During his recent participation in the Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research’s (IMR) Distinguished Lecture Series at The Ohio State University, prominent climate tech investor and SOSV founder Sean O’Sullivan experienced firsthand cutting-edge innovations from students and met with researchers driving technological advancements.
O’Sullivan serves as the managing general partner at SOSV, a venture capital firm that manages $1.5 billion in assets. Its primary mission is to support founders aiming to significantly impact human and planetary health through multi-stage investments, spanning from pre-seed startup programs to deep tech ventures.
“The recognition by SOSV of our innovation ecosystem within IMR, and Ohio State at large, has the potential to not only open new doors for our most innovative faculty and students to greatly increase the acceleration of their ideas into the marketplace, but also holds promise to make IMR and Ohio State a unique partner with one of the world’s most impactful deep tech venture entities focused on key world challenges,” said IMR Executive Director Steven Ringel, a Distinguished University Professor and Associate Vice President for Research at Ohio State.
In his lecture titled ‘Deep Tech for Human and Planetary Health: Startups Reinventing the Means of Manufacturing,’ O’Sullivan emphasized the urgent need to transform our production methods across various sectors, including food, manufacturing, and materials, to halt the emission of greenhouse gases that endanger our planet’s health.
O’Sullivan traced his personal journey to becoming a venture capitalist and outlined the investment strategy of SOSV, which focuses on companies that are revolutionizing manufacturing to produce necessary materials with reduced, or even negative, carbon emissions.
Kieran Drain (right), managing director and entrepreneur in residence at Applied Materials, Inc. moderates an interactive panel with (left to right) SOSV founder Sean O’Sullivan; Susan Schofer, partner at SOSV and chief science officer at HAX; and Duncan Turner, general partner at SOSV and global managing director of HAX.
After the talk, O’Sullivan participated in an interactive panel moderated by Kieran Drain, managing director and entrepreneur in residence at Applied Materials, Inc. The discussion explored the intersections of research, investment, and innovation, focusing on their impact on society. Panelists included Duncan Turner, General Partner at SOSV and global managing director of HAX, SOSV’s pre-seed program for hard tech, as well as Susan Schofer, Partner at SOSV and chief science officer at HAX.
After touring Ohio State’s Main and West Campus research facilities, the panel headed to the Student Entrepreneurs’ Center for the 2024 President’s Buckeye Accelerator. There, students from six ventures that had received $50,000 awards reported on their progress during the year-long accelerator program.
Before becoming an active investor in climate tech, O’Sullivan was an entrepreneur himself. His first startup, MapInfo, popularized computer street mapping. Additionally, he is a principal donor to Khan Academy and is credited as co-creating the term “cloud computing.”
O’Sullivan challenged the narrative of high failure rates of start-ups entering the deep tech landscape, while speaking earlier in the day, offering a more optimistic view for eager student entrepreneurs.
“Everybody assumes that the odds are very low to succeed in deep tech. That’s true to be a billionaire, OK? That’s definitely true,” he said. “But we have a ton of success with startups that build multi-million-dollar revenue, multinational, profitable businesses.”
Of the companies supported through SOSV, a study showed a promising landscape for their startups, with more than 45 percent of these ventures remaining alive and well after eight years — a testament to their resilience and potential. Beyond mere survival, some startups have thrived, with acquisitions and valuations in the billions of dollars marking their progress.
The visit concluded the next day at the IMR Innovation Lab, where IMR community researchers and faculty showcased their latest innovations, prototypes, and proof-of-concept projects. Panelists and other guests, including SOSV leaders, provided feedback and engaged with the presentations.
“It was great to see a taste of what The Ohio State University has in its realm,” O’Sullivan said after the visit. “You have enormous possibilities here, and the people, the campus environment and facilities are more impressive and more appealing than I could have expected. Let’s get some startups funded!”
Story by IMR communications coordinator Mike Huson. Contact: huson.4@osu.edu.
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