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Original air date:
10.3.07
Taking Science from Labs to Market
A new metal alloy that bounces - and can be used to make high-powered golf clubs? Hopping robots that right themselves if they fall over? These are just some of the projects Paul Kedrosky has helped to midwife from the minds of researchers into real-world products. Kedrosky is a venture capitalist who connects investors with innovative - and hopefully profitable - ideas in the worlds of green technology, consumer electronics, and biotech.
Kedrosky doesn't go looking for companies that need more capital to bring their product to market. He starts further back up the chain, sniffing out potential breakthroughs percolating in labs and research facilities. His targets are often little more than ideas, but ideas with the potential to turn into something sellable given time and financial support. It's a tough way to make a living: in this type of early-stage science investing, scoring a commercial success with one out of every 50 attempts is considered a great track record.
Given that context, Kedrosky has done alright. He has helped form over a dozen new companies, several of which were later snapped up by the likes of TheStreet.com and Cisco. These days, he's a partner with Ventures West, Canada's largest institutional venture capital firm, and executive director of the University of California, San Diego's William J. von Liebig Center, which works to commercialize technologies developed in universities. He also edits the widely-read business blog, Infectious Greed, where he comments on everything from Alan Greenspan's appearance on the Daily Show to the intricacies of statistical arbitrage.
Kedrosky's job, in short, is spotting high tech's Next Big Thing. So what's in his sights these days? Green applications, for one. Humble light-emitting diodes are rapidly becoming more powerful, he says, and could one day replace conventional light bulbs. And online business in general, despite the bursting of the Internet stock bubble in 2000. "We should all be worshiping at the altar of the bubble blowers of 1998," Kedrosky recently told The San Francisco Chronicle. "It turns out they were right. They were just way too early."
In this interview with WIRED Science's Ziya Tong, Kedrosky talks about his work moving science from labs to companies.
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10.3.07 6:46 PM PDT
e.muscatell@att.net
Please send me info on how to send an idea to Paul
Kedrosky. Is there a mailing address that will get to his desk ??
Thanks
Ralph
10.3.07 8:35 PM PDT
Paul W.
Great interview! Ralph has the right idea, there are at least two of us that would like to get in touch with Mr. Kedrosky. Thanks PBS!
Paul
10.3.07 10:46 PM PDT
Mark D.
Make that three!
I have several ideas I would like to present to Mr. Kedrosky and the von Liebig Center.
Some of the ideas I have include mass conversion to the LED's he mentioned in the interview, others are in the automotive industry, alternative energy, and even aviation.
Most of my ideas are design related, (a new way of looking at current products or technologies, as opposed to being purely a new technological breakthrough or scientific discovery), but I would still like to discuss them with someone who might have the interest in helping me to developed them.
What's a good idea worth these days? $$$$$$$$$$ ??
Thanks,
10.4.07 8:16 AM PDT
Chuck Riddle
I appreciate pbs airing the interview with Mr. Kedrosky
and I like others would appreciate you providing me with
his contact information. Thanks. Chuck R.
10.4.07 10:59 AM PDT
Dinah Goodban
For the first time October 3, viewed Wired Science. Paul Kedrosky about a project that didn't work out as hopefully anticipated - that was regarding a treatment in the back of the eye, which for a lot of folks could result in a treatment or cure for macular degeneration (as I see it). Hopefully, he will not give up on this challenge. What a great benefit to others who are afflicted with it (and some beginning at an early age (40's). Would like to send a note this company as well. Thanks, Dinah Goodban
10.4.07 4:09 PM PDT
Brent H.
Thank you for the interview with Paul Kedrosky. I also would like his contact information. I am so close on an fantastic green idea, I just don't know how to take it to the next level. This has got to happen. Thank you PBS! Brent H
10.4.07 7:15 PM PDT
craig bellm
Paul Kedrosky watched your interview on PBS last night ,enjoyed it ,very interesting.Let me get to the reason I e-mailed you, I have a ideal I been working on,actually have a working prototype,but need funding.To find out more and if you be iterested please e-mail me ,and thank you for your time.
10.5.07 12:55 PM PDT
Chris
Hello.
Would it be possible to get information allowing me to
contact Mr. Kedrosky ?
My (short) story:
I am an ex-academic in the process of starting
a company about ultrawideband (UWB) wireless
technology. I am trying to do this in collaboration
with a few other people. The project has various
'parts.' One is UWB wireless for smart building
technology. The idea is to use UWB wireless to
get sensor data to the people that need it using
transmitters that radiate very little power with
electronics that itself consumes very little power.
In fact, the technology will avoid using a
conventional power supply, or even batteries.
The broad goal is a technology cheap and easy to
install requiring no maintenance of any kind for
the life of the building (which would be decades
at a minimum of course).
The idea is to use so-called energy scavenging
methods as the power source.
The project also
involves UWB technology for even more ambitious
applications which I will not get into here.
A slight idea about what we are considering
appears at
http://www.nanodottek.com
(mainly see Technical Reports). Of course, not
everything is disclosed due to proprietary
interests.
Thankyou, and keep up the good programming !
Chris Zarowski, Ph. D., P. Eng.
IEEE Senior Member
Senior Partner
NanoDotTek
10.5.07 1:46 PM PDT
douglas
Check out Ventures West Investment related link for contact info on Dr. Kedrosky.
10.6.07 12:45 AM PDT
Dr. Michael C. Graham
How refreshing to see someone doing something for us little innovators as we look trustingly to rip-off companies that just take our money and run. I have had some real great ideas and have already been very successful in one invention already. However, these days are much different, money for us little guys is just not there. Please, tell us where to sign up, myself and my partner would love to help in this indeaver. To you Dr. Kedrosky I personally thank you.
Dr. Michael C. Graham
Director, C.A.E.J.
10.7.07 8:19 AM PDT
Vernon R. Harris
Please, please provide me with contact information so that I might submit an idea for consideration.
Vernon R. Harris
BearMountainScientific@comcast.net
435-713-4454
435-770-4065 cell
10.10.07 12:20 PM PDT
sgrenell2007@YAHOO.COM
I would like to know how to get in touch with Paul Kedrosky.
I have to ideas that could potentially solve the energy crisis. No joke.This could be the person I am looking for.
10.10.07 2:52 PM PDT
Anton J. Green
Does having an HIV remedy in phase two testing qualify for Mr. Kedrosky's program?
10.10.07 3:45 PM PDT
---------
Freekin' sweet!!
10.13.07 9:36 AM PDT
Tom K.T
What a great eye opening once again thank you PBS for the interview with Paul Kedrosky, He's truly a pionneer who understand the meaning of INNOVATION and some of who have been wondering about those companies with cheap talk can keep the hope that people like Mr Kedrosky are still out there. I would love to get in contact with Mr Kedrosky if all possible. Again, thank you WIRED SCIENCE AND PBS.
10.15.07 12:44 PM PDT
Tony K.
My Company has several proprietary processes that need growing and will create new industries.
Please give me contact information for Paul Kedrosky.
Thank You.
11.28.07 6:14 PM PST
David Santella
Is this kind of funding available for research into brain injuries? I had brain surgery about twenty five years ago that was very successful in that I recovered many abilities that the surgeon said I would not be able recover. I would like to use my experience to see if there are ways to help others recover as completely as possible.
11.30.07 12:30 PM PST
Rayburn D. Smith
Dear Wired Science:
Is it possible to contact Paul Kedrosky or the Von Levy Center with respect to assistance in obtaining a patent on a green project?
Thank you for the program!
Rayburn D. Smith
1875 Ritts Farm Road
Emlenton, PA 16373
12.15.07 4:02 PM PST
Dr. Michael C. Graham
It has been many months since your show has aired, I gave you my Name, Address, both email and ground, also phone numbers. That was on October 03, 2007. To date I have not heard a word from anyone. Hey, if anyone is there could ya give an old inventor a holla back. Got great products for the CD/DVD market, prototypes built, power point presentations prepared. I am ready for business, but need venture capital, can ya hear me. Please get back with us.
Dr. Michael C. Graham
President/CEO
GraMarc International Inc.
C.A.E.J.
267 Monticello Lane
Davison, MI 48423
Office 810-471-5412
Home 810-814-4551
discwrangler1@aim.com
caej06@aim.com
discwrangler50@aim.com
3.19.08 4:28 PM PDT
ARTHUR SMALLEY
HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU REGARDING VENTURE CAPITAL PERTANING TO GREEN TECH INVESTMENT
9.6.08 4:38 AM PDT
German V
What type of legal document (contract) should one have before talking to anyone, as not to have ones idea stolen?
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