On today’s episode of FYI, Florian Berberich and Thomas Hartmann-Boyce engage with prominent entrepreneur and investor Frank Thelen. We put the spotlight on the state of disruptive innovation and technology in Europe, with a focused gaze on Frank’s home country, Germany. Thelen, the founder of Freigeist Capital and 10xDNA, shares his insights into the challenges that European and German companies face in keeping pace with the United States’ progress. The episode traverses an assortment of subjects, ranging from the future of the German car industry to artificial intelligence (AI’s) potential and its impact on the precision agriculture sector. Thelen’s significant influence in Germany’s version of Shark Tank draws attention to the importance of entrepreneurship and its potential for generating revenue. All this and more, on FYI.

• Overview of Frank’s background
• Adapting to exponential tech growth beyond linear success
• How Europe’s innovation merges AI, 3D printing, internet of things (IoT), and blockchain
• Why Europe’s innovation potential needs more investment to keep pace globally
• German caution slows fintech adoption; mindset shift needed for innovation
• Europe may lead in robotics and biotech, leveraging manufacturing excellence
• Why Europe needs entrepreneurial stars to inspire innovation and drive talent
• Germany’s potential in seed-stage tech stifled by a lack of late-stage funding
• European interest in innovation and thematic investments is growing
• “Shark Tank” Germany experience shows entrepreneurship’s broad appeal and success
• Sustainable food innovation is necessary and ripe for technological investment