In this episode of DeepTech Unleashed, host Christian Noske talks to Benoit Lemaignan, a key player in Europe’s battery industry who, as CEO and Co-Founder of @Verkor, has raised €2bn to support Verkor’s mission to fast-track low‑carbon battery production. Their discussion centres on the two critical yet contrasting phases every founder must face, crisis and expansion, through the prism of the battery industry. 

Topics include: 

The importance of European strategic autonomy 

The investments Europe needs to make in fusion and hydrogen 

Why Benoit is excited about SMRs and decarbonisation 

What Europe has ‘forgotten’ about manufacturing in the age of outsourcing

The European mindset v the US mindset 

The role of management boards in crisis spotting 

Managing risk through doing things ‘one step at a time’ 

Revisiting traditional concepts of risk 

The urge to push during an expansion phase 

Changing speed during expansion can be as difficult as managing a crisis 

The vision skill set vs the execution skill set

How humility and letting go are important to both phases

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Expansion and Crisis in Startups

02:39 The Vision Behind Vercor

05:42 The Importance of Electrification and Decarbonization

08:58 The European Startup Mindset and Innovation

12:15 Governance and Execution in New Ventures

14:50 Balancing Expansion and Crisis Management

18:49 The Role of Leadership in Crisis and Growth

23:32 Risk Management and Strategic Planning

27:24 Recruitment Challenges and Team Dynamics

30:34 The Rewards of Overcoming Challenges

34:53 Future Trends in Battery Technology and Decarbonization

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