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​Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Industry Snapshot: DeepTech

​Join us at Antler in downtown Austin (or virtually) to learn why investors are increasingly leaning into DeepTech startups, the ventures built on substantive scientific or engineering innovation, often originating from breakthroughs in fields like AI, robotics, materials science, energy, biotech, and aerospace. These companies are typically defined not just by long R&D cycles and high capital intensity, but by their defensibility: proprietary technology, technical moats, and the potential to reshape entire industries. While they may face slower commercialization and adoption curves, they also offer outsized impact and the possibility of category-defining outcomes.

Hear from voices spanning DeepTech entrepreneurship, venture capital, and academia as they unpack where the real opportunities and bottlenecks are emerging today.

Hosted by the Texas Chapter of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs, part of the Stanford Alumni Association, this event is part of the Industry Snapshots series designed to explore sectors undergoing meaningful transformation.

Who Should Attend
This event is open to anyone interested in understanding the future of innovation, not just Stanford affiliates, angels, or entrepreneurs. If you're an operator, investor, student, researcher, or simply curious about where frontier technologies are heading (and how they get funded and scaled), you’ll find this valuable. Especially relevant for those looking to engage with DeepTech either professionally or as a learning opportunity.

Agenda
- Opening remarks from Antler
- Lay of the Land in DeepTech from Alec Walker, President of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Texas Chapter
- Panelist introductions
- Panel session moderated by Antler’s Jake O’Shea
- Audience Q&A
- Networking session with investors

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​About Our Host:

​Antler — Antler is an early-stage venture capital firm with a focus on inception stage founders and a community of resident tech entrepreneurs and operators. Residents are immersed in a community with everything they need to build and scale at lightning speed. For more information on Antler and to apply to become a resident : https://www.antler.co/location/us

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​Lay of the Land

​Alec Walker, Founder and President of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Texas Chapter, will open with a quick presentation on why and how deeptech is emerging as a stronger focus for venture capitalists, what that means for startups and investors, and how to take advantage of the trend.

​Panelists

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​Pooja Y. Patel is Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of Synvect, as well as an epidemiologist and biotech commercialization leader. She holds two degrees from Columbia University and has built a strong track record across Pfizer and venture-backed startups. At Synvect, she leads go-to-market strategy and global customer growth, focused on expanding innovative mosquito control solutions. Her work is driven by a commitment to improving public health and addressing the growing global mosquito threat.

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​Ed Hemphill is a technology entrepreneur and executive whose career spans military service, enterprise software, and edge computing. A West Point graduate in Computer Science and Army veteran, he earned his MBA from UT Austin's McCombs School of Business before building a decade-long career in sales engineering at LifeSize Communications. In 2011 he founded WigWag, an Austin-based IoT platform company he led as CEO until its acquisition by Arm Holdings in 2019, where he went on to direct Pelion Edge and Edge and Gateway Market Development. In 2022, Ed launched Izuma Networks, serving as CEO with a focus on delivering applications and intelligence at the edge, from microcontrollers to edge servers, while also consulting independently and investing in emerging technology companies.

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​Jonathan Huffman is an entrepreneur and aerospace innovator who has built a career at the intersection of business strategy, emerging technology, and space systems. After teaching English in South Korea and earning his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler with concentrations in Marketing, Consulting, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability, he honed his business instincts through brand management work at Georgia-Pacific and nearly six years as a senior consultant at CREO, Inc., advising clients on strategy, cybersecurity, financial planning, and market development. A serial entrepreneur at heart, he previously co-founded and operated Blue Shoe Games, where he built an international supply chain and manufacturing operation from the ground up on minimal capital. In 2023, Jonathan founded Orbital Arc, a Techstars-backed space company based in Houston focused on developing and commercializing the Relativistic Ion Thrust Drive (RIOT Drive), a novel ion engine designed to significantly advance ionization efficiency, fuel efficiency, and thrust scalability beyond existing electric thruster technology.

​Moderator

​Jake O'Shea is a professional matchmaker and entrepreneurship enthusiast. After graduating from UT Austin, Jake joined Capital Factory's Investor Relations team, eventually growing to the role of Director of Platform managing the fund’s value add services for portfolio founders. After Capital Factory, he joined Foundation Capital, a 30 year old bay area Pre-Seed fund where he built out their Portfolio support function and managed the firm's relationships with F500 VP and CLevel executives. At Antler, Jake identifies high potential future founders and runs them through Antler's investment process. Outside of work, Jake is an avid fan of the NBA and enjoys grilling, walking his two dogs Rainey and Tedder, and trying new cuisines.

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​Logistics

• ​If joining in-person at Antler, note that the doors will be locked after 6PM. We'll work to have a volunteer available to let late arrivals in.

• ​If joining remotely, we will email you the Zoom link and a calendar invite.