Podcast · 251 episodes
Scaling Europe, page 4
by Sebastian Johnson · English
Every week Seb Johnson sits down with 5 of Europe's best builders and investors to talk about what's going on in European Tech. Prior guests include the founders of Lovable, Cleo, Voi an Zilch, as well as top VCs from 20VC, Index, Balderton and Creandum.
All episodes, page 4
Dan Liftshits & Ilia Drozdov, Co-founders of Dwelly: Entering the London market:Dwelly, an AI-enabled property lettings roll-up, is entering London to capture ~40% of UK industry GMV.13 Apr 2026 · 25 min · 9 chapters
Jon Coker, Founding Partner at Eka Ventures: Eka Ventures closed £80m second fundEka Ventures’ final close of its £80m (hard cap $107m) second early-stage impact fund, how it will deploy capital, and why its data platform and founder-assessment process create deal access and…13 Apr 2026 · 22 min · 10 chapters
Mark Ball, Artistic Director at the Southbank Centre: AI and technology are changing how art is experiencedMark Ball (Artistic Director/assistant director) discusses Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary of the 1951 Festival of Britain and how AI/technology are reshaping art experiences, including audience…10 Apr 2026 · 21 min · 7 chapters
Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Managing Partner at Seedcamp: European tech moved from small thinking to building for global stageSeedcamp managing partner Carlos Eduardo Espinal discusses how European tech has shifted from “small thinking” to building for a global stage, what Europe still lacks (especially growth…8 Apr 2026 · 45 min · 24 chapters
BREAKING: Isaiah Baril-Dore, Index Ventures: UK expands EMI stock option scheme for startupsThe UK’s newly enacted changes to the EMI (Enterprise Management Incentives) tax-efficient stock option scheme, and what it means for startup compensation in Europe—especially talent attraction,…7 Apr 2026 · 20 min · 14 chapters
Nick de la Forge, Co-Founder / GP at Planet A Ventures: Angel money is coming back to European techNick de la Forge (Planet A Ventures) argues that European angel money is returning and that “climate” is increasingly reframed as energy, resilience, and manufacturing—while stressing…2 Apr 2026 · 22 min · 11 chapters
Nadir Izrael, Co-founder & CTO at Armis Security: Armis got acquired by ServiceNow for $7.75BArmis Security’s acquisition by ServiceNow for $7.75B (all cash), and how Armis’ attack-surface/asset-visibility approach fits ServiceNow’s AI “control tower” and observability strategy in the age of…1 Apr 2026 · 21 min · 9 chapters
BREAKING: Orrick just launched DealFlow 6.0 report: Jamie Moore, Partner at OrrickOrrick’s DealFlow 6.0 report on European venture financing, focusing on deal terms, valuation shifts, liquidation preferences, governance, and the rise of secondaries and extension rounds in 2025.1 Apr 2026 · 19 min · 11 chapters
Founders need to think global from day one: Sara Rywe, General Partner at byFoundersGlobal mindset for founders from day one; why European VC must compete on speed and community; Nordics overperformance; and deep-tech examples (Lovable, Virtus/Verdicts, defense/hardware trends).1 Apr 2026 · 23 min · 12 chapters
BREAKING: Orrick just launched DealFlow 6.0 report: Jamie Moore, Partner at OrrickOrrick’s newly released DealFlow 6.0 report on European venture financing terms, focusing on deal fundamentals (not just volume), founder–investor dynamics, and liquidity patterns in 2025.31 Mar 2026 · 19 min · 13 chapters
IQM becomes the first listed European quantum computing company: Jan Goetz, CEO & Co-Founder at IQMJan Goetz, CEO & co-founder of IQM, discusses IQM becoming the first listed European quantum computing company via a SPAC, why the timing is right, and IQM’s commercial traction and go-forward plans…30 Mar 2026 · 19 min · 13 chapters
Defence, security and resilience funding in Europe grew 4x in 5 years: Sander VerbruggeNATO Innovation Fund (NIF) partner Sander Verbrugge discusses Europe’s defense, security, and resilience (DSR) investment growth, how DSR is defined, where funding is heading, and what NIF plans to…27 Mar 2026 · 22 min · 9 chapters
Brite pay-by-bank operates across 27 markets: Lena Hackelöer, Founder & CEO at Brite PaymentsBright Payments’ pay-by-bank expansion across Europe, how the category has evolved, and how Lena Hackelöer is adapting to today’s AI-focused funding climate.26 Mar 2026 · 20 min · 9 chapters
Granola raised $125 million Series C at a $1.5 billion valuation: Sam Stephenson, Co-founderGranola (AI meeting notes) announces a $125M Series C at a $1.5B valuation, becoming a UK/Europe unicorn and “AI unicorn,” and discusses why it raised now, how growth is happening, and how the…25 Mar 2026 · 22 min · 11 chapters
Spore.Bio’s technology can detect bacteria in 10 minutes: Amine Raji, Co-founder & CEO, Spore.BioSpore.Bio’s launch of TMSI, an AI-native microbiology platform that detects, quantifies, and identifies bacteria in 10 minutes without culture or enrichment, using photonics and an embedded GPU model…24 Mar 2026 · 17 min · 8 chapters
Startups in Europe are being built to win globally: Filip Dames, Founding Partner at Cherry VenturesHow European startups are shifting from regional “execution” businesses to globally competitive category leaders, and how Cherry Ventures (early-stage, founder-first) is adapting—especially for deep…24 Mar 2026 · 38 min · 16 chapters
Credo announces $88m Fund V: Maciek Gnutek & Jakub Krikava, Parters at Credo VenturesCredo Ventures announces its fifth fund, $88m (Fund V), to back Eastern European founders (including diaspora) with a “first check” pre-seed/seed strategy across Central and Eastern Europe.23 Mar 2026 · 25 min · 10 chapters
Dash0 raises $110M Series B at $1B valuation: Mirko Novakovic, CEO at Dash0Dash0 (CEO Mirko Novakovic) announces a $110M Series B at a $1B valuation, driven by rapid ARR growth and a shift from observability to “agentic” AI for production data (“Agent Zero”).23 Mar 2026 · 19 min · 12 chapters
0TO9 wants to build 1,000 profitable fintech companies: Jessica Holzbach, Partner and CEO at Germany 0TO9Venture builder/investor Jessica Holzbach explains Zero to Nine’s mission to co-build and invest in fintechs, aiming to create 1,000 profitable fintech companies over 20 years, using its own banking…20 Mar 2026 · 21 min · 10 chapters
UK venture funding reaches $23.6B: Jenny Edwards, Managing Director, Head of NatWest Venture BankingNatWest Venture Banking’s data-led report on the state of UK venture and tech, with a forward look to 2026.19 Mar 2026 · 22 min · 13 chapters
A new generation of researcher founders think like engineers: Devika Thapar & Ale Maiano, Co-founders at WilbeWilbe’s “Build Weeks” program—intense 7-day online cohorts that take scientists/engineers from idea to investment readiness, replacing slower batch cohorts to scale founder training and speed…18 Mar 2026 · 28 min · 14 chapters
Fuse exceeds $500m ARR: Alan Chang, Founder and CEO at Fuse EnergyFuse Energy’s rapid growth in UK energy supply, customer acquisition tactics, talent constraints, fundraising, and long-term roadmap (new products, US/Ireland expansion, recycling, and fusion).17 Mar 2026 · 42 min · 27 chapters
nexos.ai raised two rounds in its first year: Justas Morkūnas, COO at nexos.ainexos.ai’s early fundraising and product strategy for secure AI agent building, shifting from an “AI gateway” idea to a “no-code agent builder/workspace” that controls both security and AI adoption…16 Mar 2026 · 20 min · 11 chapters
Wiz is the largest venture-backed M&A in history: Shardul Shah, Partner at Index VenturesIndex Ventures partner Shardul Shah discusses Wiz’s acquisition, described as the largest venture-backed M&A in history, and how he builds conviction as an investor—centered on people, trust, and…13 Mar 2026 · 19 min · 8 chapters