Ignite VC: Democratizing Venture Capital & Deep Tech Investing with Matt Caspari

Episode 79 of the Ignite Podcast

In this episode of the Ignite podcast, host Brian Bell sits down with Matt Caspari, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures, for an enlightening discussion on the dynamics of venture capital, deep tech investments, and the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship. For those who may not have time to listen to the full episode, here’s a detailed recap of the key insights and highlights from their conversation.

Matt Caspari’s Journey to Venture Capital

Matt Caspari’s path to venture capital is both unique and inspiring. He began his academic career studying biochemistry, driven by a passion for science and technology. However, his interest soon shifted towards business, leading him to take finance and economics classes. This pivot set the stage for his initial role at Bloomberg, where he worked in mergers and acquisitions. Realizing that pure business lacked a certain excitement for him, Caspari moved into strategy consulting, working with large pharmaceutical and biotech companies. This experience sparked his interest in entrepreneurship and venture capital, ultimately leading him to pursue an MBA at UC Berkeley (Go Bears!).