Michael Jackson

Raising money for deep tech startups might be easier in 2025 than it was just a few years ago — but it's far from easy.   European VCs are becoming more oriented toward technologies solving humanity’s hardest problems…   Yet interest alone doesn’t make capital accessible.   According to the Royal Academy of Engineering's report, UK deep tech has consistently attracted over £5bn in annual VC funding since 2020 and closed £3.6bn in the first half of 2024. But most of that capital still favors late-stage, AI-heavy, and de-risked opportunities. And while AI has become VC's favorite, savvy investors know that trend-chasing won’t solve systemic challenges. They're increasingly backing startups with real-world impact and defensible technology. Raising early-stage funding in deep tech is challenging due to the nature of technologies. The discoveries made in labs and universities hold the potential to reshape industries, revolutionize how we live and work, and solve pressing global challenges. But, the technologies, in their raw form, do not immediately solve customer problems—they require extensive product development, business model innovation, and a robust delivery value chain to reach the market. Still, the tide is turning. More investors are welcoming long-term value over short-term gains. Take APEX Ventures, for example: We’ve supported 44 startups across Europe, investing in AI, medical tech, robotics, space, energy and many more verticals from Seed (initial) to Series B (follow-on)   Follow us at APEX Ventures and subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content on groundbreaking Deep Tech startups: 🔗 https://t2m.io/EV2qHQuo

194

6 commentaires

Why I Don't Sign NDAs for Early-Stage Founders — And Why Founders Shouldn't Ask Your idea is your baby. I get it. But for VC, asking for an NDA before sharing that idea isn't protecting your future - it's limiting it. In my latest article, I break down why NDAs create more problems than they solve for founders seeking early-stage funding. I explain why VCs structurally cannot sign them (reviewing 1,500+ decks annually makes this impossible), why they signal inexperience rather than caution, and most importantly - why your execution matters infinitely more than your idea. If you're a founder worried about idea theft, this perspective might change how you approach investor conversations forever. I explain why trust is the real compounding currency in venture capital - not legal protection.

86

13 commentaires

Who are the top #equitycrowdfunding platforms in Europe* right now? We analyzed the public campaigns of H1 2025 across dozens of portals for the European Equity Crowdfunding Landscape. Here’s what the numbers say — ranked by total capital raised: 1. Sowefund 🇫🇷 – €19.2M 2. Crowdcube 🇪🇸 – €18.8M (just EU rounds) 3. Tudigo 🇫🇷 – €15.0M 4. Capital Cell 🇪🇸 – €14.8M 5. Invesdor DACH 🇳🇱 – €14.6M 6. Mamacrowd 🇮🇹 – €12.9M 7. SeedBlink 🇷🇴 – €9.8M 8. Crowdberry 🇸🇰 – €7.7M 9. Lita 🇫🇷 – €7.6M 10. CrowdFundMe 🇮🇹 – €7.3M France dominates the leaderboard with three platforms, Italy, Netherlands and Spain show strong regional positioning. #Crowdcube remains the most cross-border operator and vertical platforms (like #CapitalCell for biotech) are scaling fast. This is just one part of what we’re tracking in #TheSnowballEffect — our new weekly newsletter on the European crowdfunding ecosystem: campaigns, trends, exits, and strategic moves. 👇 Link to read the full issue in the first comment. If you're in this space — founder, investor, or platform — this one's for you! #crowdfunding #venturecapital #startups #equitycrowdfunding #fundraising #europe #newsletter With Over Ventures we give access to #CommunityFunding, #Crowdfunding and #OnlineSyndicate deals to #startups and #SMEs from #preseed to #preIPO thanks to our partnerships with the top international portals. At the moment we have a focus on #Italy, #Spain and #UK! Contact Us if you want to know more... *ECSP Licensed, no Real Estate and no Renewable Energy portals

60

25 commentaires

The Project A Defence Tech Continuum 2.0 is here! Defence investing is no longer a niche topic — it’s one of the most discussed areas in venture capital today. But for many investors, especially in Germany and Europe, the same questions keep coming up: How should VCs navigate this space? What’s possible within existing regulations? Where do we draw the line between dual-use and purely military applications? To bring more clarity, we’re releasing the updated Project A Defence Tech Continuum. This second version dives deeper into the regulatory landscape across different categories, helping investors understand what’s feasible—and where the real opportunities lie. Excited to share this and keen to hear your thoughts! Florian Seibel, Sven Kruck, Marc A. Wietfeld, Sven Weizenegger, Frank Thieser, Jack Wang, Michael Vetter, Frank LEIDENBERGER, Susanne Wiegand, Paola Compés Tatay

250

34 commentaires

Heard from a founder this week: "I’d rather raise from a Web2 VC than take money from most top Web3 funds." The "digital asset" or "blockchain for institutions" founder cares 10x more about reputation — not just the type of projects and founders a VC backs but also what they say on social media and what they push their companies to do.

26

1 commentaire

Product-Market Fit is make or break for climate startups. What did I learn from our past six accelerator programs at Techstars Sustainability Paris: 1️⃣ AI helps you build faster — but not smarter. Only PMF tells you if you're solving the right problem. 2️⃣ Climate founders are building markets and products. PMF isn’t a milestone — it’s a habit. 3️⃣ Policy tailwinds are slowing. Customers won’t pay green premiums forever. You need "need-to-have" solutions, not "nice-to-haves." I’m digging deep into this while writing a book on scaling climate tech (👋🏻 🥊Caroline Woussen-Franczia🍿)— and , would really much like your insights/comments on the PMF topic. Feel free to MP or comment 👉🏻If you can't wait for the book, check Peter Nocchiero Summer PMF bootcamp in comment PS I was looking for a picture to illustrate PMF but find no better option than Rebecca Ravenni to illustrate the support to founders during the early days

91

20 commentaires

Don't Panic: The VC Model Is Evolving, Not Dying – A Calm Exploration of Mega-Fund New Strategies – for Funds of All Sizes White Paper - The Great VC Evolution: Multi-Asset, Multi-Stage, Multi-Entry, Multi-Region. ---- Top firms are transitioning into diversified, multi-asset platforms: spanning equity and debt, public and private markets, primary and secondary, early and late stages, across multiple regions. "The Great VC Evolution" is a 30-page white paper that explores this transformation, offering insights into: - Multi-asset, multi-stage, multi-region strategies - Active liquidity management and secondaries - Leveraging AI for portfolio optimization - How smaller funds can adapt without copying megafunds For VCs, LPs, and founders aiming to stay ahead, this is essential reading. 📑 Read the full white paper here: https://lnkd.in/g2BTMgXx ---

29

5 commentaires