What separates a great founder from a failing one? How do investors spot the next billion-dollar deep tech startup?
During the buzz of TechChill 2025, we sit down with Gabriele Potelunaite, a venture capitalist specializing in deep tech investments.
Gabriele shares her journey into VC, the biggest mistakes early-stage founders make, and why quick pivots can make or break a startup. We also dive into the European venture capital scene, the challenges of state-funded investments, and the underrated traits that set winning founders apart.
If you're a founder, investor, or just fascinated by how the tech industry moves, this episode is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.
About Gabriele:
Gabrielė is an investor at European deep-tech fund @Balnord, with a specific focus on Polish and Baltic founders based anywhere. Before that, she launched @tooearly - a platform trying to help first-time founders pick the right idea to build and navigate VC/angel fundraising. Over the past 4 years, she worked at Heartfelt_ (APX) in Berlin, where she served as Principal and led investments in 20+ companies as a first check investor across Europe. Previously, she was a Senior Associate at Change Ventures, one of the Baltic-focused venture capital funds. Over the past years, she has been based and invested out of Vilnius, Tallinn, Amsterdam, Berlin, and beyond.
Connect with Gabriele:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielepoteliunaite/
🎙️ Hosted by Zivile Einikyte:
https://www.perceptionparadox.com
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivileeinikyte/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:29 Gabriele's Journey into Venture Capital
05:39 The Reality of Being an Investor
08:48 Challenges in the European Venture Industry
12:03 Identifying Red Flags in Early Stage Startups
13:59 The Ideal Startup for VC Funding
14:57 Gabriele's Experience as a Founder
19:52 Lessons Learned in Venture Capital
22:24 Underrated Traits in Founders
23:18 Future Aspirations and Closing Thoughts
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