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Artwork for Pioneers
Robotics
Laser Depth Dynamics
EV Charging
Spacex
Applied Atomics
Spider Silk
Kiwi Charge
Artificial Intelligence
IPG Photonics
Laser
Electric Vehicles
Spidey Tek
Smartto
Hardware Startups
Siemens

Ideas alone can’t change the world. It takes grit. In this podcast, Siemens sits down with startup founders, ecosystem partners and more in a quest to get to the bottom of what makes startups (and the people in them) tick. At Siemens, we understand the struggles of early-stage startups. Let us remove the barriers on your startup journey by helping you transform your engineering ideas into real, m... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes53Founded6 years ago
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Technology

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Artwork for Pioneers

Latest Episodes

What does a decades-old rotary engine, a family locomotive-parts shop, and the scramble to power AI data centers have in common? And why does a self-funded founder believe the fix for the world's growing power problem was sitting in a 1970s engine de... more

What does an old wallpaper mill, a Swiss banknote plant, and a pair of glaucoma-detecting glasses have in common? And why does a man who has built more than 30 companies say founders should stop trying to invent anything at all?

What you’ll discover... more

What if the nuclear industry's biggest problem has nothing to do with the reactor itself? And what happens when a SpaceX veteran decides he's the one to fix it?

What you’ll discover today…

(00:00) From a bush pilot in Alaska to building SpaceX laun... more

Abdel Ali, founder and CEO of Kiwi Charge, shares how broken EV charging becomes when you don’t control the parking space, electrical capacity, or building ownership. Instead of accepting the limitation, he built a radically different solution: mobil... more

What if Spider-Man’s web were real? For Roberto Velozzi, founder and CEO of Spidey Tek, that question turned into a lifelong pursuit, and eventually, a business.

What you’ll discover today…

(02:10) The “aha moment” that turned science fiction into ... more

What if your PhD side project could turn into a multimillion-dollar acquisition in just five years—without going through endless VC rounds?

What you’ll discover…

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The crucial pivot that took Laser Depth Dynamics from medical imaging to manufact... more

What you’ll discover…

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How to build trust with customers before you’ve even built a product

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Lessons on raising $150M and convincing top-tier VCs like Sequoia and General Catalyst

•

The emotional story that sparked Cobot’s mission insid... more

YouTube

What does it take to build a company from nothing—and then start again to help others do the same? How do resilience, innovation, and leadership shape not just a business, but an entire life?

In this unforgettable episode of Pioneers: The Siemens St... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Chad Wasilenkoff
Founder, investor, and technology commercialization executive with a track record spanning multiple industries
Fortress and various ventures
Episode: 30 Companies. 27 Exits. What Chad Wasilenkoff Sees That Others Don’t
Ben Kellie
CEO of Applied Atomics
Applied Atomics
Episode: From SpaceX Launch Pads to Nuclear Power Plants: Ben Kellie’s Mission to Make Clean Energy Affordable
Abdel Ali
Founder and CEO of Kiwi Charge
Kiwi Charge
Episode: The Robot That Comes to Your Car: Inside Kiwi Charge’s Vision for Scalable EV Charging
Roberto Velozzi
Founder and CEO, Spidey Tek
Spidey Tek
Episode: From Spider-Man to Spidey Tek: How Roberto Velozzi is Spinning the Future of Sustainable Materials
Paul Webster
Chief Technology Officer and General Manager of IPG Photonics Canada
IPG Photonics
Episode: From PhD Lab to Industry Leader: Paul Webster’s Journey to a Hard Tech Exit
Brad Porter
Founder and CEO of Collaborative Robotics (Cobot)
Collaborative Robotics
Episode: From Big Tech to Robots: Cobot Founder Brad Porter and the Race to Robotics

Host

Peng Sang Cau
Host of Pioneers, Startups from Dreams to Reality

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

From PhD Lab to Industry Leader: Paul Webster’s Journey to a Hard Tech Exit
Q: How did you validate market demand for a highly technical product before fully launching?
We focused on building demonstrable prototypes and using early customer feedback, then leveraged partnerships with suppliers and a strong ROI narrative to win initial sales and iterate the offering.
From PhD Lab to Industry Leader: Paul Webster’s Journey to a Hard Tech Exit
Q: What was the turning point that made you pursue entrepreneurship instead of sticking to a traditional academic path?
A combination of a mentor from ParTech recognizing the commercial potential and a desire to see the technology reach real-world impact pushed me toward starting the company and exploring manufacturing to shorten time-to-market.
From Spider-Man to Spidey Tek: How Roberto Velozzi is Spinning the Future of Sustainable Materials
Q: What is the fundraising plan and what milestones drive investor interest?
Aiming to raise about $5 million over five years to start mass production, with milestones including scaling protein production and expanding manufacturing partnerships.
From Spider-Man to Spidey Tek: How Roberto Velozzi is Spinning the Future of Sustainable Materials
Q: What are the biggest markets and how is the company prioritizing them given manufacturing challenges?
Two strong markets are automotive adhesives and automotive/transportation products; Siemens and other partners help reach mass production while the company scales protein production.
From Spider-Man to Spidey Tek: How Roberto Velozzi is Spinning the Future of Sustainable Materials
Q: When did the founders realize this could be a business, and what was the aha moment?
The aha moment came when spider silk proteins were combined with water to create viable fibers, films, and other products, proving the concept could scale into real, saleable items.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Pioneers

What is Pioneers about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show spotlights hardware-forward startups, deep-tech commercialization, and strategic partnerships, often highlighting how to turn scientific breakthroughs into marketable products. Episodes feature founders and ecosystem players discussing funding strategies, scalable manufacturing, and practical go-to-market moves for hard-tech ventures. Siemens' involvement permeates many conversations, emphasizing collaborative pilots, living labs, and ecosystem support to accelerate deployment. Notable through-lines include the emphasis on execution over invention, the importance of partnerships with large corporates, and pragmatic insights into navigating regulated, capital-intensive industries. The series tends to blend personal founder stories ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Pioneers?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Pioneers:

1. The Air Show

How many episodes of Pioneers are there?

Pioneers launched 6 years ago and published 53 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Pioneers?

Recent guests on Pioneers include:

1. Chad Wasilenkoff
2. Ben Kellie
3. Abdel Ali
4. Roberto Velozzi
5. Paul Webster
6. Brad Porter

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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