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From 15 Years of Curiosity to ClearDrop: Building First, Discovering Later
With Nikos Christopoulos – Co-founder and CEO of ClearDrop - a deep-tech startup using tiny vibrations to self-clean rain, sea spray, frost, dust, mud, and sand from optical devices.
Henry Umunnakwe
July 11, 2025
Meet Nikos Christopoulos, a curious mind shaped by deep questions, early stumbles, and a relentless drive to build something meaningful. Entrepreneurship was not a sudden decision for him as it was always present, quietly growing in the background.
Before launching ClearDrop, Nikos had already built and led seven different ventures. Each one served as a stepping stone, refining his perspective and strengthening his entrepreneurial mindset. In 2015, he co-founded an e-commerce startup with three other partners. The business ran for five years before they chose to end it, having realized they had overestimated the market size and that profit margins were too slim to sustain long-term involvement.
Along the way, Nikos also led WAVELY, a company using AI-powered IoT sensors to "listen" to machines, and developed a strong corporate foundation through his work as a management consultant with Oliver Wyman. These experiences sharpened his skills in pattern recognition, strategic execution, and decision-making under uncertainty.
A Spark of Sound and Possibility
ClearDrop did not begin with a clear customer or defined use case.
Like many transformative innovations, it began with a spark and then serendipity. The turning point came when a scientific breakthrough met a founder’s obsession with real-world applications.
That scientist was Professor Michael Baudoin, a researcher who developed an acoustic wave technology capable of removing liquids and particles from glass surfaces without contact. It was a promising invention, but one still in search of a problem to solve.
“We did not start by looking for market pain. We started with an innovative technology and had to find where it could make the most difference.”
What followed was a classic founder pivot, not away from the idea, but toward a practical use case. Nikos and his team discovered two critical problems their technology could address: dust buildup on solar panels in desert regions, which can reduce energy efficiency by up to 60 percent, and contamination on defense optics, where clarity is mission-critical. These insights led to the creation of two business arms: ClearDrop, focused on defense and optics, and ClearSolar, targeting the energy and infrastructure sectors. Both shared the same core technology.
Lessons from the Fundraising Frontlines
How did you go about securing funding for ClearDrop, and what advice would you give to other founders?
Raising funds was extremely challenging and took far longer than expected. In Europe, the funding environment presents its own hurdles. There are fewer private venture capital firms compared to the United States, and funding rounds tend to be smaller. As a result, founders often have to raise or bridge more frequently or slow down product development timelines.
Additionally, European investors tend to be more conservative, particularly when evaluating early-stage, deep-tech companies that are still in the research and development phase. Many are hesitant to invest in startups without sales traction.
“This is where I want to express sincere gratitude to Valeureux, Genesis Ventures, and THETI CLUB, who believed in us early on. We are doing our best to make them proud and to return their investment tenfold.”
Know why you are raising. Funding is not always necessary, especially if you can generate early cash flow. At the early stage, investors back teams more than ideas, so it is essential to demonstrate how strong and committed your team truly is.
Top 7 Lessons Learned While Building a Startup
Effective problem-solving begins with the right question. Define clear outcomes, verify assumptions, break complex problems into smaller ones, think creatively, and communicate your results clearly.
Focus on one to three priority objectives. Pursue them relentlessly until you either achieve them or determine they are no longer relevant. Do not become attached to your ideas and be ready to adapt when necessary.
Failure is part of the process. Projects may fail, but mindset failure only occurs when you abandon your vision. Conviction and commitment are essential.
Do not accept unfair funding terms. If you are only receiving offers that require giving up a large portion of your company or personal collateral, take a step back. Improve your value proposition instead whether by refining your market research, finding stronger talent, or securing a pilot customer. If needed, take a part-time job to buy time rather than accept a poor deal.
Learn how to make decisions under uncertainty. Even when you do not have all the data, progress requires confident and timely decisions.
Always have a plan, but remain flexible. Be ready to discard the roadmap and start again when conditions change.
Identify and remove bottlenecks. Focus on what slows you down, and improve it especially if the fix is obvious and cost-effective.
A Legacy Beyond Business
Beyond building a successful company, what legacy do you hope to leave behind?
We are living in a time of profound uncertainty. Few generations have faced such a wide spectrum of global unknowns; from the rise of artificial intelligence, ongoing conflicts, and the erosion of democratic norms, to the increasing difficulty in discerning truth from noise. Amidst all this, climate change stands as the one undeniable certainty and yet it remains the crisis we are collectively failing to address with urgency.
In this context, Nikos hopes that ClearDrop can play a meaningful role.
“We are not trying to build a gadget for gadget’s sake. We are bringing real technological innovation to market. A technology that solves tangible, persistent problems in critical industries. Whether it is helping solar panels maintain peak performance in harsh environments or ensuring mission-critical optics stay clear in defense operations, our work has practical value.”
However, Nikos’s vision goes beyond the impact of the product itself. He is equally focused on building a company rooted in integrity, one that delivers lasting value, operates sustainably, and fosters a culture where people feel empowered, respected, and genuinely proud of their work. Just as he is committed to building a meaningful company, he is also intentional about maintaining balance in his own life. He makes time to stay active by exercising, and be present with family recognizing that personal well-being fuels professional clarity and resilience.
Ways to Engage with ClearDrop
About ClearDrop: To learn more about ClearDrop and their work.
Articles: Read what others have shared about ClearDrop, Read here.
Connect with Nikos on LinkedIn: Get in touch with Nikos Christopoulos if you have any questions or ideas.
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