Venture Capital firm Founder, Angel Investor, Entrepreneur and Product Manager. At Dipalo Ventures, we make early stage investments in hard tech. Increasingly focused on climate solutions that reduce emissions across the entire human footprint.
Passionate about climate tech, innovation, user experience design and launching new businesses. I like to build products and services that are first to market and have done it in Hard Tech, Ed Tech, Healthcare, Publishing, Consumer Electronics, Financial Services and Government.
Mobile products expertise including design of Motorola Mobility's first apps UX framework and co-founding Demibooks, the first platform for developing interactive book apps on the iPad. Demibooks was acquired by Education Development Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC) in 2015.
Rafiq Ahmed has been a guest on 1 episode.
-
Backing Hardtech: A VC’s Perspective with Dipalo Ventures
July 14th, 2025 | Season 2 | 46 mins 48 secs
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Rafiq and Monica from Dipalo Ventures, a venture capital firm backing ambitious hard tech startups. They unpack the realities of investing in hardware: long timelines, capital intensity, and the critical role of early user validation. The conversation explores why community, patience, and deep technical conviction are essential for success in hard tech and how founders and funders can better align around the journey.