From cold emails to €4.2 million: building a quantum startup without a network
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From cold emails to €4.2 million: building a quantum startup without a network
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About this listen
No Stanford. No pitchdeck army. No working product.
Just an idea, a cold email, and a team of scientists crazy enough to go all in.
In this episode, we sit down with Pavel Hrmo — physicist, founder, and the brain behind ZuriQ — a startup building quantum tech from scratch.
We talk:
- How they raised €4.2M pre-product (and what convinced investors)
- The leap from academia to entrepreneurship
- Cold outreach, imposter syndrome, and why betting on yourself is the only way
- Building deep tech with no time, no sleep, and no roadmap
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Quantum Computing and Zuriq
00:01:33 - FromAcademia to Entrepreneurship: The Birth of Zuriq
00:05:34 - Navigating Investor Relations and Pitching Challenges
00:11:37 - Explaining the Technology: Trapped Ions in Quantum Computing
00:18:34 - Target Industries and Future Applications of Zuriq
00:20:36 - The Unique Approach: Combining Electric and Magnetic Fields
00:26:30 - Utilizing Seed Funding for Development and Partnerships
00:32:22 - Building a Skilled Team and Overcoming Hiring Challenges
00:38:19 - Facing Doubts and Challenges in Startup Life