Campus To Capital

Julius Ambrosius and Konstantin Girst
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In a world where AI can give you any answer, knowing which questions to ask becomes your most valuable skill. That's what Campus To Capital is all about. Currently ranked in Careers and Business podcast charts in Denmark, Germany and the UK.

  1. #21 Michael Wiatr Aagaard - General Partner at Antler on Building Startups Before They Exis

    FEB 11

    #21 Michael Wiatr Aagaard - General Partner at Antler on Building Startups Before They Exis

    How do you invest in founders before there’s a company, a product - or even an idea? In this episode of Campus To Capital, we sit down with Michael Wiatr Aagaard, General Partner at @ Antler, one of the world’s most active early-stage investors with more than 1,300 portfolio companies across 27 global locations. Michael shares his journey from real estate finance and consulting into entrepreneurship - and eventually into backing founders at the very beginning of their journey. We explore how Antler identifies outliers before the market does, how risk is managed on the left side of the J-curve, and why the Nordics are becoming a critical hub for Europe’s next generation of founders. We talk about: From operator to investor: how founder experience shapes investment judgmentIdentifying high-potential founders at the idea stageAntler’s €4.5m commitment to Danish startups and the role of Copenhagen in EuropeInvesting at scale without sacrificing qualityAI as both a startup enabler and an investor toolClimate tech, AI, and building companies with real-world impactWhy founders are getting younger — and how Antler helps them scale fasterExit thinking in an era of longer private market cyclesDifferences (and similarities) between Danish and Swedish startup ecosystemsLeveraging Antler’s global network to accelerate growthMany thanks to Michael for joining the conversation. 🎧 Now available on all major platforms.

    48 min
  2. #20 Deniz Schütz - CEO & Co-Founder of StrategyBridgeAI on AI in M&A & Private Markets

    12/24/2025

    #20 Deniz Schütz - CEO & Co-Founder of StrategyBridgeAI on AI in M&A & Private Markets

    How do you turn millions of financial data points into faster, more objective investment decisions? In this episode of Campus To Capital, we sit down with Deniz Schütz, CEO & Co-Founder of StrategyBridgeAI, a fintech startup automating data-driven business analysis for private equity funds, M&A advisors, and consultants. Before founding StrategyBridgeAI, Deniz worked at institutions like UniCredit and Amundi - exactly the environments where he experienced first-hand how slow, manual, and subjective financial analysis can become at scale. In our conversation, we explore how StrategyBridgeAI uses AI to benchmark companies against peers, validate management forecasts, and support buy-side decisions across M&A and private credit, all while operating in an increasingly regulated environment. We talk about: Deniz’s journey from large financial institutions to founding an AI-native fintech startup How StrategyBridgeAI processes millions of financial data points into objective analytical reports Real-world use cases in M&A and private credit, including identifying undervalued mid-market opportunities How AI is reshaping workflows in M&A — between efficiency gains and headcount implications The rebound in global M&A activity and the rise of private credit as a key growth engine What the EU AI Act means for financial AI tools, especially in deal screening and credit assessment Scaling StrategyBridgeAI after an oversubscribed seven-figure pre-seed round Building a high-performance team in Munich as an emerging European finance hub Key AI trends young professionals in finance should be paying attention to A deep dive into the intersection of AI, M&A, private markets, and regulation. Many thanks to Deniz for joining the conversation. Now available on all major platforms.

    47 min
  3. #19 Robert Habeck - Former German Vice Chancellor on Europe’s Future, AI, Energy Demand, War & Leadership

    12/03/2025

    #19 Robert Habeck - Former German Vice Chancellor on Europe’s Future, AI, Energy Demand, War & Leadership

    The past years reshaped Europe more than any decade since the end of the Cold War: war returned, energy systems fractured, AI accelerated, and political extremes gained ground. We spoke with someone who stood at the center of these shifts: Robert Habeck, former German Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Recorded just months after leaving office, this conversation goes far beyond headlines. We discuss Europe’s execution gap and regulatory identity, the tensions between short-term energy decisions and long-term climate goals, and whether real strategic autonomy in energy and technology is achievable. We explore Draghi’s competitiveness agenda, Europe’s response to the IRA and China, and what it would take to prevent a deep-tech exodus. We also talk about the war in Ukraine and how it reshaped long-held Green ideas on pacifism; Europe’s role in a fragmenting global order; the rising electricity needs of AI and data centres; and the question of whether next-generation nuclear must return to Europe’s strategic debate. Finally, Robert reflects on leadership under pressure, stepping out of the “corset” of Berlin politics, his message to Gen Z, and whether he could imagine returning to political office. An unusually open conversation about power, responsibility, uncertainty & the future of Europe. Now available on all major platforms.

    1h 18m
  4. #18 Kim Rants - Founder & CEO of Alice.tech (YC W25) on AI-Powered Learning, Hypergrowth & the Launch of Alice 2.0

    11/19/2025

    #18 Kim Rants - Founder & CEO of Alice.tech (YC W25) on AI-Powered Learning, Hypergrowth & the Launch of Alice 2.0

    How do you turn study stress into study success - for millions of students worldwide? In this episode of Campus To Capital, we sit down with Kim Rants, Founder & CEO of Alice.tech, the Y Combinator-backed EdTech startup that’s redefining how students learn and teachers teach through generative AI. Kim began his career as one of the youngest Engagement Managers at McKinsey, taught for over a decade, and now leads one of Europe’s fastest-growing AI education companies. Released just 1 day after the launch of Alice 2.0, this episode dives deep into the company’s next chapter and what the future of AI-driven education will look like. We talk about: The journey from academia and consulting to building a YC-backed EdTech rocketshipHow Alice.tech is personalizing learning at scale - from ingesting raw course materials to generating tailored quizzes and flashcardsThe story behind Alice 2.0 and how it builds on hyper user growth and €4.2 million in recent fundingThe dual-market strategy of empowering both students and educators through one adaptive AI platformHow user-generated content and tools like Superscale AI could reshape MarketingNavigating a post-pandemic EdTech landscape - and what that means for sustainable growthWhy brand, trust, and design matter when building an AI-native education platformLessons from Kim’s leadership journey and his advice for the next generation of tech entrepreneurs Many thanks to Kim for joining us - we really enjoyed the very authentic conversation.

    48 min
  5. #17 Dr. Herbert Pohl - Founder & CEO of Deutsche Erdwärme on Geothermal Energy, Project Risk & the Economics of the Energy Transition

    11/12/2025

    #17 Dr. Herbert Pohl - Founder & CEO of Deutsche Erdwärme on Geothermal Energy, Project Risk & the Economics of the Energy Transition

    How do you decarbonize a country’s heat supply from the ground up? In this episode of Campus To Capital, we sit down with Herbert Pohl, Founder & CEO of Deutsche Erdwärme and former Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, to explore how deep geothermal energy can become a scalable pillar of the energy transition. We talk about: - The full life cycle of a geothermal project – from site selection to drilling to operations - How risk assessments work in multi-million-euro projects with geological uncertainty - The economics of geothermal development: capital costs, funding models, and policy alignment - What 16 years at McKinsey taught him about leadership, decision-making, and navigating complexity - Building interdisciplinary teams that connect engineering, finance, and sustainability - Lessons from transitioning from consulting to founding a clean energy company A deep dive into the intersection of energy, finance, and technology and what it takes to make geothermal energy bankable at scale. Many thanks to Herbert for joining the conversation! Presented by our partner Timeless Investments.

    48 min
  6. #16 Joseph Pinto - CEO of M&G Investment Management on AI, ESG & Leading in a Changing Investment Landscape

    11/05/2025

    #16 Joseph Pinto - CEO of M&G Investment Management on AI, ESG & Leading in a Changing Investment Landscape

    How is technology reshaping the future of asset management? In this episode of Campus To Capital, we sit down with Joseph Pinto, CEO of M&G Investment Management, to discuss how one of Europe’s leading investment firms navigates transformation across technology, sustainability, and leadership. From his early career in at AXA Investment Managers to global executive roles at Natixis and now M&G, Joseph shares key insights on:   How AI and automation are redefining investment processes and client engagementIntegrating ESG across public and private markets while balancing performance and purposeThe differences between public and private markets – and how multi-asset strategies connect both worldsBuilding trust and accountability in global teamsThe core skills and mindsets young professionals need to thrive in finance today  A conversation on innovation, integrity, and long-term thinking in a rapidly evolving financial world. Many thanks to Joseph for joining the conversation!

    46 min
  7. #15 Bastian R. Larsen - Founder & CEO of BlackWood Ventures on AI-Driven VC, Community Capital & Europe’s Startup Edge

    10/08/2025

    #15 Bastian R. Larsen - Founder & CEO of BlackWood Ventures on AI-Driven VC, Community Capital & Europe’s Startup Edge

    Ever wondered how venture capital can scale smarter with technology and community? In this episode of Campus To Capital, we sit down with Bastian R. Larsen, Founder & CEO of BlackWood Ventures, to unpack how AI, data, and a strong angel community are reshaping early-stage investing in Europe. From working on the globally fastest growing hedge fund at BlackRock to launching his own VC fund, Bastian shares the operator lessons and contrarian lens behind building BlackWood. We talk about: • The founder’s lens: what it takes to launch a first-time fund in a cold market • AI in venture: separating noise from signal in thousands of startups • When conviction beats the algorithm – and why it matters • Designing a community-driven portfolio strategy at scale • Where contrarian alpha is hiding across European venture markets • Lessons from Oxford, HEC & Inhouse Research • Career advice for students and young professionals entering VC A conversation on rethinking venture capital – powered by intelligence, strengthened by community, built for Europe’s next generation of founders. Many thanks to Bastian for joining the conversation!

    51 min
  8. #14 Laurits Bach Sørensen – Co-Founder of Nordic Alpha Partners on Economic Sustainability, Hard-Tech & “Changing the Math”

    09/24/2025

    #14 Laurits Bach Sørensen – Co-Founder of Nordic Alpha Partners on Economic Sustainability, Hard-Tech & “Changing the Math”

    Ever wondered how to scale real-world innovation without the hype? In this episode of Campus To Capital, we sit down with Laurits Bach Sørensen, Co-Founder of Nordic Alpha Partners, to unpack economic sustainability and the operator playbook behind Europe’s industrial reboot. From BCSA (Better, Cheaper, Simpler, Available) to GP/CoE, Laurits shows how fundamentals - not buzzwords - drive adoption, profitability, and impact. We talk about: ​The operator lens: why execution beats slideware​Changing the Math: practical models for engineered hypergrowth​BCSA model & how to apply it tomorrow​Value creation beyond topline: ROIC, efficiency, and defensible moats​Europe’s edge in hard-tech: recycling, advanced manufacturing, hydrogen​Talent, capital stacks, policy - what Europe really needs next​Career advice for students who want to be builders, not just analysts A conversation on turning hard-tech into market leaders - grounded in fundamentals, built for scale. Many thanks to Laurits for joining the conversation! NAP: https://www.nordicalpha.com/ Changing The Math: https://www.changing-the-math.com/

    50 min
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About

In a world where AI can give you any answer, knowing which questions to ask becomes your most valuable skill. That's what Campus To Capital is all about. Currently ranked in Careers and Business podcast charts in Denmark, Germany and the UK.

Information

  • Creator
    Julius Ambrosius and Konstantin Girst
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Julius Ambrosius and Konstantin Girst
  • Show Website
    Campus To Capital