Episode
Democratizing Quantum Venture Investing with Chris Sklarin
- Published
- Jan 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2003
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://newquantumera.transistor.fm/76
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Summary
Your host, Sebastian Hassinger, talks with Alumni Ventures managing partner Chris Sklarin about how one of the most active US venture firms is building a quantum portfolio while “democratizing” access to VC as an asset class for individual investors. They dig into Alumni Ventures’ co‑investor model, how the firm thinks about quantum hardware, software, and sensing, and why quantum should be viewed as a long‑term platform with near‑term pockets of commercial value. Chris also explains how accredited investors can start seeing quantum deal flow through Alumni Ventures’ syndicate. Chris’ background and Alumni Ventures in a nutshell Chris is an MIT‑trained engineer who spent years in software startups before moving into venture more than 20 years ago. Alumni Ventures is a roughly decade‑old firm focused on “democratizing venture capital” for individual investors, with over 11,000 LPs, more than 1.5 billion dollars raised, and about 1,300 active portfolio companies. The firm has been repeatedly recognized as a highly active VC by CB Insights, PitchBook, Stanford GSB, and Time magazine. How Alumni Ventures structures access for individuals Most investors come in as individuals into LLC‑structured funds rather than traditional GP/LP funds. Alumni Ventures always co‑invests alongside a lead VC, using the lead’s conviction, sector expertise, and diligence as a key signal. The platform also offers a syndicate where accredited investors can opt in to see and back individual deals, including those tagged for quantum. Quantum in the Alumni Ventures portfolio Alumni Ventures has 5–6 quantum‑related investments spanning hardware, software, and applications, including Rigetti, Atom Computing, Q‑CTRL, Classiq, and quantum‑error‑mitigation startup Qedma/Cadmus. Rigetti was one of the fi…