Victor is an Associate at Atomico, based in Paris, where he works on sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio management for early-stage companies. He primarily focuses on France.
Victor Jolly
Victor is an Associate at Atomico, based in Paris, where he works on sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio management for early-stage companies. He primarily focuses on France.
French roots, tech DNA, global mindset
I was born and raised in Paris, where I also studied, but did not limit myself to my home turf. I started my studies in France, at HEC Paris, and continued them abroad in Brazil. Spending time there gave me an even broader perspective, reinforcing my belief that great companies can be built anywhere. While I graduated from a business school, I’ve always been hooked on tech since I was a kid - from playing video games to tinkering with the 56K modem we had at home.
Built for Venture
I started my career in venture capital at Ventech, a French seed fund, where I focused on France and the Nordics. I built technology tools and processes to track emerging founders, started to make my first investments, and saw firsthand what it takes to turn a great idea into a venture-scale business. Working there cemented my interest in tech investing, and gave me an inside look at one of the largest success stories of French tech in the 2010s.
I tend to be the analytical guy, and love optimizing for performance under constraint. While this seems miles away from early-stage investing, I think there’s a subtle art in combining recognition of the most compelling founders and number crunching to do our job.
The best founders find a way
Building a company is never as smooth as the pitch deck suggests, and the best founders are the ones who embrace the challenges head-on. Giving advice to founders is a national sport in Venture, but in the end, the entrepreneurs find the solutions. Our role as investors is to support, be a sparring partner and try to unblock barriers where we can.
Progress beats perfection
Windsurfing, surfing, bodybuilding — everything I love outside of work has taught me that progress comes from consistency. Whether it’s pushing through the next wave or the next rep, small steps compound over time. The same goes for building companies. Even the most ambitious and successful firms started from humble beginnings. If you’re building something ambitious, let’s talk!
