO
🧩What it takes to raise capital as a deep tech and hardware startup
🧩Why commercialization and manufacturing are the hardest parts of innovation
🧩How to identify real-world use cases and achieve product-market fit

Following recent episodes on building teams, this conversation focuses on the foundation behind every startup: transforming breakthrough technology into a viable business.

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.

Chapters:
00:00 The Breakthrough Moment
01:45 From Startup Battlefield to Scale
02:42 What Gecko Materials Actually Does
05:18 Turning a PhD Into a Company
07:44 The Big Vision for Gecko Materials
09:19 From Wild Ideas to Real Use Cases
11:16 Spinning Out of Stanford
14:49 Raising Capital (and a 36-Hour Round)
17:54 Breakthroughs and Momentum
18:00 Building a World-Class Team
22:19 Owning the Founder Role
24:21 Finding Product-Market Fit in Deep Tech
26:54 Why More Research Doesn’t Become Startups
29:15 What’s Next for Gecko Materials

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

How to Claim ALL Your Amazon Prime Freebies

In this video, you will learn about every free perk available in your Amazon Prime account, along with some deeply discounted offers that most people are not aware of. From credits toward free movie rentals to free PC Game downloads and free Grubhub delivery fees, the Amazon Prime freebies listed in this video make the…

Published

16 hours ago

October 6, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Read more about Amazon Prime Day Deals on CNET.com
I Found Over 75 Prime Day Deals Worth Grabbing Right Now

PCMag’s Amazon Prime Day Live Blog

Mashable’s Amazon Prime Day Deals Tracker

Lifehacker’s Prime Day 2026 Live Blog

ZDNET – How to get a free Amazon Prime trial to shop October Prime Day 2026 deals

Everything that comes with your Prime membership

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Is Amazon Prime Worth It?
0:30 Category 1: Digital Entertainment & Media Freebies
0:36 Amazon Prime Video with NFL Thursday Night Football
0:42 Amazon Music Prime
0:50 Prime Reading
1:01 Amazon First Reads
1:12 Amazon Photos
1:20 How to Set Up Amazon Photos Auto-Backup
1:51 Ctegory 2: Dining, Travel and Daily Perks
1:55 Free Grubhub+ membership for free delivery fees
2:14 Gas/Fuel Savings with the Earnify App
2:39 Category 3: Gaming & Tech Freebies
2:42 Prime Gaming Free Monthly PC Game
2:51 Free Twitch Channel Subscription
2:55 Amazon Luna Cloud Gaming
3:02 Category 4: Delivery & Registry Extras
3:06 Amazon No-Rush Shipping Digital Promotional Credits
3:27 Release Date Delivery
3:38 Baby Registry Free Welcome Box
3:58 Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery
4:09 Category 5: Household Sharing & Exclusive Savings
4:13 Amazon Family Sharing
4:26 Whole Foods & Amazon Fresh Savings
4:37 Early Lightning Deals Access
4:45 Free Woot! Shipping
4:54 Category 6: Discounted Add-On Health Perks
5:01 RXPass Prescription Drug Subscriptions
5:08 One Medical Membership
5:21 Final Thoughts & Outro

Video Credits:
Produced By: Stephen Beacham
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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CNET

Getting Bridget’s REAL age?!

Bridget brings us along to test Apple’s updated Health app tools in iOS 27.2, which includes a series of tests to measure your health against your actual age. Watch the full ep on our channel. #onemorething #applehealth #applewatch #healthtech #smartwatch Host: Bridget Carey Editor: Carly Marsh

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Host: Bridget Carey
Editor: Carly Marsh

CNET

I Rode in a Self-Driving Semi. Is Kodiak the Future of Trucking?

Kodiak is gearing up to deploy its fully driverless semi trucks on highways later this year, starting with Ikea. I took a ride to see the autonomous tech in action. Read more about Kodiak on CNET.com Ready for Driverless Trucks? I Took a Ride in Kodiak’s Autonomous Semi Timecode Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:33 Kodiak AI…

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Kodiak is gearing up to deploy its fully driverless semi trucks on highways later this year, starting with Ikea. I took a ride to see the autonomous tech in action.

Read more about Kodiak on CNET.com
Ready for Driverless Trucks? I Took a Ride in Kodiak’s Autonomous Semi

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:33 Kodiak AI
1:22 Ride along
3:00 Interview Kodiak COO
3:30 Sensor pod
3:45 GigaFusionNet
5:18 Conclusion

Video Credits:
Host: Abrar Al-Heeti
Scripted by: Abrar Al-Heeti
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video Editor: Celso Bulgatti
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao