Over the past few years, we at XAnge have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of Deep Tech entrepreneurs in Europe. What sets them apart from their predecessors? These entrepreneurs are now equipped with both a high-level scientific education and native business acumen. Moreover, they view entrepreneurship as a mission: a means of changing the world through groundbreaking science and engineering innovations. Whether in computational biology, new space, health, novel energy, or climate, we believe this new generation will create the great successes of tomorrow.
More than merely observing this fascinating landscape, XAnge is actively participating in this new wave of innovation. Deep Tech startups now represent 30% of our active portfolio.
“By sitting on the board of some of the most promising companies—such as Treefrog Therapeutics, Wandercraft, or AerospaceLab—we see firsthand the challenges they face in achieving their ambitious mission. As in many industries, one of the biggest challenges is talent acquisition and retention. However, in Deep Tech, this challenge is accompanied by specific nuances.”
Guilhem de Vregille – Partner XAnge
The challenge of talent acquisition in Deep Tech is accompanied by specific nuances. In this rapidly evolving world, securing the best talent isn’t just important; it’s the engine that drives innovation.
Following a first wave of successful ventures in 2017–2018, repeat C-levels and founders are now becoming more common in this ecosystem. Yet, this growing “Deep Tech mafia” or “diaspora” is far from sufficient to meet the hiring needs of the industry. That’s why it’s often beneficial to look for talent in the corporate world—even if the “culture gap” poses a risk worth considering—as well as in other startups, especially in the digital space.
However, one of the biggest hurdles for startups is competing with established companies without access to critical executive compensation data. Even within our portfolio, nearly 20% of the support requests we receive are related to compensation and hiring.
We are now pleased to share those insights with you in the form of this Compensation Benchmark.
This study was made possible thanks to the combined wisdom and years of expertise of all contributors, including the team at Coulter Partners. The European Deep Tech ecosystem thrives on open and frank collaboration and we are excited to provide a forum for this.
