Welcome back to another episode of Upside at the EUVC Podcast, where ⁠Dan Bowyer⁠,⁠ Mads Jensen⁠ of ⁠SuperSeed⁠ and ⁠Lomax Ward⁠ of ⁠Outsized Ventures⁠⁠⁠ cut through the noise shaping tech, venture, and geopolitics in Europe and beyond.

This week starts lightly, as all good episodes do, with kids, illness paranoia, and the small joys of enforced medical naps. It escalates quickly.

From OpenAI’s new health-focused ChatGPT and the FDA’s sudden sprint toward deregulation to Trump’s Greenland fixation and what it really signals about European sovereignty to Meta buying its way into the AI application layer, pension funds destroying value at scale, and Nvidia’s push into physical AI. This is one of those episodes where everything connects.

The common thread is power. Who has it? Who’s losing it? And who’s still pretending nothing has changed?

This is Upside, where the takes are sharp, the systems are breaking, and the optimism is… cautiously conditional.

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What’s covered:

00:00 Intro: ChatGPT Health launch, privacy/encryption, “use with skepticism”

00:03 FDA shifts: deregulation + faster approvals for AI medical devices / wearables

00:09 Trump + Greenland + NATO: geopolitics, minerals, defense, European sovereignty

00:18 France proposing social media ban for under-15s; phones in schools; EU vs US regulation

00:23 Meta reportedly buying Manus (AI agents / applications layer)

00:25 Octopus Energy’s Kraken spin-out: valuation, contracted revenue, European “hidden champion”

00:27 Discord IPO chatter: nearing ~$1B ARR; monetization model

00:32 UK pensions: pressure to allocate to privates; constraints + risk/return tradeoffs

00:42 FTSE 100 hits 10,000; UK vs S&P; defense-driven rally; low tech weighting

00:50 CES: Nvidia autonomous driving + open sourcing; “physical AI” + Mercedes partnership

00:54 China & Nvidia H20 pressures; AMD vs Nvidia software gap; Intel relevance

E679 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax

EUVC – Jan 12 2026

Welcome back to another episode of Upside at the EUVC Podcast, where Dan Bowyer, Mads Jensen of SuperSeed and Lomax Ward of Outsized Ventures cut through the noise shaping tech, venture, and geopolitics in Europe and beyond.

This week starts lightly, with kids, illness paranoia, and the small joys of enforced medical naps, then escalates quickly. Topics include OpenAI’s new health‑focused ChatGPT, the FDA’s sprint toward deregulation, Trump’s Greenland fixation and its signal for European sovereignty, Meta’s move into the AI‑application layer, pension‑fund value destruction, and Nvidia’s push into physical AI. The common thread is power – who has it, who’s losing it, and who’s still pretending nothing has changed.

What’s covered

• Intro: ChatGPT health launch, privacy/encryption, “use with skepticism”

• FDA shifts: deregulation + faster approvals for AI medical devices / wearables

• Trump + Greenland + NATO: geopolitics, minerals, defense, European sovereignty

• France proposing a social‑media ban for under‑15s; phones in schools; EU vs US regulation

• Meta reportedly buying Manus (AI agents / applications layer)

• Octopus Energy’s Kraken spin‑out: valuation, contracted revenue, European “hidden champion”

• Discord IPO chatter: nearing ~$1 B ARR; monetisation model

• UK pensions: pressure to allocate to privates; constraints + risk/return trade‑offs

• FTSE 100 hits 10 000; UK vs S&P; defence‑driven rally; low‑tech weighting

• CES: Nvidia autonomous driving + open‑sourcing; “physical AI” + Mercedes partnership

• China & Nvidia H2O pressures; AMD vs Nvidia software gap; Intel relevance

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E678 | Giovanni Daprà & Paolo Gesess: Moneyfarm’s Journey, United Ventures’ Playbook & How Europe’s Fintech Winners Scale

EUVC – Jan 8 2026

Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Giovanni Daprà (CEO & co‑founder of Moneyfarm) and Paolo Gesess (co‑founder & GP at United Ventures). They unpack Moneyfarm’s growth from a Milan‑founded startup to a pan‑European fintech, the evolution of Italy’s ecosystem, United Ventures’ backing rationale, the shift from blitzscaling to “default alive,” and Europe’s fintech consolidation.

What’s covered

• Moneyfarm as a digital wealth manager (now managing £6.5 B across Italy & the UK)

• United Ventures’ conviction: massive savings problem, founder clarity, unchanged mission for 13 years

• Building from Italy first: regulatory fluency + talent cost advantages, pan‑European vision from day 0

• Italy today vs 2012: more capital, repeat founders, returning international operators, deeper talent pool

• “Tipping point” moments: board decisions on buy‑backs, global investors, B2B2C expansion

• Moneyfarm now: strong in Italy + UK, product expansion complete (brokerage + pensions), preparing for next geographic phase

• Surviving the capital cycle: interest‑rate spikes, shifting from burn to profitability in 24 months, reshaping Europe’s framework

• Europe playbook: “default alive” vs blitzscaling, disciplined scaling as a competitive advantage

• Founder–VC dynamics: alignment, capital structure, long‑term value over hypergrowth

• Managing founder stress & incentives: secondaries, refreshed equity plans, evolving founder roles, governance over a decade

• Cap‑table reality: VCs, PEs, industrials; why no one can force a “burn it all” strategy

• Building European‑style VC: standards, ambition, preparing founders for Series B/C investors

• Next frontier: pan‑European expansion, product expansion → commercial optimisation → cross‑border consolidation

• M&A as a growth lever: Moneyfarm’s three acquisitions, building the muscle, using M&A when organic slows

• M&A playbook: build vs buy, scale matters, founder’s role in product‑led acquisitions

• Underestimated aspects of M&A: expense, cognitive load, dedicated teams needed to protect core execution

• Board’s role: independent perspectives, long‑term value thinking, helping CEOs avoid deal fever

• Hard question: exits & fund cycles – managing tail‑end holdings, DPI realities, continuation funds, why selling isn’t betrayal

• DPI explained: why some funds need earlier liquidity, why United didn’t (strong DPI → more patience → no forced exit)

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E677 | Michael Brehm, Redstone: One Investment, 200 Ventures — The New Blueprint for European VC Access

EUVC – Jan 7 2026

Andreas talks with Michael Sackler (founder of Supernode Global) about Supernode’s Fund II thesis: backing application‑layer software with great UI/UX – tools people use daily at home and work – at a time when most European funds avoid consumer‑focused investments. Michael explains how his film background shaped his tech view, Supernode’s consumer‑grade experience focus for B2B, their six theme areas (wellbeing, productivity, community, creative and professional augmentation), and the unusually strong 34 % GP commit.

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E676 | Poone Mokari (ewake.ai) & Pietro Bezza (Connect Ventures): Building the AI Teammate for Software Reliability

EUVC – Jan 6 2026

Andreas explores the craft of building and backing venture‑scale companies in Europe. Modern software failures are loud and costly; ewake builds AI agents that reason across logs, metrics, and code to cut through observability overload.

What’s covered

• ewake’s AI agents for production reliability: reasoning across logs, metrics & code

• Connect Ventures’ backing rationale: massive category, trusted intros, founders with deep reliability expertise

• AI shift: from reactive dashboards to an intelligence layer that finds root causes

• Hidden layers of tech: deep, unglamorous infrastructure as a massive opportunity

• The wedge: LLMs as reasoning engines over infrastructure data, not just dashboards

• Production vs. laptop code: business context, urgency, multi‑team coordination, semantic reasoning

• “Can we trust AI?”: agentic workflows, context constraints, hallucination guards, “don’t know” responses

• Founder‑market fit: pain at Criteo, SRE experience, product instincts pre‑product

• Connect’s thesis: product‑first founders, problem insight over pedigree, product as highest leverage

• Product‑led ≠ PLG: clarifying product‑first strategy vs. product‑led growth motion

• Raising $2 M pre‑product: insight clarity, storytelling, “teammate, not dashboard” vision

• What Connect looks for: opinionated founders, UX instincts, tinkerer’s mindset for frontier tech

• Why build in Paris: AI talent pools, engineering culture, global problem space, France as AI magnet

• Geography myths: great companies emerge anywhere, Europe’s deep industry advantage, dual‑hub (EU + US GTM) playbooks

• ewake now: out of stealth, hiring, design partnerships, stress‑testing agents in real incidents

• Final reflections: design‑led vs. tinker‑led founders, ewake’s fit in frontier‑tech, next wave of AI infra

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E675 | Binh Tran, AVV (Ascend Vietnam Ventures): Building Boldly Across Borders

EUVC – Dec 23 2025

David Cruz e Silva (EUVC) and Ambika (Circle Capital) sit down with Binh Tran (AVV) – a VC headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City backing tech founders across Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and the U.S. Tran, a serial founder who sold Klout for $200 M, discusses Vietnam’s ecosystem growth, power‑law returns, government catalysts, and backing founders with grit and global ambition.

What’s covered

• “Build Boldly, Scale Faster”: AVV’s tagline and speed‑ambition link

• Vietnam’s ecosystem in a decade: 60 % of startups founded 2015‑2025; AVV rode the first wave

• Founder‑to‑funder journey: Bay Area AI wave to seeding Vietnam’s first generation

• Power‑law in Southeast Asia: applicability and maturing cycles in India, China, Vietnam

• Government as catalyst: GDP per‑capita rise, 8 % growth, early state‑backed VC signs

• Vietnam startup data: six unicorns in < 5 years, hungry domestic ecosystem

• Investment focus: tech talent over local markets; global mindset, local execution

• VC learnings: hands‑on approach, operator‑to‑builder, early‑stage work in developing markets

• Impact meets returns: government collaboration enables “ecosystem shaping”

• Advice for global LPs: early, cheap, high‑talent markets; AI as equaliser

• LP mix: 45 % U.S., 45 % East Asia, 10 % Europe; corporates use AVV for China + 1 exposure

• Working with founders: hacker houses, U.S. rounds, boutique founder‑first approach

• Cultural calibration: storytelling, global GTM, hiring for scale

• Changing beliefs: from Valley hypergrowth to Vietnam resourcefulness and grit

• Next five years: mobile gaming, Web3 for developing markets, AI dev tools, agri‑tech as Vietnam’s edge

• Final reflection: “Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t”

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E674 | Michael Sackler, Supernode Global: Betting on the Tools We All Use Every Day

EUVC – Dec 19 2025

Michael Sackler (Supernode Global) explains his shift from film to venture, founding Supernode to back application‑layer software with consumer‑grade UI/UX. Fund I proved the model; Fund II is scaling.

What’s covered

• Fund I → Fund II: expanding from “content + tech” to daily personal & professional tools

• Thesis shift: six themes (wellbeing, productivity, vitality, life‑ops, community, creative/pro‑work augmentation)

• Unifying thread: application‑layer software + UI/UX obsession (consumer‑grade experiences applied to enterprise)

• Fund II in motion: 13 companies deployed, portfolio tells the story

• Sourcing edge: 50/50 inbound/outbound, gender‑balanced team, drives deal flow from overlooked founders

• Speed as superpower: fast conviction, aggressive execution, deep consumer focus

• Value add: growth support, fundraising pathways, Supernode’s “connector” identity

• 34 % GP commit: personal capital signal to LPs

• AI elephant: where AI enhances work vs. erases human craft (Graswold example)

• Human creativity vs. automation: AI reshapes menial tasks, stories still anchor value

• AI art, authenticity & meaning: fully AI‑generated output loses emotional value; hybrid human‑AI creation wins

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E673 | Matti Hautsalo, Nordic Science Investments: University Spin‑outs, Multidisciplinary Bets & The Playbook to Scale Science in Europe

EUVC – Dec 18 2025

Andreas Munk Holm talks with Matti Hautsalo (Founding Partner, Nordic Science Investments) about backing university spin‑outs across the Nordics and Europe. NSI provides early‑stage capital, helps recruit commercial leaders, navigates TTOs, and transfers IP for broader deep‑tech syndicates.

What’s covered

• Why spin‑outs now? Researchers can start great companies if tech + commercial duo is built early

• “Dynamic Duo” model: founder‑scientist stays CSO/CTO; external CEO/CBO hired early

• Dedicated spin‑out fund: traditional VCs pass on non‑tick‑box deals; NSI bridges the “Death Valley” with private capital

• Working with TTOs: best practices, process vs. policy, ownership norms (≈10 % fine; >20 % tricky)

• Reality check: hard negotiations happen, good deals get done; constraint is resourcing, not intent

• How VCs should navigate universities: people & trust business, adapt to each campus, don’t rewrite policy from outside

• Team building: interim CEO from within vs. recruiting fast, set expectations day 1

• Attracting CEOs: meaningful equity, credible follow‑on plan, industry operators take risk if tech is real

• Incentives & cap‑table: ~20 % option pool early; avoid dead equity for non‑operating senior academics; educate on vesting

• Terms that fail: over‑allocating to passive contributors, unclear vesting, undersized option pools for key hires

• Founder return to academia: standard 12‑month cliff, then linear vesting; cap‑table rewards future commitment, not past papers

• Beyond silos = alpha: multidisciplinary spin‑outs outperform; most investors miss them

• Case study – Perfect Technologies: physics × food science, ultrasound‑structured oils mimicking butter at ~0 % saturated fats, small Series A closed with food‑tech co‑investors

• Tranching & milestones: pre‑seed small & milestone‑based (one tech + one commercial); Nordics soft funding extends runway

• Ticket sizes: ~€100 k pre‑seed, ~€500 k seed (case‑by‑case); “From seed onwards we act like any other VC.”

• Why specialization wins: networks to validate state‑of‑the‑art, patience with TTOs, willingness to roll up sleeves on team building

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E672 | Stefan Roebel: Building Europe’s New Defense Tech Prime

EUVC – Dec 17 2025

Andreas sits with Stefan Roebel (Co‑Founder & CEO, ARX Robotics) about Europe’s defence‑tech startup landscape. From a German Armed Forces background to Amazon, eBay, and Grover, Stefan now leads ARX in building modular robotic systems for defence and dual‑use applications.

What’s covered

• From Afghanistan to Amazon to ARX: Stefan’s founder journey

• The broomstick that became a digital decoy – ARX’s origin story

• First breakthrough: duct‑taped prototypes that worked

• ARX’s modular robotics suite (500 kg payload, autonomy, retrofits)

• Educating VCs: defence tech moving from “too weird” to oversubscribed

• Picking investors: big names vs. true believers with military insight

• Real deployments in Ukraine: ammo supply & medevac in the kill zone

• Ukraine’s lessons shaping Europe’s defence future

• Drone war impact: solving Europe’s “lack of mass”

• Will ARX become a “new prime”? Incumbents can’t move fast enough

• Dual‑use beyond defence: disaster relief, critical infrastructure, NGOs

• AI in defence robotics: solving missions, not chasing the holy grail

• Hiring for defence: when military background matters (and when it doesn’t)

• Why Stefan is hopeful for Europe’s defence‑tech ecosystem

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E671 | Matthew Wilson (Jack & Jill) & Peter Specht (Creandum): AI Recruiting Agents, a $20 M Seed & the New GTM Playbook

EUVC – Dec 16 2025

Andreas Munk Holm talks with Matthew Wilson (co‑founder, Jack & Jill) and Peter Specht (GP, Creandum) about AI‑driven recruiting agents. Jack helps candidates; Jill helps companies. Together they aim to become the world’s most networked AI‑powered recruitment agency without classic incentive conflicts.

What’s covered

• Creandum’s conviction on voice‑based interfaces; recruiting as a massive, broken vertical for agent AI

• Founding moment: leaving Omnipresent, 18 months in the wilderness, insight that agents make talent marketplaces viable

• Recruiting broken (and AI made it worse): need for first‑principles thinking to avoid “more noise, not more signal”

• Investor conviction: founder/market fit, why this moment is different, defensibility of a two‑sided agentic marketplace

• User experience: AI recruiter “coffee chat” – voice conversation → matching, prep, coaching, introductions

• Solving incentives trap: Jack works 100 % for candidates, Jill 100 % for companies (fixing agency conflicts)

• Coaching as core: AI unlocks career guidance, interview prep, hands‑on support rarely offered today

• Building fast in the AI era: talent density, global expansion, why a $20 M seed makes sense for a dual‑product marketplace

• Two companies in one: scaling Jack (consumer) + Jill (B2B) simultaneously, across markets, with AI leverage

• GTM playbook: engineering‑led marketing, AI‑driven creative testing, instant value, rethinking B2B buying

• New AI go‑to‑market: speed, PLG dominance, virality‑by‑design, distribution now matters more than ever

• Two GTM worlds: viral AI products vs. slow, enterprise‑heavy AI deployments (both will coexist)

• “Productisation” of marketing: engineering now powers growth, not headcount‑heavy marketing orgs

• Final advice (VC POV): start with a unique insight, not a trend; think in 5‑10 year arcs, not quick ARR bumps

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E670 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax

EUVC – Dec 15 2025

A holiday‑home special where Dan Bowyer, Mads Jensen (SuperSeed) and Lomax Ward (Outsized Ventures) discuss AI strategy, SpaceX mega‑raise, Europe’s position between China and the US, defence‑spending reality checks, and uplifting deep‑tech deals.

What’s covered

• AI‑for‑Science, robotics and the new “AI scientist” era

• National‑curriculum Gemini and a tutor for every child

• SpaceX 2026 IPO: what investors are actually buying

• Starship, orbital compute and the trillion‑dollar imagination gap

• Why Europe missed the space race again

• Portugal flips the script: “Economy of the Year”

• Europe between China’s export tsunami and America’s cold shoulder

• Defence budgets: hype, delay and reality for startups

• AI Corner: bubble fears, Mistral’s comeback, Meta goes closed, China goes full‑stack

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E669 | Harrison Rose, GoodFit: How AI Is Rewriting B2B Go‑to‑Market

EUVC – Dec 12 2025

Harrison Rose (co‑founder of GoodFit, former Paddle co‑founder) discusses AI‑driven GTM data platforms. GoodFit maps entire markets and scores every account, helping B2B tech firms optimise their sales pipelines.

What’s covered

• GoodFit’s product: market mapping & account scoring

• Paddle origins → first‑principles GTM problem that became GoodFit

• From internal tool to standalone company – recognising the “product inside Paddle”

• Who buys GoodFit – B2B tech as first adopter, larger market potential

• Second‑time founder advantage – credibility, networks, selling before product exists

• Choosing investors – why Notion, avoiding echo chambers, constructing a syndicate

• Bootstrapping for four years – optionality, profitability curiosity, knowing when VC is right path

• AI’s real impact on GTM – most teams just automate bad outreach

• GoodFit vision – deciding who to sell to, why, and how (leaving execution to others)

• Leaving Paddle – identity, founder evolution, leading differently the second time around

• Giving back – Harrison opens his inbox for “weird, gnarly, unsaid” founder questions

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E668 | Sergey Jakimov, LongeVC: Impacting Lives Through Longevity & Health Investing

EUVC – Dec 11 2025

Sergey Jakimov (Co‑founder & Managing Partner, LongeVC) explains the fund’s focus on longevity‑focused biotech, AI‑driven drug discovery, and healthy‑aging breakthroughs.

What’s covered

• Who is Sergey Jakimov? From biotech entrepreneur to longevity investor

• LongeVC thesis, structure, Fund II snapshot

• Market for longevity & age‑related disease: $1.6 trillion opportunity

• Track record: Fund I’s 3×+ MOIC, 0 write‑offs, 20 portfolio companies

• Deal sourcing: scientific advisory board and AI‑driven diligence

• Ecosystem advantage: nonprofits to physician networks

• Case studies: Insilico Medicine (AI‑drug‑discovery unicorn), Turn Biotechnologies (HanAll partnership), Rubedo Life Sciences (Beiersdorf dermatology deal)

• Pharma pipeline erosion fuels biotech M&A

• Fund II: $120 M target, 20 % carry, 10‑year term

• LP privileges: access, co‑investments, semi‑annual IC observation

• Sergey’s vision: longevity as both moral and financial imperative

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E667 | Ole Lehmann: AI Solopreneurs, Crypto’s Unkept Promise & the Case for Building in Europe

EUVC – Dec 10 2025

Ole Lehmann discusses the rise of AI‑enabled solopreneurs, the unrealised potential of crypto infrastructure, and his “Built in Europe” initiative to support ambitious founders who stay on the continent.

What’s covered

• Ole’s journey: music production → crypto → AI education

• Crypto disillusionment & blockchain infrastructure promise

• Solopreneur mindset: freedom, curiosity, leverage

• Content‑market‑fit > product‑market‑fit: a new building approach

• Interest graphs beat follower counts in 2025

• New class of founders & portfolio play to back them

• AI tools empower one‑person media companies

• Building in Europe: more than a narrative play

• Cultural & regulatory hurdles still holding Europe back

• Why European tech founders need to enter the political arena

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E666 | Charles Dunn & Ruth McKernan, SV Health Investors: Exit of the Year Winners and Biotech Company Builders

EUVC – Dec 9 2025

Charles Dunn (Principal) and Ruth McKernan (CBE, Operating Partner) discuss SV Health’s transatlantic healthcare focus, notable exits (e.g., EyeBio to Merck) and the launch of Driag Therapeutics, a UK neuropsychiatry company.

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E665 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax

EUVC – Dec 8 2025

Discussion on Bending Spoons’ European roll‑up, Brexit’s economic hangover, Volkswagen’s existential challenges, Google vs OpenAI “Code Red”, and whether Europe has had its long‑overdue shock moment.

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E664 | Mikael Johnsson, Oxx: AI Hype, Real Productivity & How Not to Lose the Plot

EUVC – Dec 5 2025

Mikael Johnsson (Co‑founder & GP, Oxx) offers a clear‑eyed view on the current AI wave, warning against valuation discipline slip and mistaking pilot excitement for lasting enterprise value.

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E663 | Leyla Holterud, Vintage Investment Partners: European Venture – Growth, Secondaries & the Future

EUVC – Dec 4 2025

Leyla Holterud (Partner) talks about Vintage’s €4.3 bn platform, fund‑of‑funds, growth, and secondaries strategies across Europe.

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E662 | Damian Cristian & Guy Conway, Rule 30: Building the First Fully Systematic VC

EUVC – Dec 3 2025

Damian Cristian and Guy Conway (co‑founders, Rule 30) explain their AI research lab’s systematic venture strategy, differentiating “data‑driven” hygiene from decision‑driven engines, and their portfolio construction math targeting 3×+ returns with 97.5 % confidence.

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E661 | Jack Leeney, 7GC: The AI Supercycle, IPO Windows & Europe’s Missing M&A Flywheel

EUVC – Dec 2 2025

Jack Leeney (co‑founder, 7GC) discusses AI supercycle dynamics, IPO windows, and why Europe needs a robust M&A ecosystem to unlock liquidity.

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E660 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads, Lomax & Robin

EUVC – Dec 1 2025

Robin Haak (founder of Robin Capital) joins Dan, Mads, and Lomax to discuss EU social‑media bans for minors, surveillance creep, UK budget signals, VAT scandals, N26 regulatory struggles, Germany’s macro problems, AI energy deficits, solo‑GP rise, and an AI‑corner on OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and Michael Burry.

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E659 | Max Kufner (again) & Jan Miczaika (HV Capital): Turning CO₂ into Chemicals & Building Europe’s Deep‑Tech Playbook

EUVC – Nov 29 2025

Max Kufner (Co‑founder & CEO, again) and Jan Miczaika (Partner, HV Capital) discuss gas‑eating microbes that convert CO₂ emissions into chemicals, the challenges of deep‑tech venture in Europe, talent scarcity, board dynamics, and the path to a Series B.

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E658 | Martin Scherrer, Redstone VC: CVC Secondaries Without Burning Bridges

EUVC – Nov 28 2025

Martin Scherrer (Partner & Head of Managed Funds, Redstone) and Jeppe Høier discuss corporate venture capital secondaries, runoff vs. selling, spin‑outs, follow‑ons in shutdown mode, partnership design, governance, and how to avoid a wind‑down.

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E657 | Jan Lozek, Future Energy Ventures (FEV): From Corporate Carve‑Out to Climate Capital

EUVC – Nov 27 2025

Jan Lozek (Co‑Founder & Managing Director, FEV) explains the carve‑out from E.ON, the two‑fund model, software‑first thesis, grid intelligence, AI for grid balance, renewables economics, data‑center energy demand, electrifying cities, and scaling to billions.

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E656 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax

EUVC – Nov 24 2025

Topics include Slush recap, Web Summit vs Slush, Germany’s €35 B space strategy, immigrant founder effect, defence‑stock boom, Vinted secondary, cookie‑banner rollback, UK AI money wave, China’s rare‑earth leverage, Europe’s multipolar dilemma, AI‑startup model usage, Google’s TPU moment, Meta & Anthropic TPU commitment, Nvidia’s blowout quarter, and weekly deals.

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E655 | Dave Bailey, FounderCoach.com: From Founder to Coach – Competence, Curiosity & Scaling European Tech

EUVC – Nov 21 2025

Dave Bailey (founder‑coach) shares his path from Delivery Hero to VC to coaching, his methodology (competence before confidence, five pillars, founder mode, visual clarity, trauma‑ego link, product launches, board transformation, founder mindset).

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E654 | Adrian Locher, Merantix Capital: AI Studios & the Future of Venture Building

EUVC – Nov 20 2025

Adrian Locher (Co‑founder & GP, Merantix Capital) discusses why the studio model works for AI‑first companies, validation‑first approach, AI’s relevance to studios, regulation focus on applications, Europe’s edge in healthcare/manufacturing/finance, and the future of venture studios.

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E653 | Elisabeth Schrey, Deep Tech & Climate Fonds (DTCF): DeepTech & Climate Fonds

EUVC – Nov 19 2025

Elisabeth Schrey (lead, DTCF) explains the €1 bn government‑backed fund’s mandate, co‑investment model, crowding‑out vs. catalysing debate, policy‑fragile sectors, “readiness to scale,” avoiding subsidy traps, climate & hydrogen bets, expanding into semiconductors, robotics, cybersecurity, Munich vs Berlin hardware hub, corporate venture role, founder needs, investor incentives, and future fund plans.

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E652 | Lea Strumberger, KfW Capital: How One of Europe’s Largest Public LP Thinks About Opportunity Funds

EUVC – Nov 18 2025

Lea Strumberger (Senior Investment Manager, KfW Capital) outlines the Opportunity Fund structure, Series B+ focus, LP‑GP alignment, fee and carry terms, governance, hurdle rates, and market pulse of ~10 OFs per year.

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E651 | This Week in European Tech: Exit Taxes, AI Reality Checks & The New Tech Sovereignty Race

EUVC – Nov 17 2025

Discussion on UK exit tax, China’s open‑source AI threat, hyperscaler accounting drama (Michael Burry), Europe’s supply‑chain vulnerabilities, and kill‑switch relevance.

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E650 | Patrick Odier (Lombard Odier & Building Bridges) & Enrique (Chi Impact Capital): Three Systemic Plays to Underwrite Now

EUVC – Nov 13 2025

Patrick Odier (Chair, Lombard Odier) and Enrique (Chi Impact Capital) discuss circularity, energy & electrification, nature & land‑use, materials, transition arenas, impact vs. returns, and where to invest now.

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E649 | Mariette Roesink, Curie Capital: Backing Life Sciences, Unicorns & Zero Bankruptcies

EUVC – Nov 11 2025

Mariette Roesink (Co‑Founder, Curie Capital) explains the fund’s dual promise of high returns and patient impact, family‑money alignment, €200 M raise, unicorn exits, zero bankruptcies, specialist networks, and Europe’s life‑science strength.

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E648 | This Week in European Tech: The Baltics, Bureaucracy & Building Boldly

EUVC – Nov 10 2025

Jone Vaituleviciute (Managing Partner, Firstpick VC) joins Dan, Mads, and Lomax to discuss Baltic startup growth, bootstrapping culture, defence deals, permissionless growth, quant trading, AI corner, and weekly deals.

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E647 | Kristaps Ronis, ION Pacific: The Rise of Structured Secondaries in Venture

EUVC – Nov 6 2025

Kristaps Ronis (Partner, ION Pacific) explains structured secondaries, DPI importance, liquidity without selling, governance, timing, and advice for GPs & LPs.

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E646 | Alper (Agave Games) & Enis Hulli (e2vc): Pivoting Models & Building Global Gaming Success from Turkey

EUVC – Nov 5 2025

Alper Oner (Co‑founder, Agave Games) and Enis Hulli (GP, e2vc) discuss Agave’s pivot from publishing to in‑house development, “Find the Cat” success, Series A raise, Turkey’s gaming ecosystem, and future growth.

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E645 | Seb Agertoft (Evolution) & Mike Reiner (432 Legacy): Venture Beyond – Trauma vs Purpose

EUVC – Nov 4 2025

Seb Agertoft (Partner, Evolution) and Mike Reiner (432 Legacy) explore coaching founders, product experience in coaching, the “right kind” of stubbornness, trauma vs purpose, and balancing conviction with openness.

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E644 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads, Lomax & Andrew – AI Moratoriums, Market Cooldowns & the Politics of Progress

EUVC – Nov 3 2025

Conversation on AI moratoriums, European safety‑first politics, LP freeze, optimism deficit, policy paralysis, deep‑tech divergence, founders as statesmen, AI regulation, and the great European reset.

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E643 | Sebastian Peck, KOMPAS VC: Europe’s Industrial Tech Moment – Decarbonisation, AI & the Risk‑Appetite Gap

EUVC – Oct 30 2025

Sebastian Peck (Partner, KOMPAS VC) outlines industrial tech pillars, energy debate, corporate commitments, AI in industrial tech, robotics reality, adoption hurdles, AI & jobs, regulation, startup‑corporate partnerships, fund II, specialist vs generalist VCs, pension capital reform, and ecosystem needs.

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E642 | Lucanus Polagnoli & Stephanie Urbanski, Calm/Storm: Digital Health, Not Hype – Building, Backing & Staying Calm Through the Cycle

EUVC – Oct 28 2025

Lucanus Polagnoli (Founding Partner & CEO) and Stephanie Urbanski (Managing Director) discuss Calm/Storm’s Fund II, community‑as‑product model, specialist focus on software‑only digital health, regulation as moat, AI in health, Europe’s moment, and portfolio highlights.

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E641 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads, Lomax & Andrew – AI, Robots & Regulation

EUVC – Oct 27 2025

Topics include Amazon’s robot push, European manufacturing workforce, productivity vs. policy, AI’s second industrial revolution, enterprise AI failure modes, white‑collar AI co‑pilots, China’s lead, politics & technocracy, UK AI sandbox, AI in the NHS, EU’s 28th regime, German bottleneck, and deal of the week (CoalMine).

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E640 | Stephen Chandler, Jessica Bartos & Stephanie Opdam, Notion Capital: Scaling European Growth Companies with Founder Quality & AI Insight

EUVC – Oct 24 2025

Discussion on Notion’s Growth Fund, founder quality, AI trends, enterprise go‑to‑market, diligence at growth stage, exit strategy, European vs US listings, fund evolution, and multi‑stage strategy.

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E639 | Alexandre Mars, Blisce: From Serial Entrepreneur to Impact VC – Rethinking Freedom, Purpose & Europe’s Tech Future

EUVC – Oct 23 2025

Alexandre Mars (founder of Blisce) shares his journey from serial founder to impact investor, defining impact, Europe vs US risk culture, tech’s societal role, sovereignty, policy, and Paris as a rising hub.

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E638 | Matti Rönkkö, Kiilto Ventures: Family Capital, Industrial Know‑How & Sustainable Built World

EUVC – Oct 22 2025

Matti Rönkkö (Managing Director, Kiilto Ventures) explains the blend of family capital, industry know‑how, CVC vs VC dynamics, co‑investing, built‑environment challenges, and portfolio snapshots.

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E637 | Anders Kjær, PSV Hafnium: Building Denmark’s First Deep‑Tech Fund & the New Nordic Innovation Advantage

EUVC – Oct 21 2025

Anders Kjær (GP, PSV Hafnium) discusses the fund’s deep‑tech focus, Nordic research‑industrial complex, founder readiness, specialist vs generalist VCs, European resilience, and bridge‑rounds.

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E636 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads, Lomax & Ben Prade

EUVC – Oct 20 2025

Fundraising reality, sovereign LP strings, Klarna liquidity, Goldman secondary push, AI “everything app” moment, circularity vs reality, unit economics, China’s dark factories, Europe’s capital gap, and ecoRobotix deal.

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E635 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Francesco Di Lorenzo, Copenhagen Business School – Nordic CVC Insights

EUVC – Oct 19 2025

Francesco Di Lorenzo (Associate Professor) shares research on Nordic corporate venture capital, tools beyond CVC, measuring success, smart money vs. capital, venture clienting, governance cycles, collaboration vs. competition, AI paradox, and policy implications.

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E634 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Christian Tang (Acme) & Claus Gregersen (Augustinus Fabrikker) – Global Ambition in an Age of Sovereignty

EUVC – Oct 18 2025

Christian Tang (Acme) and Claus Gregersen (Augustinus Fabrikker) discuss global ambition, US expansion, trade tensions, value‑adding capital, lessons from COVID and defence, and the need for global ambition despite sovereign pressures.

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E633 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Anne C. Fleischer (Novo Nordisk) & Henrijette Richter (Sofinnova Partners) – Innovation in Health

EUVC – Oct 17 2025

Anne Fleischer (Novo Nordisk) and Henrijette Richter (Sofinnova Partners) explore digital health, AI in patient care, scaling deep‑tech, consumerisation of health, Europe’s strengths, and future health innovations.

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E632 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Charlie Hayward, Global Corporate Venturing – The Data Behind the $100 B CVC Wave

EUVC – Oct 16 2025

Charlie Hayward (Global Corporate Venturing) analyses CVC’s global impact, sector focus, performance, early‑stage shift, geographic hotspots, value‑add beyond capital, governance, and future frontiers (universities, accelerators, venture clienting).

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E631 | EUCVC Summit 2025: Marcus Behrendt (BMW iVentures) & Nicole LeBlanc (Woven Capital) – What’s Next in the European Automotive Industry

EUVC – Oct 15 2025

Marcus Behrendt (BMW iVentures) and Nicole LeBlanc (Woven Capital) discuss mobility CVCs, hardware capital intensity, strategic vs. financial returns, frictions & opportunities, exit realities, and the next decade of automotive innovation.

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E630 | Alexey Plesakov & Alexander Lis, Social Discovery Ventures (SDV): Betting Across Borders & Global Play on European VC

EUVC – Oct 14 2025

Alexey Plesakov and Alexander Lis (SDV) explain their US‑centric portfolio, European VC balance, emerging‑manager focus, macro‑micro analysis, conservative 2025 deployment, European VC arbitrage, bootstrapping lessons, and the “Five Whys” test for hype.