EUVC

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Channel • 5 Shows

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Investing

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Investing

Investing

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Apr 27

Chinese AI Models Narrow the Gap, Apps Become the Moat, SaaS Faces Repricing

Models are converging. Chinese open source models are catching up. Applications are becoming the moat. In this episode of This Week in European Tech, Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen of SuperSeed examine the shifts shaping AI, markets and Europe’s role. From DeepSeek’s progress to the EU AI Act, the focus is on where the real competitive edge is forming, alongside cyber incidents, the race between frontier labs, and why coding is central to how AI systems improve and are used, before closing on pressure in private credit and what it could mean for SaaS. Key highlights Chinese open-source AI is rapidly closing the gap with US leadersThe EU is considering revisions to its AI Act, including scope and timeline changesCyber incidents reveal systemic data management failuresFrontier labs are moving up the stack into applications, with coding central to progressPrivate credit exposure to SaaS could lead to repricingTimestamps (00:00) Intro and overview of key topics (05:45) DeepSeek V4 and model competition (11:30) EU AI Act discussions (16:45) Cyber breaches and data governance issues (21:30) Digital ID systems and Estonia’s model (26:30) Sergey Brin, DeepMind and AI coding race (32:00) SpaceX, Cursor and AI distribution strategy (39:30) Private credit, space sovereignty, predictions and week ahead Subscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights: ⁠https://www.eu.vc/subscribe

Apr 27

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47 min
May 21

Sebastian Mallaby on Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and Europe’s AI future

Demis Hassabis, Co-Founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, refused to leave London, challenged Google on AI safety and helped lead DeepMind back into the AI race. Sebastian Mallaby, author of The Infinity Machine and The Power Law, joins Andreas Munk Holm to discuss the founder psychology of Demis, the story behind DeepMind and why Europe may be entering a new era in technology. The conversation explores DeepMind’s fundraising journey, the Google acquisition, the merger with Google Brain, AI safety, sovereign technology and why Demis remains sceptical of parts of Silicon Valley culture despite operating at the centre of it. Timestamps (00:00) Why Demis Hassabis matters(01:12) Why DeepMind could not raise from European VCs(07:35) The Peter Thiel chess story(11:00) What DeepMind reveals about European venture(14:42) Why Europe’s tech ecosystem is accelerating(18:20) European sovereignty, defence tech and AI(21:20) DeepMind’s sale to Google and tensions over AI safety(29:40) The founder psychology of Demis(41:35) Google’s ChatGPT moment and Gemini’s comeback(45:05) Demis’ critique of Silicon Valley(50:45) Europe’s AI sovereignty problem(54:05) Final thoughts and Sebastian’s new bookSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

May 21

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56 min
10/08/2024

E363 | Tom Wilson (Seedcamp) and Anthony Danon (Cocoa): Angel investing insights with Dorothy Chou, Director of Policy & Public Engagement at DeepMind

Join us as Tom Wilson from Seedcamp and Anthony Danon from Cocoa talk to Dorothy Chou, Director of Policy & Public Engagement at DeepMind. Dorothy shares her journey from working at major tech companies to becoming an angel investor. She raises the importance of diversity in the startup ecosystem, particularly in supporting underrepresented founders. Dorothy highlights the need for a systemic change in venture capital and how her experiences have shaped her investment strategy. She also discusses AI's potential for driving social change and innovation. Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀 Chapters: 01:45 Dorothy's Journey to Angel Investing 03:12 Focusing on Diversity in Founding Teams 03:38 Venturing into Women's Health 03:56 Challenges in Women's Health Investment 05:23 First Angel Investment Experience 05:54 Success Stories and Notable Investments 06:25 The Power of Public Procurement 08:09 Leveraging Networks in Angel Investing 09:29 The Importance of Access and Diversity 09:54 Backing Underrepresented Founders 19:40 The Role of Relational Competence 21:35 AI's Impact on Science and Society 22:43 Public-Private Partnerships in AI 26:35 Core Learnings in Angel Investing 35:09 Counterintuitive Insights in Investing

10/08/2024

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42 min
May 22

AI is rewriting the global economy

AI is no longer just a technology story. It is reshaping capital markets, infrastructure and industrial policy. In the latest episode of This Week in European Tech, Mads Jensen and Dan Bowyer of SuperSeed break down NVIDIA’s dominance of the AI economy, the return of the IPO market through OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX, and Europe’s push to build sovereign technology capabilities. Highlights NVIDIA and the economics of AI infrastructureOpenAI, Anthropic and the IPO market reopeningEurope’s sovereign AI pushAI backlash and political risk in the USUnitree and the rise of humanoid roboticsIsomorphic Labs and AI-driven drug discoveryTimestamps (03:00) NVIDIA is swallowing the AI economy(06:20) The IPO market is reopening through OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX(08:40) Why SpaceX is really an AI infrastructure story(11:40) OpenAI’s IPO could expose the real economics of AI(13:40) Why Unitree and humanoid robotics matter for Europe(20:10) Europe’s sovereign AI push through Mistral, EQT and Quantexa(27:40) Americans are turning against AI(36:10) Isomorphic Labs and Europe’s biggest AI biotech opportunitySubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

May 22

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42 min
May 27

Why Henkel Ventures believes CVCs can outperform VCs

Most VCs think corporate venture capital is slower, more conflicted and structurally weaker than traditional venture firms. Marc Thom, Corporate Vice President and Head of Henkel Ventures, argues the opposite and explains why the best CVCs may actually outperform traditional VCs over time. In this episode, Marc joins Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier to discuss how Henkel built one of Europe’s leading corporate venture platforms, why most startup-corporate partnerships fail and how corporates can create both strategic and financial advantage through venture investing. Topics covered Why the best CVCs can outperform VCsHow Henkel structures venture investing and partnershipsThe “holy bible” behind startup collaboration inside corporatesWhy most startup partnerships fail internallyThe role corporates should play on startup cap tablesHow AI is reshaping industrial R&D and materials scienceTimestamps (00:00) Why CVCs can outperform traditional VCs(04:00) How Henkel structures startup sourcing and partnerships(11:00) The use case framework behind Henkel Ventures(16:00) The “Role of Henkel” in startup investing(23:00) Why Henkel invested in ResearchGate(27:40) AI, chemistry and the future of industrial R&D(30:20) Why Marc believes CVCs can outperform VCs(36:00) How Henkel built internal alignment for venture investingSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

May 27

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41 min
May 13

Ro Gupta, Woven Capital: How Toyota uses corporate venture to win in AI and robotics

Most corporates struggle to move fast enough for AI and robotics. Toyota’s answer is corporate venture. In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier speak with Ro Gupta, CEO and Managing Director of Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth-stage venture fund focused on mobility, AI, automation and climate technology. They discuss how Toyota uses CVC to identify frontier technologies, work with startups and think decades ahead. Ro shares how Woven Capital functions as agile “speedboats” around Toyota’s industrial “supertanker”, scanning for strategic opportunities across AI, robotics, mobility, manufacturing and infrastructure. Highlights Why Toyota invests through both “inside-out” and “outside-in” models How Woven evaluates AI, robotics and the future of labour Why strategic engagement matters more than passive investing How Toyota balances long-term thinking with venture-speed execution Why Europe is becoming increasingly important for Toyota’s innovation strategy Timestamps (00:00) Ro Gupta’s founder background and move into Toyota(04:00) Startup operators vs corporate insiders in CVC(10:00) Toyota’s multi-fund venture strategy(15:00) The “supertanker and speedboats” framework(18:00) AI hype cycles and long-term industrial strategy(23:00) AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing themes(27:00) What Woven Capital looks for in startups(30:00) What founders expect from CVC investors(33:00) How Woven collaborates with traditional VCs(35:00) Europe’s role in Toyota’s future strategy(39:00) Toyota’s next 100-year opportunity(44:00) The “build, move and connect” framework Subscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights: https://www.eu.vc/subscribe

May 13

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49 min
May 11

This Week in European Tech: Anthropic’s rise, China’s AI push and Europe’s tech dilemma

This week on This Week in European Tech, Mads Jensen of SuperSeed, Lomax Ward of Outsized Ventures and Andrew J Scott of 7percent Ventures discuss Arm’s AI pivot, Spotify earnings and Anthropic’s explosive growth. The conversation also covers the EU’s clash with Meta, ASML’s semiconductor moat, UK fusion ambitions and SAP’s €1 billion acquisition of Prior Labs. Key highlights Why AI may be shifting demand back towards CPUsAnthropic’s explosive growth, cloud spending and IPO speculationThe debate around AI safety, regulation and national securityASML’s semiconductor dominance and China’s AI workaroundsWhy energy infrastructure and industrial policy matter for AITimestamps (00:00) Intro and this week’s themes(02:00) Arm and Spotify earnings reactions(05:00) Arm’s shift from licensing to AI CPUs(09:00) Agentic AI and rising CPU demand(11:00) Anthropic growth, cloud spending and valuation speculation(16:00) Enterprise AI implementation and PE-backed AI services(23:00) AI safety, regulation and national security debates(31:00) The EU’s clash with Meta over AI access in WhatsApp(39:00) ASML, semiconductor infrastructure and China’s catch-up efforts(46:00) UK fusion ambitions and strategic industrial policy(55:00) SAP acquires Prior Labs for €1 billionSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights: https://www.eu.vc/subscribe

May 11

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59 min
May 19

Building the world's 'thinnest' battery out of Europe

Batteries do not just power products anymore. They shape what products can be built. In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Michael Brehm and Mohamed Foulser from Redstone alongside Moritz H. Futscher, CEO and Co-Founder of BTRY, about why the next wave of battery innovation is not about bigger battery packs but entirely new form factors. BTRY is a Swiss battery startup developing an ultra-thin, foldable solid-state battery designed for IoT, medtech and consumer electronics. Founded in 2023 as an Empa and ETH Zürich spin-off, the company is building a new category of batteries aimed at enabling products that previously were not possible. The discussion covers Europe’s industrial opportunity in batteries, the importance of scalable manufacturing, overlooked opportunities in embedded electronics and why the future of hardware may make batteries effectively disappear. Key highlights Why battery innovation is shifting from chemistry to product design and manufacturingHow BTRY is creating a new category of ultra-thin batteriesWhy scalability matters more than lab breakthroughs in deep techEurope’s opportunity to build globally competitive battery companiesWhat embedded batteries could unlock across wearables, sensors and medtechTimestamps (00:00) Why batteries still limit innovation(04:10) The overlooked opportunity in sub-1Ah batteries(07:25) Rebuilding battery manufacturing from scratch(10:00) What foldable batteries could enable(14:00) Smart labels, sensors and embedded devices(18:00) Why scaling production is the real challenge(24:30) Can Europe compete in batteries?(34:00) The future of ultra-thin battery-powered productsSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

May 19

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37 min
May 4

AI Is Hitting Constraints: Memory, Power and Geopolitics

AI demand is surging, but infrastructure is the constraint, with memory now the key bottleneck. In this episode of This Week in European Tech, Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen of SuperSeed explore a range of topics such as AI constraints, Big Tech earnings, monetisation, geopolitics, Europe’s position, and what capital flows into AI labs and SpaceX signal about what comes next. Key highlights AI growth is constrained by memory and infrastructureMonetisation is accelerating as models use more tokens and cost moreAI is a geopolitical battleground, with control over talent and IPEurope shows momentum, but regulation could hold companies backPerformance gains are increasingly driven by application scaffoldingTimestamps (00:00) Introduction and opening headlines (04:20) Big Tech earnings, cloud growth and AI demand (07:30) Memory as the emerging AI bottleneck (11:40) Frontier labs, Musk vs Altman and Manus (14:00) US–China dynamics and export controls (17:10) Ineffable, Recursive and Europe’s AI push (20:00) Frontier model releases and AI monetisation (25:00) SpaceX IPO, valuation and space compute (30:00) EU AI Act and UK AI strategy (34:30) Energy and infrastructure constraints (41:00) Predictions and deals of the week Subscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights: https://www.eu.vc/subscribe

May 4

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47 min
Apr 13

Anthropic Overtakes OpenAI, IPO Wave Looms and Europe’s AI Moment

Anthropic has overtaken OpenAI in revenue and Europe is emerging as a key AI battleground. In this episode of This Week in European Tech, Dan Bowyer (SuperSeed) and Lomax Ward (Outsized Ventures) break down a week shaped by AI momentum, capital concentration and macro uncertainty. They cover Anthropic’s rise, its enterprise focus and latest model, and whether current growth can justify the scale of AI investment. They also explore the coming wave of mega IPOs and what it means for liquidity, alongside JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s shareholder letter on inflation, interest rates and private credit. The episode closes with climate investing’s shift towards energy security and the move to faster, software-led defence systems. Key topics Anthropic vs OpenAI: revenue growth, enterprise dominance and Europe expansion Mega IPO wave: SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic and capital market strain Jamie Dimon’s warning: inflation, rates and private credit risks Climate investing shift: from ESG to energy security and resilience Defence transformation: from legacy procurement to agile, software-led warfare Timestamps (00:00) Intro and macro setup (05:00) Anthropic growth, Mythos and AI competition (12:30) Positioning, ethics and enterprise adoption in AI (22:00) Jamie Dimon letter: inflation and private credit (29:00) IPO pipeline and capital constraints (36:00) Climate and energy security shift (42:00) Germany defence spend and modern warfare (46:30) OpenAI moves, predictions and deals

Apr 13

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50 min

One place to find them all. The go-to platform to find the best podcasts on the European VC industry. 💥

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EUVC

Top Shows

Chinese AI Models Narrow the Gap, Apps Become the Moat, SaaS Faces Repricing

Sebastian Mallaby on Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and Europe’s AI future

E363 | Tom Wilson (Seedcamp) and Anthony Danon (Cocoa): Angel investing insights with Dorothy Chou, Director of Policy & Public Engagement at DeepMind

AI is rewriting the global economy

Why Henkel Ventures believes CVCs can outperform VCs

Ro Gupta, Woven Capital: How Toyota uses corporate venture to win in AI and robotics

This Week in European Tech: Anthropic’s rise, China’s AI push and Europe’s tech dilemma

Building the world's 'thinnest' battery out of Europe

AI Is Hitting Constraints: Memory, Power and Geopolitics

Anthropic Overtakes OpenAI, IPO Wave Looms and Europe’s AI Moment

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