The Crisis/Expansion Duality with Benoit Lemaignan, CEO and Co-Founder of Verkor

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 outsourcingThe 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 setHow humility and letting go are important to both phasesChapters00:00 Navigating Expansion and Crisis in Startups02:39 The Vision Behind Vercor05:42 The Importance of Electrification and Decarbonization08:58 The European Startup Mindset and Innovation12:15 Governance and Execution in New Ventures14:50 Balancing Expansion and Crisis Management18:49 The Role of Leadership in Crisis and Growth23:32 Risk Management and Strategic Planning27:24 Recruitment Challenges and Team Dynamics30:34 The Rewards of Overcoming Challenges34:53 Future Trends in Battery Technology and Decarbonization Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.