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OVNIs Ep. #110 - Emily Eisenblätter - From Paris to Berlin: How OVNI Is Going Pan-European

In this episode of OVNIs Podcast, Matthieu Stefani sits down with Emily Eisenblätter to explore how OVNI is expanding beyond France and building a truly pan-European investment strategy. From opening their first office in Berlin to navigating cultural nuances across ecosystems, Emily shares why being “on the ground” is essential to source the best deals, build trust with founders, and create meaningful relationships with co-investors across Europe.  The conversation dives deeper into what makes OVNI different: a hands-on, value-first approach, strong operator DNA, and a growing international presence—from Germany to San Francisco. Emily also reflects on her background in deep tech, the evolution of European startup hubs, and the opportunities (and challenges) of scaling across fragmented markets. A sharp, insightful exchange on ambition, ecosystem dynamics, and what it takes to win the best deals in today’s venture landscape. 00:00 – Introduction 00:46 – Opening OVNI’s first office in Berlin 02:01 – Why being “on the ground” matters for investing 03:00 – Do you need local talent to win in a market? 04:24 – Emily’s role at OVNI: covering all non-French deals 05:38 – OVNI’s unfair advantage in France 🇫🇷 06:27 – Expanding OVNI’s brand across Europe 07:45 – How do you recruit the best people in VC? 08:49 – Building a pan-European presence (events, network, deals) 10:04 – Why having a US office changes everything 🇺🇸 11:24 – How OVNI wins deals against bigger funds 12:08 – “Give first” strategy: creating value before investing 13:12 – The power of operator VCs vs traditional investors 15:30 – SaaS boom, bust & investment lessons 16:48 – Emily’s background in deep tech & machine learning 19:46 – Missed deals & anti-portfolio regrets 20:24 – The craziest startups: from lab-grown meat to space tech 🚀 23:06 – How deal flow really works at early stage 24:28 – Where are the hidden startup hubs in Germany? 🇩🇪 26:09 – Berlin vs Munich: where the real action is 27:27 – Is Europe too fragmented for startups? 28:16 – How Germans see the French tech ecosystem 🇫🇷 29:23 – Europe vs US: where should startups scale? 31:51 – Underrated startup ecosystems in Europe 33:43 – Why industry still matters for deep tech 35:36 – Working with corporates: opportunity or trap? 36:31 – Germany’s strengths & weaknesses (talent vs bureaucracy) 38:00 – Do corporates move fast enough for startups? 39:10 – Venture clienting: how big companies work with startups 40:15 – France vs Germany: cultural differences in business 🇫🇷🇩🇪 41:30 – Why Europe struggles with risk-taking 42:45 – Can Europe compete with the US in venture? 44:00 – Building conviction at early-stage investing 45:10 – How to evaluate founders with little data 46:20 – The importance of founder-market fit 47:30 – What makes a “great” founder today 48:40 – Speed vs depth: how VCs make decisions 49:50 – Portfolio strategy: why one winner changes everything 51:00 – Lessons from failed investments (“cadavers”) 52:10 – How to think about risk in venture capital 53:15 – Deep tech vs SaaS: where the future is going 54:20 – Europe’s biggest opportunity in tech right now 55:30 – What founders should expect from investors 56:40 – Emily’s personal motivations & long-term vision 57:30 – Final thoughts on building a pan-European VC 58:30 – Closing words & wrap-up 📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute: * investment advice, * a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments, * portfolio management advisory services, * an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument, * banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code. This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience. It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation. All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 👤 Listener Responsibility Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions. Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult: * a licensed professional financial advisor, * an investment services provider, or * a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS. 🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned. No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

OVNIs Ep. #109 - Viktoria Beck - Deep Tech en Europe : la nouvelle frontière du capital-risque ?

Dans cet épisode du OVNIs Podcast, enregistré à Berlin lors d’un off-site de l’équipe d’OVNI Capital, Thomas Renaudin reçoit Victoria Beck, investisseuse spécialisée en deep tech. Ensemble, ils explorent l’évolution récente de cet écosystème en Europe, en particulier les dynamiques entre la France et l’Allemagne, deux marchés proches mais aux cultures entrepreneuriales distinctes. Victoria partage son regard sur la montée en puissance de la deep tech depuis 2021 et sur la convergence progressive des fonds et des talents entre ces deux hubs technologiques majeurs. Au fil de la conversation, Victoria revient également sur son parcours international — entre l’Allemagne, la France, Israël et Berlin — et sur son expérience chez Earlybird, où elle s’est concentrée sur les investissements deep tech et le marché français. L’épisode offre ainsi un éclairage précieux sur les différences culturelles dans l’investissement, la construction des écosystèmes technologiques européens et les opportunités émergentes pour les fondateurs et les investisseurs. [00:00:00] Introduction et enregistrement à Berlin avec l’équipe OVNI [00:01:18] Le parcours international de Victoria Beck [00:03:05] Pourquoi la Deep Tech est devenue un sujet majeur depuis 2021 [00:06:12] Différences entre les écosystèmes français et allemand [00:09:48] Comment les fonds européens évaluent les startups Deep Tech [00:13:27] Les qualités que Victoria recherche chez les fondateurs [00:17:02] La convergence des écosystèmes tech en Europe [00:20:41] Berlin comme hub pour startups et investisseurs [00:24:08] Les grandes opportunités pour la Deep Tech européenne [00:27:43] Conseils aux fondateurs et conclusion 📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute: * investment advice, * a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments, * portfolio management advisory services, * an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument, * banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code. This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience. It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation. All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 👤 Listener Responsibility Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions. Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult: * a licensed professional financial advisor, * an investment services provider, or * a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS. 🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned. No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

[RE-RELEASE] OVNIs – Immigrant Grit, Silicon Valley Scale: Bruce Falck’s Playbook for Reinvention

⁠Some people change your trajectory — Bruce Falck changed mine. ⁠In 2019, he greenlit the acquisition of my startup by Twitter. A few years and one tech rollercoaster later, I sat down with Bruce in San Francisco to record Episode 1 of the OVNI Podcast. ⁠Bruce’s story is wild: ⁠➤ Born in Johannesburg. ⁠➤ Moved to the US without a visa. ⁠➤ Waited tables. ⁠➤ Built a startup from scratch. ⁠➤ Led a $5B ads business at Twitter. ⁠➤ Got fired the week Elon took over. ⁠And now — he's building again. ⁠A startup in the energy mapping space. At 54. With 3 kids. With humility and fire. ⁠We talked about ego death, reinvention, customer obsession, and why being an immigrant made him a better founder. This episode is personal. Raw. And full of lessons for anyone thinking of starting over — again. ⁠🎧 Listen to Episode 1 here → I know I got a lot out of this hour with Bruce, I can’t wait to hear what your thoughts of this conversation. #founderstories #resilience #siliconvalley #OVNIPodcast #BruceFalck #exitandstartagain [00:00:00]: Introduction [00:00:57]: Bruce Falck's early years [00:02:10]: Arrival in San Francisco and early jobs [00:04:42]: Transition from corporate to dot-com projects [00:07:36]: Learning new tools and getting hands-on [00:08:10]: Joining Google and initial experiences [00:11:50]: Transitioning from Google to BrightRoll [00:12:04]: Challenges of immigration and visa journey [00:13:50]: Yahoo acquisition and the role of danger [00:15:01]: Joining Turn and handling leadership challenges [00:16:19]: Transition from a large company to a startup [00:20:01]: Becoming a professional CEO and its challenges [00:22:01]: The competitive landscape with The Trade Desk [00:24:04]: Joining Twitter and the role of GM [00:28:18]: Initial excitement about Elon Musk's interest in Twitter [00:29:02]: Acquisition of Aiden AI and the process [00:32:54]: The media attention and personal impact [00:33:03]: Attempting to lead Twitter through chaos [00:35:54]: The acquisition by Elon Musk and its aftermath [00:37:00]: Starting Halcyon and the startup journey [00:39:07]: The decision to start a company and initial steps [00:41:27]: The founding of Halcyon and its focus [00:43:34]: The challenge of building a startup [00:45:32]: Overcoming self-doubt and failure [00:46:19]: Leadership style and delegation [00:47:14]: The role of a founder in customer understanding [00:47:53]: Building as an antidote to cynicism [00:48:41]: Conclusion Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

OVNIs Ep. #108 - Andrew Côté - From Particle Accelerators to Viral Threads: The Making of a Deep Tech Founder

In this episode of the OVNIs Podcast, Augustin Sayer sits down with Andrew Côté - engineering physicist, deep tech thinker, and founder of Hyperstition - for a wide-ranging conversation at the frontier of science and entrepreneurship. From his unconventional path from anthropology to engineering physics, Andrew retraces his journey through particle accelerators, nuclear fusion startups, infectious disease research during COVID, and early experiments with large language models - long before ChatGPT became mainstream. The discussion dives deep into energy abundance, nuclear power, superconductors, venture capital, and the cultural rise of deep tech in the U.S. Andrew shares his philosophy on building technology that meaningfully advances civilization - arguing that energy, physics, and fundamental engineering breakthroughs form the true foundation of economic prosperity. A bold and intellectually electric episode about ambition, failure, resilience, and the pursuit of technologies indistinguishable from magic. [00:00:00] Introduction — Who is Andrew Côté? [00:00:22] From Anthropology to Engineering Physics [00:01:54] Falling in Love with Cosmology & Particle Physics [00:02:15] Choosing Engineering Physics Over the Safe Path [00:03:05] Deep Tech Before It Was Trendy (2014 Context) [00:04:28] Turning Down Academia to Start a Company [00:05:33] First Startup Attempt — Computational Imaging & Light Field Displays [00:07:26] Tech Risk & Hardware Fundraising Challenges [00:08:44] Pivoting & Early Entrepreneurial Experiments [00:09:31] The Move to San Francisco [00:09:50] Chan Zuckerberg Biohub & Bioengineering During COVID [00:11:04] Spinning Out an Early LLM Startup (Pre-ChatGPT) [00:12:23] Philosophy: Doing What Only You Can Do [00:15:00] Intrapreneurship Inside a Nonprofit [00:17:07] LLMs for Drug Discovery — Too Early? [00:18:50] Startup Failure & Moving Back to Canada [00:19:36] Returning to Fusion Engineering [00:20:19] Fusion vs Quantum Computing — What Matters Most? [00:21:26] Why Energy Abundance Changes Civilization [00:22:45] Nuclear Energy, France vs Germany [00:25:15] Energy Policy & Industrial Competitiveness [00:26:26] Back to Fusion — The Dream Job at Princeton [00:27:33] Writing Online & Building a Deep Tech Audience [00:27:51] The LK99 Superconductor Saga [00:28:32] Going Viral on Tech Twitter [00:29:04] Venture Capital Interest & New Opportunities [00:32:43] What Is Deep Tech Really? [00:33:05] Underwriting Technical Risk [00:34:00] Founders vs Investors in Deep Tech [00:36:30] The Origin of Deep Tech Week [00:39:00] Building a Cultural Movement Around Engineering [00:42:30] Hyperstition — Technology Indistinguishable from Magic [00:45:00] Are We Entering a U.S. Deep Tech Renaissance? 📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute: * investment advice, * a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments, * portfolio management advisory services, * an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument, * banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code. This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience. It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation. All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 👤 Listener Responsibility Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions. Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult: * a licensed professional financial advisor, * an investment services provider, or * a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS. 🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned. No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.

OVNIs Ep. #107 - Eric Lacaille - Piston : la revanche des ERP face à l’IA

Dans cet épisode d’OVNIs Podcast, Matthieu Stefani reçoit Eric Lacaille, cofondateur de Piston, pour une plongée au cœur d’un marché aussi massif que stratégique : l’ERP. Ensemble, ils explorent comment l’intelligence artificielle rebat les cartes d’un univers dominé par des géants comme SAP ou Oracle. Piston propose une approche radicalement différente : reconstruire l’ERP “from scratch” avec l’IA comme brique fondamentale, afin de connecter données structurées et non structurées et automatiser des processus métiers jusqu’ici lourds, complexes et chronophages  . Au fil de la discussion, Eric détaille la vision d’un ERP “agentique” capable de dialoguer en langage naturel, d’optimiser la supply chain, de détecter des pertes de marge ou de générer automatiquement des plans d’action opérationnels  . Au-delà de la technologie, l’enjeu est stratégique : permettre à des PME et ETI industrielles de doubler leur performance sans multiplier les équipes, en libérant les collaborateurs des tâches répétitives pour les recentrer sur la valeur et la relation client. Un échange dense et prospectif sur la mutation profonde des logiciels d’entreprise à l’ère de l’IA. [00:00:00] Introduction & anecdote autour du nom “Piston” [00:02:19] Présentation d’Eric Lacaille et des cofondateurs [00:02:42] Qu’est-ce qu’un ERP ? Définition simple et enjeux marché  [00:04:04] Les géants historiques : SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Odoo [00:06:09] Le “débundling” SaaS des 15 dernières années [00:07:26] La vision Piston : ERP agentique construit avec l’IA en primitive [00:08:17] Cas concret : la boulangerie et la marge supply [00:09:52] Pourquoi les ERP traditionnels sont lourds et peu flexibles [00:11:25] Les 3 couches du software : data, logique, interface [00:13:02] L’agentique expliquée simplement (langage naturel → action) [00:14:53] Le problème du voyageur de commerce & optimisation [00:16:07] L’IA au service des experts métier (sans contrainte technique) [00:18:01] Le vrai problème : l’ingestion de données et la bande passante humaine [00:19:01] Stratégie d’entrée : brancher Piston en complément IA [00:21:40] Copilote vs logiciel autonome : changement de paradigme [00:23:22] Pourquoi ne pas développer son propre LLM ? [00:24:29] Surcouche IA vs refonte complète du système [00:25:21] System of record vs system of actions [00:27:02] La puissance d’un écosystème ERP unifié [00:28:10] Lovable, no-code et explosion de productivité [00:31:52] Comment Piston compte exister face aux géants [00:32:01] ERP personnalisable en langage naturel [00:34:03] Personnalisation par utilisateur & adaptation aux workflows [00:35:23] Données structurées vs non structurées [00:36:23] Cas d’usage : notes vocales → bons de commande [00:36:42] Audit automatique des factures fournisseurs [00:38:04] Accélération IA : le vrai tournant 2024-2025 [00:38:56] ERP invisible : notifications, validations et agents autonomes [00:39:44] Impact sur l’emploi : automatisation vs montée en valeur [00:41:20] Promesse forte : doubler le chiffre d’affaires à effectif constant [00:44:00] Transformation des métiers supply & relation client [00:47:30] Sécurité, traçabilité et auditabilité des agents [00:50:00] Déploiement en PME/ETI : frictions et adoption terrain [00:53:00] Vision long terme : orchestration d’agents collaboratifs [00:56:00] Le futur des ERP dans 10 ans [00:58:30] Conclusion & ambition de Piston sur le marché mondial 📌 Disclaimer – Financial Information & Investment The content shared in this podcast (including episodes, excerpts, descriptions, associated posts, and YouTube videos) is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute: * investment advice, * a recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments, * portfolio management advisory services, * an offer of financial securities or a solicitation to acquire any financial instrument, * banking or financial solicitation within the meaning of Articles L.341-1 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code. This podcast is not an investment services provider (ISP) nor a financial investment advisor (FIA) within the meaning of French and European regulations (AMF / MiFID II). 📘 No Guarantee – Financial Risks The information discussed reflects the personal opinions of the speakers, based on their professional experience. It may be incomplete, subject to change, or not applicable to your personal situation. All investments involve risks of partial or total loss, particularly in the case of private investments, technology assets, or venture capital transactions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 👤 Listener Responsibility Each listener / viewer remains solely responsible for their investment decisions. Before making any decision, it is strongly recommended to consult: * a licensed professional financial advisor, * an investment services provider, or * a financial investment advisor (FIA) registered with ORIAS. 🔒 Potential Conflicts of Interest The speakers may be involved in companies, investment funds, or transactions mentioned. No statement should be interpreted as a commitment or a guarantee of performance. Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite [https://www.audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite] pour plus d'informations.