Webinar
Unicorn Hunter: Inside the Deal—Why We Said Yes to Groq
Join Chris Sklarin and Evy Chen for an exclusive masterclass detailing how our team sourced, evaluated, and ultimately invested in Groq, one of the most compelling companies in the AI hardware space.
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Groq is an exciting startup that TechCrunch recently reported landed $640M to challenge Nvidia, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Intel, and AMD, as they produce chips that run gen-AI models faster than conventional processors. Their breakthrough could reshape the future of AI computing and redefine performance standards across the entire industry.
In this behind-the-scenes session, Chris and Evy will walk through the sourcing process, the key diligence criteria used, and why Groq stood out in a competitive landscape. You’ll gain valuable insight into how venture capitalists assess early-stage opportunities and make high-conviction investment decisions.
Whether you’re an investor eager to understand our process or someone curious about how top-tier startups get funded, this webinar will deliver practical takeaways and real-world context. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn how a major deal comes together from start to finish.
Why Attend?
- HomeDeal Breakdown: Get an inside look at the full sourcing and diligence process behind our investment in Groq.
- HomeVC Best Practices: Learn how top venture firms assess high-growth startups in competitive markets.
- HomeReal-World Insights: Hear directly from the team about what it takes to back a breakout company.
About your presenters
Overview
Chris Sklarin is Managing Partner of the Castor Fund at Alumni Ventures, where for over seven years he has led investments in transformative technology companies redefining how we compute, communicate, and cure. He has deployed more than $120 million across all stages—from seed to growth—building Castor Ventures and expanding the portfolio to over 150 companies. The Castor portfolio features industry leaders such as Algorand, Boldin, Capital RX, Enable, Groq, Ocient, Qedma, RapidSOS, Synchron, and Unlearn AI, each tackling high-impact problems with ambitious solutions.
With over 20 years in venture capital and more than a decade in product development and sales engineering, Chris has also held venture roles focused on enterprise and mobile investments, served as Director of Business Development at a biomedical venture accelerator and an early-stage firm, and sourced seed-stage deals at JumpStart, a nationally recognized venture development organization in Cleveland. Chris holds an SB in Electrical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
Funds actively worked on
- Castor Ventures
- Syndications
Investment Areas of Focus:
Chris targets companies at the forefront of software, AI, data infrastructure, and connectivity, backing teams that are not just innovating but reengineering the physical and digital infrastructure powering the modern world. He believes the next generation of breakthrough companies will emerge from foundational shifts in technology and is committed to supporting the leaders driving that transformation.
A core component of Chris’s strategy is leveraging the powerful innovation engine of the MIT ecosystem. As an MIT alumnus, he taps this network to source compelling investment opportunities and connect with top-tier investors. Chris’s investment approach is informed by his early career as a software and sales engineer, with technical expertise in databases, telecom systems, and software architecture. This hands-on background sharpens his diligence and ability to assess technical complexity and market viability.
Overview:
Evy brings a cross-disciplinary lens to early-stage investing, grounded in her experience as a founder, entrepreneur, and behavioral communications strategist. Her investment philosophy blends creative systems thinking with operational rigor, shaped by a career spanning startups, global markets, and behavioral economics.
At Alumni Ventures, Evy is a Principal on the Castor Ventures team, where she leads investments in consumer-facing technologies that drive behavior change. Her focus areas include neurotechnology, consumer AI, and next-generation commerce. She also plays an active role in Alumni Ventures’ Syndications, leveraging her founder mindset and strategic storytelling background to identify and support high-potential companies.
Funds actively worked on:
Castor Ventures
Syndications
Investment Areas of Focus:
Evy’s investment thesis is rooted in the belief that compelling, economically sound storytelling is central to unlocking market behavior and generating durable returns. She gravitates toward founders at the intersection of technology and human behavior—those reimagining how consumers interact, decide, and evolve with products and platforms.
Her unique approach is informed by her founding journey: she launched and scaled Evy Tea, a pioneering cold brew brand distributed nationally, and later founded Nudge Venture, a behavioral economics research studio focused on applied strategy. Recognized by outlets like the BBC and Forbes, her work exemplifies a blend of commercial instinct and narrative insight.
Having lived and worked across three continents, Evy brings a global perspective to her venture practice. She is a Sloan Fellow and holds an MS in Management of Technology from MIT, as well as a BS in Marketing Communications from Emerson College. She believes the most transformative consumer companies will not only drive transactions, but shape the way people think, act, and connect.