Introducing Alexander, PSV Tech01’s GP of ESG

New General Partner of PSV Tech01, Alexander Viterbo-Horten, has been part of the investment team and the main face of ESG in PreSeed Ventures for years. Although you might’ve seen him before, we’re sure you don’t know all the details of why he’s the perfect match for the fund. Let us introduce his new role and the things he’ll be working on.

To help, we got our best internal journalists together and sat down for a good old-fashioned interview. Here are some of the highlights. Dig in.

Won’t you start out by telling us a bit about yourself?

Well, starting off, I come from an engineering background here at DTU. I took a couple of semesters in California and Hong Kong but my roots are pretty solidly planted here in Lyngby, so it’s not really surprising I ended up returning home.

After my degree, I was a management consultant for five years, until I eventually swore to myself I was done with the corporate life — and then I turned to venture capital, closely linked to the extremely corporate financial industry. I try to excuse myself by saying that PreSeed Ventures is pretty far from corporate deep in our DNA, and we do things a little differently, so I’ve still somewhat kept my promise to myself. Now I’ve been at PreSeed for six years, and I’m still so in love with the work and all of the stories we get to be a part of.

What should we expect to see from you?

Alongside Helle, Richard, and Christel, I’ll be looking at early-stage tech companies and founders. The plan is also to, sooner or later, release a complete ESG Napkin. So, if you’re a founder, we’re eyeballing for people who’re chasing a dream larger than the current status quo with a vision to if not revolutionise — that word is soo… yeah, let’s just say pretty overused — but then at least make the world a better place to live in, you should reach out to me.

What’s your favourite part of working in venture?

I think one of the best things about working in venture, is the fact that we get to be a part of the development of the future. By investing in how we’d like the future to look, we get to join some people on their journey of changing the world we live in and get a say in how technology will shape our future. It’s a job with a real impact on the world. That’s pretty cool.

Why the pre-seed stage?

There are several reasons, really. First of all, I love to be the first institutional investor and work closely with the founders behind a product or company. The companies we support can be in any stage between a prototype with nearly no traction to early revenue, so they don’t have much to show off yet. So the best way to see some indication of proof of concept at such an early stage is simply to get to know the founder team behind. I love how closely we work with the teams, as founders tend to have this crazy energy about them — a combination of a whole bunch of ideas and a perspective where only the sky is the limit. I find it really inspiring and energising to be around people like that.

Secondly, by being a part of the journey from the beginning, I also have a chance to ensure that we’re not promoting or helping any unsustainable businesses into the future. And there’s a lot to consider here — especially when you just got started.

What are some technologies or trends that get you excited at the moment?

Some of the things I’m really into at the moment are autonomous driving, the energy transition, web3.0 and the Metaverse. For me, anything that will either have great effect on the way we as people live our lives in a simpler way or something that can make our world greener and more sustainable is really what I’m passionate about. Anything that can change the world for the better, I guess.