Victor Szabo

My maternal grandmother comes from the Dardanelles coast in Turkey, while my grandfather was a Rum from Istanbul. My father is from Budapest and came to Germany in the 1980s during the era of Soviet occupation. These diverse roots have profoundly shaped my upbringing. Growing up in Munich and partially Rome, I naturally learned to navigate different cultures and perspectives from an early age.

I began studying Mechatronics and Precision Engineering, first in Munich and then in Shanghai, immersing myself deeply in the automotive industry. Soon, though, I realised that staying in corporate felt too restrictive and narrow.

This realization led me toward entrepreneurship and venture capital. A multi-master’s program took me to business schools of the technical universities in Madrid, Milan, and back in Munich, exposing me to the complexities of the finance and management side of the industry. But it was entrepreneurship – driven by passion, risk, and creativity – that truly excited me.

I’ve been profoundly influenced by those who generously supported me throughout my life. Whether it was a friend’s mother providing me with a second home or a mentor offering me my first professional opportunities – they taught me that true success comes from genuine, unconditional giving.

Genuine innovation and bold visions. I believe in nurturing the seeds of ideas that start small but can set off a butterfly effect of change. At Ananda, my passion lies in empowering founders who build transformative technologies that strengthen Europe’s tech sovereignty and create lasting societal and ecological impact.

Creativity permeates every aspect of my life. When artwork inspires me, I choose to recreate it rather than purchase it. I design and craft watches from scratch. Painting on canvas, photographing with analogue cameras, and immersing myself in jazz music are ways I recharge. And I find walking a perfect way to decompress.

As a child, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Inspired by my grandfather’s gift of a sky chart, I was captivated by the infinite possibilities of space and that iconic “The Blue Marble” photograph of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission. My adult dreams also connect me to my family: cooking, which I learned from my mother and grandmother, kindles fantasies of opening a small restaurant one day.

• Climate Resilience and Decarbonization
• Industrial Reinvention and Deep Tech Frontiers
• AI for the Physical World