EUVC

Welcome back to EUVC Live powered by Woven Capital at The Drop, where we bring you unfiltered conversations with the voices shaping Europe’s venture ecosystem.In this episode, Alex Bakir, founding partner at Norrsken Evolve, takes the stage fresh off his latest fund close — but instead of talking about fundraising, Alex dives into the bigger picture: how competition, climate, and chaos are reshaping the world we invest in.From the cycles of history and the rise of populism to the structural shocks of climate change, Alex challenges us to rethink Europe’s role, its vulnerabilities, and why rebuilding around cleantech and climate tech isn’t just optional — it’s inevitable.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:00:30 Competition at every level — from startups chasing scarce resources to nation states fighting for security.01:30 The age of AI: why superintelligence could solve everything — or sharpen competition.02:30 Populism’s return: when economics and expectations don’t align, and why inequality fuels discontent.03:30 Comparative advantage & free trade: why the “end of history” never arrived.04:30 Wealth concentration and the broken promise of the nation state.05:30 Cycles of history: Ray Dalio, Harvard sociologists, and why we’re at the realist end of an 80–100 year cycle.06:30 Climate crisis as self-organized criticality — when stress tips systems into avalanches and floods.07:30 Europe’s long decline since 1900 — and why reliance on external manufacturing is now a liability.08:30 Why Europe must rebuild industry on cleantech and climate tech foundations.09:00 Populism isn’t a blip — it’s a decade-long cycle that requires addressing lived realities.10:00 Final call: in a world of shocks, AI, and climate, people and collaboration matter more than ever.

Welcome back to EUVC Live powered by Woven Capital at The Drop, where we bring you the candid conversations with the investors shaping Europe’s venture ecosystem.In this episode, Nicole LeBlanc, Partner at Woven Capital, joins us on stage in Malmö to share why Toyota’s $800M global fund is doubling down on Europe. From talent pools and global mindsets to climate tech leadership, Nicole explains why Europe is the testbed for scaling climate, mobility, and automation solutions worldwide.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:00:30 Why Europe matters: 15% of global VC and growing deal sizes.01:00 Diversification — why global funds can’t rely on just one market.01:30 Talent in Europe: strong engineering pools and founders thinking global from day one.02:30 Climate tech in Europe’s DNA — regulation, partnerships, and net-zero by 2050.03:30 Inside Woven Capital: Toyota’s $800M LPGP fund, financial-first approach, and global mandate.04:30 Toyota Open Labs: Europe-exclusive program giving startups structured access to Toyota.05:30 Portfolio spotlight: Corvus, zero-emission shipping with batteries + hydrogen.06:30 What’s next: circularity, advanced materials, and figuring out AI.

Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.In this session, Mette Hoberg Tønnesen, CEO of The Link, joins Jeppe Høier, EUVC Corporates, for a candid conversation moderated by Andreas Munk Holm. Together they explore how corporate venture networks can outlive the 3.7-year average lifespan of CVCs, bridge the gap between startups and corporates, and unlock Europe’s full potential as an alternative to US and Chinese capital.From translating corporate complexity for startups to tackling “startup theater” and making CVCs real value creators, this is a roadmap for corporates who want to build networks that actually last.🎧 Here’s what’s covered00:00 Why most CVCs only last 3.7 years — and how networks can change that.01:00 The Link’s mission: making startups scale faster by bridging silos and translating corporate-speak.02:00 Where corporates fumble: unclear pilots, wasted startup time, and overbearing “strategic” investors.04:00 The classic value-adds — brand, expertise, assets, customers, data — and why most corporates should start small.05:00 Venture = high school: why networks and rubbing shoulders matter more than PowerPoints.06:00 Corporates must show up — at TechBBQ and startup events, not just closed-door investor tracks.07:00 Early-stage CVC is hard: why late-stage corporates can wait, but seed/A needs sweat and trust.08:00 Europe’s opportunity: corporates stepping up to keep startups from exiting to the US.09:00 LP investing as a gateway: why corporates should back funds to tap networks and learn the game.

Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.In this session, Jeppe Høier sits down with Mike Smeed, Managing Director of InMotion Ventures (the venture arm of Jaguar Land Rover), and Ida Christine Brun, Partner at Maersk Growth. Together, they dive into how two global giants—one in mobility and one in logistics—approach corporate venturing, what they’ve learned about balancing financial returns with strategic purpose, and how they decide where to play in a fast-changing landscape.From decarbonization and electrification to supply chain innovation and customer-centric business models, Mike and Ida share firsthand lessons on what works, what doesn’t, and how corporates can create real value in venture.🎧 Here’s what’s covered00:10 Why corporates must venture beyond the core — InMotion and Maersk Growth’s mandates.01:00 Balancing financial return with strategic alignment — why both guests insist on “financial first.”03:00 The big themes: decarbonization, electrification, and digital supply chains.05:00 What corporates can offer startups that VCs can’t — customer access, distribution, and industrial know-how .06:00 Avoiding “tourist investing” — the discipline corporates need to compete with top-tier VCs .07:00 Building trust with founders — transparency, aligned incentives, and patient capital .08:00 Lessons learned: when corporate bureaucracy kills speed, and how to prevent it .09:00 Looking forward: why corporate venturing will be central to Europe’s green and digital transitions .

Welcome back to EUVC Live powered by Woven Capital at The Drop, where we bring you raw and unfiltered insights from Europe’s venture ecosystem.In this episode, Hampus Jakobsson - serial founder, angel investor, and one of the driving forces behind The Drop - takes the stage to share two big themes: his hard-earned lessons on corporate venturing, and how AI is set to reshape both energy demand and climate solutions.From scars of failed CVC deals to the epiphany that corporates must be at the table, and from the risks of AI’s off-grid energy needs to its potential as “a thousand free interns” in old industries, Hampus delivers a candid, fast-paced perspective you won’t want to miss.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:00:30 Why Hampus once banned CVCs from The Drop — scars from 150+ angel investments and failed corporate deals.01:30 The epiphany: corporates aren’t optional — they’re core to scaling industries like construction, mobility, and climate.02:30 Why we need a clearer language to explain the full spectrum of corporate venture — from balance sheet strategics to spun-out financial-first funds.03:30 Case study: Motorola’s smart deal structure with Hampus’s first company, aligning incentives without blocking other partnerships.05:00 Enterprise sales realities: 18-month sales cycles and €7M average contracts — why corporates matter most for scaling.06:30 Transition to AI: how Hampus’s background in AI shapes his view of its role in climate.07:00 The challenge: AI’s energy demand could reach 10–50% of global consumption, forcing off-grid solutions.08:00 The opportunity: AI as “a thousand free interns” — driving efficiency in old industries from waste management to construction.09:30 Why AI isn’t magic — it’s about practical applications, compilers for design, and tools that boost margins in unsexy industries.10:30 Closing thoughts: solving off-grid energy production and deploying AI where it can have real impact.

Welcome back to another EUVC Podcast, where we gather Europe’s venture family to share the stories, insights, and lessons that drive our ecosystem forward.Today, we dive into the announcement of Ventech’s Fund VI, which has closed at €175M — the firm’s largest fund yet, with an impressive 95% LP re-up rate. To unpack it all, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Stephan Wirries, General Partner at Ventech. From AI and industrial software to European sovereignty and late-stage capital markets, Stephan shares how Ventech is positioning itself for the next decade — and why Europe still has structural gaps to fix if it wants to scale globally.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:01:00 Announcing Fund VI: €175M close, Ventech’s largest ever, with 95% LP re-up.03:00 What LPs are telling us: trust in the model and appetite for AI.04:00 Ventech’s pan-European footprint: Paris, Munich, Berlin, Helsinki, Stockholm.06:00 Why 50% of capital is aimed at AI, with cross-pollination into health, cyber, and industry.08:00 AI inside VC itself: sourcing, diligence, and portfolio support.09:30 Sovereignty & cybersecurity as Fund VI’s core theme.12:00 Industrial software & robotics: Europe’s edge in automation and “physical AI.”15:00 Lessons from the dot-com crash to today’s AI wave.18:00 Why Ventech avoids foundational LLMs but backs applied AI.20:00 Strategic European bets: Mistral, ASML, and deep tech leadership.22:00 The road ahead: growth capital, IPO markets, and pension reform.

Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.In this session, Linn Clabburn, Head of CVC at Inter IKEA Group, and Destana Herring, Partner at Regeneration.VC, explore how corporates and VCs can partner with founders without overshadowing them.From aligning on objectives to translating “corporate scale” into startup reality, Linn and Destana share how trust, sparring, and clarity in the boardroom can make or break collaboration.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:00:10 Scale with, not over, founders: why trust is the foundation.01:00 The “love triangle” — navigating the CVC, VC, and founder dynamic.02:30 Different ambitions, shared value — why alignment before investing is key.04:00 Case study: IKEA + Regeneration joint investment and aligning KPIs.05:00 Translation role of VCs — turning corporate jargon into tangible founder action.06:00 What scale means at IKEA vs. in a startup — and how to bridge the gap.07:00 Success looks different — iterating market applications until corporate fit arrives.08:00 Boardroom courage — how to challenge each other without pulling founders apart.09:00 Unified front — why investors must spar privately, align publicly.

Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.In this episode, Thijs Povel, CEO of dealflow.eu, and Ekke Van Vliet, Investment Coordinator at the European Innovation Council (EIC), sit down to discuss one of the biggest challenges in Europe’s venture ecosystem: bridging the gap between corporates and startups.From EIC’s €10B budget for deep tech to the lessons learned from more than 70 “corporate days,” this session explores what works — and what doesn’t — when building collaboration between Europe’s most innovative startups and its largest corporates.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:00:10 Why startups want scale and corporates want innovation — and why it’s still hard to align.01:00 Inside dealflow.eu: making EU-funded startups visible and accessible to corporates and investors.02:00 The EIC’s €10B fund — grants and equity for deep tech across Europe.03:00 From grants to growth: how EIC supports startups after initial funding.04:00 Lessons from 70+ corporate days — what works, what fails, and the magic ratio of corporates to startups.05:00 Why in-person, 1:1 meetings matter — but too many can backfire.06:00 Tomorrow’s corporate day at TechBBQ — a live case study in matchmaking.07:00 Why deep tech startups in energy, climate, and healthcare are prime for corporate collaboration.08:00 What corporates actually get: curated startups, ready-to-scale solutions, and no cost to participate.09:00 Tomorrow’s 14 featured startups — from solar blinds to healthy air and construction tech.

Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you behind-the-scenes conversations with the founders, corporates, and investors shaping Europe’s venture collaboration landscape.In this episode, Jeppe Høier sits down with Jesper Bang Olsen, Partner at BEAM, and Kerk Wichmann, VP of Corporate Strategy at Jungheinrich and Managing Partner at Uplift Ventures. Together, they unpack the realities of corporate venture building: why corporates need to separate venture initiatives from the mothership, how to anchor strategically, and what it takes to balance startup agility with industrial scale.From governance and champions to customer infiltration and fast decision-making, this is a candid look at how leading corporates are building real ventures—not just innovation playgrounds.🎧 Here’s what’s covered00:19 Why Uplift Ventures was born—responding to Chinese competition and software-driven disruption.01:00 Why ventures fail inside the mothership—rules, governance, and slow cycles.03:00 Jesper’s story: from DVDs wiped out by Spotify to creating BEAM as a venture builder.04:00 Value triggers at BEAM—finding good niche problems, anchored near but not inside the core.05:00 Anchoring strategy: why top management commitment is non-negotiable.06:00 Balancing two worlds—leveraging 6,000 service engineers and 2,000 sales reps while learning startup speed.07:00 Secret sauce at BEAM—separation from the corporate, but with champions inside who love the speed.08:00 Customer infiltration—winning over corporate clients directly to create positive friction.09:00 Venture governance—independent venture board, external members, and strict stage-gate decisions.

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: The UK lands $150B of US pledges and 120,000 Nvidia GPUs—can London turn its AI hype into substance? NATO on edge after Russian incursions across Poland and Denmark. Are we witnessing an AI bubble, or just the infrastructure wave of the century? Plus: cyber risk after JLR’s ransomware hit, Trump’s $100K H-1B visa fee, and the week’s billion-dollar deals.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:01:59 The UK Economy: stalled housing, digital ID hopes, and why Gatwick beats Heathrow.08:02 Macro Context: UK at 1% growth vs US 3.8%, but Revolut and AI unicorns offer upside.11:23 Trump’s UK State Visit: $150B in pledges, Nvidia’s mega GPU cluster, and hidden strings.17:34 Pageantry vs Reality: Andrew on IMF forecasts and why the UK still outpaces France & Germany.20:41 Pensions & Equity Gap: Why Europe lags the US in growth capital.25:17 Are We in an AI Bubble? Big tech’s circular bets, Nvidia’s chokehold, and history repeating.35:12 Cybersecurity & AI: JLR hack fallout, ransomware surge, and a $500B market by 2030.43:21 NATO on Edge: Russian drones in allied airspace, Trump’s hawkish rhetoric, and Europe’s defense unicorns.53:28 The H-1B Shock: Trump’s $100K fee and whether Europe can seize the talent opportunity.59:44 Deal of the Week: N-Scale’s $1.1B data center raise and Oura Ring’s $875M round.