When Max Buchan left CoinShares after helping grow it from $0 to $50M in revenue, he didn’t build another crypto company; he built Valarian, a $20M-funded dual-use startup powering Europe’s digital sovereignty revolution.
In this episode, Max breaks down how he attracted investors like IQ Capital, Molten Ventures, and Palantir alumni, how Europe’s geopolitical landscape is shifting the defense tech market, and why founders should think long-term about category creation, not just traction metrics.
👉 Watch the episode to learn how Valarian is redefining defense infrastructure — and what it takes to raise eight figures before launch.
Here’s what you’re in for:
ABOUT Max Buchan
Max Buchan is the founder and CEO of Valarian, a UK-based defense and compliance infrastructure company powering the next era of digital sovereignty. Before Valarian, he helped scale CoinShares from $0 to $50M revenue without venture capital, ultimately taking the company public.
Valarian has raised over $20M to build ACRA — a secure, sovereign infrastructure layer for enterprises and governments — with leadership that includes Palantir veterans and Darktrace’s former CRO.
Get in touch with Max:
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