#95 - Maximilian Schwarz - Nucleus - "It needs to feel uncomfortable sitting with them"

#95 - Maximilian Schwarz - Nucleus - "It needs to feel uncomfortable sitting with them"

From New Wave. by Hugo Rauch

June 2, 2026 · 52 min · Episode 95

About this episode

Maximilian Schwarz discusses the challenges and strategies of investing in scientific founders at the pre-seed stage.

Brought to you by: Heights : a design agency founded by Gabri Grassi, helping impact-driven tech companies sharpen their brand, attract investors, and scale their reach. Grab your free brand checklist here or reach out to Gabri to elevate your brand. **** Subscribe to the newsletter: New Wave | Hugo Rauch | Substack **** 🌊 Building Conviction Before the World Sees It What it takes to back scientific founders before there’s a product, revenue, or proof that the science will work. We’re joined by Max , Founder & Managing Partner at Nucleus , a pre-seed venture fund backing scientific and technical founders across food, biotech, and industrial innovation. In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to become the first institutional believer in a company, often before there’s an MVP, customers, or even certainty that the underlying technology can scale. Max shares the lessons from building Nucleus from scratch, how he learned to evaluate breakthrough science without being a scientist himself, and why the best founders combine technical brilliance with the ability to tell a compelling story. In our conversation, we covered: → Why founder-market fit matters more than market…

People in this episode

Host: Hugo Rauch

Guest: Maximilian Schwarz

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Heights

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Organizations: Nucleus

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