Capital for Deep Tech Dual Use Companies — Deep Tech VC and Other Expanding Options

If the hydrogen atoms in a pound of water could be prevailed upon to combine together and form helium, it would suffice to drive a 1,000-horsepower engine for a whole year. If the electrons — those tiny planets of the atomic systems — were induced to combine with the nuclei in the hydrogen, the horsepower liberated would be one hundred and twenty times greater still. — Winston Churchill — 50 Years Hence

This is the promise of so-called “Deep Tech” innovations — where entrepreneurially minded inventors, scientists, engineers, along with their exceptional research base and creative business models, give birth to the means to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Yet, though these visionaries represent exactly what venture investors are looking for in terms of the “next big thing”, more than 80% of deep tech startups are underfunded.

Deep tech companies require patience as commercialization often takes time, as these founders mature the technology while also defining a business model. These firms often encounter a “Valley of Despair” challenged by getting past Series A — raising $25M+ checks — without material social proof and company comparable metrics.