EUVC E656 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax
Nov 24, 2025
Dive into Europe's vibrant tech scene with insights on the transformative Slush event, highlighting its founder-first ethos. Explore Germany's ambitious €35B space strategy and the fascinating immigrant founder effect that fuels a significant portion of the unicorn boom. The hosts analyze Europe's defense stock surges and the potential demise of cookie banners in favor of digital reforms. Plus, uncover the UK’s booming AI investments and the strategic dilemmas Europe faces amid US-China tensions. All this shows that Europe's opportunity window is wide open but closing fast!
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Slush: Founder-First Startup Hub
- Slush began 17 years ago in Finland to counter local risk-averse culture and grew into a founder-first startup hub.
- Mads Jensen described it as a focused, less corporate alternative to Web Summit where founders book dozens of meetings.
Event Economics Shape Startup Focus
- Nonprofit incentives shape event focus: Slush prioritizes startups while Web Summit chases EBITDA from corporates.
- That structural difference explains why Slush remains more founder-friendly and less corporate-driven.
Germany’s Big Space Bet
- Germany announced a €35B space strategy focused on defense, procurement and sovereign capability.
- Lomax Ward noted the plan seeks procurement access for newer companies, not only big primes.