At a time when European companies are looking for new levers to accelerate their transformation, strengthen their economic sovereignty and ensure long-term growth, one strategic reservoir remains largely under-utilized: that of talent from the startup and scale-up ecosystem.
These profiles - who have grown up in demanding environments where rapid execution, a results-driven culture and product innovation are daily reflexes - are now expressing a strong desire to put their energy and expertise to work on more structured, more concrete, impact-generating projects.
But this aspiration has yet to be translated into reality.
According to a study conducted by Sonnar in partnership with Institut Choiseul, on a panel of 215 European tech talents, only 6.1% have made the transition from Venture Capital to Private Equity.
At a time when European companies are facing up to the challenges of transformation, sustainable growth and economic sovereignty, one major lever remains under-utilized: the pool of talent trained in tech startups and scale-ups. These profiles, accustomed to rapid execution, a results-oriented culture and product innovation, are now seeking to apply their expertise to more structured projects with a concrete impact. Yet, according to a study conducted by headhunting firm Sonnar and the Institut Choiseul on a sample of 215 respondents, only 6.1% of them have made the transition from Venture Capital to Private Equity.
A mature tech generation looking for a concrete impact on the real economy
The vast majority of the talent questioned in this study is experienced: 85% have more than 5 years' professional experience, and 71% currently hold executive, management or strategic expertise positions.
Beyond the prestige of their career paths, a real evolution in their aspirations is taking shape. This generation, which helped build the flagships of European tech, is now looking for more tangible ways of transforming itself:
- 70% of respondents say that their main professional driving force is to generate a tangible impact on the economy (creating jobs, helping companies grow, participating in the relocation of strategic sectors, or supporting the modernization of industrial players).
- They are increasingly interested in projects that combine ambition, responsibility, local roots and long-term stability.
Private equity: a strategic environment that still lacks clarity for tech talent
The world of private equity offers ideal conditions for the expression of this new professional project: mature companies to be transformed, existing entrepreneurial trajectories (growing SMEs, buy-outs, digitalization), and a structured strategic framework.
However, the concrete bridges between these two worlds remain too weak: only 6.1% of the talents surveyed have made a transition from Venture Capital to Private Equity, and less than 5% in the other direction. Movements therefore remain marginal, despite the growing convergence of management, innovation and sustainable growth issues.
However, 26% of respondents say they are considering this change in the medium term, a sign of growing interest in more tangible trajectories, anchored in structured environments.
This discrepancy between desire and reality can be explained by clearly identified obstacles:
- Cultural incomprehension (63.7%) between the managerial codes of tech and those of more traditional companies,
- Difficulty in adapting to each other (57.1%), due to radically different environments in terms of timing, governance and processes,
- A lack of suitable or visible support structures (37.3%), such as bridging schemes, mentoring or mixed missions,
- Under-valuing of startup experience in traditional recruitment processes (27.8%).
Three levers to build bridges between VCs and PEs
Faced with this situation, the study carried out by Sonnar and the Institut Choiseul does more than simply state the facts. It proposes concrete actions to improve the flow of skills between two ecosystems that have everything to gain from closer ties.
1. Rethinking recruitment practices
Tech talent is often confined to "VC only" or "startup only" career paths, out of habit or lack of understanding of their transferability. It is urgent for HR and recruitment agencies to adopt a more agnostic reading of career paths, valuing execution capacity, organizational agility and a sense of results as skills that can be activated in the context of companies backed by private equity funds.
2. Deploy secondment missions
Based on the consultancy model, these temporary immersions of 6 to 12 months would enable profiles from VC or tech backgrounds to become involved in PE projects (in funds or in companies) and vice versa. They would offer a dual opportunity: gradually acculturate talents to new environments, while injecting into SMEs management methods derived from rapid growth and, in start-ups and scale-ups, best practices in cost management and profitability.
3. Reinforce targeted training
Tech skills (product, data, go-to-market strategy) are often well mastered by these talents, but they sometimes lack the fundamentals of private equity: financial structuring, LBO logic, consolidated governance. Short modules (4 to 6 weeks) can bridge this gap, without interrupting their professional career. These training courses could be offered by the funds themselves, in conjunction with schools or sector-specific structures.
A pivotal moment for reconciling innovation and solidity
The signals are there: tech talent wants to move away from hypergrowth and invest its expertise in more stable models. On the other hand, PE-backed companies need profiles capable of accelerating their modernization, digitizing their offering and structuring their organization.
Bringing these two worlds together is a strategic challenge for the entire European economy. It's no longer a question of opposing agility and rigor, innovation and profitability - but of thinking in terms of how they complement each other.
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