If a VC is excited about a deep tech company upfront, what can we do to temper our enthusiasm and make a rational decision on whether to invest?

Maryanna Saenko is Cofounder and Partner at Future Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that focuses on mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology.

Future Ventures looks to back visionaries who push the boundaries of possibility. Some of their recent investments include Beeflow, Deep Genomics and Earthshot Labs.

On this episode of Boost VC, Maryanna joins us to share her definition of deep tech, describing how Future Ventures looks for opportunities ‘unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.’

Maryanna offers her take on why the two-person structure of a venture firm is ideal and discusses some of the deep tech deals she wishes she’d been closer to.

Listen in for Maryanna’s insight on building organizations around big shifts in science or technology and learn her process for dialing down the excitement after a pitch to decide whether her YES will hold.

Topics Covered

Maryanna’s biggest accomplishments before age 20

Recognized she wouldn’t survive public high school
Got into Hopkins prep school on scholarship

How Maryanna got into venture capital

Worked for early-stage company out of college
Job offer from Daimler to figure out driverless cars
Introduced to head of innovation lab at Airbus

The most important lessons Maryanna has learned as a VC

Trust your intuition
Don’t waste time justifying a startup’s relevance

How Maryanna defines deep tech

‘Unlike anything we’ve ever seen before’
Index on novelty at Future Ventures

What Maryanna does when she’s all-in on a company right away

Asks what she must believe about reality for YES to hold
Discussion with partner to temper her excitement

Why Maryanna prefers the two-person structure in venture

Ideal for its efficiency and intellectual honesty
Never puts someone in tie-breaker position

Maryanna’s superpowers as a venture investor

Confident in ability to assess tech on first principles
Know how to build orgs around shifts in science or tech

What deals Maryanna wishes she had been closer to

Structure of open AI
Deep seabed mining, recycling battery technology

Maryanna’s definition of success

Feel landscape of possibility was totally exhausted
‘Everything I could give to this, I did’

Connect with Maryanna Saenko

Future Ventures https://future.ventures/

Future on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FutureVenturesVC

Future on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/future.ventures/

Future on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/futureventures/

Maryanna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannasaenko/

Maryanna on Twitter https://twitter.com/FutureSaenko

Resources

Lux Research https://www.luxresearchinc.com/

DARPA Grand Challenge https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/timeline/-grand-challenge-for-autonomous-vehicles

Airbus BizLab https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/innovation-ecosystem/airbus-bizlab

Beeflow https://www.beeflow.com/

Decoding the World by Po Bronson and Arvind Gupta https://www.amazon.com/Decoding-World-Questioner-Po-Bronson/dp/1538734311

Redwood Materials https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-audiobook/dp/B000OZ0J0W/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/