Investors · new episode 21 Oct 2026
TechSurge
Hosted by Celesta Capital
Deep tech investing: semiconductors, AI infrastructure and the funds behind them.
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Investors named as guests in the most episode titles on TechSurge.
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- 44The Path to Superintelligence: Alberta Plan Co-Author On Reinforcement Learning & AI-Powered Prosthetics21 Oct 2026 · 58 min▶Show page
About this episode
In this episode, Dr. Patrick Pilarski, co-author of the Alberta Plan alongside Richard Sutton and Michael Bowling, makes the case for a radically different kind of AI: one that never stops learning, builds its own understanding from raw experience, and gets more out of limited compute rather than more data centers. A…
- 43Gaming Chip Pioneer Raja Koduri on China's AI Cost Advantage and Moving Beyond the GPU29 Sept 2026 · 1h 1mGoogle▶Show page
About this episode
In this episode, host David Goldman speaks with legendary graphics chip architect Raja Koduri, who explains why every gigawatt of AI infrastructure now costs $50 to $60 billion, and why China's goal of doing it for under $10 billion is the real threat to Western AI. Raja twice led graphics at AMD, directed Apple's…
- 42The Race to Build the Next Trillion-Dollar AI Chip Company16 Sept 2026 · 1h 12m▶Show page
About this episode
Almost 2% of U.S. GDP will be spent on AI infrastructure this year, nearly double 2025's figure. But beneath those headline numbers, the composition of that spending has quietly flipped: for the first time, dollars spent on running models in production now outweigh dollars spent training them. In this episode of…
- 41The Nobel Winner Behind Google's Quantum AI Lab: Why I'm Building the NVIDIA of Quantum1 Sept 2026 · 1h 9mGoogle▶Show page
About this episode
In this episode, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. John Martinis reveals how his breakthrough in superconducting qubits made quantum physics real at macroscopic scale and what it means for the future of technology. The former lead of Google's Quantum AI lab explains why quantum computing is so fragile, why a lot of…
- 40Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan on 40 Years of Contrarian Bets in Semiconductors11 Aug 2026 · 36 minLip-Bu Tan▶Show page
About this episode
Silicon Valley was built on semiconductors, but for nearly two decades, venture capital shifted its attention towards software. Today, AI is changing that as the demand for compute, memory and networking explodes, hardware is once again at the centre of the industry's biggest bets. In this episode of TechSurge, host…
- 39The Moving Bottleneck: Networking, Power, Memory, and the Race to Win AI28 Jul 2026 · 1h 11mRajiv Khemani▶Show page
About this episode
Artificial intelligence is often discussed through models and GPUs. This episode looks beneath that surface, at the power delivery and networking required to make AI work at scale. Host Sriram Viswanathan speaks with Rajiv Khemani, a serial deep tech entrepreneur whose career has tracked several major infrastructure…
- 38Physical AI, Quantum, and Bio-Innovation: Inside Canada’s Research Frontier15 Jul 2026 · 1h 9m▶Show page
About this episode
Canada produces world-leading science, engineering, and AI research. So why does so much of that research still commercialize outside of Canada? In this episode of TechSurge, host Nic Brathwaite puts that question to four leaders at two of Canada's top research universities: Mary Wells (Dean of Engineering) and Chris…
- 37Google's Chief Technologist on Intelligent Search in the Age of AI30 Jun 2026 · 1h 18mGoogle▶Show page
About this episode
TechSurge is sponsored by Notion. From product roadmaps to investor updates, Notion is where modern teams plan, write, and ship together. Get started at http://notion.dev/techsurge . Search began as a way to find pages. AI is turning it into a way to ask, reason, decide, and act. Search has always been more than a…
- 36Battle for the AI Data Center: Deep Dive on the Semiconductor Supercycle16 Jun 2026 · 53 min▶Show page
About this episode
Semiconductors have moved from the background of the technology stack to the center of the AI economy. What used to be a specialized industry discussed mostly by engineers and investors is now shaping the speed, cost, and strategic direction of modern computing. In this episode of TechSurge, host Michael Marks speaks…
- 35In-Orbit Manufacturing, AI Data Centers, and the New Space Economy with MIT’s Ariel Ekblaw2 Jun 2026 · 1h 29m▶Show page
About this episode
For most of human history, space has been a place we visited. The next chapter may be about building there. For decades, space was the domain of governments, astronauts, and science fiction. Today, falling launch costs, reusable rockets, and a new generation of ambitious founders are turning orbit into something else…
- 34The U.S. – China Deep Tech Arms Race21 May 2026 · 48 min▶Show page
About this episode
For years, the United States told itself a reassuring story: China could manufacture and copy, but it couldn't innovate. That story is no longer credible. From DeepSeek's compute-efficient AI model to BYD's dominance of the global EV market, China is producing both volume and quality across sectors that matter. The…
- 33Rare Earth Rush: Strategic Minerals and Tech's New Resource Wars7 May 2026 · 57 min▶Show page
About this episode
For thirty years, the United States largely ignored critical minerals. We mined less, processed less, and stockpiled less, while China quietly built the most dominant mineral supply chain in modern history. When China imposed rare earth export restrictions in 2024, manufacturers from Detroit to Tokyo scrambled. The…
- 32The US Crypto Awakening16 Apr 2026 · 57 min▶Show page
About this episode
For years, crypto policy in the United States was defined less by clear rules than by the threat of enforcement. Startups and institutions building in the space operated in a gray zone: no clear guidance, no path to compliance, and always the possibility of a regulatory hammer coming down. In 2025, that began to…
- 31Pixels to Intelligence: The Next Era of Imaging7 Apr 2026 · 51 min▶Show page
About this episode
Digital imaging is so ubiquitous today that it’s easy to forget how improbable it once was. In this episode of TechSurge , guest host Nic Brathwaite sits down with Dr. Eric Fossum, inventor of the CMOS active pixel image sensor, to unpack the breakthrough that made it possible to embed cameras into billions of devices…
- 30Sovereign AI Stacks: The New Strategic National Resource19 Mar 2026 · 1h 1mSovereign AI▶Show page
About this episode
As artificial intelligence becomes a strategic capability for nations as well as companies, questions of governance, safety, and geopolitical competition are moving to the forefront. In this episode of TechSurge, host Sriram Viswanathan speaks with Helen Toner, Interim Executive Director of the Center for Security and…
- 29Governing AI Before It Outpaces Us: Safety for Critical Infrastructure5 Mar 2026 · 58 min▶Show page
About this episode
As generative AI systems move from novelty to infrastructure, questions of safety, trust, and governance are becoming urgent. In this episode of TechSurge, host Sriram Viswanathan is joined by Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, CEO of Humane Intelligence PBC and responsible AI Pioneer, about what AI safety really means and why the…
- 28India: The Next Tech Global Superpower?19 Feb 2026 · 1h 20m▶Show page
About this episode
As global supply chains fracture, AI reshapes productivity, and technology becomes a core instrument of national power, India is making an ambitious push to redefine its role in the world economy from IT services provider to deep tech superpower. In the season 2 premiere of TechSurge, host Sriram Viswanathan brings…
- 27TechSurge: Season 2 Trailer12 Feb 2026 · 2 min▶Show page
About this episode
TechSurge returns for an all-new season exploring the forces reshaping the future of deep tech, where breakthrough innovation meets real-world market dynamics. In season 2, we dive deeper into the intersection of emerging technology, market forces, and entrepreneurial discovery, featuring candid conversations with…
- 26Season 1 Finale: Risks, Rewards, and Realities of Open vs. Closed AI1 Jul 2025 · 26 min▶Show page
About this episode
In TechSurge’s Season 1 Finale episode, we explore an important debate: should AI development be open source or closed? AI technology leader and UN Senior Fellow Senthil Kumar joins Michael Marks for a deep dive into one of the most consequential debates in artificial intelligence, exploring the fundamental tensions…
- 25Betting Early on Zoom, Canva, and Crypto: Inside the Playbook of Visionary Solo VC Bill Tai18 Jun 2025 · 1h 2mBill TaiSequoia Capital▶Show page
About this episode
Legendary technologist and investor Bill Tai joins our latest episode for a wide-ranging conversation spanning decades of Silicon Valley innovation. Bill shares his remarkable journey from being employee #1 at TSMC to becoming one of the first seed investors in Zoom and Canva, and his early embrace of Bitcoin when it…
- 24Blueprint for an AI Future: OpenAI Chief Economist on How AI Will Shape the Global Economy5 Jun 2025 · 52 min▶Show page
About this episode
Will AI displace more jobs than it creates? How can the U.S. win the AI race? How can AI benefits be evenly distributed across businesses and society? We explore these questions and more as Sriram Viswanathan sits down with Ronnie Chatterji, Chief Economist at OpenAI, for an in-depth exploration of AI's economic…
- 23Inside Nokia’s Strategy: CSTO Nishant Batra on Telecom’s Future, Brand Reinvention, and Betting on Bell Labs22 May 2025 · 48 minNishant Batra▶Show page
About this episode
In this episode of TechSurge, host Sriram Viswanathan sits down with Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia, for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of telecom and wireless technology. Nishant shares insights into the seismic shifts transforming network infrastructure, from core networks to…
- 22Leading Through Chaos: John Chambers on Tariffs, Cyber Threats, & the AI Supercycle8 May 2025 · 40 minJohn ChambersJC2 Ventures▶Show page
About this episode
Competition, growth, tariffs, hacks, AI – what does it take to be an effective leader today? John Chambers, former CEO and Executive Chairman of Cisco and founder of JC2 Ventures, joins TechSurge host Sriram Viswanathan to share valuable wisdom on leading and growing businesses through times of significant change. As…
- 21China, Funding Cuts, & Campus Controversy: Is U.S. Tech Leadership Falling Behind?24 Apr 2025 · 42 minThe Engine▶Show page
About this episode
MIT President Emeritus Dr. Rafael Reif joins host Michael Marks for a discussion about the state of U.S. competitiveness in technology, university research funding, current immigration policy, and more. Reif explains why universities remain the innovation engines of economies, educating top talent and generating the…
- 20Inside Microsoft's Trillion Dollar Playbook with Chief Strategy Officer Bobby Yerramilli-Rao10 Apr 2025 · 48 minBobby Yerramilli-Rao▶Show page
About this episode
Bobby Yerramilli-Rao, Chief Strategy Officer at Microsoft, joins TechSurge host Sriram Viswanathan to offer a rare glimpse into the strategic playbook of one of the world’s most powerful tech companies. Bobby shares how the company navigates today’s biggest technology paradigm shifts, placing bets with trillion-dollar…
- 19Scaling the AI Era: Next-Gen Data Storage Solutions with Pure Storage CEO Charlie Giancarlo1 Apr 2025 · 59 min▶Show page
About this episode
In this episode of TechSurge, host Sriram Viswanathan sits down with Charlie Giancarlo, Chairman and CEO of Pure Storage, to discuss the evolution and future of data storage in the digital age. Charlie shares insights from his career spanning his pivotal role in Cisco's success as a networking pioneer, to his…
- 18Why AI Isn't Ready to Make Medicines13 Mar 2025 · 42 min▶Show page
About this episode
Many in venture capital and biopharma are anointing artificial intelligence the savior of drug discovery, but what can AI actually do? In this eye-opening episode, Michael Marks sits down with Mike Nohaile, CEO of Prellis Biologics, to explore the hype versus reality in AI-enabled drug discovery. Mike details why,…
- 17Understanding the Elegant Math Behind Modern Machine Learning27 Feb 2025 · 1h 15m▶Show page
About this episode
Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace, what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The…
- 1621st Century Warfare: The Nexus of Technology, Economy, & National Security13 Feb 2025 · 45 min▶Show page
About this episode
With global economic alliances shifting and new threats emerging, will the U.S. maintain its dominance in an increasingly complex world? From chips to cyberterrorist threats to cryptocurrency, battles for global dominance are no longer only fought on the battlefield, they're playing out in markets, boardrooms, and…
- 15Adapting to AI & Geopolitical Disruption with Global Head of McKinsey Bob Sternfels30 Jan 2025 · 51 minBob SternfelsMcKinsey & Company▶Show page
About this episode
The world is evolving faster than ever – how will we keep up? From AI breakthroughs to global supply chain disruptions, the forces shaping business and technology today are relentless. In this episode of the TechSurge Deep Tech VC Podcast, we sit down with Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company,…
Who the show talks about
Firms named in its episodes, and people named in descriptions: talked about, rather than on the show.
