Leon Sander

Leon Sander, a PhD student in Entrepreneurial Finance at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, is conducting research on investor decision-making in Deep Tech. Building on a metric-based conjoint experiment and post-experiment survey, his work examines how organizational factors (e.g., investor type, stage focus, sector specialization) and individual traits influence venture capitalists’ evaluations of Deep Tech startups navigating the “Valley of Death.” His aim is to uncover the key decision criteria and trade-offs investors make under high uncertainty, providing actionable insights for entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to improve Deep Tech fundraising outcomes. 

Leon has a Master's degree in International Finance (M.Sc.) from Nova School of Business & Economics and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Administration (B.Sc.) from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. He has gained practical experience through roles in venture capital, investment banking and start-ups.