Geopolitics in European Venture (with Henry Palmer from Lightridge)

One of the most surprising “turnaround” stories right now isn’t a brand. It’s a region: Europe.

For decades, Europe played the background track in geopolitics — comfortable under Pax Americana, importing cheap energy, outsourcing security, and letting its industrial base thin out. That era ended the moment Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.

And suddenly, the continent that perfected managed scarcity is being forced to rediscover risk, scale, and hard power.

Here’s what’s happening:

Defense tech isn’t taboo anymore. A generation of founders who once refused to sell to defense are now asking, “How can we help?”

Series B is a kill zone. Hardware + defense startups can vibe through Seed and A, but by B you’re burning millions per test flight. Patient capital, debt, and government R&D aren’t optional — they’re survival.

Industrial resilience is cool again. Rare earth alternatives, AI-driven factories, logistics automation. The “boring” verticals are now the battlegrounds for sovereignty.

Family offices are back in the spotlight. They’re not just LPs chasing returns. They’re shipping, automotive, and manufacturing dynasties looking for foresight and strategic intelligence.

The bigger story? Venture is no longer apolitical. Every investment is now a bet on sovereignty, resilience, and who gets to write the next chapter of the global economy.

This isn’t just about chasing IRR. It’s about whether Europe chooses to be a buyer of future technologies — or a builder of them.

As Henry Palmer of Lightridge put it: the mission is simple — rebuild capacity to create wealth, and defend democracy.

Not your average VC pitch.

Social Links

Henry Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryjpalmer/

Rohit Yadav: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohityadav23/

Rethinking Venture Capital Report: https://www.rethink.bigbook.vc/

Key chapters in the podcast discussion

(00:00) Episode intro and context on geopolitics in venture capital

(02:36) What is Lightridge and its mission of industrial resilience & security

(03:29) Why Henry started Lightridge after Amplifier Ventures

(04:20) Differentiating specialist vs. generalist VC funds

(06:30) Portfolio highlights from Amplifier: Terminal, Hive, Isembard

(08:09) The European Ambition Institute and its role in shaping strategy

(09:58) From Pax Americana to a multipolar world: geopolitics reshaping Europe

(17:48) Can Europe achieve technological sovereignty or remain dependent?

(20:18) How family offices view geopolitics, venture, and strategic industries

(24:20) Defense tech in focus: dual-use vs. defense-specific innovations

(28:55) Beyond defense: opportunities in materials, logistics, and advanced manufacturing

(32:27) Misconceptions in defense investing and the “Series B kill zone”

(38:01) What’s next for Lightridge and its mission ahead