Prime Movers Lab Team Spotlight: Pritha Ghosh
Pritha Ghosh recently joined Prime Movers Lab as our Chemical Engineer & Partner. She supports deal sourcing and diligence in manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, and transportation. She also serves as a board observer for Atom Computing.
Prior to joining Prime Movers Lab, Pritha was a Research Principal at the Astera Institute, where she analyzed the landscapes of a variety of scientific and metascientific topics, including novel organizational structures for research institutions, and advances in scientific communication. Previously, Pritha worked at the Institute for Defense Analyses, where she assessed emerging technologies to inform investment decisions. Additionally, she worked with civilian and military staff, domestically and internationally, in service of implementing reforms to future planning and budgeting decision-making. Pritha earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern with a focus on trapping gases in novel porous materials under humid conditions, and an AB in Chemistry from Princeton.
We sat down with Pritha recently to discuss what Silicon Valley can learn from the Department of Defense and the scientific breakthroughs that she is the most excited about?
What attracted you to Prime Movers Lab?
Venture capital is an important mechanism for how cutting-edge science moves from the lab into real-world applications. I was drawn to Prime Movers Lab specifically because of our focus on extraordinary founders, each of whom uses science to enable a different facet of human flourishing. It is an honor to help these founders build organizations that unlock the full potential of their scientific breakthroughs.
You spent many years analyzing emerging technologies for the Department of Defense. What lessons should the DoD take from Silicon Valley and vice versa?
DoD has longer decision cycles than Silicon Valley. There is an agility and responsiveness to Silicon Valley decision cycles, and DoD is actively working on how to build that into their processes. And Silicon Valley is often looking to borrow from the deliberation and rigor that characterizes DoD decision-making. I find it so instructive to compare the two styles, and I’m an enthusiastic fan of every effort that builds a bridge between them.
Why is it so important to have a deep technical background when investing in breakthrough science startups?
A deep technical background allows us to meet founders where they are. Our conversations bounce between shared wonder at the science and collaboratively grappling with the challenges involved in building and scaling. In other words, it sets the groundwork for a relationship rich with trust.
What scientific breakthroughs on the horizon are you the most excited about?
I am most excited about the breakthroughs that I haven’t heard about yet. Every year humanity unlocks astounding scientific breakthroughs, and there is so much more to uncover. I especially love breakthroughs positioned at the intersection of two or more established research areas. (As an aside, this is a great essay by Isaac Asimov about creativity.) My research background is in chemistry and chemical engineering, so I am quick to get excited about breakthroughs in those areas. I am also constantly delighted to hear about scientific breakthroughs from my colleagues Brad, Justin, Josh, and Anna.
What are your passions outside of work?
I love riding my bike — it makes errands so much better if I’m biking. I also love creative cooking, whether that’s visiting a restaurant that’s trying something new, or finding an intriguing recipe and experimenting with it in my own kitchen. (Not all experimental recipes are worth repeating.) I also love traveling, and experiencing other cultures. I know it’s a perfect day when I’m on a trip, bicycling to an interesting meal.
Have you read anything lately that inspired you or you think would interest our founders/LPs?
I recently read Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, and I was struck by The Helsinki Bus Station Theory. I find it helpful to remember when it feels like you’re stuck on a well-trodden path — you’re not stuck, you’re traversing the known terrain to get to the frontier. And it also applies to others — if it seems like someone is on a well-trodden path, that doesn’t imply that they won’t end up somewhere new.
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
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