Cristina Escoda

Cristina Escoda (she/her) is the managing director of Activate New York, where she mentors fellows bringing high-impact innovations to market in climate, health, and infrastructure. Escoda brings nearly 20 years of experience across venture-building and investing in breakthrough hard tech. She is a founding partner of Tachyon Ventures, an early-stage VC fund investing at the intersection of AI and biotech, and she co-founded ORCA Computing, an Oxford University spin-out developing the first quantum computer based on optical fiber. Earlier in her career, she developed quantitative algorithms at D.E. Shaw & Co. and structured emerging markets derivatives at HSBC. Escoda holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics and an MASt in mathematics (Part III) from the University of Cambridge (U.K.), and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.