Scaling Deep Tech in Climate: Dr. Luke Charbonnier-Bevan (Zinc VC)

I’m joined by Dr. Luke Charbonnier-Bevan from Zinc VC, an inception stage, impact-led investor. They invest at the start of new ventures that are tackling some of the most pressing and complex problems facing the health of people and the planet.

Across this series we will be discussing the challenges around scaling deep tech solutions within climate. I’ll be speaking to Investors, Founders, Venture Builders and other key ecosystem players all focused on scaling and commercialising groundbreaking, deep tech innovations.

We will explore how to prepare for the challenges that deep tech companies often face around fundraising, scaling, team building and commercialisation; and we’ll hear from stories of those who have successfully scaled to Series A and beyond.

https://www.zinc.vc/



1:36 - What is Zinc and what are the different arms of it?

3:18 - How is Zinc different to other VCs?

5:53 - If you come across founders with a good idea but it needs a bit of work before you write that first cheque, do you put them through the venture builder first?

8:55 - How does Zinc support with helping deep tech companies to access lab space to develop their products?

11:20 - What are Zinc looking for in investments?

13:52 - What support do you offer companies when the founding team perhaps aren’t working so well together?

16:47 - Do you think it’s better to invest in an A team with a B idea, than a B team with an A idea?

19:52 - How much deep tech are you starting to see come through the venture builder?

22:18 - How does the mix of stages of companies affect the community of the venture builder, because everyone is at different points in their journey?

25:54 - What are the most common risk factors you see when assessing deep tech propositions, and how could founders start to counter those risks?

28:54 - How good do you think the UK is at supporting commercialisation of spin outs?

34:04 - Technical risk in deep tech across the technical readiness scale

35:35 - What investors want to see for deep tech

37:10 - How do you show that a deep tech company is scalable?

40:11 - At pre-seed stage, what minimum level of commercial traction would you expect a company to be able to demonstrate?

44:50 - What locations does Zinc invest in, UK-only or European too?

45:58 - What are you excited about for the rest of the year and 2025?



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