EUVC

Welcome back to another EUVC Podcast, where we explore the lessons, frameworks, and insights shaping Europe’s venture ecosystem.Today, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Jan Lozek, Co-Founder and Managing Director and Founder of Future Energy Ventures (FEV), the Berlin-based climate-tech investor born from the carve-out of E.ON’s corporate venture arm.With a 50-company track record and a new €235M fund, Jan shares what it takes to spin out from a corporate, how to invest across the energy transition with venture discipline, and why Europe’s renewable leadership is creating both opportunity and complexity.🎧 Here’s what’s covered01:41 Jan’s personal journey from Berlin’s early tech scene to shaping E.ON’s venture arm.04:02 The moment FEV’s carve-out became inevitable and how independence was structured.09:33 Inside the two-fund model: managing E.ON’s legacy portfolio while launching a new EU fund.11:27 FEV’s thesis: software-first, Series A–B investments driving the energy transition.13:33 Grid intelligence - trading flexibility, AI for grid balance, and the battery boom.16:35 The economics of renewables: why decarbonization now pays for itself.21:11 Data centers and AI’s energy demand - the US urgency vs. Europe’s slow policy gears.24:16 Electrifying cities - EV fleets, industrial decarbonization, and heat-pump adoption.33:24 How FEV supports founders through market turbulence, pivots, and bridge rounds.46:32 Scaling to billions: fund growth, LP lessons, and advice to Europe’s climate founders.

Dive into Europe's vibrant tech scene with insights on the transformative Slush event, highlighting its founder-first ethos. Explore Germany's ambitious €35B space strategy and the fascinating immigrant founder effect that fuels a significant portion of the unicorn boom. The hosts analyze Europe's defense stock surges and the potential demise of cookie banners in favor of digital reforms. Plus, uncover the UK’s booming AI investments and the strategic dilemmas Europe faces amid US-China tensions. All this shows that Europe's opportunity window is wide open but closing fast!

Dave Bailey is a serial founder and the creator of FounderCoach.com, coaching around 250 CEOs in Europe. He discusses his unconventional journey from co-founding Delivery Hero to becoming a sought-after coach. Key topics include the importance of competence over confidence, the five pillars of his coaching methodology, and how founder psyche can influence performance. He explores turning board meetings into strategic tools and emphasizes using visual models to enhance clarity and execution. Bailey's insights into the relationship between trauma and founder drive add depth to his coaching approach.

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 Adrian Locher, co-founder and GP at Merantix Capital, the Berlin-based AI venture capital firm and venture studio that’s just planted its flag in London. Known for building and investing in AI-first companies from the ground up, Mirantix operates at the intersection of venture creation, community, and applied AI consulting — a model Adrian argues is especially well-suited to the AI age.In this conversation, we dive into the reality of the studio model, what makes it work (and not), and why Adrian believes validation with paying customers before a single line of code is written is the ultimate early-stage filter.🎧 Here's what's covered:02:00 | Why Merantix Capital Chose Berlin Over Silicon Valley — and Why London’s Next05:00 | The Three Pillars: Studio, Community, and Consulting08:00 | Deep Tech vs Wrapper AI — Going Beyond the Hype11:00 | Why Many Venture Studios Fail — and Where Merantix Capital Adds Value16:30 | PowerPoint to Paying Customers — The Validation-First Approach20:00 | Why AI Makes the Studio Model More Relevant Than Ever30:00 | Regulating AI — Why Europe Should Target Applications, Not Tech36:00 | Europe’s Edge in Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Finance44:00 | The Future of Venture Studios — Where They’ll Win by 203049:00 | Betting on Neurotech — Frontier Opportunity or Too Soon?

Dr. Elisabeth Schrey, Managing Director of the Deep Tech & Climate Fonds, leads a €1B initiative aimed at bridging funding gaps for European startups in deep tech and climate sectors. She discusses navigating the delicate balance of public funding without crowding out private capital. Topics include the co-investment model's advantages, the challenges of investing in policy-fragile sectors like hydrogen, and criteria for determining startup readiness to scale. Elisabeth emphasizes the importance of strategic investments at the right time to support Europe's future industrial champions.

Lea Strumberger, Senior Investment Manager at KfW Capital, shares insights on Europe's growing Opportunity Funds scene. She highlights the necessity of Series B+ capital while differentiating between pure and blended fund archetypes. Lea explains KfW’s rigorous diligence for emerging managers and stresses the importance of having an external lead in funding rounds. She also discusses the significance of transparent governance policies and how GPs should navigate fee structures. Tune in for a deep dive into the mechanics driving late-stage investment in Europe!

The hosts tackle the UK’s abrupt exit tax decision and its potential impact on entrepreneurs. They delve into the reality of enterprise AI, questioning why progress lags behind hype. A spotlight shines on Europe's dependence on Chinese chip packaging and the urgent implications for the automotive supply chain. The discussion also covers market tremors led by Nvidia, the threat posed by Chinese open-source AI models, and the chilling discovery of remote kill-switches in buses. Lastly, the tech sovereignty debate heats up as Europe seeks supply-chain independence.

Patrick Odier, Chairman of Lombard Odier and Chair of Building Bridges, discusses financing systemic transitions toward sustainability. He believes circularity is key to business value, emphasizing input/output efficiency and risk reduction. Odier outlines three major investment arenas: energy, nature, and materials. He advocates for investing in hard-to-abate sectors to encourage genuine transitions. The conversation also highlights the essential role of private assets and venture capital in de-risking and unlocking future investments in sustainability.

Welcome back to another episode of the EUVC Podcast, your trusted inside track on the people, deals, and dynamics shaping European venture.This week, Andreas Munk Holm is joined by Mariette Roesink, Co‑Founder of Curie Capital. Named after Marie Curie, the fund backs breakthrough life science technologies with a mission to both deliver outsized returns and transform patient outcomes.Mariette and her co-founder Han de Groot have already been part of two unicorn exits, raised €200M across their portfolio in a single year, and — most strikingly — can point to zero bankruptcies across 25 investments. As family office-backed GPs, they also invest significant personal capital alongside LPs.They dive into Curie’s approach, the unique dynamics of European biotech, why Western Europe is a life science powerhouse, and how to make life science VC anything but “binary.”Whether you’re an LP curious about the sector, a GP sharpening your pitch, or a founder in healthtech — this conversation is packed with insights.Here’s what’s covered:01:00 | Why Curie Capital is named after Marie Curie03:00 | High financial returns + patient impact: the dual promise of biotech05:00 | Why GPs investing their own family money matters07:00 | Raising €200M in “harsh” markets — portfolio highlights09:30 | The billion-dollar impact story of Acerta Pharma12:00 | Building specialist networks & engaging strategics early14:00 | TargED Biotherapeutics: developing a breakthrough stroke therapy17:00 | Zero bankruptcies — besides capital Curie helps theyoung ventures with their network to support raising next roundsand partnering20:00 | The Curie Capital team — science, business, and hands-on support21:30 | Why Western Europe is a life sciences powerhouse23:30 | The 6.1x valuation gap between EU & US early-stage biotech25:00 | The truth about life science holding periods & exits27:00 | Educating LPs: why life science VC isn’t as binary as many think

Welcome back to another episode of Upside at the EUVC Podcast, where ⁠Dan Bowyer⁠,⁠ Mads Jensen⁠ of ⁠SuperSeed⁠, ⁠Lomax Ward⁠ of ⁠Outsized Ventures⁠⁠, and this week’s guest Jone Vaituleviciute, Managing Partner at ⁠Firstpick⁠ VC, unpack the forces shaping venture across Europe and the Baltics.This week’s conversation bridges Lithuania’s booming early-stage scene and Europe’s macro tensions — from defense investments and bootstrapping culture to Matt Clifford’s call for “permissionless growth,” the rise of quant capital, and how Europe’s AI reality is evolving fast.🎧 Here’s what’s covered00:31 From Startup Wise Guys to Firstpick: why Jone spun out to back Baltic founders even earlier.04:22 “It will never get cheaper than pre-seed”: on starting at the first line of code.05:47 The Baltic edge: distribution over product perfection and why bootstrapping still wins.11:22 €300 M defense deal: Rheinmetall’s Lithuanian factory and why incentives trump fear.16:23 Matt Clifford’s speech: 17 years of UK stagnation and a call for permissionless growth.25:04 The politics of productivity — shock therapy vs. bureaucracy fatigue.33:18 Quant trading boom: XTX’s 25 k GPUs vs. Germany’s 10 k, and where talent flows.40:19 AI corner: Calm model, Nebius cloud, and Europe’s token factory moment.52:36 Circular financing or just capital cycles? The debate behind AI mega deals.55:45 Deals of the week: Nexus AI’s $8 M raise and Poolside’s $2 B round.