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
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