Frederick Dopfel 

My training is in physics and engineering, but pivoted into corporate strategy and venture capital, where I have been working ever since. My experience spans technology strategy consulting, corporate and institutional venture capital, and investing from Pre-seed to Series B.

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I am a life-long learner and an avid tinkerer. Check out my projects.

Virtual / Augmented Reality

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SpaceTech

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Energy

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Artificial Intelligence

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Internet of Things

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Robotics

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Consumer Electronics

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Productivity

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Gaming Tech

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Quantified Self

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March 2022 - July 2022

Open Web Collective

Built and led the accelerator program of a new Web3 venture fund. Responsible for selecting, interviewing, and signing on companies to become part of the accelerator batch, designing and implementing a 12 week curriculum, building an internal wiki and resources for portfolio companies looking to raise follow-on rounds, and signing on partners that share deal flow, technical expertise, and other value with the fund and its portfolio companies.

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January 2021 - March 2022

CPP Investments

Researched and reported ongoing technology and business model disruptions and their potential implications to portfolio companies, investment strategies, and fund operational competitiveness. Raised the profile of CPP Investments in the bay area and west coast through events, thought leadership, investment roadshows, and targeted strategic relationship building and networking.

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July 2018 - December 2020

Grishin Robotics

Investor in ​robotics, IoT, AR/VR, Gaming, wellness tech, productivity, and consumer electronics startups.

Deal team on Club Feast, Rogue Games (Board Observer), Taskade, Ziva Dynamics

Startup Mentor at Stanford Lean Launchpad, Volunteer Judge at UC Berkeley Launch Accelerator

Articles at grishinrobotics.com/blog

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November 2015 - June 2017

Samsung Ventures America

Generated deal flow and perform technical diligence on companies of strategic interest to Samsung's primary business units. Assisted in construction of investment theses and deep-dive research into new business areas for the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center. Special focus on artificial intelligence, computer vision, robotics, and virtual and augmented reality startups. Part of the deal teams for investments in Oculii, Plume, and Wave Computing.

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January 2013 - November 2015

Strategic Business Insights

Responsible for reporting on new business and technology developments and emerging opportunities in mobile communications, micro-sensors, and micromachining technologies. Present the developments to governments, science parks, and Fortune 100 companies. Participate in consulting projects including market research, scenario planning, and opportunity discovery.

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May 2011 - December 2012

Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center

Designed and fabricated an artificial "leaf" that can rapidly evaporate water through a network of microchannels. This water flow is then used to generate electricity. Experimented with a variety of materials and fabrication methods. Presented my research at industry symposiums and poster sessions, as well as provided training and supervision for an undergraduate assistant.

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Summer 2010

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia / National Nanotechnology Laboratory

Fabricated multiple prototype raised cantilever flow sensors to emulate the lateral flow sensors on fish. Designed a durable three axis capacitive touch sensor for use in robotic fingers. Inspected and measured samples using scanning electron microscope, operated electron beam lithographer, maskaligner, spinner, plasma etcher, sputtering machine, metallic evaporator, profile-meter, practiced wet etching and lifting techniques.

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February 2010 - May 2011

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Worked under Professor Siegrist on a Department of Energy funded "Fission Research Project" muon detector designed to scan for hidden radioactive materials in cargo containers entering the United States. Fit simulations of energy potentials to experimental data on xenon gas to minimize atomic cluster sizes and photon re-absorption to improve detector resolution.