Deena Shakir, a partner at Lux Capital is looking to invest in technologies that streamline analog industries and improve lives and livelihoods. Shiru is an example of a company she supported. It uses computational design to create improved proteins for the world. AllStripes aggregates and analyzes medical records and then sells it to pharmaceutical companies to help them develop new medicines.
It's no surprise that Shakir is a strong believer in empowering people. Shakir's father is a psychiatrist. She once said that she thought she was going to become a doctor. After attending Harvard and Georgetown, Shakir ended up working at the State Department under the Obama administration. Then she went on to work for Google. She would remain for seven more years, the last with GV, Google's venture unit. Her work revolved in large part around the portfolio of alternative protein companies within GV. Lux then poached her in 2019.
Although Shakir may have imagined working with individuals, she is now a sought-after investor in startups. This is why TechCrunch Disrupt couldn't be more pleased that she was able to join us. We are especially thrilled that Shakir will judge our Startup Battlefield competition. This is the main event of Disrupt each year, and can often be life-changing for both the winners and runners-up. You should also consider past winners such as Vurb and Dropbox, Mint, Yammer, and Cloudflare, which currently has a market cap in excess of $38 billion.
We take the competition and our record so seriously, that we are extremely grateful to Shakir and other smart investors who ask the right questions and make tough decisions when it comes to choosing which teams to move on.
You can watch and even judge the event from your home. You can join our virtual event this year from the comfort of your office or home. Let us know your thoughts about the startups in the various networking forums.
For less than $100, you can book your ticket to TC Disrupt to see this year's 20+ startups compete to win $100,000. You also have the opportunity to interact with over 100 hours of content as well as thousands of startup enthusiasts.
Get your seat now
