Wharton Tech Toks

In this episode of Wharton Tech Toks, host Tanika Mehra sits down with Ish Dugal, a seasoned venture capitalist, to explore the evolving landscape of AI, venture investing, and what it takes to back the next generation of groundbreaking startups. Ish shares insights on cultivating long-term relationships with founders, the key qualities of successful entrepreneurs, and the underestimated trends in AI that could reshape industries. He also discusses high-stakes investment decisions, including the ones that got away, and his perspective on how AI is transforming knowledge work. Tune in for an engaging discussion on venture capital, risk-taking, and the future of tech innovation.

Please join us for this episode with Ali Javidan, Founder and CEO of Range Energy, a startup building an electrified truck trailer solution to help reduce carbon emissions and increase safety in heavy duty trucking. Ali started his career as a race engineer which eventually led him to be one of the first engineers at Tesla designing the roadster and sparking his interest in electric vehicles. This is a great episode as we dive into the benefits Range Energy's trailer solution creates for customers, the business model Range Energy is pursuing as well as Ali’s general thoughts on the future of clean transportation among other topics. This is a great chance to hear first hand from an entrepreneur how they are disrupting an established industry so be sure to give this episode a like if you enjoyed it.  

Please join us for this episode with Warren Hui, the co-founder of Soul Ventures and a General Partner at Type One Ventures. Warren started his career in investment banking but quickly became interested in all things technology especially AI which led him to working in venture. As an early investor in companies like Open AI, Warren has a nuanced and deep understanding of the AI space. As a result, in this episode we discuss questions such as where will value accrue in the AI sector and whether AI companies are actually worth their high valuations. This is a fascinating episode on a cutting edge topic so be sure to give it a listen.

Please join us for this episode with Christophe Defert and Mike D’Aurizio from HSBC Climate Growth Partners to discuss how their investments in climate startups are pushing the fight against climate change forward. In this episode we discuss how Christophe and Mike ended up in climate investing, the different types of capital needed for different types and stages of startups, and the role software plays in decarbonizing our world among other topics. Please share this episode if you enjoyed listening to it.

Join Manasi Patwa (Wharton '25) in her conversation with Shaq Vayda, Principal at Lux Capital. Lux is a leading venture capital firm investing in companies positioned at the cutting edge of advanced technology and has $5B+ in assets under management. In this discussion, Manasi and Shaq dive into key growth vectors within AI-driven biotech, recent developments in drug discovery technology, and shifts in the private markets investing landscape. Shaq also provides valuable insights regarding choosing sectors of focus within investing and what strong sourcing entails.

Join us for this episode with Shawn Xu, a partner at Lowercarbon Capital which is a leading venture fund investing in Climate Tech. In this episode we dive into the differences between investing in both hardware and software startups, what the capital stack for more capital intensive startups should be, and how Shawn broke into the VC industry. Being on the founding team of a YC startup and a Wharton graduate, Shawn’s insight into the Climate Tech world is incredibly insightful. Please share the episode if you enjoyed it!

Join us for this episode with Andrea Hippeau, a partner at Lerer Hippeau to hear about her story as a generalist investor at a leading early stage fund. In this episode we speak about why it is advantageous to be a generalist investor vs a specialist investor, sectors that she has recently been excited about, lessons from her board experience, and advice on finding good founders. Let us know what you think of the show in the comments!

Please join us for this episode where we speak with Victoria Beasley, a partner at Gigascale Capital, a leading climate tech venture fund. In this episode we dive into the differences of investing in both hardware and software startups, how to identify good climate tech founders, and what qualifies as a climate tech investment. This is a fascinating episode with a great investor so please give it a listen! 

Join us for an engaging conversation with Tanika Mehra and Jacqueline Cheong, Co-Founder & CEO of Artie (YC S23) 🚀. Jacqueline shares her inspiring journey from finance to entrepreneurship and how Artie is revolutionizing data streaming and replication in the tech world.

Join us for this episode with Tobias Citron, a principal at Primary Venture Partners focused on data / developer tools, AI, and cybersecurity. In this episode we discuss where Tobias thinks value will accrue in the AI space, how AI impacts cybersecurity and how he broke into the VC space. This is an amazing episode if you are interested in deep tech and investing so be sure to give it a listen.