First Star Ventures

Pre-seed VC. Investing with conviction in visionary, technical founders inventing the future. #ML #AI #Climate #techbio @DrewVolpe @MITMillieLiu @teddypowday

[Jellyfish @_jellyfish_co]

It's finally here! ✨ The GLOW 2026 video series features Leading Voices at the Intersection of AI and Engineering from @LoadsmartUS, @Q2_Software, @incident_io, @googlecloud, @awscloud, @Avaya, @blitzyai, @OpenHandsDev, and more...and these under-20-minute episodes are now available for you to watch anytime, anywhere.

Software was eating the world. Now AI is eating software. But you're not alone.

Watch the first 4 episodes and learn how AI is changing how teams build, measure and deliver impact in modern engineering organizations: https://t.co/NDEAreSOQR

#GLOW26 #AIFirst #AIIsEatingSoftware

[First Star Ventures @FirstStarVC]

Welcome Dr Pang!

[iOrganBio @iOrganBio]

iOrganBio is excited to share the addition of Zhiping Pang to our Scientific Advisory Board. As one of the world’s foremost experts in human neuron biology, synaptic function, and the molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric and metabolic disorders, Dr. Pang has co-authored over 140 publications in top journals.

As @iOrganBio continues to build our technology platform, we’re grateful to have expertise and guidance from the world’s foremost scientists, engineers, and industry leaders. Together, we’re proud to be re-shaping how cell-based research and therapies are developed, expanding access to life changing therapeutics.

🚀 Welcome aboard Zhiping!

📰 Read the full press release at https://t.co/6BL9jvKhVi
🌐 Learn more about iOB’s technology at https://t.co/FCJZoMdidY

#Neuroscience #Organoids #NAMs #DrugDiscovery #DrugDevelopment

[Drew Volpe @drewvolpe]

Excited to rep Boston and be one of the funds participating.

[Jellyfish @_jellyfish_co]

Jellyfish SVP of Engineering Adam Ferrari reflects on findings from the 2026 State of Engineering Management report. In this short, he shares his reactions to AI costs and tool proliferation challenges.

Watch the full video here: https://t.co/uTnWWfVjW7

And explore the report here: https://t.co/0B4xRV2dZm

#SEMR26 #StateOfEngineeringManagementReport #AICosts

[Throne Science @ThroneScience]

Long before modern medicine, people were deeply curious about what their body released. Western medicine made that taboo.

That curiosity is worth reclaiming.

[Teddy Blank @teddypowday]

https://t.co/86zZNZo3HT

[Teddy Blank @teddypowday]

Reminder, we're doing a fireside chat next week (Thu 5/28) in Cambridge with some awesome founders who are:
- making human cells and tissue
- monitoring gut health with smart toilet cameras
- revolutionizing liquid biopsy

Come hang out! (registration link next tweet)

[Scott Hickle @ScottHickle]

Today is World IBD Day, and my co-founder @JohnCapodilupo wrote something I hope you will read.

There are two things you need to know about John:

1/ Before joining @ThroneScience , John was co-founder and CTO of @WHOOP , where he pioneered wearables and popularized metrics now used by millions, like HRV and sleep scores.

2/ Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with pancolitis, the most severe form of ulcerative colitis.

I've said it a thousand times, and I'll say it a thousand times more: there is no one who more perfectly understands the value and importance of what we are building than John Capodilupo. Throne sits at the exact intersection of his personal and professional life.

As you read John's blog, you will find he is a gifted and empathetic writer. He brings that same empathy to every decision he makes that shapes Throne.

Throne is not a medical device and it's not a substitute for traditional care. But for the millions of people living with IBD, and the many more who simply want to understand their gut, we believe the toilet is the most underutilized data surface in the home.

It's the adventure of a lifetime to build Throne with John.

Read his piece here, and if you can, support the @CrohnsColitisFn today.

https://t.co/5J9cqtgmhP

[First Star Ventures @FirstStarVC]

Join us next Thursday, May 28th

Heeding Nature's Call: Reading the Body with AI 👇

[iOrganBio @iOrganBio]

✍️ Design 🏗️ Build 💥 Test 💡 Learn

These are the core engineering principles that guide the iterative design of everything spanning ballpoint pens to fighter jets. And now we can do the same for cells—completely automated—made possible by advanced robotics and AI.

As part of Boston Tech Week, @iOrganBio Founder and CEO @DanielDelubac will be contributing to a panel discussing the intersection of deep tech and biomedical progress. Joining him for the Heeding Nature's Call: Reading the Body with AI are:

@JohnCapodilupo of @ThroneScience and @WHOOP
@LoyConor of @romixbio

Moderated by @drewvolpe of @FirstStarVC, this fireside chat promises to be an engaging update on how deep tech is combining with biotechnology to transform human health. If you’re in Boston for @Techweek_ , you won’t want to miss it!

📝 Register for the event at https://t.co/ICt9Q8tOUg
🤖 Check out the full Boston Tech Week lineup at https://t.co/JcAZQefnm0
🌐 Learn more about iOB at https://t.co/GkpfmsyGnf

#BOSTechWeek #AI #Biotech #Organoids #NAMs

[Jellyfish @_jellyfish_co]

🌊 The next wave of AI transformation is here. Yet, most organizations still struggle to measure impact and prove ROI.

Join Blitzy's CTO Sid Pardeshi and Jellyfish SVP of Engineering Adam Ferrari tomorrow as they break down what separates high-performing teams from the rest...and how your organization can learn from and apply those insights: https://t.co/uTnWWfVjW7

[Jellyfish @_jellyfish_co]

The AI-first era is here. Are you ready?

Leading voices at the the intersection of AI and engineering featuring @Google Cloud DORA's Nathen Harvey, @blitzyai Nick DiFiore, @Avaya's Ruby Agarwal, @awscloud's Joe Cudby, @incident_io's Chris Evans, @OpenHandsDev's Robert Brennan, @LoadsmartUS Ron Ben Yosef, @Q2_Software's Jan Acosta, Jellyfish's @amlau, @augmentcode's Vinay Perneti, @flotracker's Vladislav Nedosekin, and many more are here to help.

Start watching GLOW on June 2, 2026.

#GLOW26 #AIEngineering

[Joel Edwards @joelhedwards]

as a peer to fervo, today feels like a good day to give them their flowers for their opening act.

they started when nobody cared about geothermal or baseload power startups, trying to commercialize EGS; a technology with a 40+ year graveyard of failures. anyone who does this for a living knows how brutal that path was. they had to survive so many firsts and so much painful company building.

now for the second act: they're sitting on 2B+ in cash now. and unlike fusion or fission, that capital is going to turn into real MWh on the grid. no celebrating technical milestones that nobody understands, no "power is just a few years away" promises. no, those billions will generate new power. because at the end of the day, geothermal is just drilling, hot rocks, and thermal power plants. we know how to drill. we're getting better at finding the hot rocks. and we damn sure know how to build and operate the plants.

it's a pretty cool moment. the future is bright.

[Jellyfish @_jellyfish_co]

The 2026 State of Engineering Management Report finds that only 10% of teams report strong enablement and high adoption (of AI tools) across their organization. Head of AI & Research Nicholas Arcolano, PhD, and Engineering Manager Marilyn Cole react to this finding in this video.

Explore the report for more insights here: https://t.co/0B4xRV2dZm

#SEMR26 #AICoding #AITransformation #StateOfEngineeringManagement

[Bot Auto @BotAutoAV]

Here's a look at the highlights from our humanless run from Houston to Dallas!

[First Star Ventures @FirstStarVC]

Join us May 28th for a #BOSTechWeek event:

Heeding Nature's Call: Reading the Body with AI

https://t.co/fhga9WlXQm

[Bot Auto @BotAutoAV]

HUGE thank you to Kurt Knutsson and Fox News for doing a deeper dig on our humanless run from Houston to Dallas.

Kurt said it best in his article: next steps are repeatability and scale, and we are ready to tackle those head on!

Read the full interview with Kurt and Bot Auto's CEO Xiaodi Hou here.

https://t.co/cx2LHOTTi8

[Turso @tursodatabase]

See how easy it is to power your @stripe projects with Turso: as many databases as you want, to power as many things as you can dream of.

https://t.co/0TTdVPa2Vv

[Drew Volpe @drewvolpe]

Excited to host an event for #BOSTechWeek

Heeding Nature's Call: Reading the Body with AI

Sign-up 👇
https://t.co/ATdO2a3FBd

[First Star Ventures @FirstStarVC]

@patricia_klein_ @adamfuhrer @ayushsoni_io thank you for highlighting this. we commissioned a designer and were led to believe it was their solely team's work. we've reached out to @adamfuhrer

[iOrganBio @iOrganBio]

🇨🇭The future of cell manufacturing is coming to the heart of Europe! Next week, iOB COO @karol_jarzabek will be heading to Basel, Switzerland for Swiss Biotech Day 2026.

As new approach methodologies gain traction, the need for efficient model development and scalable manufacturing continues to grow. Using the CellDiscovery™ platform’s parallel process development and CellForge™ cell and organoid manufacturing, @iOrganBio is providing our partners with The Right Cells, Consistently, At Scale.

There’s still time to register for Swiss Biotech Day, see the link below.

Event Details:
📆 May 4-5
📍 Basel, CH
🔗 https://t.co/y8aq97Uel4
@SwissBiotech
@SBC_Biopharma

#NAMs #Organoids #BioTech #Biopharma