EUROPE BUILDS by BORRN

What brings two top investors with years of experience in global markets back to Athens? And how do they go about measuring impact and value? This episode we are joined by Ariadne Velissaropoulou and Marina Bouki, two former institutional investors who turned into angel investing and returned to Greece. We discuss investing against the current, highlight the traits that make founders stand out, like fearless optimism and a can-do attitude, and how angel investors can help guide founders through their first entrepreneurial steps. We also discuss the value of coachability for founders, which ideas have caught Ariadne and Marina’s interests, from Athens to the Faroe Islands, and how to measure impact in investing and bring value among the noise.Find out more about Blossom ventures, the Greek Female Angel Investors Club, here: blossom-ventures.com/

How does an operator turn his insight into successful leadership as a CEO? And how does a tech and AI expert who worked for the US administration apply his learnings into the start-up ecosystem?On this episode we are joined by Adam Bonnifield, a tech entrepreneur behind some of the most impactful projects in global mobility. Most recently. Adam served as CEO of KONUX, the first AI scale-up in rail and was also Head of AI at Airbus, the world’s largest aerospace company, driving innovations in autonomous flight, advanced manufacturing, predictive maintenance and sustainability. Previously, Adam led data and technology projects for the Obama White House, and founded two startups dedicated to democratising AI and Big Data.We discuss how to train teams and scale up capabilities, how deep tech companies can get over their struggles with R&D, how a CEO can help a company continue to innovate depending on its stage, and how experience in the public sector can actually turn into wisdom about scaling operations and bureaucracies. We also dissect how today is simultaneously the best and also hardest time to create a company in the AI space, and why Adam is bullish about Europe’s future in the field despite the challenges.

George Hadjigeorgiou, co-founder and CEO of Skroutz, shares his journey from hobbyist to leader of Greece's largest online marketplace. He emphasizes the importance of embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. The conversation dives into the challenges of scaling a startup while preserving its culture and values. Hadjigeorgiou also discusses the dynamics of co-founding a business, the role of private equity in Greek tech, and offers valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. His insights highlight the evolving landscape of innovation in Greece.

What does it take to scale a start-up from garage mode to a global superpower, with clients ranging from the US Department of Defense to Toyota?This week we are joined by Haris Pylarinos, Founder and CEO of Hack The Box. Born initially as a passion project for Harris, Hack The Box has grown to become the world’s leading cybersecurity performance center, providing millions of users with a human-first platform to create and maintain high-performing cybersecurity individuals and organizations. The platform stands out for its innovative gamification approach, making cybersecurity learning more accessible, engaging, effective and fun, and it is used today by clients ranging from Deloitte to the University of South Florida.We discuss how a community of users evolved into an impressive global clientele, strategies to understand a proper product-market fit, the transformative power of gamification in education and explore the question of Europe’s position in the cybersecurity ecosystem.🖲️Watch a video interview of Haris discussing how he turned his passion into Hack The Box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsDSGsR8Wpo🔨 Learn more about EUROPE BUILDS: https://byborrn.substack.com/p/does-europe-build-real-innovation

How can a startup help companies and corporate leaders redefine how they approach coaching and people management?This week, we are joined by Hilary Klassen, Founder and CEO of Bestselfy, a platform whose mission is to help people be their best self at work. Drawing on modern insights from coaching, psychology, and people development, the Bestselfy app helps managers coach their team via key insights, connect with their team’s personal and professional goals, and go beyond daily managing to engage on a whole new level. Hilary was previously the founder of Kowhog, the first open-source HR/recruitment consultancy and has founded a number of other ventures.We discuss lessons from Hilary’s serial entrepreneurial journey and the challenges women entrepreneurs face, cultural differences in approaching sales, the art of building an MVP and the future trends of leadership coaching.💪Listen to a podcast episode where Hilary discusses strengths-based leadership: https://www.bestselfy.com/post/run-with-hilary-episode-33-strengths-based-leadershipLearn more about EUROPE BUILDS: https://byborrn.substack.com/p/does-europe-build-real-innovation

How does one build the largest micromobility fleet in Europe? And how can partnerships, mergers and acquisitions help a company soar to new heights?This week we are joined by Maxim Romain, President and Co-founder of Dott, who is on a mission to change mobility for good. With over 250,000 vehicles after joining forces with TIER, the company today directly employs over 1,900 people and operates shared e-bikes and e-scooters in 400+ cities across Europe and the Middle East. We discuss navigating complex negotiations, lessons from Dott’s journey with integration, and the future of the micromobility industry in Europe.🚲Read an article by Reuters documenting how Tier and Dott set out to form Europe's largest e-scooter rental firm https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tier-dott-form-europes-largest-e-scooter-rental-firm-2024-01-10/ Learn more about EUROPE BUILDS: https://byborrn.substack.com/p/does-europe-build-real-innovation

How do great ideas spin from academia into entrepreneurship? And how can a company revolutionize the robotics industry by giving robots a sense of touch? On our latest episode of EUROPE BUILDS, we are joined by Klajd Lika, Founder and CEO of Bota Systems, a company based in Zurich with a vision for robots to work and move safely and as natural and free as humans. As a developer and manufacturer of multi-axis force-torque sensors, Bota Systems and its team of robotics, software and mechanical engineers continually develops highly-integrated and advanced sensors to support a wide range of applications. We discuss Klajd’s leap from the ETH research labs to a fully fledged company with successful commercialization strategies, the recent partnership between Bota Systems and Kinova, the latest trends in robotics and the main differences in robotics adoption between the EU and the US. 🧑‍💻Read more about how Bota Systems partnered with Kinova to add sense of touch to AI robotics https://www.therobotreport.com/bota-partners-kinova-robotics-add-sense-touch-ai-robotics/  Learn more about EUROPE BUILDS: https://byborrn.substack.com/p/does-europe-build-real-innovation

How can AI empower non-native English speakers to communicate with confidence?  In this episode, we sit down with Anada Lakra, the Founder and CEO of BoldVoice, an innovative ed-tech app that uses AI to help non-native English speakers improve their accents, communication skills, and confidence. Anada shares how her experiences as an immigrant in the U.S. inspired BoldVoice and shaped its mission to make effective communication accessible to all. We delve into how AI is leveraged to adapt to the nuances of human speech, explore the development of the app’s new viral feature—a tool that predicts and detects a user’s accent—and discuss how it’s driving BoldVoice’s global expansion. Anada also provides valuable insights into building a thriving user base, the challenges and rewards of a B2C model, and the differences in fundraising and scaling in Europe versus the U.S. 🧑‍💻Read more about the Accent Oracle, the new tool by BoldVoice that can accurately detect your accent using AI https://www.msn.com/en-ca/technology/artificial-intelligence/discover-the-artificial-intelligence-website-that-accurately-detects-your-accent/ar-BB1r9ZRs  Learn more about EUROPE BUILDS: https://byborrn.substack.com/p/does-europe-build-real-innovation

What does it take to build and scale successful tech teams? And how can leaders overcome the fear of failure and embrace growth in a fast-paced industry? In this episode, we are joined by Michael Petychakis, the former CTO of ORFIUM, a global leader in providing software, data, and licensing solutions to the entertainment industry, and the current CTO of Dialectica. Michael shares the unorthodox start of his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons learned from multiple pivots, his insight on the evolution of AI, and his experience leading tech teams through successful mergers and acquisitions. We dive into his strategies for scaling teams, fostering innovation, and creating an environment where failure is a stepping stone, not a roadblock. Tune in for an insightful conversation on leadership, adaptability, and thriving in the ever-evolving world of tech. 🧑‍💻Listen to Michael’s TED talk about building a better future with AI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_go6hqPRcg 🔨Learn more about EUROPE BUILDS: https://byborrn.substack.com/p/does-europe-build-real-innovation

What does it take to innovate at the crossroads of technology and life sciences?  This week we are joined by Dimitris Skaltsas, Co-Founder and CEO of Intelligencia AI, an innovative company applying AI and machine learning to de-risk drug development. Intelligencia AI aims to bridge the gap between innovation and risk reduction with an interdisciplinary team of software engineers, AI practitioners, scientists, and drug developers, with the ultimate goal of bringing novel therapies to patients faster. Dimitris shares insights into balancing innovation with regulation, releasing AI tools at the right moment, and fostering trust-based relationships to bridge the gap between risk and discovery. 🚀Listen to Dimitris discuss how to think fast and slow in start-up culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDLq4kdMy9o Learn more about EUROPE BUILDS: https://byborrn.substack.com/p/does-europe-build-real-innovation