Tech. Cars. Machines.

Hosted by Ali Tabibian, GTK Partners

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Latest episode

Sep 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Executive interviews. We cover technology and energy transition in transportation and industry. More at www.gtkpartners.com

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60 recent

September 13, 202646 min

63. Nicholas Harris, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Lightmatter

In Lightmatter co-founder Nick Harris, Ph.D, tells us how he’s spending the $800MM entrusted to him by investors. We explore how photonics is reshaping datacenter communications today. The physics of why light beats electricity for data transport, and how Lightmatter’s Passage interconnects and Guide lasers deliver. 0:11 – Welcome & introduction to Nick Harris and Lightmatter 0:49 – Lightmatter’s mission: a new Moore’s Law with light 2:46 – Nick’s origin story: from Micron to MIT to founding Lightmatter 10:35 – Why light beats electricity for moving data 16:12 – The chip “shoreline problem” and inventing Passage 25:00 – The photonic interposer: Lightmatter’s flagship breakthrough 38:19 – What sets Lightmatter apart 42:45 – Back to the original vision: the future of optical computing

August 27, 202630 min

62. Space Cows. They’re Here! – Ali Tabibian, GTK Partners

Humans have thought about UFOs and alien creatures descending from the stars for about as long as they have dreamt about having their own self driving cars. A two-day drive in a Tesla, with 96% of miles driven in “self-driving” mode with zero interventions, showed me that consumer self-driving cars are essentially here. Could Space Cows be far behind? Related episodes include: 60. Alex Kendall, Co Founder & CEO, Wayve 43. Georges Massing, VP MB.OS Automated Driving & E/E Integration, Mercedes-Benz 15. Everybody Hates Tesla, Part 1 16. Everybody Hates Tesla, Part 2 44. Everybody Still Hates Tesla, Part 1 45. Everybody Still Hates Tesla, Part 2

March 18, 20261 hr 1 min

61. Conner Galloway, Founder, CEO, and Chief Science Officer; and Alexander Valys, Co-founder, President, and Chief Technology Officer, Xcimer

Episode 61: Lasers to the rescue! Xcimer’s Founder, CEO, and Chief Science Officer Conner Galloway and Co-founder, President, and Chief Technology Officer Alex Valise are building the world’s most powerful gas lasers to ignite fusion energy. With $170MM of capital raised, they are, step-by-step, commercializing scientifically validated concepts to deliver big, beautiful, clean energy. 00:00 Welcome 00:28 Meet Conner, Alex, and Xcimer 12:44 Fusion Basics Explained 18:41 Inside the Fuel Pellet 28:49 Excimer Lasers and Pulse Compression 35:08 Warehouse Scale Facility 41:55 Liquid Wall Target Chamber 49:27 Efficiency and Target Gain 52:04 Roadmap Phoenix to Athena 58:56 Directed Energy Spinoffs 01:00:44 Conclusion

February 4, 202642 min

60. Alex Kendall, Co Founder & CEO, Wayve

Episode 60: Revolutionizing and Democratizing Autonomous Driving Alex Kendall , founder and CEO of Wayve , a UK-based company with $1.3 billion of funding from Microsoft, NVIDIA, Softbank and Uber, discusses Wayve’s head start in end-to-end AI for driving, its efficient training and run-time architecture, and its suitability to any car manufacturer. 00:00 Welcome to Tech Cars Machines 01:32 Introduction to Alex Kendall and Wayve 02:00 Wayve’s Autonomous Technology Explained 04:21 The End-to-End AI Approach 06:54 Wayve’s Data Efficiency and Learning 09:13 Alex Kendall’s Background and Journey 12:07 Wayve’s Path to Commercialization 23:22 Wayve’s Competitive Edge and Market Position 25:41 Adoption and Consumer Perception of Autonomous Vehicles 31:56 Customization and OEM Integration 35:51 Future of Autonomous Driving and Industry Impact

January 5, 20261 hr 5 min

59. Brandon Sorbom, Co-Founder and CSO, Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Episode 59: The Cherry on Top of Decades of Fusion Development Brandon Sorbom , Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems , is helping spend $3+ billion to turn hydrogen into abundant, safe and readily available energy. In our fourth fusion episode, Brandon educates us on the most time-tested approach to fusion which uses powerful magnets. CFS hopes to deliver commercial energy by the early 2030s. 0:00 Introduction 02:33 The Journey from MIT to Commonwealth Fusion Systems 04:30 Securing Funding and Building Credibility 05:44 Understanding Fusion and Tokamaks 08:44 Brandon’s Personal Journey to Fusion 12:34 Explaining the Tokamak and Fusion Process 28:23 Neutrons and Energy Conversion 31:39 High Temperature Superconducting Material 39:26 Scaling Up Production and Cost Considerations 42:53 The SPARC Prototype and Its Challenges 48:23 Transitioning from Spark to ARC 01:04:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

November 11, 202545 min

58. Will Regan, Ph.D., Co-Founder & President, Pacific Fusion

Episode 58: A Novel Path to Fusion Energy Will Regan , President and Co-founder of Pacific Fusion , is helping spend $1+ billion to mimic the sun’s method for producing energy. In our third fusion episode, Will educates us on inertial confinement. He discusses the advancements that help smooth Pacific Fusion ’s path to delivering commercial energy by the mid-2030s. 00:00 Welcome to Tech Cars Episode 58 04:09 Introduction to Pacific Fusion 07:24 Will Regan’s Journey to Pacific Fusion 10:57 Explaining Fusion and Inertial Confinement 19:12 The Engineering and Science Behind Fusion 21:15 Physical Description of Pacific Fusion’s Facility 26:03 Understanding Marx Generators 29:16 Fusion Chamber and Magnetic Compression 32:34 Energy Output and Power Plant Efficiency 35:17 Handling Neutrons and Chamber Protection 38:55 Manufacturability and Supply Chain

October 13, 202552 min

57. Brian Berzin, Co-Founder & CEO, Thea Energy

“Twisty donuts” if you lean Republican, “French cruller” if you lean left. C EO and Co-founder Brian Berzin , describes how this shape and a focus on manufacturability will allow Thea Energy to deliver fusion energy in a cost-competitive manner. Following up on last week’s episode with Dr. Scott Hsu of Lowercarbon Capital, Brian discusses the innovative approach Thea Energy is taking to commercialize fusion energy. The conversation covers the company’s origins in the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, and their groundbreaking ‘stellarator’ design. Brian explains how modularization, software and AI helps overcome the fiendishly difficult construction of stellerators. He shares insights into the company’s rapid iteration and development cycles, culminating in their goal to scale up to commercial levels. 00:00 Welcome to the Fusion Energy Series 01:06 Introducing Brian Berzin and Thea Energy 11:46 Technical and Financial Milestones 14:54 Understanding Fusion: A Simplified Explanation 23:58 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Stellerators 29:30 Innovations in Superconducting Magnets 34:52 The Role of Software in Magnet Control 41:07 Scaling Up to Commercial Relevance 48:45 First Walls and Blankets in Fusion Reactors 51:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

September 24, 202546 min

56. Dr. Scott Hsu, Fusion Partner, Lowercarbon Capital

Episode 57: $10 billion and the Universe’s Most Powerful Energy Source: Fusion Why have the biggest names (such as Bill Gates, Lowercarbon Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Google and Sam Altman) put billions into dozens of fusion energy companies? An engaging, accessible discussion with Dr. Scott Hsu on the fascinating world and private company ecosystem of the fusion energy. Scott was with with the DOE where he helped allocate $100MM of fusion R&D investment. He is now Partner at Lowercarbon Capital . We explore the fundamentals of fusion, compare magnetic and inertial confinement methods, and discuss innovative companies like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Pacific Fusion, Thea Energy, Xcimer and Avalanche Energy. Scott explains why there’s new hope for making fusion commercially viable in the coming years. He highlights the challenges and opportunities in building the necessary infrastructure. 00:00 Introduction 01:42 Scott’s Background and Career 02:39 Lowercarbon Capital and Fusion Investments 10:42 Fusion Basics and Scientific Principles 19:57 Magnetic and Inertial Fusion Approaches 22:52 Understanding the Magnetic Confinement (Commonwealth, Thea) 23:35 Challenges of Plasma Confinement 25:31 Innovations in Modern Tokamaks 29:17 Exploring Alternative Fusion Devices (Pacific Fusion, Avalanche) 32:40 Laser Inertial Confinement Fusion (Xcimer) 41:26 Future of Fusion Energy

September 10, 202536 min

55. Mike Zukerman, President and CEO of CSAA Insurance Group

Protecting $500 billion dollars of real estate value: Mike Zukerman , CEO of CSAA , an $8 billion carrier of insurance distributed through AAA Clubs, tells how technology helps protect that massive asset. He tells us how enterprise technology can “surprise and delight” CSAA’s 3 million policy holders, and how self-driving cars will change insurance strategy. 00:00 Introduction to Mike Zukerman & CSAA 01:40 Understanding CSAA and Its Business 04:24 Remote Work and Employee Satisfaction 08:30 Mike Zukerman’s Background and Career Journey 11:57 The Future of Auto Insurance and Autonomous Vehicles 18:51 Understanding Auto and Home Insurance Regulations 20:10 Challenges of Homeowners Insurance in California 21:55 Innovative Wildfire Mitigation Technologies 29:16 Leveraging AI for Customer Delight in Insurance 35:03 Why CSAA is a Great Place to Work

July 16, 202518 min

54. Jeff Huebner, EVP at Mobilitas Insurance

Jeff Huebner , Head of Mobilitas , discusses how he helps his commercial transportation networks manage their second-high expense: insurance. Ride sharing networks, last-mile delivery networks, and autonomous vehicle companies are his customers, and an enormous amount of customization and data ingestion and processing is involved. 00:00 Introduction 00:53 Jeff Hubner’s Background and Reconnection 01:48 Understanding AAA, CSAA, and Mobilitas 04:33 Mobils’ Mission and Services 06:25 Jeff Hubner’s Career Journey 08:35 Risk Management and Commercial Insurance 11:16 Market Trends and Innovations 24:21 Data Integration and Risk Management 32:37 Advances in Vehicle Technologies 34:47 Final Thoughts

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