VC | E419 | Target Global's Shmuel Chafets on reigniting Europe's creator mindset and investing in AI-Native innovations

In today’s episode of The European VC, Andreas talks with Shmuel Chafets, co-founder and Partner at Target Global, one of Europe’s leading venture firms with investments spanning software, fintech, mobility, logistics, healthcare, and consumer internet. With over 140 portfolio companies, including Revolut, Delivery Hero, and TravelPerk, Target Global operates across Europe, Israel, the Middle East, and Africa, backing founders from early-stage to growth. Known for its pragmatic approach to investing, the firm is increasingly focused on AI-native startups and frontier technologies shaping the next decade.

Since launching Target Global a decade ago, Shmuel has been at the forefront of European venture investing, navigating market cycles and shifting investment strategies in response to macro and technological trends. In this conversation, he shares his candid views on Europe's lagging position in AI, why Europe must shift from a risk-averse mindset to a creator-driven economy, and how AI is set to disrupt everything from public services to vertical SaaS. We also dive into why Target Global is moving earlier in its investment strategy, the growing relevance of Israel and the UAE in global tech, and why European bureaucracy remains one of the biggest obstacles to innovation.

Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀