The Last Mile of EV Innovation: The Powertrain

Batteries have owned the public’s mind share when it comes to boosting performance and decreasing the cost of electric vehicles. And for good reason. The battery accounts for roughly half the total cost of an EV. Batteries have been undergoing significant innovations in recent years with startups such as QuantumScape and Ample looking into solid-state […]

Investing in Irrigreen’s Robotic Sprinklers to Eliminate Water Waste

Today (March 29, 2023), the MFV team is thrilled to announce our investment in Irrigreen, the leader in robotic irrigation systems. We are delighted to join Ulu Ventures, Burnt Island Ventures, and others in the company’s $15M seed financing round. As climate change exacerbates water scarcity and increases its cost, we’re excited to partner with […]

Is Deep Tech Poised to Take Off

There’s been no shortage of doom and gloom about the venture capital market lately — and for a good reason. With tech stocks cratering, massive bouts of layoffs impacting even the most heralded startups, and the most significant decline in the VC market in 10 years, everywhere you look all signs seem to  point to […]

Jensen Was Right on Robotics, Wrong on Quantum Computing

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang made the biggest headlines at CES earlier this month with two strikingly different forecasts. He first noted that robotics is ready for its ChatGPT moment in 2025, based on the strength of humanoid robotics, which is becoming a ‘multitrillion-dollar’ opportunity. Secondly, he played down the immediate opportunity for quantum computing, saying “truly […]

Trump’s plans to kill EV subsidies signal a new era of climate tech Darwinism

A few weeks after an election win, the Trump transition team’s plan to kill the $7,500 consumer tax credit on EVs has already surfaced. Although this type of climate-focused subsidy cut was widely rumored, the news still sent Tesla and Rivian shares lower. It’s a critical inflection point for the climate tech sector, which must evolve quickly from being […]

Deep tech exits: Not just science fiction anymore

These industries lead the way  Karthee Madasamy  Since reaching lofty, all-time highs in 2021, startup exits have hit all-time lows over the last 12 months as interest rates skyrocketed, access to cheap money dwindled, and opportunities to cash out dried up. The first half of 2023 saw the lowest combined exit value for U.S. companies […]

Jensen Was Right on Robotics, Wrong on Quantum Computing

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang made the biggest headlines at CES earlier this month with two strikingly different forecasts. He first noted that robotics is ready for its ChatGPT moment in 2025, based on the strength of humanoid robotics, which is becoming a ‘multitrillion-dollar’ opportunity. Secondly, he played down the immediate opportunity for quantum computing, saying “truly […]

Chicago has positioned itself to become a superstar hub for quantum computing

As a Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist immersed in deep tech and an investor in quantum pioneers such as PsiQuantum, I’ve had a front-row seat to the quantum computing revolution. While Silicon Valley has traditionally dominated technological innovation, a new quantum leader has emerged: Chicago is establishing itself as the ‘Second City’ in the quantum revolution. […]