Chris Wake, Founding Partner of Atypical Ventures: Investing in the Frontier
- Adoption and his drive to excel
- Early fascination with technology—taking things apart and building with LEGO
Podcast
Overview
In this episode, Stephen Ibaraki interviews Chris Wake, Founding Partner at Atypical Ventures, about his journey innovating and investing in “plausible science fiction.” Here’s a concise summary with key questions tied to important timestamps:
00:01:06 — What Key Life Experiences Shaped Chris Wake?
- Adoption and his drive to excel
- Early fascination with technology—taking things apart and building with LEGO
- College advice: mastering sales as a foundation for entrepreneurship
- Early Spire experience: going “from zero to space” with satellites
00:07:47 — How Did Chris Transition into Investing?
- He left Spire for software startups and advised frontier tech companies
- EIR role in venture capital, leading to founding Atypical Ventures
00:11:08 — Why Focus on Outliers and Frontier Tech?
- Investing in “plausible science fiction,” from hardware to deep software
- Seeking “engineers with empathy”—builders who also inspire others
- Lessons learned from building and interviewing thousands of engineers
00:15:38 — What Are Chris’s Frontier Investments?
- Synthetic biology: organoid tech for faster, cheaper drug development
- Nuclear isotopes: unlocking fuel supply to drive innovation in SMRs and radiopharma
- Critical infrastructure: battery tech, grid management, recycling automation
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Chris Wake: LinkedIn
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Chris’s drive to innovate started young: he was adopted, and always felt pushed to “outdo himself.” That chip on his shoulder became rocket fuel. “I always wanted to strive for something more,” he said. Share your thoughts in the comments and spread these insights with friends!
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Profile
- Adoption and his drive to excel
- Early fascination with technology—taking things apart and building with LEGO
- College advice: mastering sales as a foundation for entrepreneurship
- Early Spire experience: going “from zero to space” with satellites
