Don is a Partner at Atomico and is based in London. Don leads investments across both the Venture and Growth stages with a core focus on earlier stage companies. He also leads Atomico’s investments in the next frontier of fintech and mobility.
Don Hoang
Don is a Partner at Atomico and is based in London. Don leads investments across both the Venture and Growth stages with a core focus on earlier stage companies. He also leads Atomico’s investments in the next frontier of fintech and mobility.
I love partnering with founders who have a strong vision of what they want to build and have a unique perspective on the problem they are trying to solve. Starting a company is hard. Building a company is even harder. I look for founders that are ‘all-in’ on their mission, want to build an enduring company and push the boundaries of what is possible.
Silicon Valley taught me the value of being an underdog
I grew up in California surrounded by sunshine and a family that celebrated success but took failure in their stride. Going to Stanford for my MBA taught me the value of being an underdog. Everyone seemed smarter and better prepared – I relied on grit, hard work and determination to succeed. I also learnt that it’s okay to fall as long as you get back up. Founders face a similar challenge every day as they challenge the status quo and often face setbacks. For me, this is what makes the wins taste better.
Ambition and grit go a long way
When I partner with a founder, I draw on my 20 years of experience as a builder, operator and investor. Over the years, I’ve worked with many successful founders and each one has a certain unique spark that gets me excited. This makes my work compelling and dynamic. I have learned all successful founders have one thing in common: an abundance of ambition — so much that people are inspired to follow. This and the grit that allows them to grind it out day-to-day are the keys to overcoming adversity.
Ideas inspire, but execution builds enduring companies
Every startup begins as scrappy and creative going through ups and downs. To be at the top of your game, you need science around execution and processes that can scale. Whether that’s hiring talent or entering new markets, to be an outlier company, you need to be world-class at execution.
When Atomico started 16 years ago, the question was, “what will be the next $1bn company from Europe?” The ecosystem has expanded massively since then and we know that great companies can come from anywhere. The question today is “what will be the next $100bn company from Europe?” I’m excited to partner with founders that push the boundaries of what is possible to make that happen.
Knowing what it takes to build category-defining companies
I was on the executive teams at Revolut and Uber, where I helped both companies grow globally. I’ve done the hard yards. At Revolut, my responsibilities spanned a number of areas including profitability, strategic initiatives, growth, product, financial and distribution partnerships, and corporate development. Prior to that, I helped to build Uber’s international team which covered 45 countries and 120+ cities. One of my biggest achievements was helping Uber raise over $3.5bn of capital.
This operational experience is crucial to my investments, inside and outside Atomico. I’ve made a number of angel investments personally and was a Scout for Sequoia Capital.
I’m a product of a household with two refugee immigrant parents
Through their example, I learned that there is no substitute for hard work and to take ownership of what you do. Ultimately, no one controls your destiny. I have used these core principles when building global teams and partnering with founders.
My Mom showed her love through cooking
I learned to cook from my Vietnamese Mom who has a talent for transforming simple ingredients into something delicious for her family every day. One of my favourite things to do is to make and share good food with friends. I’m a simple cook, but taking time out of a busy schedule to work with my hands, be creative and share it with people is something truly enjoyable for me.
