In this episode of the OVNIs Podcast, Augustin Sayer sits down with Andrew Côté - engineering physicist, deep tech thinker, and founder of Hyperstition - for a wide-ranging conversation at the frontier of science and entrepreneurship. From his unconventional path from anthropology to engineering physics, Andrew retraces his journey through particle accelerators, nuclear fusion startups, infectious disease research during COVID, and early experiments with large language models - long before ChatGPT became mainstream.
The discussion dives deep into energy abundance, nuclear power, superconductors, venture capital, and the cultural rise of deep tech in the U.S. Andrew shares his philosophy on building technology that meaningfully advances civilization - arguing that energy, physics, and fundamental engineering breakthroughs form the true foundation of economic prosperity. A bold and intellectually electric episode about ambition, failure, resilience, and the pursuit of technologies indistinguishable from magic.
[00:00:00] Introduction — Who is Andrew Côté?
[00:00:22] From Anthropology to Engineering Physics
[00:01:54] Falling in Love with Cosmology & Particle Physics
[00:02:15] Choosing Engineering Physics Over the Safe Path
[00:03:05] Deep Tech Before It Was Trendy (2014 Context)
[00:04:28] Turning Down Academia to Start a Company
[00:05:33] First Startup Attempt — Computational Imaging & Light Field Displays
[00:07:26] Tech Risk & Hardware Fundraising Challenges
[00:08:44] Pivoting & Early Entrepreneurial Experiments
[00:09:31] The Move to San Francisco
[00:09:50] Chan Zuckerberg Biohub & Bioengineering During COVID
[00:11:04] Spinning Out an Early LLM Startup (Pre-ChatGPT)
[00:12:23] Philosophy: Doing What Only You Can Do
[00:15:00] Intrapreneurship Inside a Nonprofit
[00:17:07] LLMs for Drug Discovery — Too Early?
[00:18:50] Startup Failure & Moving Back to Canada
[00:19:36] Returning to Fusion Engineering
[00:20:19] Fusion vs Quantum Computing — What Matters Most?
[00:21:26] Why Energy Abundance Changes Civilization
[00:22:45] Nuclear Energy, France vs Germany
[00:25:15] Energy Policy & Industrial Competitiveness
[00:26:26] Back to Fusion — The Dream Job at Princeton
[00:27:33] Writing Online & Building a Deep Tech Audience
[00:27:51] The LK99 Superconductor Saga
[00:28:32] Going Viral on Tech Twitter
[00:29:04] Venture Capital Interest & New Opportunities
[00:32:43] What Is Deep Tech Really?
[00:33:05] Underwriting Technical Risk
[00:34:00] Founders vs Investors in Deep Tech
[00:36:30] The Origin of Deep Tech Week
[00:39:00] Building a Cultural Movement Around Engineering
[00:42:30] Hyperstition — Technology Indistinguishable from Magic
[00:45:00] Are We Entering a U.S. Deep Tech Renaissance?
📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment
The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute:
- investment advice,
- a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments,
- portfolio management advisory services,
- an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument,
- banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code.
This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II).
📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks
The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience.
It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation.
All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions.
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
👤 Listener Responsibility
Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions.
Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult:
- a licensed professional financial advisor,
- an investment services provider, or
- a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS.
🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest
The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned.
No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance.