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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