Leading VCs Michael Dempsey and Turner Novak Discuss Divergent Views on AI, Crypto, Biotech, and Robotics

A recent social media post by venture capitalist Marvin Liao highlighted a significant conversation between fellow VCs Michael Dempsey and Turner Novak, shedding light on their "different views" regarding the future of artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, biotechnology, and robotics. The discussion, which took place on Turner Novak's "The Peel" podcast, offers insights into the evolving landscape of frontier technologies from the perspective of prominent early-stage investors.

Marvin Liao, an investor at Diaspora Ventures and former Partner at 500 Startups with a decade of experience at Yahoo!, praised the exchange, stating in his tweet, > "Fascinating conversation here from one of the most original thinkers in VC. Some different views on AI, Crypto, Biotech and Robotics. It's really good. @mhdempsey & @TurnerNovak." Liao's endorsement underscores the relevance of the dialogue within the venture capital community.

Michael Dempsey serves as Managing Partner at Compound, a New York-based investment firm with a focus on AI, robotics, energy, materials science, and crypto. His investment philosophy centers on frontier technologies, having previously contributed to venture trends research at CB Insights and led early-stage investments at Rothenberg Ventures. Dempsey's firm actively invests in and researches what he terms "former science projects" and crypto.

Turner Novak, founder of Banana Capital, operates an early-stage venture capital firm that writes checks for pre-seed rounds across diverse sectors including consumer software, health, fintech, gaming, media, housing, dev tools, and B2B software. As the host of "The Peel" podcast, Novak frequently engages with influential figures in the tech and venture capital space, exploring their perspectives on industry trends and emerging opportunities.

The conversation between Dempsey and Novak is particularly notable for its exploration of "different views" on these transformative technologies. Such discussions among leading VCs often signal shifts in investment priorities, highlight emerging challenges, or offer alternative interpretations of market potential within these rapidly advancing fields. The exchange provides valuable context for understanding the strategic thinking shaping early-stage technology investments.