65% of data-center outages are caused by human error, sometimes as simple as flipping the wrong switch.Shapol M., founder & CEO of Entangl (YC S24), went from building reusable rockets in the UK to preventing catastrophic failures in the infrastructure powering AGI.In this Deeptech Decoded conversation, we dive into:- Why data-center downtime causes mass chaos (remember when even Eight Sleep went dark?)- How Entangl helps engineers avoid million-dollar mistakes on-site- The pivot from aerospace to critical AI infrastructure- Why today’s AI build-out is bigger than the Manhattan Project- What it takes to earn customer trust so deep they bring you to their next companyIf AI is the future, this is the system that keeps that future online.
Quantum computing is about to leave the lab and land on your laptop.In this episode of Deeptech Decoded, Nihal Kurth sits down with Brandon Severin, CEO & Co-Founder of Conductor Quantum (Y Combinator) — the startup using AI to automate quantum chip design 1,000× faster, cutting setup time from 27 years to just 2 minutes.Together, they unpack how AI and automation are scaling qubits like semiconductors and why the next leap in quantum won’t come from colder labs but smarter code.Later, Cameron Farrar-Frank joins to lead a live AMA with the audience, diving deeper into the most thought-provoking questions from founders and researchers.They break down: • Why quantum computing’s PR problem is holding the field back • The shift from cold labs to software-defined systems • How AI is scaling quantum architectures 1,000× faster • Y Combinator’s influence on speed, focus, and iteration • Why Brandon calls this his life’s work — and what’s next for quantum hardware“If quantum is going to scale, it can’t depend on PhDs tuning each qubit. It has to be software-defined.”Big Idea:The startup bringing quantum computing to your desk — turning deep-tech research into real-world infrastructure.Read next:Story of Brandon Severin and Joel Pendleton → https://deeptechdecoded.substack.com/p/yc-funds-quantum-computing-you-canSubscribe for noise-canceling insights from the deep-tech frontier:https://deeptechdecoded.substack.comFollow Deeptech DecodedLinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/deeptechdecodedYouTube → youtube.com/@deeptechdecodedaiInstagram → instagram.com/deeptechdecodedTikTok → tiktok.com/@deeptechdecodedSpotify → https://podcast.sptfy.com/QbkB
Join us for an in-depth AMA and podcast conversation with Philip Johnston, Co-founder & CEO of Starcloud, the world’s first orbital data center company. 🚀
We cover:
1. Why orbital infrastructure is the next leap in AI compute
2. Starcloud’s plan to launch megawatt-scale compute into orbit by 2027
3. The challenges of energy, cooling, and scalability in space
4. Lessons from building at the frontier of deep tech, aerospace, and AIThis wide-ranging discussion blends technical insight, founder perspective, and long-term vision. Perfect for anyone curious about the future of AI infrastructure, space technology, and frontier startups.
📌 Topics include: orbital data centers, AI compute demand, space infrastructure, scaling deep-tech startups.
00:00 Intro
01:13 What Starcloud is building
02:19 5 GW vision; module approach
03:03 Architecture: central spine + modules
03:27 Solar arrays and radiators
03:58 Demo sat (H100s), Nov target
04:21 Roadmap to 40 MW modules
05:29 Modularity and self‑sufficiency
06:06 Cooling and racks
08:05 Top risks and objections
11:20 Mission life & end‑of‑life
13:16 Disposal options
14:09 Maintenance strategy
17:40 Backhaul plan
18:22 Iteration and capex
19:32 Launch cadence; Sat‑2 service
20:31 Costs/runway overview
22:12 Early customers (DoD/USG)
23:37 Differentiation (H100s)
25:01 EO data bottleneck
25:44 Space‑to‑space optical
26:08 On‑orbit inference example
26:49 Latency: hours → seconds
27:09 Contrarian view (waste heat)
29:01 Q&A
31:48 Debris strategy
35:16 LEO capacity; Lagrange points
38:23 Scale refs; mass & launches
41:20 Launch economics context
42:23 Misconceptions (cooling, latency)
47:19 CAPEX per module
50:57 Closing advice
51:39 Wrap