Inside gBETA: Building Hard Tech Founders Nationwide

May 18th, 2026  |  Season 3  |  47 mins 18 secs

In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, host DeAndre Harakas sits down with Davide Dantonio, Director of gBETA Accelerators in Indiana, to unpack what it actually takes to build a successful hard tech startup. Davide shares his journey from Naples, Italy through France, Spain, London, Kraft Heinz, and Amazon Pay, to running one of the Midwest's most active accelerator programs. They dig into customer obsession, the difference between customer discovery and "sales discovery," doing things that don't scale, the Pareto principle for early product roadmaps, and Davide's financing-and-milestones framework for fundraising. The conversation features real anecdotes from hard tech founders building truck-scanning AI, advanced optical lenses, pothole-scanning vehicle cameras, and plant compounds for animal gut health; plus details on gBETA's upcoming Industry 4.0 cohort launching in June.

From Clinician to $100M MedTech Giant: Dr. David Albert, Founder of AliveCor

May 6th, 2026  |  Season 3  |  52 mins 20 secs

Dr. David Albert, founder of AliveCor and pioneer of digital health technology, joins DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman for a deep dive into building a regulated medical device company from scratch. From prototyping the first smartphone EKG using a gutted Mophie case and ultrasonic signal transmission to bootstrapping early revenue by selling to veterinarians, Dr. Albert shares the guerrilla engineering and entrepreneurial grit behind one of the most impactful consumer medical devices ever created.

Modernizing Legacy Medtech with Norbert Leinfellner

March 20th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  42 mins 23 secs

Join hosts Grant Chapman and DeAndre Harakas on this episode of the Hardtech Podcast as they welcome Norbert Leinfellner from CAIRE!

In this conversation, Norbert shares his firsthand insights into the world of medical device development. We dive into the engineering challenges behind hardware miniaturization, the critical role of intuitive industrial design, and how integrating IoT is actively improving patient outcomes. Tune in to discover the unique hurdles, lessons learned, and future trends shaping the medtech industry today!

Solving Grid Peaks from the Kitchen with Electra

March 9th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  42 mins 52 secs

How do we bridge the gap between high-level climate policy and the appliances in our kitchens? On this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman welcome Bert Muthalaly, a leader at Electra who is doing exactly that.

The conversation explores the technical and philosophical journey of moving away from fossil fuels toward a battery-backed future. Bert Muthalaly breaks down the engineering behind Electra’s innovative induction stoves and explains why the safety and efficiency of residential battery systems are the keys to a sustainable grid.

Beyond the tech, Bert offers a candid look at the founder's journey—discussing how to navigate the complexities of power electronics and the importance of fostering a healthy, innovative work environment.

Revolutionizing Golf Training with Power Tee

March 2nd, 2026  |  Season 2  |  56 mins 1 sec

In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, host DeAndre Harakas and co-host Grant Chapman are joined by Martin Wyeth, the visionary founder of powerTee.

Martin shares the fascinating story behind inventing powerTee and transforming it into a leader in golf training technology. He opens up about the gritty reality of entrepreneurship, discussing how he navigated the company through financial crises and the challenges of scaling hardware. The conversation also looks ahead to the future of golf tech, including innovations that keep powerTee at the forefront and plans for a new home-use version. Tune in for a masterclass on resilience, innovation, and growth in the sports industry.

From Sketch to Scale: Hardware Best Practices with Sam Holland

February 27th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  33 mins 17 secs

Join hosts Grant Chapman and DeAndre Harakas on this episode of the Hardtech Podcast as they welcome Sam Holland from Informal!

In this conversation, Sam shares his expert insights on the nitty-gritty of product development, client relationships, and navigating the unique complexities of hardware startups. Whether you are an aspiring founder or an experienced engineer, tune in to gain practical, actionable advice on choosing the right partners, managing expectations, and ultimately building successful products.

Unlocking Smart Home Innovations with August Home

February 9th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  32 mins 17 secs

In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman engage with Tiffany Mayo, the Director of Product Management for Connected Devices at Yale and August home. The conversation traces Tiffany's professional transition from marketing to product management, highlighting the unique complexities of managing hardware products compared to software.

Tiffany breaks down the critical need for effective communication between hardware and software teams and emphasizes the importance of rigorous testing in the development cycle. She also shares insights on creating a structured curriculum for new product managers and how building strong, authentic relationships within teams is the secret weapon for successful project execution.

Finding the Beachhead: How Bailout Systems Pivoted from Firefighting to Arboriculture

January 26th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  39 mins 10 secs

In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman connect with Michael Ragsdale, Founder of Bailout Systems, and engineer Alex Bowersox. Born from a tragic events of Black Sunday, Bailout Systems has evolved into a key player in the arbor market. Michael explains the strategic pivot that made this possible, while Alex sheds light on the engineering hurdles involved in building life-saving climbing devices.

Together, the group discusses the realities of securing funding through pitch competitions, the necessity of founder-led sales, and the often-overlooked challenge of managing mental health while building a hardware company. This conversation offers a transparent look at the decade of work required to turn a safety concept into a market-ready product.

Revolutionizing Meal Prep: The Hot Logic Story

January 19th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  56 mins 35 secs

In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Bernie Youngblood, Director of Partnerships at Hot Logic, to discuss the intersection of food tech and modern entrepreneurship. Bernie shares the story behind Hot Logic and its mission to disrupt the workplace dining experience by replacing the traditional microwave with a solution that prioritizes nutrition, food safety, and genuine convenience.

Beyond the hardware, the conversation delves into the grit and "brute force" often required to bring innovative products to market. Bernie offers a candid perspective on the evolution of sales strategies, arguing that in today's noisy digital landscape, authenticity and relationship-building are the only ways to truly connect with customers. This episode serves as a guide for founders looking to push boundaries, embrace discomfort, and lead with value.

Unlocking Consumer Insights with Smari

January 14th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  47 mins 45 secs

In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Katie Ittenbach and Mike York from SMARI to demystify the world of modern market research. The group discusses how research methodologies have evolved beyond traditional tactics and the specific mistakes hardware companies often make when trying to define their audience.

Beyond the theory, the episode highlights the importance of timing—knowing exactly when to engage in research and how to recruit the right participants. The discussion centers on a real-world case study involving HOOPTEQ, a startup creating a portable basketball shooting machine. By analyzing the HOOPTEQ example, Katie and Mike demonstrate how identifying an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data can drastically shift a product's development trajectory and market strategy.

Revolutionizing Healthcare with Smart Wearables

January 13th, 2026  |  Season 2  |  33 mins 8 secs

In this episode of the Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman dive into the intersection of wearable technology and clinical healthcare with Sharlene Jerome of Sensoria Health Inc. The conversation chronicles Sensoria’s fascinating transformation from a performance-sock startup into a powerhouse of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). Sharlene provides an inside look at how the company successfully navigated the shift toward AI-integrated medical solutions and the critical role that clinical validation plays when partnering with major healthcare institutions.

From refining their business model to sharing real-world success stories, Sharlene offers a transparent look at what it takes to scale a medtech company. This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in how smart hardware and artificial intelligence are reshaping the future of patient care and remote diagnostics.

From Formula 1 to Medtech: Geoff Hutchins from IntuiTap Medical

December 9th, 2025  |  Season 2  |  43 mins 42 secs

In this episode, DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Geoff Hutchins, VP of Operations at IntuiTap Medical, to discuss how the company developed the first FDA-cleared device for imaging and localizing lumbar puncture sites. Geoff shares insights from 30+ years across Formula 1 engineering, large medtech corporations, and early-stage startups, offering a masterclass on navigating concept development, De Novo submissions, design controls, clinical risk, and value-based care. This conversation breaks down the real challenges of building a medical device company from aligning teams around the true clinical problem to raising capital, mitigating risk, planning milestones, and managing technical and organizational complexity.