Sasha Vidiborskiy, Atomico: How to Think About Deep Tech Investing

Deep tech is not about complexity. It is about compounding R&D that builds defensibility and demands a different approach to investing. This is the lens Sasha Vidiborskiy, Partner at Atomico, applies to backing frontier technologies.In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Sasha, a quantum physicist turned VC investing in complex products and deep tech.They explore what defines deep tech, how to assess founders, and how Atomico underwrites and invests in technically complex companies, from diligence to timelines and risk.Key highlightsWhy deep tech is driven by compounding R&D, not complexityWhy timelines are hard to predict, especially in areas like quantum computingWhat sets great deep tech founders apartHow Atomico evaluates and underwrites deep tech opportunitiesWhy Europe is gaining ground in deep techWhy deep tech requires a different investment approachTimestamps(00:00) Intro & Sasha’s background(03:00) From quantum physics to venture capital(07:30) Quantum computing timelines(12:00) What defines deep tech(18:30) Founder traits(26:00) Evaluating deep tech investments(34:00) Atomico’s investment framework(42:00) Europe’s deep tech momentSubscribe to eu.vc, the home of European tech, covering the people, capital, and companies building Europe: https://www.eu.vc/subscribe