# Why Neurotech Is at an "AI in 2016" Moment | Varun Turlapati, Chaanakya Capital

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/top-decile-podcast-7851283/why-neurotech-is-at-an-ai-in-2016-moment-varun-turlapati-chaanakya-capital
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/top-decile-podcast-7851283/why-neurotech-is-at-an-ai-in-2016-moment-varun-turlapati-chaanakya-capital.md
Podcast: [Top Decile Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/top-decile-podcast-7851283)
Published: 2026-05-08T12:30:47+00:00
Episode link: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/e474b9630d7c06fa6b98457896e26a468c3a80ecab6fbdd60808edea6f300926/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJjODQ4ZDMzNi1hMDg0LTQ0MmQtOTdiNi04NTg3Y2Y5MDNhYjkiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJmOGJlZWFlOC0wMDgzLTQ3NzktYmVlMy01YjRhMjdjYzIyMmYiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OWMxNGUxYTM1ZDgwNDA3YmViYmZmNjciLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlmYjE4MDA4YWMzN2U5MjI2YjI4ZjI0L2Nvbm5vci1zYXR0ZWx5cy1zdHVkaW8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi01LTZfXzEyLTI5LTIwLm1wMyJ9.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1325

## Resource

Varun Turlapati spent 16 years as a software engineer before founding Chaanakya Capital, a $2M pre-seed fund backing US neurotech and medtech startups. His edge is his master's in electrical and computer engineering. He can evaluate the science-heavy deals most VCs don't even understand. Find out why neurotech is at the same inflection point AI was in 2016. Hear how one company puts a bionic hand on both amputees and robotic arms for hazardous industrial environments. And discover why Varun is focused on entering early in a field where others prefer to wait for de-risking.

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## Transcript

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