EUVC

At the EUVC Summit 2025, William McQuillan of Frontline Ventures delivered a data-backed reminder: If we’re serious about building global companies from Europe, we need to stop treating the US as a rival—and start treating it like the deeply connected partner it already is.Robin Klein & the Power of Ecosystem BuildersThe session opened with a heartfelt nod to Robin Klein, this year’s Hall of Fame inductee. When Frontline asked leading investors across the continent “Who has been most influential in your journey in European tech?”—four out of five said Robin.“Building an ecosystem isn’t just about investing. It’s about building a fund, a culture, and a movement. Robin has done all three.”His recognition is a signal to us all: the best investors aren’t just backing startups—they’re laying foundations for the entire ecosystem to thrive.Europe vs. US? The Data Tells a Different StoryYou might think Europe and the US operate as separate tech spheres. The media often frames it that way. Politicians like Trump make it seem that way. But the data tells a different story:45% of the world’s internet traffic flows through just 17 transatlantic cables—every single day.In consumer tech, nearly 75% of global spend comes from Europe + the US combined.Signal AI, a Frontline portfolio company, analyzes global news in 150+ languages—yet a major share of its revenue comes from the US.“We’re already collaborating—just not always intentionally.”Think Big. Think Global.William’s message to investors was crystal clear:“We shouldn’t be advising founders to go small or to ignore the US. Europe and America are economically and digitally intertwined—and always have been.”He cited the powerful example of Dr. Katalin Karikó (Europe) and Dr. Drew Weissman (US)—the Nobel-winning team behind mRNA vaccines. Global breakthroughs, enabled by global collaboration.Yes, it’s harder today to build across borders. But that’s where investors need to step up—not retreat.Let’s not let political headlines shape our investment strategies.Let’s help our companies build globally, because that’s how we build lasting, category-defining businesses.And let’s take a page from Robin Klein’s book: invest in the ecosystem, not just the deal.

Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC Podcast, where we bring you the people and perspectives shaping European venture.Today, we’re joined by Ties Boukema, Head of Data, Tech & AI at Dawn Capital, one of Europe’s leading B2B SaaS and Fintech investors. With a background spanning law, statistics, Google Health, and five brain surgeries, Ties brings a rare mix of grit, optimism, and technical firepower to Venture and he’s putting it to use by building Rolodex, an internal AI-powered operating system for Dawn.This is not an AI trends episode. This is an inside look at what it takes to build and deploy technology within a venture firm—and why the industry has been lagging behind.🎯 This Episode’s Themes:How a near-death experience shaped Ties’ perspective—and his edgeWhy most software in VC is “surprisingly bad” and what to do about itHow Dawn is building Rolodex: AI-powered prep, network graphs, and event intelligenceThe myth of “no data in early-stage” and why private markets still need softwareWhat Gawande’s checklist manifesto can teach European ventureHere’s what’s covered:02:00 | Meet Ties: From New York brain surgery to Google to Dawn04:00 | Life Before Surgery: Growing up with 200+ hospital stays09:30 | A Second Life: What changed post-op—and how it shaped his drive11:00 | From Sales to AI: Ties' journey at Google and pivot into health12:45 | Why Venture: “These people are smart… but why are they fixing slides at 2 AM?”14:00 | Perspective as Edge: Handling pressure, breaking rules, and ignoring experts17:30 | AI vs Experts: The false trust in tradition—and how AI challenges it20:00 | The Speed Mismatch: We can produce info 100x faster than we can understand it24:00 | Building Tech for Venture: The reality, the resistance, the rewards29:00 | Buy vs Build: Why VC firms should think like operators, not tinkerers32:00 | Rolodex Origins: The deal Dawn lost—and what it taught them36:00 | Entity Resolution Hell: Why syncing your contacts is harder than you think40:00 | Rolodex in Action: Deal prep, relationship mapping, board meeting alerts44:00 | Quantifying Network Power: How Dawn tracks angels & co-investors46:00 | Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Why Ties changed his mind on VC’s “human core”50:00 | The Checklist Revelation: What brain surgeons taught him about process

This year at the EUVC Summit Awards, Robin Klein was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Backed by HSBC Innovation Banking, the award celebrates a lifetime of impact—and Robin’s legacy stands as a blueprint for what long-term conviction in European tech can look like.As Chris Adelsbach reminded us on stage, we’re no longer an emerging ecosystem. We’ve grown up. And few have helped shape that growth more consistently, more humbly, and more powerfully than Robin.A Legacy That Began Before Venture Had a NameRobin’s story doesn’t begin with startups—it begins with family, migration, and belief.A century ago, his grandfather left Eastern Europe for South Africa. Years later, he handed over his life savings to a young engineer—Robin—to start a business. That first act of belief, Robin said, was venture capital before we had the word for it.From there, the journey spanned decades:→ Two companies built and exited.→ A pivot to angel investing in 1999.→ A front-row seat to the power law—and the human stories behind it.From Fledgling Angels to a $2B PlatformWhat followed was a fundamental reshaping of Europe’s innovation landscape.Across LocalGlobe, Latitude, and Solar, Robin and his team have helped founders build not only unicorns—but also communities, movements, and ecosystems. They’ve backed science and inclusion, food banks and frontier tech, with LPs from both East and West. Today, their platform manages nearly $2 billion.And through it all, one belief has remained constant:Innovation and technology are forces for good—capable of delivering stellar returns to LPs, and positive change to society.A Call to Builders—And the FutureRobin closed by thanking his grandfather—the original backer—and his son and partner, who now help lead the next generation forward.His message to the room was clear:We have the talent, the universities, the engineers. We have the moment.The time is now.Thanks to the foundations we’ve laid— the best is still ahead.

At this year’s EUVC Summit, Oliver Holle from Speedinvest delivered a powerful call to arms. In a room filled with the ecosystem’s builders, he laid out a bold vision for European venture: one that embraces our values, recognizes our untapped capital strength, and demands we shift from fragmentation to scale. His words weren’t just timely—they captured a moment of reckoning for European VC. The message? The opportunity is ours to lose, and the only thing standing in the way is us.Something strange has happened lately—I’ve never felt more proud to be European.Not in a jingoistic way. But in the sense that Europe’s values—modesty, facts over noise, democratic principles, and consensus-building—are becoming a competitive advantage. At a time when reliability and trust are global currencies, Europe’s soft power has quietly gained weight.But soft power alone isn’t enough.

In this episode, Jeppe Høier and Andreas Munk Holm sit down with Julien Fredonie, Head of Europe & Africa at Honda Xcelerator Ventures, for a deep dive into how one of the world’s most iconic manufacturing giants is strategically navigating venture capital across Europe.They explore Honda’s global investment strategy, Julien’s views on Europe’s deeptech strengths, the nuanced role of corporate VC, and why Honda is bullish on European innovation—from climate tech to AI and advanced manufacturing.This one’s a rare look into how a global player allocates capital, thinks about strategic alignment, and partners with both startups and emerging funds.Here’s what’s covered:01:10 Who is Julien Fredonie and what is Honda Xcelerator Ventures?02:40 The 4 Strategic Pillars: Sustainability, Manufacturing, Mobility, AI04:15 What "Deep Tech That Sells" Means to Honda05:30 Strategic Projects Explained: POCs, JVs, and R&D Partnerships07:45 Fund-of-Fund Activity: Why Honda Also Backs VCs09:00 Structuring the CVC: The Role of Julien’s Team vs. Internal Honda R&D11:30 What Startups Get from Honda (Beyond Capital)13:45 Deep Tech DD: How Honda Approaches Validation from Inside & Outside23:30 Where Europe Stands Out: Climate, Advanced Industry, AI25:30 Gen 2 Climate Tech: From Environmental to Industrial Impact26:15 The State of French VC and Deep Tech Momentum

Welcome back to another episode of Upside at the EUVC Podcast, where Dan Bowyer, Mads Jensen of SuperSeed and Lomax from Outsized Ventures unpack what’s happening in European tech and venture capital.This week: Why Meta and Microsoft are minting cash from AI, what Figma’s IPO signals for SaaS, whether the EU got rolled in its new trade deal with the US, and how Europe’s AI scene is finally delivering billion‑dollar exits. Plus: OpenAI’s new “Study Mode” and Harry Stebbings’ Project Europe—an “anti‑YC” deep‑tech accelerator for founders under 25.🎧 Here's what's covered:01:07 Meta & Microsoft Blowout Earnings: How AI is driving real revenue and margins.04:43 Meta’s Efficiency Playbook: Ads, engagement, and headcount cuts fueling growth.06:39 Zuckerberg’s Billion-Dollar AI Talent Grab: Why Meta is betting the farm on AI.11:23 CapEx Shockwaves: Meta at $70B and Amazon at $100B—bigger than all of European VC.14:02 Sticky Inflation & AI Boom: Why markets stay bullish despite high rates.21:33 Figma’s Blockbuster IPO: SaaS revival or a one‑off outlier?25:37 Index Ventures’ €7B Payday: Power law dynamics in European venture.33:51 EU–US Trade Deal Breakdown: Tariffs, defense procurement, and $600B in investment.46:43 Anthropic’s $5B Raise: Can US AI dominance withstand cheap, open‑source rivals from China?49:32 Germany’s $1B AI Exit: Cognigy and the rise of European enterprise AI.01:07:59 Accelerators & the “Best Founders Don’t Need Them” Debate01:10:59 Deal of the Week: CyberArk Acquired for $25B & Project Q’s German Defense Play

In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Alexander Klyanitskiy and Valentina Zakirova, the founding partners of AdHoc Ventures, a brand-new fund laser-focused on what they call Human Interaction Tech.They explore why online communication, remote work, and AI are disrupting how we relate at work and in life, and why that opens a massive opportunity for a new kind of VC firm. With a track record of backing unicorns like Flo, Revolut, and Patreon, and institutional knowledge from Bain and SDV, the duo is now raising their first fund to scale this vision.We dive into how they define their category, the growing $150B+ market opportunity, their standout portfolio performance, and how their unfair advantages—from GTM playbooks to Tier 1 VC intros—create gravity with both founders and LPs.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:00:05 Introduction to AdHoc Ventures01:30 The Concept of Human Interaction Tech05:28 Market Opportunities in Human Interaction Tech09:23 Investment Strategy and Track Record12:27 Unfair Advantages of Ad Hoc Ventures16:03 Building a Global Fund20:03 The Role of AI in Human Interaction24:25 Value Addition as Specialized Investors25:40 Management Fee Structure Explained

Hannah Leach, a Partner at Antler UK and Co-Founder of VentureESG, discusses innovative approaches to venture capital, highlighting day-one investing and values-driven portfolios. She shares insights on why certain funds don't succeed, revealing her experience with Houghton Street Ventures. The conversation explores the significance of co-founder chemistry and the evolving landscape of support for startups, including the unique residency models that foster genuine collaboration among founders. Hannah emphasizes the balance of strategy and personal relationships in building resilient teams.

Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier explore the cutting edge of European venture capital. Today’s guest is Nacho Tovar, who is the Group Innovation Director at IAG. IAG—the airline group behind British Airways, Iberia, and Vueling.Together, they unpack how one of the world’s most complex legacy industries is retooling itself through deep tech, startup collaboration, and CVC-backed transformation—from synthetic fuels to quantum AI.This is the CVC playbook for aviation, straight from the cockpit.🎧 Here's what's covered:02:02 How Childhood Dreams of Flight Became a CVC Career05:12 IAG’s Six Investment Themes: AI, Automation, SAF, CX, Connectivity & Quantum10:01 No Fund Yet—But €200M in Committed Capital Through the Balance Sheet14:30 Why IAG Doesn’t Invest at Concept Stage (And Doesn’t Take Equity in Accelerator)18:32 Nacho’s Career Path: Why Engineering + Accenture + VC = Ideal CVC Operator24:34 Inside Iberia’s Turnaround: From €1M/day Losses to €1B Profit28:47 Co-Investing over Leading: IAG’s Approach to Rounds30:29 What Nacho Brings to the Cap Table: Commercial Scale, Access & Global Brand32:54 The Secret Sauce: Airline Autonomy + Strategic Collaboration34:08 How IAG Unlocks Strategic Value Post-Investment39:23 Why Punctuality, Cost & CX Are All Linked in Aviation44:59 The Airline-Customer Relationship: From Booking to Destination

Mads Jensen from SuperSeed shares insights on AI and investment strategies, while Lomax Ward from Outsized Ventures delves into AI integration in the UK's financial sector and stablecoins. Andrew Scott discusses the implications of the UK government's partnership with OpenAI and the challenges of national sovereignty in tech. The group debates AI's role in public services, the urgency for strategic investments, and explores how stablecoins could reshape finance. They also tackle the intersection of technology and governance, revealing the future of the European tech landscape.