On The Hunt Episode #1 - Alay Merchant

In the debut episode of On The Hunt, Elias Can sits down with Alay Merchant, a technology professional and MBA student at HEC Paris who has made his way into the world of venture through a passion for startups, investing, and emerging technology. Alay shares how his MBA, alumni network, and hands-on scouting experience have helped him build relationships with founders and investors while developing his own approach to identifying promising companies. The conversation explores the role of venture scouts, how to find and evaluate startups, the importance of understanding both the founder and investor perspectives, and the value of IRL networking in today’s increasingly digital world. Alay also offers his take on some of the technologies shaping the future, including space tech, energy infrastructure, AI, and robotics, while sharing a few strong opinions on what he believes is currently overhyped.