Unshackled Ventures

Building a deep-tech company isn’t just about the science or technology. It’s about execution. When Unshackled Ventures first met Tony Martens Fekini & Maurits van de Ven, the co-founders of Plantible Foods, all they had was a PowerPoint presentation with a bold vision: Create a sustainable & resilient agri-food supply that produces functional ingredients that outperform the status quo. Their idea? Leveraging Lemna (duckweed ??) to unlock one of the most sought-after proteins “RuBisCO” or as the company calls it, Rubi Protein — A natural enzyme that can outperform animal proteins & synthetic ingredients nutritionally & functionally & is scalable and affordable to produce. ? The opportunity was clear. ? The challenge? No one had ever developed a manufacturing process like this before, let alone commercialized this protein. That’s where execution made the difference. From day one Tony & Maurits weren’t just thinking about the science, they were obsessed with how to scale efficiently to de-risk the business. Recently, I visited Plantible’s first-of-a-kind manufacturing facility, the Ranchito, in West Texas. A few years ago, this land was just an empty field. Today, it’s a masterclass in how clear prioritization frameworks can effectively drive your execution — Home to 1,800+ ft long greenhouses cultivating Lemna at scale, a highly automated downstream processing system, & a modular, repeatable, cost-effective production line fulfilling tens of millions worth of commercial agreements from both multinational and private companies. This wasn’t built overnight & it wasn’t easy. Before breaking ground at Ranchito, they validated every step of the supply chain at a smaller scale — Refining their greenhouse design, optimizing labor, & perfecting environmental controls. Every decision was intentional. Some key takeaways for founders ?? ?? Premature scaling is one of the biggest reasons startups fail. Rigorous validation ensures that when you do scale, you’re ready! Plantible never rushed into full-scale deployment. To this day, they continue to build in phases, iterating on key infrastructure, and proving scalability before making heavy capital investments. ?? Engineer for efficiency. Every process, system, & decision should be designed with cost, repeatability, and operational simplicity in mind. At Plantible, efficiency is engineered into every part of their business. For example, instead of building a one-off facility, Ranchito is designed as a repeatable blueprint that can be expanded or replicated cost-effectively. ??Developing value propositions that extend beyond sustainability are critical. Yes, environmentalism is important, but if your only weapons are sustainability, you will run into a lot of challenges. Taste & cost-in use remain the most critical drivers in the food space. If you are a founder building something bold & thinking through your vision as deeply as execution, let’s connect! ??

Our Boston panel was incredible! Huge thanks to our portfolio founders, Carolina Goncebat & Kohwo O., for sharing their journeys and our Boston ambassador, Naman Gupta, for bringing the community together. Thank you to the team at Tech Superpowers for hosting us at their space. We’re excited to keep featuring more of our portfolio founders and their amazing stories!

Join Arjita A. Sethi, founder of New Founder School, for a powerful webinar on Feb 19th tailored to help you validate your ideas, craft a clear roadmap, and set the foundation for long-term success. This session will provide actionable strategies and insights designed to address the challenges immigrant founders face when launching and scaling their ventures. Whether you're just starting or ready to take the next step to launch your business, this webinar is your chance to gain expert guidance.?Reserve your spot today! https://lu.ma/y2jlfndq

Unshackled Ventures' Co-Founder and General Partner,?Nitin Pachisia, took our mission on the road—connecting with the next wave of immigrant founders across the East Coast! ?? From?Columbia University Startup Lab?with?OneRise, to Princeton University's Technology Licensing & New Ventures, and down to?Pennovation Works in Philly, we met with ambitious international entrepreneurs shaping the future. We also had the privilege of hosting a morning with?Foreign Founders, reinforcing why immigrant talent is a powerhouse for innovation. Where should we head next? ?? Tag a university, incubator, or startup hub that we should visit! William V. Campbell Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University Yidian Liu

Come hang out with our Immigreat ambassadors and meet fellow immigrant founders in the Boston community on Feb 15! You'll hear from two Unshackled Ventures portfolio founders, Carolina Goncebat & Kohwo O., about their journey of building their companies and receiving investment from Unshackled. Come with all your questions and curiosity! Sign up here: https://lu.ma/1mehw8tp Thank you to Tech Superpowers for hosting us! ????

Join us this Thursday at 1 PM PT for a Zoom conversation with Payam Zamani, moderated by our very own Manan M., to celebrate the launch of?Payam's book Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life’s Difficult Journeys.?Payam’s inspiring journey as a Bahá’í refugee from Iran to building a billion-dollar company is a story of resilience, family, and purpose. Don’t miss this chance to hear his powerful lesson. Thank you to the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center for hosting! You can register here:?https://lnkd.in/gneBbrTe

Founders, we know how challenging immigration issues can be, especially with the new administration. That's why we're hosting?immigration office hours?this?Wednesday, Jan 15th at 10:00 AM PST?with the experts from?Serotte Law?to help you navigate your questions and concerns. ???Want access to this session??Sign up for our?Immigreat community?to join the event: https://lnkd.in/gmfWS2Xy Michael Serotte

Exciting News — We’re Hiring! ?? Our online community, Immigreat, has grown into an incredible community of close to 1,000+ founders since launching last year, and we’re looking for a passionate Community Coordinator (part-time, 20 hours/week) to help take things to the next level. If you or someone in your network loves connecting with others, organizing events, and building relationships, this could be the perfect fit! ? Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gc2cGKNd Please share with your network and tag anyone who might be a good fit!

Founders, we know how challenging immigration issues can be, especially with the new administration. That's why we're hosting?immigration office hours?this?Wednesday, Jan 15th at 10:00 AM PST?with the experts from?Serotte Law?to help you navigate your questions and concerns. ???Want access to this session??Sign up for our?Immigreat community?to join the event: https://lnkd.in/gmfWS2Xy Michael Serotte

Founders, take note! If you're navigating the world of venture capital in 2025, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. In this in-depth interview, Nitin Pachisia shares: ?? Why your pitch deck should focus on YOU as a founder, not just your product ?? The importance of contextualizing advice to avoid common mistakes ? Why solo founders can succeed and how to make it happen Raisable Founders Hub Vasyl Dub ???Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/d8wdbjg7