AI Hype vs Real Innovation—What VCs Think

Marie-Sophie Ando is an VC-Investor at Vorwerk Ventures specialising in Consumer & Climate Tech. Before that she was an Investor at Foundamental investing in Construction Technology globally. In this episode, we talk about: 00:00 Marie’s Journey into Venture Capital02:20 Bridging the Gap Between Research and Business08:50 Opportunities for Collaboration Between Researchers and Entrepreneurs12:50 Utilizing Research Institutions for Commercialization18:04 Investment Focus: Climate Tech and Consumer Tech25:24 What Catches Attention in Pitch Decks29:26 Balancing Focus and Openness in Opportunities30:17 Diverse Sources for Niche Understanding33:55 The Importance of Networking and Research36:27 Identifying Red Flags in Founders37:08 What Makes Founders Stand Out41:02 The Investment Decision Process43:42 Under-Hyped Opportunities in Consumer Tech46:47 Assessing Founders for Consumer Success49:58 Opportunities in Construction Tech51:22 Global Market Dynamics and Local WinnersSubscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/42ijB4ANyvM9kWqf6uf3aS?si=51cd412120bc4732Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/roots2disru...Visit our Website:https://youngfounders.network/Visit Marie’s LinkedIn Profile:https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-sophie-ando/#roots2disrupt  #venturecapital  #Consumertechnology #venturemindset  #openai #nvidia #deepseek #ai #inference #startups