The Scenarionist - Where Deep Tech Meets Capital | Substack

5 Inflection Points in Critical Minerals Startups

A retrospective look at the milestones and dynamics that changed the trajectories of nine critical minerals companies.

Mar 30 • Nicola Marchese, MD

Why DeepTech wins or loses earlier than most people think | Deep Tech Briefing 104

Weekly Independent Intelligence on the Deep Tech Milestones and Shifts Driving Company Outcomes and Capital Allocation.

Mar 29 • Giulia Spano, PhD

The Optical Interconnect Rush: Powering the New AI Network Stack | Rumors

Six Startups, One Rumor. A new generation of photonic technologies is rewiring data‑center networks for the AI era—at light speed and with radical…

Oct 2, 2025

34:08

From Lab to Exit: The Cuberg Journey | Deep Tech Catalyst

Watch now | A chat with Richard Wang, Founder and Former CEO of Cuberg (acquired by Northvolt)

Mar 27 • Nicola Marchese, MD

This Wasn’t Just Another Deep Tech Financing... | Deep Tech Briefing 103

Weekly Independent Intelligence on the Deep Tech Milestones and Shifts Driving Company Outcomes and Capital Allocation.

Mar 22 • Giulia Spano, PhD

If you back or build Deep Tech — this was built for you!

Deep Tech Briefing

Why DeepTech wins or loses earlier than most people think | Deep Tech Briefing 104

Weekly Independent Intelligence on the Deep Tech Milestones and Shifts Driving Company Outcomes and Capital Allocation.

Mar 29 • Giulia Spano, PhD

This Wasn’t Just Another Deep Tech Financing... | Deep Tech Briefing 103

Weekly Independent Intelligence on the Deep Tech Milestones and Shifts Driving Company Outcomes and Capital Allocation.

Mar 22 • Giulia Spano, PhD

Why critical minerals just changed category | Deep Tech Briefing 102

Weekly Independent Intelligence on the Deep Tech Shifts Driving Company Outcomes and Capital Allocation.

Mar 15 • Giulia Spano, PhD

💰Quantum Finds a Valuation Window; ⚛️ Advanced Nuclear Finally Breaks Through; 🧬 AI Biosecurity Emerges as a Category; 🌋 Geothermal Keeps…

Weekly Intelligence on Deep Tech Milestones

Mar 8

Advanced Materials

Underwriting Advanced Materials for AI Data Center Cooling | The Scenarionist

An analysis combining five case studies, thermoeconomics, and practical reasoning to navigate risk and build durable advantage

Feb 26

Exits in Advanced Materials Startups | The Scenarionist

3 Case Studies on How Exits Were Strategically Engineered Behind the Scenes.

Nov 26, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

When Markets Derisk, Materials Matter

How to identify the companies with real collateral, sticky demand, and strategic leverage when capital leaves narrative-driven markets.

Nov 4, 2025

The Hidden Alpha in Harsh-Environment Electronics | The Scenarionist

The overlooked “picks and shovels” of space, geothermal, and nuclear systems. The path to outlier returns is simple: survive heat, vibration, and…

Oct 30, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

The Next $100B Deep Tech Market No One Is Talking About | The Scenarionist

Advanced Materials: The Quiet, Strong Revolution Redefining Entire Industries

Sep 13, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

Scaling & Industrialization

Manufacturing Moats: How Hard Infrastructure Becomes Defensive Tech | The Scenarionist

Steel + Silicon: The Return of Vertical Integration as a Venture Edge.

Dec 18, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

Capex That Compounds: Turning Industrial Spending into a Growth Engine | The Scenarionist

A deep dive on case-driven strategies and tactics to turn a first-of-a-kind factory into a winning fleet, keeping future dollars as expansion dollars.

Nov 13, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

Beyond the AI Bubble. AI Goes Vertical. AI Goes Industrial.

Capital Intensity Defines the Platform Race; Defensibility Defines the Vertical One.

Sep 11, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

When Niche Beats Scale: How Top-Tier Deep Tech Startups Thrive in Unsexy Markets

Power Laws and the Hidden Edge of Niche Dominance: 3 Real-World Case Studies

Jul 12, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

The Industrial Flywheel: How to Engineer Demand Before Building Your Factory | Chapter 2

What if your factory could sell before it exists?

Apr 10, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

Insights from the Field

28:55

Investing in Mining Tech: Scalable Models, Case Studies, And Due Diligence

From AI-Driven Discovery to Critical Mineral Supply Chains | Jason Holt, Partner @ Orion Industrial Ventures

Jun 5, 2025 • Nicola Marchese, MD

32:02

From STEM to Deep Tech VC

The Essential Guide for Scientists Entering Venture Capital | Chloë Payne, Principal at Ponderosa Ventures

May 22, 2025 • Nicola Marchese, MD

30:59

How to Invest in Robotics Startups: Insights and Tactics from a VC Perspective

Due Diligence, Insights, and Case Studies | Karthee Madasamy, Founder & Managing Partner at MFV Partners

Apr 24, 2025 • Nicola Marchese, MD

28:47

Winning the Deep Tech Scaling Bottleneck

Practical Tactics and Strategies to Support Industrial Startups at Scale | Phil Morle, Partner @ Main Sequence Ventures

Mar 13, 2025 • Nicola Marchese, MD

23:54

Dual-Use VC Investing

Due Diligence, Insights, and Case Studies | Sherman Williams, Managing Partner, and Forrest Underwood, Venture Partner, @ AIN Ventures

Feb 20, 2025 • Nicola Marchese, MD

Rumors

The race for a faster way to get critical mineral supply | Rumors

Four startups, four technical paths, one shared bet: the fastest way to add critical mineral supply may come from existing material flows and installed…

Mar 19 • Giulia Spano, PhD and Nicola Marchese, MD

Light-Driven Chemicals and the Quiet Revolution of Photon-Chemical Manufacturing | Rumors

Five Startups, One Rumor: New light‑powered reactions aid energy use, efficiency, feedstock risk, and margins in chemical manufacturing.

Nov 20, 2025

The Optical Interconnect Rush: Powering the New AI Network Stack | Rumors

Six Startups, One Rumor. A new generation of photonic technologies is rewiring data‑center networks for the AI era—at light speed and with radical…

Oct 2, 2025

Beyond Silicon, Beneath 4K – The Rise of Cryogenic Compute | Rumors

Five Startups, One Rumor. Startups are harnessing cryogenic electronics and thermodynamics to break scaling limits in AI and quantum — from cold chips…

Jul 31, 2025

Subsurface Imaging-as-a-Platform for Mining 4.0: The Data Arbitrage Play | Rumors

Five startups, one rumor: AI-based Subsurface Intelligence is turning Critical Minerals exploration into SaaS margins—collapsing drill programs, cost…

Jun 26, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

Deep Tech Negotiation Playbook

The Deep Tech Negotiation Playbook: Bonus Appendix

Deep Tech Negotiation Worksheet, Scripts and Templates to handle even the toughest negotiation scenarios.

May 7, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

The Deep Tech Negotiation Playbook | Chapter 4

Welcome to the Real Table.

May 6, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD

The Deep Tech Negotiation Playbook | Chapter 3

Master the Fundraising Tug of War Before It Masters You

Apr 3, 2025 • Nicola Marchese, MD and Giulia Spano, PhD

The Deep Tech Negotiation Playbook | Chapter 2

Master the Fundraising Tug of War Before It Masters You

Mar 20, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD and Nicola Marchese, MD

The Deep Tech Negotiation Playbook | Chapter 1

Master the Fundraising Tug of War Before It Masters You

Mar 5, 2025 • Giulia Spano, PhD and Nicola Marchese, MD

Deep Tech Catalyst Podcast

34:08

From Lab to Exit: The Cuberg Journey | Deep Tech Catalyst

Watch now | A chat with Richard Wang, Founder and Former CEO of Cuberg (acquired by Northvolt)

Mar 27 • Nicola Marchese, MD

MedTech Fundraising Strategy: De-Risking the Path to Scale | Deep Tech Catalyst

Explore how validation, regulation, fundraising, and distribution shape scalable MedTech companies from day one.

Mar 20 • Nicola Marchese, MD

27:34

Neuromorphic Computing: Market, Bottlenecks, and Use Cases | Deep Tech Catalyst

Watch now | A chat with Peter Olcott, Principal @ First Spark Ventures

Mar 13 • Nicola Marchese, MD

28:54

Advanced Materials Go-to-Market Strategy: Adoption, Capacity, and Deals | Deep Tech Catalyst

Watch now | A chat with Michael Bartholomeusz, Advanced Materials Industry Expert

Mar 6 • Nicola Marchese, MD

32:01

Venturing Into Orbital Data Centers: VC Insights for Deep Tech Startups | Deep Tech Catalyst

Watch now | A chat with Jasper Wigley, Investment Associate at Systemiq Capital

Feb 27 • Nicola Marchese, MD

24:50

The Scenarionist - Where Deep Tech Meets Capital

Actionable Intelligence for Deep Tech Builders and Backers. Built by people bold enough to believe that the future isn’t something you predict—it’s a scenario you engineer.

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