UniLab

Mentor Story - Shaping Deep Tech with Solvita

2025-07-07 14:15 News
In our latest UniLab Story, we have the chance to get to know one of UniLab's mentors Solvita Kostjukova, a deep tech founder whose journey bridges mathematics, science commercialization, and a strong dedication to empowering women in STEM.

From Equations to Ecosystems

Solvita's background is rooted in mathematics, with a specialization in mathematical modeling. Although she completed her PhD studies, she didn't defended her thesis. As Solvita shares: "Life sometimes takes unexpected turns."

Parallel to her academic path, she began exploring what we now recognize as technology transfer - then known simply as science management.

"My interest in the field began in high school when I represented Latvia in the Worldwide Young Researchers for the Environment competition. In Germany, I saw how science and industry could collaborate for real-world impact, and I knew I wanted to be part of that world," shares Solvita.

However, there was no clear academic path to follow, so she decided to combine deep scientific knowledge with project and business management studies, building a unique blend of skills along the way.

"Eventually, I realized I also needed entrepreneurial and leadership experience. Together with a childhood friend, we started a social enterprise - and I was hooked. Science, and the scope of its potential, has always inspired me."

Around 15 years ago, she turned her focus fully to commercialization. One of her first ventures involved bringing to market an invention developed by her father, also a scientist. That project became the foundation for ALINA, her first startup.

Currently, Solvita wears many hats: she is a co-founder of three deep tech startups, serves as a lead technology transfer expert at both the University of Latvia and the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), is deeply involved in shaping the technology transfer scene in Latvia, and actively advocates for women in STEM.

Mentorship is a key part of her work, and she makes a point of supporting female students and founders in building confidence and skills. Many of her companies are co-founded by women, and she continues to prioritize mentoring women-led teams wherever she can.

Solvita with her father Juris Kostjukovs (Foto: Gints Ivuškāns)

Creating Space for Women to Thrive in Deep Tech

Advocating for women in deep tech is not just about representation - it’s about addressing deeply rooted disparities that still persist across STEM fields. From hourly pay gaps to decisions about who leads critical projects, gender-based inequality remains a reality.

As Solvita shares: “It’s rarely discussed openly, but the inequalities are there."

These challenges don’t stem from a lack of talent. In fact, many highly skilled women in the field still find themselves holding back.

"Many women, even when highly skilled, tend to doubt themselves more, hesitate to speak up, or go too deep into details - often a result of cultural expectations rather than a lack of ability.”

The core issue, she says, is access: “We don’t offer women the same opportunities to build essential skills for leadership and commercialization. That’s the real issue.”
But there’s reason for optimism. She points to promising programs that are beginning to close the gap - offering women a chance to connect with peers, learn from mentors, and develop the tools not just to build startups, but to create sustainable, fulfilling careers. “These initiatives that combine business, personal development, and mental health are key, because deep tech isn’t a sprint - it’s a marathon. It requires constant renewal of energy and motivation.”
Representation also matters. The visibility of women in deep tech leadership can change what others believe is possible for themselves.

“We need more role models. When women see others like them succeeding, it becomes easier to imagine themselves doing the same.”

Just like "Scully" in The X-Files inspired more girls to pursue science, real-life examples can inspire more women to launch startups. Mentorship, in particular, plays a vital role in this journey.

"Someone 10 years ahead of you can offer advice on everything - from building a company and a team, to managing your life and avoiding burnout."

In her view, empowering more women in deep tech isn’t just about fairness - it’s about unlocking untapped potential and ensuring the field is driven by diverse perspectives, resilience, and long-term sustainability.

Solvita speaking at RigaTechChill

Challenges of Deep Tech

Working in deep tech comes with unique challenges that set it apart from traditional tech - and the stakes are often much higher. As she explains:

"Deep tech is much more resource-intensive than traditional tech. You need more funding, more time (sometimes double the timeline), more talent, and greater industrial expertise."

While the tech world often embraces the mantra "fail fast", that mindset doesn’t always apply here. In deep tech, development cycles are long and slow-moving.

"There’s a popular phrase, "fail fast", but in deep tech, your technology might take two years just to reach the testing phase. That’s two years of sustaining a team, keeping morale high, and continuing development with no guarantee of success. So failure - and learning - comes much later."

This kind of extended uncertainty makes burnout a real risk. The intensity and complexity of deep tech work demand strong internal systems and a proactive approach to well-being. Ultimately, it’s not just about technical skill - it’s about mental endurance.

In a field where progress is slow, stakes are high, and pressure is constant, taking care of people becomes just as important as building technology.

Solvita in the ALINA lab (Foto: Karīna Miezāja)

It Takes a Team

Commercialization remains one of the biggest challenges for scientists - not because they lack innovation, but because the journey from lab to market requires a completely different skill set.

"The truth is, scientists usually aren’t the ones who will commercialize their own inventions."

That’s why building the right team is crucial. It’s not just about assembling talent, but about ensuring the group works well together and understands the dynamics of turning research into a product.

"Finding the right people and making sure they work well together is a major challenge – and one we try to address early on when mentoring."

Another hurdle is scalability and understanding industry needs. If a researcher hasn’t worked in the industry, they often don’t know who the end user is, how decisions are made, or what the market demands. Industry players may bluntly say "this won’t work" and the team needs to be flexible enough to adapt.

Despite these challenges, commercialization is a skill that can be taught.

"This disconnect is common, but it’s a learnable skill. Scientists can be taught how to engage industry early, evaluate technology readiness, and assess commercialization pathways - but this still isn’t widely taught."

Solvita's perspective underlines a key truth in deep tech: successful innovation is not just about invention, but about connecting research with the right people, strategies, and industries to bring ideas to life.

From an interview at Dienas Bizness

Where To Start

For those interested in the intersection of science and commercialization, the first step isn’t about having all the answers - it’s about asking the right questions.

As Solvita shares: "Start by asking the right questions. Who should be on your team? What stage is your technology at? What does your target industry really need? How do you build trust between scientists and business minds?"

However, while the need for collaboration between science and business is clear, the infrastructure to support it in Latvia is still developing.

"Unfortunately, there’s no centralized platform in Latvia yet to match scientists with entrepreneurs or business developers, but universities are slowly building that infrastructure."

Solvita emphasizes that, ideally, every scientific institution should have a tech transfer office to guide scientists through the first steps and help form a team. Progress is being made, but it varies between universities.

Solvita speaking at Deep Tech Atelier (Foto: Jānis Spurdziņš)

A Vision for Deep Tech in Latvia

Solvita's vision for deep tech in Latvia is ambitious and deeply rooted in the country’s greatest asset - its people.

"Latvia’s strength lies in its people and education. I see a real opportunity for us in quantum technologies, microchips, and other emerging fields."

She envisions a future where Latvia is a major European player: "I’d love to see 30–40% of key quantum innovations in Europe coming from Latvia."

For this to happen, Solvita believes the ecosystem must become more collaborative, interdisciplinary, and globally connected. She hopes to see co-creation projects with leading research institutions like VTT and Fraunhofer, and Latvian startups proving their excellence on the international stage.

But to reach that vision, she’s clear about what’s needed: better funding, more ecosystem-minded investors, and stronger incentives for Latvians abroad to return.

"We need to give talented Latvians a reason to return from abroad. Some already have, seeing that you can both create impact and build a successful career here."

Advice for the Deep Tech Journey

When Solvita first entered the deep tech world, she was full of energy and ambition - until a reality check hit early on. “When we were just starting ALINA, I went to one of our first international meetings. A few seasoned experts there looked at me and said: "Solvita, you do realize that in deep tech, bringing a product like yours to market - especially something as complex as biostability - takes on average 14 years?" "

At the time, she couldn’t believe it. "Fourteen years? No way," she thought. "We’ll be faster, we’ll figure it out quicker." But with time, that very warning turned out to be the advice she needed most.

"If someone had told me back then, "You’ll need to give ten years of your life to this. You might see your kids grow up before you see real results," it would have sounded insane. But that’s the reality of deep tech. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon."

At the same time, there’s a silver lining. "If you manage to move beyond the lab - if you have working prototypes and start scaling - your risk of failure drops drastically. From a 90% chance of failure in the beginning to around just 20%."

In other words, the early years are the hardest, but if you stick around past year three or four, the odds start shifting in your favor.

Solvita’s most practical piece of advice?

"Find a mentor - early. That was one of the smartest decisions I made."

She approached someone 15 years ahead in the field and asked "Will you mentor me?" . It took three meetings when he eventually said yes - and in the toughest moments, his guidance saved her years and serious money.

She encourages other founders not to be afraid of reaching out.

"People often don’t dare to reach out. But in my experience, no one has ever said no when approached sincerely. So if you’re serious about deep tech, don’t try to figure it all out alone. Go talk to those who’ve already walked the path."