Intro

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

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Thank you to BioEsol for sponsoring this episode. 💚

BioEsol is an AI-powered energy company bringing Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) to industrial and SME clients, enabling energy autonomy, cost savings, and sustainability - with no upfront investment. In April, the company will open its Series A round to accelerate its expansion in France & Europe.

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This week, we’re joined by Matthew Blain, Principal at Voyager Ventures, a climate fund investing across Europe and the US. In this conversation, we break down the key differences between Europe and America.

We discuss:

* Why Europe’s software climate startups are outperforming

* The deeptech-commercialization gap and how to fix it

* What the US loan program office got right (and why it matters)

* Lessons from academia, accelerators, and growth capital

* The cultural differences in ambition between European and US VCs

* How founders and funds can think globally from day one

* … and more!

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⌛TIMESTAMPS

* 00:00 Introduction to the episode

* 01:46 Europe has great research universities

* 02:58 Comparing Investment Ecosystems: Europe vs. US

* 05:57 The European Advantage

* 08:40 The Role of Accelerators and Government Support

* 10:50 Grant Financing: The US advantage

* 11:28 The Loan Program Office

* 12:54 The problem with European Growth Fund

* 16:21 How can investors drive change

* 19:58 Ambition and Global Mindset in European Startups

* 25:13 Europe vs America: who wins in climate tech?

* 29:59 Collaboration Between US and European Investors

* 33:51 VC to VC conversation

* 35:54 Rapid Fire Insights

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▶️ CONNECT WITH MATTHEW

* Matthew Blain - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-blain-vc/

* Voyager Ventures - https://www.voyagervc.com/

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📚 REFERENCES AND MENTIONS

* Activate – US deeptech accelerator

* Loan Program Office (US DOE) – Government debt vehicle

* ARIA (UK) – Advanced Research & Innovation Agency

* SPRIND (Germany) – Government agency backing breakthrough innovation

* BPI France – State-backed French investment bank

* Atomico’s State of European Tech – Annual report on EU startup activity

* Book: Venture Deals – by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson

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🎙️PAST EPISODES YOU’LL LOVE

* How to Exit a Deep Tech Startup - Matt Jones (Syensqo)

* Founders Should Operate Like Athletes – Romain Vidal (Teampact Ventures)

* Climate Change Is a Social Issue - Alina Klarner (Impact Shakers)

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💚 LEAVE A REVIEW

* Apple Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/HIDcg

* Spotify - https://shorturl.at/yDTfR

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climateventuresvco2.substack.com