# Brett Walker: Advanced Manufacturing, Generative AI, Kickstarter & Austin | Hard Tech Podcast #4

- Show: [Hard Tech Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast)
- Published: 2023-06-07
- Length: 59m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p
- Listen: https://rss.com/podcasts/hardtechpodcast/981907

## Summary

Brett Walker, CEO and co-founder of Electroninks, discusses his company's particle-free conductive inks and their application in advanced electronics manufacturing, including EMI shielding and bezel-less displays. He details the company's journey from a University of Illinois startup to an Austin-based operation, highlighting the critical challenges of securing infrastructure and funding for materials science ventures. Walker also reflects on the evolution of crowdfunding, noting how Circuit Scribe’s successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013 contrasts with the current saturated market, and explains how Circuit Jet enables rapid, domestic PCB prototyping to support US supply chain resilience.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=0) Introduction: Brett Walker and Electroninks
- [2:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=140) Company History and Austin Infrastructure
- [5:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=336) Particle-Free Conductive Inks and EMI Shielding
- [9:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=581) Bezel-less Displays and Additive vs. PVD
- [14:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=866) Fundraising and the Hermit Crab Model
- [23:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=1384) Circuit Scribe Kickstarter and STEM Education
- [35:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=2117) The State of Crowdfunding Today
- [45:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=2741) Circuit Jet and Domestic PCB Prototyping
- [48:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=2926) US Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce
- [54:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-07-brett-walker-advanced-manufacturing-generative-ai-kickstarter-austin-hard-tech-p#t=3263) Generative AI in Manufacturing and Science

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Electroninks (company)
- Circuit Scribe (product)
- Circuit Jet (product)
- TSMC (company)
- Bandgap (company)
- Applied Materials (company)
- DuPont (company)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Indiegogo (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [An interview with Ariel Briner of Cartesian Co](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-07-30-an-interview-with-ariel-briner-of-cartesian-co) (The Amp Hour)
- [44: Light Up Strikes Back](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-03-26-44-light-up-strikes-back) (Embedded.fm)
- [7: Lights, Camera, Electrons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-06-26-7-lights-camera-electrons) (Embedded.fm)
- [An Interview with Ken Burns](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-09-16-an-interview-with-ken-burns) (The Amp Hour)
- [An Interview with Marcus Schappi - Kit Ketch Kenophobia](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-03-19-an-interview-with-marcus-schappi-kit-ketch-kenophobia) (The Amp Hour)

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