Building and Investing in Frontier Tech: Insights from Matias Serebrinsky
- Angel Gambino
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 21
At our recent Angel Club Founder Virtual Lunch, we explored how to invest in frontier tech startups with Matias Serebrinsky, founding partner of PsyMed Ventures and co-founder of CookUnity. Matias shared powerful insights from his extensive experience as both a successful entrepreneur and an early-stage investor.
He was joined by Mercury’s Benjamin Kromnick and Angel Club founder Angel Gambino, for a deep dive into what makes a startup venture-backable and how to navigate the current market landscape.
Frontier tech, think emerging fields like AI, neurotechnology, and deep science, presents high-risk, high-reward opportunities. But how do you identify venture-backable startups? And what are the biggest mistakes founders make when scaling their business?
In this article, we’ll break down:
✅ What investors look for in early-stage frontier tech startups
✅ The #1 mistake founders make and how to avoid it
✅ Why now is the best time to invest in breakthrough innovation
👉 Read on to discover exclusive insights from top VCs & founders.
What Makes a Startup Investable?
"I invest in missionaries, not mercenaries," Matias shared during our session.
His belief? The best founders aren’t just chasing money—they’re obsessed with solving a problem.
"Building a company is the hardest thing I’ve ever done—harder than anything else in life. If you’re not fundamentally obsessed with solving this problem, you won’t survive the journey."
For investors, this means looking beyond traction and revenue. Instead, the key indicators of a venture-backable startup are:
🔹 Founders with deep market insight (they see what others don’t)
🔹 A disruptive solution (not just a 10% improvement but a paradigm shift)
🔹 A scalable business model (the market must be big enough to sustain hypergrowth)
At PsyMed Ventures, Matias focuses on mental health, psychedelic therapeutics, neurotech, and the gut-brain connection; fields that are still in their infancy but have the potential to redefine healthcare and human performance.
The #1 Mistake Founders Make
Before becoming an investor, Matias was a startup founder himself, most notably with CookUnity, a game-changing meal delivery platform.
And like most entrepreneurs, he made critical mistakes early on.
"Early on, we assumed customers wouldn’t use microwaves to heat their meals. We built our entire product experience around that belief. We were wrong."
That single incorrect assumption nearly killed their product-market fit.
His key takeaway?
📌 Validate your assumptions before building.
📌 Talk to your customers early and often.
📌 Don’t focus on scaling too early: get product-market fit first.
"If we had spent more time truly understanding our customers before launching, we could have avoided months of wasted effort."
Why Now is the Best Time to Invest in Startups
Despite market fluctuations, Matias remains bullish on early-stage investing.
"The best time to build a startup is now. Great ideas and strong teams will always find funding. Market turbulence is just noise in the long run."
But not every startup needs venture capital.
Benjamin Kromnick from Mercury emphasized this point:
"Not every business needs rocket fuel. Some companies are better off bootstrapping, taking non-dilutive capital, or pursuing alternative funding models."
For founders, this means:
🚀 Understand your funding needs. If your business can grow profitably without VC money, don’t chase it.
🚀 Build a company that lasts. Great businesses thrive regardless of short-term market conditions.
How Matias Picks Startups to Invest In
Matias shared an inside look at his investment process, and it’s refreshingly simple.
Step 1: The First Meeting
✔ No lengthy pitch decks. Just a concise introduction and a clear articulation of the problem, solution, and why now.
✔ The only goal? To determine if there’s a compelling reason to continue the conversation.
Step 2: Due Diligence
✔ The process can take anywhere from two weeks to three months, depending on the complexity.
✔ Transparency and speed are critical, founders' time is precious, and investors should respect that.
At Angel Club, we share Matias's vision for investing in mission-driven founders. We provide angel investors with exclusive access to high-potential deals, in-depth mentorship, strategic due diligence support, and a powerful syndicate network.
For founders, we offer the best of both worlds, mentorship, community, and investor connections without the need to give up equity to traditional accelerators.
Whether you're seeking hands-on guidance to refine your strategy or navigating post-accelerator growth, our network offers the resources, peer-to-peer connections, and fundraising support to help you scale faster and smarter.
Inspired by Matias's insights? Join us at our next Founder Virtual Lunch to gain direct access to similar invaluable conversations, mentorship, and community. Sign up here to secure your spot.
More Resources to Accelerate Your Growth:
Learning how Mercury supports startups from ideation through scale here.
Scheduling a call here with Max at SeedLegals for expert legal guidance on fundraising and growth.
Signing up for our Investor Meditation Group here to help reduce stress and enhance decision-making clarity.
Joining our Founder Flow Peak Performance group here, designed specifically to help founders reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance peak performance.
Learning more about the extensive benefits of becoming an Angel Club member by clicking here.
Stay inspired, stay connected, and grow together with Angel Club.
FAQ: Investing in Frontier Tech Startups
Q1: What is frontier tech investing?
Frontier tech refers to emerging, high-risk, high-reward technologies like AI, neurotechnology, deep science, and biotechnology. These fields have the potential to reshape industries but require early adoption and patient capital.
Q2: How do investors evaluate early-stage startups?
Great investors look for:
Mission-driven founders with unique market insights
Scalable business models with long-term potential
Breakthrough innovation rather than incremental improvements
Q3: Does every startup need venture capital?
No. Some companies thrive with bootstrapping, grants, or revenue-based financing. VC money is best suited for businesses with massive growth potential that require significant capital to scale.
Q4: How do I connect with investors?
Joining a network like Angel Club provides direct access to investors who specialize in early-stage funding and mentorship.
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