Episode 157: From University Patent to Trade Sale with Carolyn Hicks of Brill Power
Carolyn Hicks shares the Brill Power journey from early university IP through grants, fundraising, product development, corporate engagement, and acquisition integration. Practical lessons for founders building in complex B2B and hardware-heavy markets.Chapters00:00 Intro and background01:00 How Brill Power started02:00 The technology and early IP07:00 Grants, pitch events, and early traction09:40 First meaningful investment and investor fit17:10 Scaling products, hiring, and manufacturing20:20 Corporate partnering, decision makers, and IP risk24:20 Acquisition and integration27:00 Gender, confidence, and founder communicationIf you are building deep tech in a regulated or complex market, message Andrew Gaule for a discussion on your experiences.