Blake Patton

What’s old is new. Funny to watch VCs flood back to out-of-favor business models—hardware-enabled software, marketplaces, consumer tech—which are now viewed as more defensible because AI can't easily replicate physical infrastructure, network effects, or brand.

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Sustained ~252–291 GiB/s of HBM memory throughput on H100s under decode load — essentially hitting the hardware roofline. This matters because HBM throughput, not FLOPs, is the real bottleneck in LLM inference. By keeping memory nearly fully saturated, I’ve unlocked far higher efficiency and throughput than standard engines. The result: 0.9–1.36M tokens/sec with ~0.1 ms first-token latency  #AI #LLM #GPURouter #H100 #Inference #CostEfficiency #Innovation #DeepLearning #AIInfrastructure #HighPerformanceComputing NVIDIA AMD OpenAI Google Shilpa Kolhatkar Keith Strier a16z speedrun

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My review of Pablos Holman's seriously probing (yet occasionally witty) book, Deep Future, about the core technologies that can transform key industries, in CTech by Calcalist. A must-read for any DeepTech investor or entrepreneur.

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**Navigating AI Acquisitions: A Strategic Move** Anthropic's acquisition of Vercept highlights a critical trend in the AI landscape—strategic consolidations that bolster competitive capabilities. With Vercept’s innovative tools designed for enhancing user experience in application processing, this acquisition speaks volumes about the value of building diverse AI ecosystems. At ElevenX Capital, we believe such strategic moves are vital as they reflect an evolving market where agility in technology development is key. How do you foresee these acquisitions shaping the future of AI? #investing #innovation #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

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What’s Investable in Healthcare Right Now Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the Nashville Health Care Council Sessions event, surrounded by healthcare investors from across the spectrum: venture capital, lower middle market private equity, sovereign wealth funds (QIA), and Wall Street, discussing what’s truly investable in healthcare right now. A few clear themes emerged: 1. Profitability and strategy matter more than ever. Investors want companies that know their lane and stick to it. That means shedding unprofitable service lines, focusing on sustainable margins, and aligning business strategy with the policy environment. (Policy and strategy are inextricably linked!) 2. The Medicare pivot is here. With the last baby boomers aging into Medicare in 2029, the focus is shifting. The growth story is no longer about MA enrollment, it’s about controlling costs throughout the Medicare lifespan. Chronic kidney disease, orthopedics, home health, and specialty pharmacy are hot spots of excess spend. 3. Technology is the bridge to sustainability. AI tools that cut administrative burden, alleviate provider burnout, and help employers manage costs are investable today. LLMs are now table stakes, and it’s nonnegotiable to adopt these technologies, while recognizing the products will look very different in 3–5 years. 4. Consolidation and restructuring will happen.  Home health is ripe for roll-ups, payors are the most likely buyers for healthcare IT, and large “pay-viders” (I hate that term) may need to divest of provider assets as Medicare Advantage economics change. Partnerships with strategics are more attractive than traditional PE playbooks. The bottom line: margins are compressing and labor will have to be cut, but technology will carry the industry across the chasm. Ultimately, investors are backing companies with the experience, network, and conviction to lead through this environment, "not just tourists who heard that healthcare was a fun place to visit” (quote of the day by Marcus Whitney).

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At VTC Ventures, we back founders who are redefining their industries and obsessing over real problems. These companies, and the teams behind them, show the determination and hard work it takes to build. They’re exactly what VTC Ventures, Virginia Tech, and Carilion Clinic mean when we talk about the “VTC Ecosystem.” Today, we’re spotlighting Veracity.     Meet Veracity: Turning K-12 EdTech Chaos into Clarity  K-12 schools now touch  2,700+ digital tools per year — with teachers juggling ~50 apps each and IT teams struggling to keep up. The result? Redundant purchases, inconsistent compliance, and up to 67% of licenses sitting unused. Veracity was built to change that.    What They Do  Veracity gives districts a Technology Management System (TMS) — a centralized platform that: -Audits & visualizes every tool in one searchable library  -Tracks contracts, renewals, and compliance w/out spreadsheets  -Spots redundant licenses before budgets are wasted  -Streamlines approvals from months to weeks  -Empowers teachers to find the right tool, the first time The result: smarter purchasing, reduced waste, and clarity across curriculum, IT, and finance teams.    The Origin Story  Veracity was founded in 2021 by Jonathan Hagmaier, Crystal Wilson, and Amy Robertson Dornton—all major contributors behind Interactive Achievement (IA), the standards-based assessment platform that became a market leader before its acquisition by PowerSchool. They saw firsthand how navigate the #edtech market at the K-12 level. With Veracity, the band is back together and bringing decades of #K12education and edtech experience to build what schools actually need: a centralized system that turns scattered chaos into clarity and accountability.    Where They Are Now  -30+ districts live on Veracity across 10+ states  -Supporting hundreds of thousands of students nationwide  -Growing ARR by over 100% each year since inception   -Partnering with leading districts in key ed tech battle ground states to cut costs and streamline workflows    Why They Matter  Veracity tackles the systemic problems of K-12 edtech: Tool proliferation & overlap → wasted spend and teacher fatigue  Fragmented procurement → inconsistent vetting, compliance gaps  Underutilized licenses → millions in wasted budget By unifying systems, aligning stakeholders, and modernizing procurement policies, Veracity helps schools save money, reduce risk, and improve instructional outcomes.    VTC Ecosystem Impact  Veracity is based in the City of Roanoke, VA. Why We’re Excited  -Urgent, data-backed market pain  -First-mover advantage in K-12 technology management  -Deeply experienced team with prior exits  -Strong customer pull from rural schools to large metros Veracity is reshaping how districts manage technology — turning chaos into clarity, waste into savings, and fragmented decisions into data-driven governance. 👉 Tag a school or district leader who needs this in their toolkit.  

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Built three new intelligence modules this week. Module 1: Healthcare workforce pipeline tracker. Connects WIOA training completions to local hospital hiring patterns. Shows which programs actually place graduates vs which ones just hit federal metrics. Module 2: PE deal sourcing overlay. Maps lower middle market transaction activity against workforce development funding patterns. Reveals which sectors are drawing both private capital and public training dollars. Module 3: Skills gap analyzer. Cross-references job postings with training program curricula in real-time. Identifies the disconnect between what employers need and what programs teach. Most consulting firms tell you about workforce challenges. We're building the systems that track them at scale.

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[Podcast on Dawdle.live platform] WHAT MAKES STARTUPS SUCCESSFUL THE FIRST TIME AND EVERY TIME. 6 hours ago • Edited • Visible to anyone on or off LinkedIn We had the privilege of hosting Suresh Sharma — Innovation Fellow at Georgia Tech, serial entrepreneur, and former senior leader at GE — on the Dawdle.live podcast. His journey spans aerospace, clean energy, healthcare, education, and startup acceleration, giving him a rare vantage point on how innovation truly happens. Key insights from our conversation: ✅ Ecosystem Gaps: Many startups fail not because of bad ideas, but due to a lack of holistic, supportive innovation ecosystems. ✅ Founders’ Alignment: True alignment is built on values and purpose first, not just complementary skills. ✅ Authentic Market Discovery: Customer validation must go beyond friendly feedback to real evidence of demand. ✅ Global Perspective: Cultural attitudes toward risk and failure shape the depth of innovation in different countries. ✅ Healthcare’s Big Shift: Personalised medicine, AI-driven efficiencies, and primary care transformation will redefine outcomes. ✅ Higher Education Reform: Content is now a commodity — the future lies in accelerated, applied, and AI-enhanced learning. This conversation was packed with practical lessons for entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders looking to innovate with impact. 🎧 Stay tuned — we’ll soon share the entire podcast as Leader Insights on Dawdle.live platform #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #StartupEcosystem #BusinessChallenges #Leadership #AI #HealthcareInnovation #HigherEducation #DawdleLive #LeaderInsights

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🚀 Verif-y is redefining digital record management. With 9 State DOE contracts, 200+ institutions onboarded, and 90%+ margins, this AI-powered SaaS platform is solving a $20B+ global problem: fragmented, insecure, and outdated education and credential systems. Now raising $5M Seed funding to accelerate U.S. and international growth. 👉 For VCs and institutional investors: this is defensible, AI-driven SaaS with regulatory moats — the right product, right time. See www.verif-y.com Then DM me for more info. Join us on this funding round? Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/e8bZ8srt

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AI isn't just powering software. BrightAI just raised $51 million to automate inspection and other hardware-based AI capabilities. As Alexa von Tobel, co-founder of Inspired Capital put it: “So many people are so focused on the future of digital AI, but we’re excited about this new layer of AI: the physical world AI.” We are in the early innings of a series of AI-fueled innovations! https://lnkd.in/enhmafvH

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Reshoring manufacturing to the U.S. hinges entirely on advances in automation and robotics—and those advances, in turn, rely on next-generation tools like integrated development environments, foundation models, smart robotics skills, and flexible automation platforms. This isn’t merely an incremental shift; it’s the next industrial revolution. I estimate it will unlock up to $30 trillion in GDP over the next decade, as countries compete fiercely for leadership. Eclipse is our time!

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👀 A little spoiler for what’s coming on November 25th… 🥹 The Innovation Ecosystem Directory is taking shape - and paired with the map, it’s becoming a real visibility layer for Alabama’s innovation landscape. The full first version drops in three days. We’re just getting started. 💛⚡️ — ▪️The Innovation Ecosystem Map • Rochelle Silveira Demeneghi | updated monthly on the 25th ▪️Connecting the dots: creating an innovation ecosystem map - starting in Alabama: https://lnkd.in/e3YqEdRH ▪️ Submit an organization: https://lnkd.in/eMtsi4CJ

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For small business buyers, how important is industry experience? I discussed this topic with Lisa Piercey—physician-turned-operator, former Tennessee Commissioner of Health, and now a healthcare acquirer. The key takeaway: It can be the difference between generating alpha and facing unpleasant surprises post-close. Below are some of the other topics we discussed: 1️⃣ Credibility wins deals. Not just with employees and customers—with sellers. 2️⃣ Beware "unknown unknowns." Buying outside your domain? Mitigate with true subject-matter experts. 3️⃣ Use a "tight, loose, tight" thesis framework. Define the buy box clearly, stay open minded in the middle, then apply a binary filter: in the buy box or not. 4️⃣ When deals wobble, get creative. One of Lisa's best examples: a contract CEO + call option structure to bridge a diligence gap and flatten the post-close learning curve. Lisa also wrote Natural Born Entrepreneurs for mid-career professionals considering ETA, packed with templates, checklists, and an honest look at the tradeoffs vs. a W-2 path. If you're underwriting operators, or searching yourself, this one's worth a listen. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/dadEJ7WZ Listen here: https://lnkd.in/dm2sAG9v

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This is a meaningful signal for the Southeast. Just a week after speaking at the MIT Alumni Club of South Florida about venture investing and the innovation economy, it’s notable to see a public quantum computing company choose Boca Raton as its new HQ and R&D hub — instead of defaulting to California. Talent, research institutions, defense, enterprise customers, and capital are increasingly distributed. Innovation no longer needs to be centralized to scale.

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Excerpted From the Stanford Closer Look Series paper titled: "THE CEO SCORECARD: HOW DIRECTORS SELECT A CEO WHEN THEY HAVE REAL SKIN IN THE GAME" "In this Closer Look, we consider the perspective of ValueAct Capital, an institutional investor with extensive, direct experience serving on the boards of directors of portfolio companies during multiple succession events. Through an analysis of these events, ValueAct has identified common deficiencies, including the manner in which required skills are identified and framed and the process by which they are evaluated. "ValueAct has also observed that many companies do not use rigorous scorecards built on quantitative metrics to guide the CEO evaluation process. Instead, the qualifications for a replacement CEO are often expressed as a list of vague qualities or adjectives, such as “leadership,” “vision,” “customer-centricity,” “communication skills,” “operational excellence,” and others. "Why are scorecards not more rigorous? Part of the problem lies with the board. All too often, board members lack a clear consensus around a company’s strategy and priorities and struggle to define the company’s future success in terms of specific outcomes. Without consensus, it is not possible to develop a rigorous and objective scorecard by which to evaluate potential internal and external candidates." Think about what ValueAct is saying. Boards (not sometimes but all too often) have difficulty defining the future success of a company in specific outcomes. This is obviously a huge problem in regard to defining what is needed in a new CEO in terms of experience, skills and track record. But it is also a huge problem in regard to: 1. Holding management accountable for results. If there is no consensus on outcomes, how can there be clarity in regard to what is expected of management? 2. If the board has a lack of consensus or clarity in regard to what the value creation drivers are how can there be any assurance that the board is doing its job well in allocating capital and driving operating performance and longer-term shareholder value? Said another way, how can shareholders have any degree of comfort that the board is focused on the development of the full potential of the company? Without major value creation initiatives with measurable results there cannot have been a deep dive diligence process designed to identify the full potential of the company. If such a process is absent, then there must also be the absence of a value maximization governing objective. And if that is absent, what is the role of the board? #valuemaximization #corporategovernance #boardofdirectors #governance #shareholdervalue

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😧It appears the public markets fear of AI has done a 180 - from fear of excessive investment to AI's ability to obliterate long incumbent software companies. I have a feeling we are going to hear the new riff "software is eating software" more times than the famous 2011 op-ed statement from Andreessen that "software is eating the world". Another 180 - long hardware, short (trad) software 🤯. AI infrastructure is literally eating memory. The global memory-ship shortage is expected to last another few years! 💽 Shout out to our pals at Inovia Capital for their State of Canadian Software Report. Thanks for the Miovision mention regarding the massive partnership potential for Canadian companies in the Middle East. 👉 https://lnkd.in/dyB8JkEh

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