Steven Konsek is an Investment Director at Applied Ventures where he focuses on photonics and displays in addition to supporting investments and startup ecosystem engagement in Europe and Israel.

Prior to joining Applied Ventures in 2022, Steven spent nearly two decades working with and funding deep-tech startups in the U.S. and Europe. He was most recently Director of Business Development at Aledia, a French photonics startup. Prior to Aledia, Steven led innovation programs at the U.S. National Science Foundation, where he ran NSF’s portfolio funding startups in the semiconductor, photonics, advanced materials, and IoT sectors as well as leading the Innovation Corps program for deep-tech startups. Prior to NSF, Steven held leadership positions in several semiconductor/photonics startups, including Illumitex, Glo/Qunano, and Nantero.

Steven has a PhD in Physics from the University of Washington and BS in Mathematics from Purdue University. He is based in Geneva, Switzerland.