EUVC

EUVC
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EUVC is your go-to podcast for everything European VC. Co-hosted by Andreas Munk Holm and David Cruz e Silva, EUVC features some of the most prominent people from the European VC industry, giving you a fresh new perspective on the industry and geo we love. Follow us and stay in the loop with everything European VC on eu.vc

  1. E675 | Binh Tran, AVV (Ascend Vietnam Ventures): Building Boldly Across Borders

    1 DAY AGO

    E675 | Binh Tran, AVV (Ascend Vietnam Ventures): Building Boldly Across Borders

    Welcome back to another EUVC Podcast, where we explore the lessons, frameworks, and insights shaping venture ecosystems across the globe. In this special Southeast Asia edition this week, David Cruz e Silva from EUVC and Ambika from Circle Capital sit down with Binh Tran from AVV (Ascend Vietnam Ventures) - a VC firm headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, backing tech founders across Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and the U.S. A serial founder turned VC, Binh sold his first company Klout for $200M in 2014 before launching 500 Startups Vietnam and later AVV, which has now backed about 500 startups, including unicorns Turing, Skymavis, and ApplyBoard. Together, they unpack Vietnam’s ecosystem growth, power-law returns in emerging markets, government catalysts, and how to back founders with both grit and global ambition. 🎧 Here’s what’s covered 03:24 “Build Boldly, Scale Faster” — The story behind AVV’s tagline and how speed correlates with ambition and performance. 06:29 Vietnam’s ecosystem in one decade — 60% of startups founded between 2015–2025; how AVV rode the first wave. 07:47 From founder to funder — Binh’s journey from the Bay Area’s AI wave to seeding Vietnam’s first generation of tech startups. 09:42 Power law in Southeast Asia — Why it absolutely applies, and how maturing cycles in India, China, and now Vietnam prove it. 12:26 Government as catalyst — From post-embargo GDP per capita of $300 to 8% growth; early signs of state-backed VC emerging. 14:46 Vietnam’s startup data points — Six unicorns in under five years and a domestic ecosystem hungry for risk and innovation. 17:14 Investment focus: Vietnam+ — Why AVV backs tech talent, not just local markets; global mindset, local execution. 17:59 VC learnings: It’s hands-on — From operator to builder of ecosystems; why early-stage in developing markets means getting your hands dirty. 20:54 Impact meets returns — How government collaboration enables “ecosystem shaping” as part of the VC mandate. 23:37 Advice for global LPs — Think India 10 years ago: early, cheap, high-talent markets; AI as the great equalizer. 26:23 LP mix: 45% U.S., 45% East Asia, 10% Europe; corporates using AVV for China+1 exposure and tech-talent pipelines. 28:50 Working with founders — From hacker houses in Da Nang to U.S. rounds; AVV’s boutique, founder-first approach. 33:26 Cultural calibration — Helping Vietnamese founders learn storytelling, global GTM, and hiring for scale. 34:04 Changing beliefs — From Valley-style hypergrowth to Vietnam-style resourcefulness and grit; building despite constraints. 37:31 Next five years — Mobile gaming, Web3 for developing markets, AI developer tools, and agri-tech as Vietnam’s global edge. 42:09 Final reflection — “Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t” — why Southeast Asia’s next decade is ripe for breakout returns.

    38 min

  2. 5 DAYS AGO

    E674 | Michael Sackler, Supernode Global: Betting on the Tools We All Use Every Day

    If you’ve spent any time in European venture lately, you’ve probably noticed two things: Everyone says they “do AI now.” Almost nobody wants to touch consumer. That’s exactly where Michael Sackler and Supernode Global are leaning in. Michael started his career not in venture, but in film. He founded and ran Rook’s Nest Entertainment in London, producing and executive producing 12 feature films, including cult horror hit “The Witch”, which still makes the rounds every Halloween. As the streamers rose in the early 2010s, he watched technology companies steamroll the media value chain. At the same time, he began angel investing around the edges of content and tech. It didn’t take long before it was obvious where the real leverage was. Today, Michael runs Supernode Global, an early-stage fund focused on application-layer software that people use every day at home and at work. Fund I proved out the model. Fund II is where it scales. This episode is essentially Michael’s Fund II pitch and it’s a good one. Here’s what’s covered: 02:40 | Fund I → Fund II — expanding from “content + tech” to technologies that enhance daily personal and professional life 03:55 | The thesis shift — six themes across wellbeing, productivity, vitality, life-ops, community, and creative/pro-work augmentation 05:27 | The unifying thread — application-layer software + UI/UX obsession (consumer-grade experiences applied to enterprise) 07:50 | Fund II in motion — 13 companies already deployed and why the portfolio itself tells the story 10:36 | Sourcing edge — 50/50 inbound/outbound, a gender-balanced team, and why that drives deal flow from overlooked founders 12:57 | Speed as a superpower — winning competitive deals through fast conviction, aggressive execution, and deep consumer focus 14:42 | Value add in practice — growth support, fundraising pathways, and SuperNode’s “connector” identity (with a shoutout to Naomi) 15:33 | 34% GP commit — why Michael and Gina put unusually large personal capital into the fund (and what it signals to LPs) 18:51 | The AI elephant — where AI enhances work vs. where it risks erasing human craft (with the Graswold example) 21:56 | Human creativity vs. automation — why AI will reshape the menial, not the art, and why stories still anchor value 23:32 | AI art, authenticity & meaning — when fully AI-generated output loses emotional value, and where hybrid human–AI creation wins

    22 min

  3. 6 DAYS AGO

    E673 | Matti Hautsalo, Nordic Science Investments: University Spin-outs, Multidisciplinary Bets & The Playbook to Scale Science in Europe

    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 Matti Hautsalo, Founding Partner at Nordic Science Investments (NSI), a €60M early-stage fund dedicated to university spin-outs across the Nordics and Europe. With a team spanning tech transfer, research, founding, VC, and investment banking, NSI backs science-powered companies at pre-seed and seed, then helps recruit commercial leaders, navigate TTOs, and transfer IP cleanly so these companies can raise from broader deep-tech syndicates. 🎧 Here’s what’s covered 03:23 Why spin-outs now? - Conventional wisdom flipped: great companies can start with researchers — provided you build the tech + commercial duo early. 05:14 The “Dynamic Duo” model - Founder-scientist stays CSO/CTO; bring in an external CEO/CBO early. Titles are flexible, execution isn’t. 06:50 Why a dedicated spin-out fund? - Traditional VCs pass when boxes aren’t ticked (team/IP). NSI bridges the Death Valley with first private capital. 10:17 Working with TTOs - Best practices, process vs. policy, and what’s “OK” on ownership (≈10% fine; >20% gets tricky — but context matters). 12:56 Reality check - Hard negotiations happen — but good deals get done; the constraint is resourcing, not intent. 14:42 How VCs should navigate universities - It’s a people & trust business; adapt to each campus, don’t try to rewrite policy from the outside. 17:25 Team building - Two paths: (1) interim CEO from within; (2) recruit CEO fast — and set expectations from day one. 20:51 Attracting CEOs - Offer meaningful equity and a credible follow-on plan; industry operators will take risk if the tech is real. 21:27 Incentives & cap table - Set a ~20% option pool early; avoid dead equity for non-operating senior academics; educate on vesting. 23:27 Terms that fail - Over-allocating to passive contributors; unclear vesting; under-sizing option pools for key hires. 24:55 When founders return to academia - Standard 12-month cliff, then linear vesting; cap table rewards future commitment, not past papers. 26:39 Beyond silos = alpha - Why the best spin-outs are multidisciplinary — and why most investors miss them. 28:10 Case: Perfect Technologies - Physics × food science; ultrasound-structured oils mimicking butter at ~0% saturated fats; small Series A just closed with food-tech co-investors. 32:51 Tranching & milestones—Pre-seed is small and milestone-based (one tech + one commercial); Nordics soft funding extends runway. 35:37 Ticket sizes - ~€100k pre-seed, ~€500k seed (case-by-case); “From seed onwards we act like any other VC.” 44:58 Why specialization wins - Networks to validate state-of-the-art, patience with TTOs, and willingness to roll up sleeves on team building.

    47 min
  4. E672 | Stefan Roebel: Building Europe’s New Defense Tech Prime

    17 DEC

    E672 | Stefan Roebel: Building Europe’s New Defense Tech Prime

    Welcome back to the EUVC Podcast. Today Andreas is joined by Stefan Roebel, Co‑Founder & CEO of ARX Robotics — one of Europe’s fastest-rising defense tech startups. From his 12 years in the German Armed Forces to leadership roles at Amazon, eBay, and Grover, Stefan has lived both sides: the military front line and the global business battlefield. Now, he’s combining that experience to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: Europe’s ability to defend itself in a new era of war. In this episode, Stefan shares ARX’s journey from DIY decoy robots to NATO-backed modular robotic systems already deployed in Ukraine. We dive deep into why Europe must break with its slow procurement culture, how startups can become the “new primes,” and what it really takes to build dual-use autonomy in a defense-first world. Here’s what’s covered: 00:56 | From Afghanistan to Amazon to ARX Robotics: Stefan’s unlikely founder journey 02:30 | The broomstick that became a digital decoy — ARX’s origin story 06:34 | The first breakthrough: selling duct-taped prototypes that worked 08:30 | ARX’s modular robotics suite explained (500kg payload, autonomy, retrofits) 10:47 | Educating VCs: how defense tech went from “too weird” to oversubscribed 13:55 | Picking investors: big names vs true believers with military insight 16:53 | Real deployments in Ukraine: ammo supply & medevac in the kill zone 19:49 | Why Ukraine’s lessons are shaping Europe’s defense future 23:24 | The drone war changed everything: solving Europe’s “lack of mass” 27:31 | Will ARX become a “new prime”? Why incumbents can’t move fast enough 29:17 | Dual use beyond defense: disaster relief, critical infrastructure & NGOs 32:36 | AI in defense robotics: solving missions, not chasing the holy grail 35:21 | Hiring for defense: when military background matters (and when it doesn’t) 40:57 | Why Stefan is hopeful for Europe’s defense tech ecosystem 44:56 | Veterans, perception, and why “peace comes from strength”

    46 min
  5. E671 | Matthew Wilson (Jack & Jill) & Peter Specht (Creandum): AI Recruiting Agents, a $20M Seed & the New GTM Playbook

    16 DEC

    E671 | Matthew Wilson (Jack & Jill) & Peter Specht (Creandum): AI Recruiting Agents, a $20M Seed & the New GTM Playbook

    This week on the EUVC Podcast, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Matthew Wilson, co-founder of Jack & Jill, and Peter Specht, General Partner at Creandum. Fresh off a $20M seed to take their AI recruiting agents global, they dig into how conviction is built in Europe, from founding insight to investor belief, and what it now takes to scale an agent-native company with speed, precision, and craft. Jack helps candidates find and optimize their careers. Jill helps companies hire brilliantly. Together, the two agents form a high-signal, two-sided network that aims to become the world’s most networked AI-powered recruitment agency — without the classical incentive conflicts of human middlemen. Here’s what’s covered: 02:35 | Why Creandum leaned in, conviction on voice-based interfaces and why recruiting is a massive, broken vertical for agent AI 03:38 | The founding moment: leaving Omnipresent, 18 months in the wilderness, and the February insight that agents make talent marketplaces finally viable 07:07 | Recruiting is broken (and AI made it worse): why first-principles thinking is needed to avoid “more noise, not more signal.” 09:15 | Investor conviction: founder/market fit, why this moment is different, and the defensibility of a two-sided agentic marketplace 12:22 | The user experience: the “coffee chat” with an AI recruiter: deep voice conversation → matching, prep, coaching, introductions 16:30 | Solving the incentives trap: why Jack works 100% for candidates and Jill works 100% for companies (fixing agency conflicts) 19:10 | Coaching as core: how AI unlocks career guidance, interview prep, and hands-on support that humans rarely get today 22:47 | Building fast in the AI era: talent density, global expansion, and why a 20M seed makes sense for a dual-product marketplace 26:35 | Two companies in one: scaling Jack (consumer) + Jill (B2B) simultaneously, across markets, with AI leverage 34:02 | The GTM playbook: engineering-led marketing, AI-driven creative testing, instant value, and rethinking B2B buying entirely 37:47 | The new AI go-to-market: speed, PLG dominance, virality-by-design, and why distribution now matters more than ever 43:52 | Two GTM worlds: viral AI products vs. slow, enterprise-heavy AI deployments (and why both will coexist) 47:15 | The “productization” of marketing — why engineering now powers growth, not headcount-heavy marketing orgs 50:29 | Final advice (VC POV) — start with a unique insight, not a trend; think in 5–10 year arcs, not quick ARR bumps

    50 min
  6. E670 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax

    15 DEC

    E670 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax

    Welcome back to another episode of Upside at the EUVC Podcast, where ⁠Dan Bowyer⁠,⁠ Mads Jensen⁠ of ⁠SuperSeed⁠ and ⁠Lomax Ward⁠ of ⁠Outsized Ventures⁠⁠⁠ gather for a holiday-home special to cut through the noise around Europe’s tech, geopolitics and AI shifts. What begins as an innocent debate about whether DeepMind is “still a UK company” quickly spirals into a tour of sovereign AI strategy, the SpaceX mega-raise, Europe’s increasingly uncomfortable place between China and the US, defence-spending reality checks and a surprisingly uplifting set of deep-tech deals across the continent. It is classic Upside: the takes are sharp, the geopolitics gets spiky, and the optimism… well, it arrives eventually. What’s covered: 04:36 AI-for-Science, robotics and the new “AI scientist” era 06:50 A national-curriculum Gemini and the vision of a tutor for every child 09:39 The SpaceX 2026 IPO: what investors are actually buying 14:00 Starship, orbital compute and the trillion-dollar imagination gap 18:07 Why Europe missed the space race once again 19:43 Portugal flips the script: “Economy of the Year” 22:58 Europe between China’s export tsunami and America’s cold shoulder 32:07 Defence budgets: the hype, the delay and the reality for startups 34:25 AI Corner: bubble fears, Mistral’s comeback, Meta goes closed, China goes full-stack Comms Strategy Expert Session Apply or share the opportunity with a founder or investor in your network: https://luma.com/euvc-comms-expert-session

    45 min
  7. E669 | Harrison Rose, GoodFit: How AI Is Rewriting B2B Go-To-Market

    12 DEC

    E669 | Harrison Rose, GoodFit: How AI Is Rewriting B2B Go-To-Market

    If you’re in B2B SaaS, you probably feel it already: the old way of “just hire more SDRs and send more emails” is broken. Everyone has the same tooling. Everyone is running the same sequences. Everyone is “personalising at scale” with the same prompts. Yet pipeline quality is down, efficiency is under scrutiny, and suddenly… go-to-market (GTM) design has become a first-class strategic problem. Few people are better positioned to talk about this shift than Harrison Rose. Harrison co-founded Paddle, helped turn it into one of the UK’s fastest-growing software companies, and has now raised a $13M Series A (led by Notion Capital, with participation from Robin Capital, Inovia, Salicap, Common Magic, Andrena and more) to build GoodFit – an AI-driven GTM data platform. Here’s what’s covered: 00:47 | What GoodFit actually does — mapping your entire market and scoring every account 01:32 | Paddle origins → the first-principles GTM problem that later became GoodFit 03:31 | From internal tool to standalone company — recognizing the “product inside Paddle” 04:18 | Who buys GoodFit — why B2B tech is the first adopter (and why the market is much bigger) 06:28 | Second-time founder advantage — credibility, networks, and selling before the product exists 08:29 | Choosing investors — why Notion, avoiding echo chambers, and constructing a syndicate 13:24 | Bootstrapping for four years — optionality, profitability curiosity, and knowing when VC is the right path 18:34 | AI’s real impact on go-to-market — why most teams are just automating bad outreach 22:25 | The GoodFit vision — deciding who to sell to, why, and how (and leaving execution to others) 35:34 | Leaving Paddle — identity, founder evolution, and learning to lead differently the second time around 46:40 | Giving back — why Harrison opens his inbox for “weird, gnarly, unsaid” founder questions

    49 min
  8. E668 | Sergey Jakimov, LongeVC: Impacting Lives Through Longevity & Health Investing

    11 DEC

    E668 | Sergey Jakimov, LongeVC: Impacting Lives Through Longevity & Health Investing

    This week, Andreas Munk Holm talks with Sergey Jakimov, Co-founder and Managing Partner at LongeVC, a leading longevity-focused venture fund backing breakthroughs in biotech, AI-driven drug discovery, and the science of healthy aging. From pre-seed biotech spin-outs to multi-hundred-million-dollar exits with Big Pharma, LongeVC is building the category-defining fund at the frontier of life extension. In this episode, Sergey walks us through the team’s 3x+ MOIC track record, how LongeVC’s scientific advisory board unlocks proprietary deal flow, and why longevity and healthspan investing could be venture’s next trillion-dollar frontier. 🎧 Here’s what’s covered 01:15 – Who is Sergey Jakimov? From biotech entrepreneur to longevity investor 03:00 – What is LongeVC: thesis, structure, and Fund II snapshot 06:20 – The market for longevity & age-related disease: a $1.6 trillion opportunity 09:30 – Track record: Fund I’s 3x+ MOIC, 0 write-offs, 20 portfolio companies 12:40 – How LongeVC sources deals: scientific advisory board and AI-driven diligence 15:15 – Ecosystem advantage: from nonprofits to physician networks 18:00 – Case study 1 – Insilico Medicine, the $1.5 billion AI-drug-discovery unicorn 20:15 – Case study 2 – Turn Biotechnologies and $300 million + HanAll partnership 22:30 – Case study 3 – Rubedo Life Sciences and Beiersdorf’s dermatology deal 25:00 – How pharma’s pipeline erosion fuels biotech M&A 28:10 – Fund II: $120 million target, 20 % carry, 10-year term 31:20 – LP privileges: access, co-investments, and semi-annual IC observation 34:00 – Sergey’s vision: longevity as both moral and financial imperative

    26 min
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About

EUVC is your go-to podcast for everything European VC. Co-hosted by Andreas Munk Holm and David Cruz e Silva, EUVC features some of the most prominent people from the European VC industry, giving you a fresh new perspective on the industry and geo we love. Follow us and stay in the loop with everything European VC on eu.vc

Information

  • Channel
    EUVC
  • Creator
    The European VC
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    674
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The European VC
  • Show Website
    EUVC

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