EUVC VC | E442 | Fal.ai’s Gorkem Yurtseven and E2VC’s Enis Hulli on Building Developer-First AI Infrastructure
Apr 9, 2025
52:00
In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm talks with Enis Hulli, General Partner at e2vc, and Gorkem Yurtseven, founder and CTO of Fal.ai, to unpack the story behind one of Europe’s fastest-growing AI startups.
Gorkem shares how Fal.ai carved a unique niche in the generative media space, focusing not on text but AI-generated images, video, and audio. Enis reflects on the challenges (and perks) of backing a long-time friend turned founder rocketship. Together, they walk through the journey from scrappy pre-seed rounds to a $49M Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz, offering an unfiltered look at what it takes to scale in a hyper-competitive, fast-moving AI landscape.
Gorkem also discusses building a sales motion from scratch as a technical founder, the importance of developer-first products, and how being in San Francisco created viral moments that fueled Fal’s breakout growth. Meanwhile, Enis shares how Fal’s rise shapes his investment strategy, doubling down on diaspora founders and “blue ocean” markets where Europe’s engineering talent can quietly build global winners.
Chapters:
04:50 Deep Dive into Faleye and Generative Media
23:48 Revenue Growth and Market Dynamics
25:30 Strategic Market Positioning
29:10 Sales and Team Management
35:18 Building in San Francisco vs. Europe
47:33 Lessons and Insights for Founders and VCs
Gorkem shares how Fal.ai carved a unique niche in the generative media space, focusing not on text but AI-generated images, video, and audio. Enis reflects on the challenges (and perks) of backing a long-time friend turned founder rocketship. Together, they walk through the journey from scrappy pre-seed rounds to a $49M Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz, offering an unfiltered look at what it takes to scale in a hyper-competitive, fast-moving AI landscape.
Gorkem also discusses building a sales motion from scratch as a technical founder, the importance of developer-first products, and how being in San Francisco created viral moments that fueled Fal’s breakout growth. Meanwhile, Enis shares how Fal’s rise shapes his investment strategy, doubling down on diaspora founders and “blue ocean” markets where Europe’s engineering talent can quietly build global winners.
Chapters:
04:50 Deep Dive into Faleye and Generative Media
23:48 Revenue Growth and Market Dynamics
25:30 Strategic Market Positioning
29:10 Sales and Team Management
35:18 Building in San Francisco vs. Europe
47:33 Lessons and Insights for Founders and VCs