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The Big — But Fixable! — Problems in America’s R&D Ecosystem

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At this point, when you hear “venture capitalist,” you probably think of … software. Or artificial intelligence. Or cryptocurrency. The Engine Ventures , which spun out of MIT a few years ago, is different. It tries to fund what it calls “tough tech,” a somewhat nebulous category that includes companies working in energy, decarbonization, health, and infrastructure. As such, it’s backed some of the most interesting “climate tech” companies in business today, such as Form Energy, Commonwealth Fusion. On this episode of Shift Key, Rob chats with Katie Rae , the CEO and managing partner of Engine Ventures. They chat about what’s missing from America’s innovation ecosystem, how close fusion is to succeeding, and whether AI is a bubble (whatever that might mean). Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap News. Subscribe to “Shift Key” and find this episode on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Amazon , or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also add the sho

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