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Donald Butts

Deep Tech Strategy & Investment

Bridging technology and business to unlock scale across emerging tech ecosystems

Donald Butts headshot

Building Ecosystems & New Ventures

From physical systems to intelligent computing, I focus on deep tech strategy and investment, partnering with startups, academic labs, and founders to turn breakthrough ideas into ventures. My experience spans investment thesis development, early-stage partnerships, and ecosystem building.

I spot overlooked technologies early and shape them into scalable opportunities, combining technical insight with the execution needed to create and grow new businesses.

From Physical Systems to Intelligent Computing

My career spans the evolution from physical systems engineering to driving the future of computing. Each role positioned me to understand how intelligence scales across different architectures and interaction paradigms.

GE
Energy
Mechanical Systems
Gas turbine compression, stress reduction tools, blade optimization
Sikorsky
Aerospace
Signal Processing
System design, real-time monitoring, acoustic optimization
Harman
Audio & Automotive
Human-Machine Interface
UX design, audio AR, machine learning, cognitive load measurement
InterDigital
Video & Wireless
Immersive & Interactive Video
Synthetic video, immersive experiences, quality of experience for future wireless
Nokia
Future Computing
Quantum & AI
Quantum networking and device AI technologies

Portfolio Highlights