Dr. James Coates is currently the Principal for Health & Human Performance at Decisive Point, an East coast venture capital firm that invests in and supports startups with deep tech and government use cases. James holds a Ph.D. in Cancer Drug Discovery and MSc in Radiation Biology and Oncology, both from the University of Oxford, and he conducted technical diligence for Bain Capital Life Sciences prior to joining Decisive Point. In this episode, we discuss his career path and transition from academia to private equity. We also highlight the unique advantages of non-dilutive funding sources, which may be unfamiliar to new startup founders. Additionally, James shares his perspective on working with various accelerator programs and his advice for young founders looking to connect with investment firms. Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.