Deep tech founders face a unique challenge: turning breakthrough science into a scalable startup. From navigating academia and IP to fundraising, manufacturing, and product-market fit, the path from research lab to real-world impact is anything but straightforward.
This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of @geCKoMaterials and 2024 Startups Battlefield runner up. geCKo Materials is building a bio-inspired adhesive with applications across robotics, manufacturing, and even space. In this episode, they explore how she turned a Stanford PhD breakthrough into a venture-backed deep tech company.
This conversation covers:
🧩How to turn academic research into a scalable startup
🧩The challenges of moving from Stanford PhD to founder and CEO
🧩What it takes to raise capital as a deep tech and hardware startup
🧩Why commercialization and manufacturing are the hardest parts of innovation
🧩How to identify real-world use cases and achieve product-market fit
Following recent episodes on building teams, this conversation focuses on the foundation behind every startup: transforming breakthrough technology into a viable business.
Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.
TechCrunch Disrupt: If you’re thinking about applying to Startup Battlefield, then October 13 to 15 in San Francisco, we’re back for TechCrunch Disrupt, where the Startup Battlefield 200 takes the stage. So if you want to cheer them on, or just network with 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, then grab your tickets.
Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type.
Chapters:
00:00 The Breakthrough Moment
01:45 From Startup Battlefield to Scale
02:42 What Gecko Materials Actually Does
05:18 Turning a PhD Into a Company
07:44 The Big Vision for Gecko Materials
09:19 From Wild Ideas to Real Use Cases
11:16 Spinning Out of Stanford
14:49 Raising Capital (and a 36-Hour Round)
17:54 Breakthroughs and Momentum
18:00 Building a World-Class Team
22:19 Owning the Founder Role
24:21 Finding Product-Market Fit in Deep Tech
26:54 Why More Research Doesn’t Become Startups
29:15 What’s Next for Gecko Materials
New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
