From Supercomputers to Startups: Jake Moilanen on Building What’s Next

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer sits down with Jake Moilanen, founder and CTO of Ironlight and the general partner of the Seraph Group’s Austin-focused fund, for a dynamic conversation about building and investing in the future of Austin tech. Jake shares his journey from working on mainframes at IBM to launching startups in Silicon Valley, and eventually transitioning into venture investing with a sharp focus on deep tech. His story weaves through supercomputers in Barcelona, algorithmic public market strategies, and how he now brings those lessons to the world of venture capital and tokenized finance.

Together, Thom and Jake explore the evolution of Austin's tech scene, diving into what’s working and what still needs to be fixed... especially around mentorship, funding gaps, and a culture that embraces hard work and knowledge sharing. They talk candidly about why Austin hasn’t produced as many unicorns as it should and what needs to shift to foster the next generation of founders and growth-stage leaders. Jake offers a deep look at the rise of tokenization, blockchain’s misunderstood role in modern finance, and what it will take to truly build an ecosystem where innovation and community thrive in parallel.

If you're interested in the future of venture investing, deep tech, or the real work of building a lasting startup ecosystem in Austin and beyond, this is a must-listen episode with honest insights and actionable ideas from someone in the trenches.