The future of home building. In it we cover putting construction in the cloud, home buying simulations, AI co-pilots for builders, onsite computer vision, advances in material science, and the future of new homes.

Marc Minor is the CEO of Higharc, a software platform that helps new home builders get to market with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Higharc’s mission is to modernize the $100 trillion U.S. residential real estate market and make home ownership more affordable. The platform has been used to design over 4,000 homes and has raised more than $80 million from top built-world investors such as Fifth Wall, Spark Capital, Lux, and a host of strategic partners, including Home Depot. Marc spent his career in the 3D printing and fabrication space, leading the marketing departments at Carbon and Desktop Metal before founding Higharc in 2018.

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The future of home building. In it we cover putting construction in the cloud, home buying simulations, AI co-pilots for builders, onsite computer vision, advances in material science, and the future of new homes.
Marc Minor is the CEO of Higharc, a software platform that helps new home builders get to market with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Higharc’s mission is to modernize the $100 trillion U.S. residential real estate market and make home ownership more affordable. The platform has been used to design over 4,000 homes and has raised more than $80 million from top built-world investors such as Fifth Wall, Spark Capital, Lux, and a host of strategic partners, including Home Depot. Marc spent his career in the 3D printing and fabrication space, leading the marketing departments at Carbon and Desktop Metal before founding Higharc in 2018.
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Fast forward 5 years to view the future of an industry through the eyes of its most innovative entrepreneurs and CEOs.

Learn what key industries could look like in 5 years.

Witness the evolution through the eyes of leading CEOs.

Discover who gets disrupted and who wins big.

Hear of mind blowing technology set to reinvent all the rules.

Reshape your mental model to thrive in the change ahead.

Delivered as short (~30 mins), insight-packed discussions, that will spark imagination and leave listeners with a preview of what lies ahead.

Fast forward 5 years to view the future of an industry through the eyes of its most innovative entrepreneurs and CEOs.
Learn what key industries could look like in 5 years.
Witness the evolution through the eyes of leading CEOs.
Discover who gets disrupted and who wins big.
Hear of mind blowing technology set to reinvent all the rules.
Reshape your mental model to thrive in the change ahead.
Delivered as short (~30 mins), insight-packed discussions, that will spark imagination and leave listeners with a preview of what lies ahead.

5 Year Frontier

#22: Housing reimagined, the construction cloud, data-driven designs, virtual home buying, automatic permits, and the future of home building w/ Higharc CEO Marc Minor

The future of industrial robotics. In it we cover turning the physical world into data, robots that climb, fly, swim, AI’s ability to predict failures, and America’s $5T aging infrastructure problem.

Troy Demmer is Co-founder of Gecko Robotics, who use a fleet of advanced robots and AI software to help government and heavy industry maintain and manage their critical infrastructure. From navy vessels to power plants to dams, Gecko collects data on and delivers insights across over 500,000 of the worlds most important and critical infrastructure. It has developed a digital layer of intelligence over the built world to improve performance, prevent breakage and failures, and increasingly predict how an asset will behave in the future. The company has raised over $220M from top investors including Founders Fund and US Innovative Technology Fund. Gecko’s co-founder and Chief Product Officer is Troy Demmer. A graduate from Carnegie Mellon University, Troy was previously in the healthcare industry working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center before launching his first startup 360Showings, which 3D rendered homes for the real estate market. Along with his work at Gecko Troy also runs his own venture firm, First Order Fund, which invests in early stage startups building moats using data.

Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vc

The future of industrial robotics. In it we cover turning the physical world into data, robots that climb, fly, swim, AI’s ability to predict failures, and America’s $5T aging infrastructure problem.
Troy Demmer is Co-founder of Gecko Robotics, who use a fleet of advanced robots and AI software to help government and heavy industry maintain and manage their critical infrastructure. From navy vessels to power plants to dams, Gecko collects data on and delivers insights across over 500,000 of the worlds most important and critical infrastructure. It has developed a digital layer of intelligence over the built world to improve performance, prevent breakage and failures, and increasingly predict how an asset will behave in the future. The company has raised over $220M from top investors including Founders Fund and US Innovative Technology Fund. Gecko’s co-founder and Chief Product Officer is Troy Demmer. A graduate from Carnegie Mellon University, Troy was previously in the healthcare industry working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center before launching his first startup 360Showings, which 3D rendered homes for the real estate market. Along with his work at Gecko Troy also runs his own venture firm, First Order Fund, which invests in early stage startups building moats using data.
<a href="http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731463374953000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3FK3ZDm7aT4CvPjSgBRAq_">Sign up</a> for new podcasts and <a href="https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731463374953000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27JEBoSvLAzJcJy6-Z2OK5">our newsletter</a>, and email me on <a href="mailto:danieldarling@focal.vc">danieldarling@focal.vc</a>

#27: Industrial Robots, Smart Infrastructure, Predictive Maintenance, Reinforcing America’s $5T Backbone, and the Future of Robotics w/ Gecko Robotics Co-founder Troy Demmer

The future of biology. In it we cover machines controlling cells, manipulating biology with light, algorithms for drug development, and how biotech is becoming a low cost and mass production industry.

Deniz Kent is CEO of Prolific Machines. Prolific is the first biotech company to harness light as a more efficient way to produce lab grown food, life saving drugs, and novel biosolutions. Offering a full stack tool kit from bioreactor to AI-software, Prolific’s groundbreaking technology provides dynamic control over virtually any cell function in any cell type. Until now, biomanufacturing has been limited to indirect cell control via expensive, inefficient, and imprecise tools like chemicals. Prolific’s platform enables direct control using light to produce new and superior biolsolutions faster, cheaper, and at greater scale. Based in Silicon Valley, the four year old company has raised $87 million in venture capital from the likes of Mayfield, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, In-Q-Tel and Fonterra. Prolific’s co-founder and CEO is Dr Deniz Kent, an expert in biological systems who earned his PhD in the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at King’s College London. During his studies he co-discovered a new human liver stem cell, worked on cures for Asthma at GlaxoSmithKline and develop research in the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vc

The future of biology. In it we cover machines controlling cells, manipulating biology with light, algorithms for drug development, and how biotech is becoming a low cost and mass production industry.
Deniz Kent is CEO of Prolific Machines. Prolific is the first biotech company to harness light as a more efficient way to produce lab grown food, life saving drugs, and novel biosolutions. Offering a full stack tool kit from bioreactor to AI-software, Prolific’s groundbreaking technology provides dynamic control over virtually any cell function in any cell type. Until now, biomanufacturing has been limited to indirect cell control via expensive, inefficient, and imprecise tools like chemicals. Prolific’s platform enables direct control using light to produce new and superior biolsolutions faster, cheaper, and at greater scale. Based in Silicon Valley, the four year old company has raised $87 million in venture capital from the likes of Mayfield, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, In-Q-Tel and Fonterra. Prolific’s co-founder and CEO is Dr Deniz Kent, an expert in biological systems who earned his PhD in the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at King’s College London. During his studies he co-discovered a new human liver stem cell, worked on cures for Asthma at GlaxoSmithKline and develop research in the field of cancer immunotherapy.
<a href="http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729913572103000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3gvSs6IxZGMcAlM3LoO9LG">Sign up</a> for new podcasts and <a href="https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729913572103000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2r823bBwlLVvPAm_rBpcdT">our newsletter</a>, and email me on <a href="mailto:danieldarling@focal.vc">danieldarling@focal.vc</a>

#26: Machines Controlling Biology, Light Reprogramming Cells, Algorithms for Drug Development, Commoditizing Pharma, and the Future of Biotechnology w/ Prolific Machines CEO Deniz Kent

The future of cybersecurity. In it we cover cybercriminal organizations, network effects of security, data as our biggest weapon, crypto’s gift to bad actors and the threat of cyberwarfare.

Nick Schneider is CEO of Arctic Wolf, one of the leading companies safeguarding the enterprise from cybersecurity threats. With a global presence and over 2,000 employees protecting more than 3,000 customers, they are a force in security operations. With an eye on going public, Arctic Wolf has been valued at over $4B calling KKR and Viking Global amongst its deep pocketed investors. Leading the company is Nick Schneider, a veteran in the security industry, Nick has developed expertise in creating best-of-breed technology platforms and sales organizations, which have been the driving force behind Arctic Wolf’s explosive growth. Prior to Arctic Wolf, Nick led organizations at Dell and Code42.

Of key interest to me is how Nick is deeply involved in being at the frontier of artificial intelligence’s influence on cybersecurity — in particulate the dual role of AI, as both an enabler and inhibitor of cybercrime, which epitomizes the modern cybersecurity conundrum.


Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vc

The future of cybersecurity. In it we cover cybercriminal organizations, network effects of security, data as our biggest weapon, crypto’s gift to bad actors and the threat of cyberwarfare.
Nick Schneider is CEO of Arctic Wolf, one of the leading companies safeguarding the enterprise from cybersecurity threats. With a global presence and over 2,000 employees protecting more than 3,000 customers, they are a force in security operations. With an eye on going public, Arctic Wolf has been valued at over $4B calling KKR and Viking Global amongst its deep pocketed investors. Leading the company is Nick Schneider, a veteran in the security industry, Nick has developed expertise in creating best-of-breed technology platforms and sales organizations, which have been the driving force behind Arctic Wolf’s explosive growth. Prior to Arctic Wolf, Nick led organizations at Dell and Code42.
Of key interest to me is how Nick is deeply involved in being at the frontier of artificial intelligence’s influence on cybersecurity — in particulate the dual role of AI, as both an enabler and inhibitor of cybercrime, which epitomizes the modern cybersecurity conundrum.
 <a href="http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729028295779000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1z02N1WKPzkd7uVh5HQHkp">Sign up</a> for new podcasts and <a href="https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729028295779000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1TYJV3PoRYt-8K-YlcWa4I">our newsletter</a>, and email me on <a href="mailto:danieldarling@focal.vc">danieldarling@focal.vc</a>

#22: Housing reimagined, the construction cloud, data-driven designs, virtual home buying, automatic permits, and the future of home building w/ Higharc CEO Marc Minor

5 Year Frontier

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