The talk was delivered by Glen Kelp, CEO and co-founder of GaltTec. A physicist by training, Glen left his academic position at the University of Tartu to build next-generation energy solutions for drones — stepping directly into what is commonly known as the Valley of Death.

I literally took a match, lit my academic career on fire, and walked into the Valley of Death.

From lab certainty to startup reality

Glen described academia as a place of intellectual depth but structural constraints. Cutting-edge hardware research demands resources that are often inaccessible within small academic systems. When the gap between scientific potential and real-world application became too wide, the only viable option was to leave.

That leap came with immediate consequences. Stability was replaced by uncertainty, personal savings replaced steady income, and long-term research timelines were replaced by customer expectations. The transition was not gradual — it was absolute.

The Valley of Death is not theoretical

In deep tech, the Valley of Death is the space between working science and a product customers will actually buy. Glen described it as a daily confrontation with limits: time, capital, people, and attention.

Hardware compounds the challenge. Unlike software, iteration is slow, expensive, and unforgiving. Defence applications add further complexity through regulation, trust requirements, and long sales cycles.

Hardware is hard. Defence is harder.

The core challenge is not whether the technology works in the lab, but whether it can survive real-world constraints. Customers do not buy potential — they buy reliability, integration, and outcomes.

Building what customers will pay for

One of the strongest warnings in the talk was aimed at scientist-founders: do not fall in love with building. Without constant customer interaction, teams risk optimising solutions no one is ready to pay for.

Glen stressed the importance of moving beyond validation theatre. Letters of intent are encouraging, but pre-orders and contracts are what truly matter. This requires dedicated focus — someone whose only job is to speak with customers, understand their constraints, and translate them back into product decisions.

Leadership under constant pressure

As the company grows, pressure does not decrease — it multiplies. Founders become the point where technical, financial, and human challenges converge. Glen described the founder role as one of absorption: staying calm when everything feels urgent and unfinished.

Burnout, he noted, is not caused by chaos itself, but by resisting it. Deep tech founders rarely have the luxury of perfect solutions. Survival depends on prioritisation, emotional regulation, and the ability to accept imperfection.

Why Europe needs more scientist-founders

The talk broadened from personal experience to a systemic argument. Glen pointed out that Europe lags behind in globally dominant technology companies — a gap that cannot be closed without more scientists stepping into entrepreneurship.

Deep tech, he argued, is not optional. It underpins security, resilience, and long-term economic independence. Innovation is not about disruption for its own sake, but about protecting what already exists.

Innovation is how we keep what we have.

Burning bridges on purpose

Glen did not present his path as the only right one. He acknowledged that deep tech is not for everyone — and that choosing to leave is also valid. What he warned against was never trying.

Walking away from safety is painful. But for those driven to see their research matter in the real world, it may be the only way forward. In the Valley of Death, nothing is guaranteed — except that meaningful progress demands commitment, discomfort, and persistence.