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University Technology Archaeologist

July 18, 2022

There is treasure lurking in the research labs, patent filings, prototypes, and demos of technical innovation across the universities in Ohio. It just takes a bit of digging to find it. That is not a knock on the universities, researchers, entrepreneurs, or anyone else associated with helping university innovation see the light of the commercial space.

It is a direct reflection of the sheer quantity and magnitude of the research that is performed each year and has been accumulating for decades at an ever-increasing rate. The decades-old stuff may not be viable for commercialization, but it certainly is upon what the current research is built. If you walk through the labs and test facilities of Ohio universities you will be overwhelmed by the number, scope, and development of the work being done. Endless innovation in precision medicine, mechanical engineering, energy, data science, space exploration, welding, materials – you name it. Walk the fields and pens of the agricultural facilities, visit NASA Glenn, stand gaping at the size of the Air Force Research Labs, and realize that you are only seeing what is on the surface. Beneath the surface there are thousands of researchers, churning out billions of dollars of innovation per year. They are compiling patents and proving their theories. Moving innovations ever closer to the light of day and commercial readiness.

That is where Carmen Ventures and the rest of the Ohio venture ecosystem come in. We are here to help uncover, fund and bring those life-changing innovations to market. To help founders form teams, hire executives, and get the startups to market. We all benefit from the move to commercialization. The universities, researchers, employees, funders and most of all, society benefits from getting technology out of the lab and into the market. It is how we can build Ohio and do well while doing good. It is reflective of the Land Grant mission of Ohio State and of the mission that all Ohio universities pursue on behalf of all Ohioans.

August 12, 2022

Venture Capital: The Conservative Casino

Carmen Ventures is based in the Midwest, Columbus, Ohio to be exact. We are born and raised Buckeyes. Sure, we have done business around the country and in some cases, around the world. One thing that has not changed is that we have been raised to be conservative (this is not about politics!) – frugal, careful, blue-collar, or agricultural backgrounds. The Midwest is to a certain extent, insulated from what happens on the coasts. We are not naïve, but we are not the type to take a flyer on something we do not understand.

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July 26, 2022

Where Should Social Media Go?

Earlier today Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, said in a video that the social-media platform was planning on moving towards videos while it attempts to stay committed to creators, support photos, and put friends’ content at the top of a user’s feed. This follows backlash from numerous influencers on the app, including the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, due to the app’s changes marking a shift towards a more TikTok-like user experience.

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