TD Shepherd attended the 2022 annual EDA conference (EDA as in European Defence Agency), which took place on December 8th in Brussels. The conference featured several panel discussions as well as regular keynote speeches. The most important takeaways from the conference were:
— the €70B increase in defence related investments until 2025;
— the recognition of the importance of dual-use technology and its missing support in the current innovation landscape;
— the need for easing procurement rules for the (European) Defence departments;
— and last but not least, the need to be able to rapidly scale production when circumstances require this (industrialization of the supply chain);
— The latter includes the drive to secure (synonymous with “localization”) that same supply chain.
The TD Shepherd team is happy to congratulate the Qualinx B.V. team on successfully raising €20 million from Dutch investors. TD Shepherd has provided strategic support to Qualinx over the years (starting in 2018), witnessing each step of their journey; their growth and success, makes us truly proud of their outstanding achievements.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about surviving the Valley of Death in deep tech, it’s this: don’t go it alone. This stage is all about leveraging relationships, and corporate partnerships can be your most valuable lifeline. The key is to think beyond customers.
The so-called “Valley of Death” in deep tech isn’t just about running out of cash—it’s about navigating a period where expectations clash with reality. Investors want to see traction, but your tech isn’t market-ready. Customers are intrigued, but they’re not ready to commit. And your R&D costs? They’re still burning through cash like it’s a bonfire.