I’ve been waiting for this one.

What do - two decades of startup investing, the European moment, democratisation of venture capital, and growth stage opportunity - have in common?

It’s the VC firm redalpine!

The most interesting thing about European venture right now isn’t just the startups being built. It’s the setup investors are staring at.

On the surface, the story looks familiar: macro noise, cautious LPs, regulation debates. But underneath, the ingredients for one of the strongest vintages in decades are aligning.

Here’s why Michael Sidler (Founding Partner) calls this “the best VC market setup I’ve seen in 20 years”:

(1) Valuation Gap. Public markets are frothy again. Private valuations are still compressed. That gap doesn’t stay open forever.

(2) IPO Window. Klarna’s NYSE debut wasn’t just liquidity—it was a psychological shift. It reminded founders, GPs, and LPs that belief is back.

(3) Capital Flows. Rates are heading down. Liquidity is moving back into risk assets. Public equities already feel priced in. Private equity and venture stand to benefit.

(4) Crisis Vintage Effect. The best VC vintages are often born in rough patches. 2022 was painful; 2025 could be the payoff.

(5) Europe’s Deep Tech Edge. When Princeton gave up on building precision magnets for a fusion plant, German engineers pulled it off. Europe’s strength lies where software meets engineering—and AI is about to amplify that.

(6) Democratization. Redalpine’s Summit Fund is part of a new wave of evergreen, semi-liquid VC products. For LPs and private banks, it’s a way in without the closed-end fund headache. Venture as an asset class is coming of age.

This isn’t a victory lap. Michael’s own words: “It’s like standing in front of the goal. The keeper has slipped. You still have to put the ball in.”

For Michael, venture isn’t just capital—it’s culture. The dot-com scars left European institutions risk-averse. But a new generation of founders (and now LPs) see startups as rock stars, not pity cases. The asset class is coming of age.

And if you care about European tech, this might be the most interesting setup we’ve had in two decades.

Chapters in the podcast:

(00:00) Episode introduction and overview of the strategic VC report
(00:35) Guest introduction: Michael Sidler’s background and early career
(01:19) Founding story of Redalpine and lessons from early venture years
(04:31) Portfolio highlights: N26, Taxfix, Inkit, La Quera, Proxima Fusion, Araris
(06:25) Investment philosophy: focusing on founders and unique innovation
(09:44) Why the current moment is strong for European venture capital
(14:37) Technology trends: AI, deep tech, and Europe’s global opportunities
(19:54) Funding landscape: early-stage growth and late-stage opportunities
(22:32) Understanding the role of institutional investors in Europe
(26:18) Success factors for European founders expanding internationally
(28:19) Global market dynamics and new areas of technology focus
(34:35) Venture innovation: Redalpine’s Summit Fund and evergreen model
(39:47) Growing interest in venture as a long-term asset class
(43:59) How different investors approach venture capital opportunities
(45:14) Looking ahead: Redalpine’s vision for the future of European VC

Connect with us:

Michael Sidler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidler/

redalpine: https://www.redalpine.com/

Rohit Yadav: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohityadav23/

#24 Storytelling

Der Zukunftsbildner Podcast

Intro

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