Podcast
Invested by Aleph
Hosted by Michael Eisenberg · EN
How can values create value? Join Venture Capitalist and Author Michael Eisenberg as he speaks with global business leaders to explore the values and purpose behind their businesses, the impact of technology on humanity, and the humanity behind digitization. Michael Eisenberg is Co-Founder and General Partner of Aleph, an early-stage venture capital fund with $850M under management in Tel Aviv, Israel. Aleph is an early stage venture capital fund focused on partnering with great Israeli entrepreneurs to build large, meaningful companies and impactful global brands.
23episodes
Episodes
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Gavin Baker, Managing Partner of Atreides, on Everything You Wanted to Know About Semiconductors & Why Global Warming is a Solved Problem
Oct 2201:26:02Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with Gavin Baker who is the Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Atreides Management, LP. In addition to overseeing investments and research at Atreides, he is responsible for the firm’s day-to-day portfolio management. Prior to founding Atreides in 2019, Gavin was at Fidelity Investments from 1999 to 2017, most recently as the portfolio manager of the Fidelity OTC Portfolio from 2009 to 2017. He also helped spearhead Fidelity’s venture capital investing from 2013 to 2017. Prior to managing the Fidelity OTC Portfolio, he was a portfolio manager of the Fidelity Select Wireless Portfolio from 2007 to 2011, the Fidelity Select Telecommunications Portfolio from 2007 to 2009 and the Fidelity Select Pharmaceuticals Portfolio from 2002 to 2005. Gavin started his career at Fidelity as an analyst, and focused on semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, retail, consumer packaged goods and telecommunications. Gavin earned an AB in economics and history from Dartmouth College. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 Intro 02:10 Foundation Models: From Fastest Appreciating to Depreciating Assets 05:46 The Trillion-Dollar AI Club: OpenAI, Anthropic & xAI 10:25 The “Free Agency” Talent War and Religious Belief in ASI 12:55 Weaponizing Capital and the $600 Billion GPU Question 16:30 The 30-Year “Overnight Success” of Nvidia 20:22 Cerebras, NextSilicon, and the Power of Picking Niches 23:49 TSMC, Intel, and the Semiconductor “Chocolate Cake” Problem 26:40 Why Taiwan Semi’s Lead May Be Stabilizing, Not Existential 30:48 ”Intel Made Two Crucial Errors” 32:42 When Washington Bought a Piece of Intel 37:00 Israel’s Role in the Allied Semiconductor Supply Chain 40:54 The New Semiconductor Cold War 47:11 Toward an “Allied Supply Chain” for Chips and AI 50:54 Why Gavin Says Global Warming is a Solved Problem 55:34 Mars, Neuralink, and the Next Human Frontier 01:00:19 Would You Always Bet on Elon Musk? 01:03:01 Mission-Driven Investing and Avoiding “Bad for the World” Bets 01:07:37 Why Tel Aviv Feels Like the Most Exciting City in the World 01:09:43 The Charlie Kirk Assassination and the Return of Political Violence 01:15:37 X Saved the Truth About October 7th 01:23:57 SpaceX, Starlink, and the Future of Human Ambition RESOURCES Follow Gavin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinbaker-portfoliomanager/ Follow Gavin on X - https://x.com/GavinSBaker Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi
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General Catalyst Co-Founder David Fialkow on Pitching VCs Through ‘Hot Buttons,’ Billion-Dollar Storytelling & Bringing Down a Cult
Sep 2901:05:17Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael hosts David Fialkow, co-founder and Managing Director of General Catalyst, one of the world’s leading venture capital firms managing over $40 billion. From early investments in companies like Airbnb, Stripe, and Warby Parker, to scaling global category leaders, General Catalyst has consistently backed transformative founders and ideas. David’s own career bridges entrepreneurship, film, and philanthropy. Before co-founding General Catalyst, he built and sold several companies across travel, specialty retail, and payments/financial services. Beyond investing, he’s an Academy Award–winning documentary producer, with credits including Navalny and Icarus, which exposed Russia’s state-sponsored doping scandal. David is also deeply involved in civic and philanthropic initiatives. With a unique blend of business vision, creative storytelling, and social impact, David brings a rare perspective on how capital can be a force for both innovation and positive change. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 Intro 02:30 College at Colgate and an ESL Shock 04:19 Discovering Storytelling and Filmmaking 09:06 Founding Last Minute Travel with Joel Cutler 11:32 Duty-Free Cruise Business and Sale to LVMH 13:55 How to Win Mentors: Relevance, Time & Opinions 15:53 Storytelling and “Hot Buttons” in Pitching 18:18 Crohn’s, Children’s Hospital Gift & the Ironman Bet 21:40 Why David Started General Catalyst 23:23 “Shots on Goal” and the VC Mindset 25:19 Starting Fund I and Raising Capital 28:11 Succession Planning 33:01 Ken Chenault Joins General Catalyst 39:28 Filmmaking with his wife Nina Fialkow 41:28 The Vow and Bringing Down NXIVM 46:16 Icarus: Pivot to Russian Doping Scandal 48:45 Navalny, Sugarcane, and Storytelling as Justice 57:00 Raising $12M through Film Screenings 59:26 Pan-Mass Challenge 01:01:27 Dana-Farber’s Impact on Oncology Drugs 01:02:21 On Luck, Teams, and Keeping Ego in Check 01:03:50 Why Israel: Mission, Resilience, and Tech Future RESOURCES Follow David on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-fialkow Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi
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Mati Gill, CEO of AION Labs, on Funding Life-Saving Startups, Lessons From Working at Teva Pharmaceuticals in Crisis & Life After Getting Shot
Sep 1001:03:33Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Mati Gill, CEO of AION Labs, Israel’s first global biotech venture studio. Backed by Pfizer, Merck KGaA, AstraZeneca, Teva, and AWS, AION Labs pioneers a new model for company creation: uniting pharma giants, tech leaders, and investors to collaboratively build AI-first startups in drug discovery and development. Instead of the typical biotech trajectory—where most startups fail—AION ensures founders start with the right problem, data, talent, guidance, and backing from day one. Mati brings a rare blend of experiences across pharma, government, and security. Before AION, he was a senior executive at Teva Pharmaceuticals, leading global public policy and advising the CEO during major restructuring. Earlier, he served as Chief of Staff at Israel’s Ministry of Public Security, and as an IDF reserve officer he coordinated international operations with UN peacekeepers. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 01:13 Early Life in Ohio and Moving to Israel 04:55 Military Service and Law School: Path to Public Service 06:43 Teva’s Origins and Growth into a Global Leader 11:24 Mergers, Acquisitions, and Teva’s Challenges 13:59 Leaving Teva and Founding AION Labs 14:12 What AION Labs is and Why the Name Matters 18:10 Merck, Teva, AWS, and VC Partners Joining AION 20:22 DenovAI and Antibody Discovery 23:08 Accelerating Drug Development with AI and Pharma Partners 24:43 AI in Gene Editing and the Baby KJ Case 27:39 Why Biology Expertise Must Balance AI 34:01 From Doubt to Investment: DenovAI’s Validation 36:59 Government Support and the Israel Innovation Authority 39:33 Which Startup Could Be AION’s First Mega Hit? 40:17 Core Values: Israel, Family, and Mission 44:21 Why Most Drugs Fail and How AI Can Help 45:59 Enhancement vs. Health: The Ethics of Gene Editing 48:18 Theranos, Transparency, and Governance Lessons 51:25 The One Disease to Cure: Alzheimer’s 55:41 What Teva Taught Mati About Scale and Missed Opportunities 57:01 Being Shot Near Gaza and Lessons from Survival 01:02:05 Public Service: Always on Loan to Israel 01:02:45 Will AI Cure Cancer? RESOURCES Follow Mati on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matigill Follow Mati on X - https://x.com/matigill Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi
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