Episodes

  • EUVC | E3374 | Election Drama, Big Tech’s AI Monopoly, Buffett’s Cash Strategy, Starmer’s Slow Reforms, and Founder Burnout – with Dan Bowye

    EUVC | E3374 | Election Drama, Big Tech’s AI Monopoly, Buffett’s Cash Strategy, Starmer’s Slow Reforms, and Founder Burnout – with Dan Bowye
    Nov 8 2024
    Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where we’ll cover recent news and movements in the European tech landscape with Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen from SuperSeed.

    Go to eu.vc to read the core take-aways.

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction: What's Happening This Week?
    00:59 Election Drama and Trump Headlines
    01:26 The Most Expensive Election
    Ever 02:03 Swing States and Predictions
    03:05 Potential Civil Unrest
    03:38 Trump's Policy Implications
    05:20 The CHIPS Act Debate
    09:20 European Chips Act
    11:47 UK's Semiconductor Strategy
    13:20 Government Investment and Planning
    18:16 Berkshire Hathaway's Cash Reserves
    18:59 Warren Buffett's Investment Strategy
    21:46 ChatGPT vs. Google Search
    23:41 AI Boom and Market Cap Gains
    24:00 Europe's Role in Semiconductors
    25:04 Startup Founder Mental Health
    26:15 VC's Role in Founder Support
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    33 mins
  • E373 | EUVC | Robin Capital's Robin Haak on the solo GP path and being a founder-led VC in Europe

    E373 | EUVC | Robin Capital's Robin Haak on the solo GP path and being a founder-led VC in Europe
    Nov 7 2024
    In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas is joined by Robin Haak, the solo GP behind Robin Capital, to share his unique journey through venture capital and entrepreneurship.

    Robin opens up about his extraordinary path, from building a coffee shop in Bhutan to fighting Muay Thai in Thailand, and how these experiences shaped his investing philosophy. Andreas and Robin discuss the realities of being a solo GP in Europe, the challenges of fundraising, and the importance of community-driven LP relationships. Robin shares why he chose the solo GP route after co-built Revaia, a €250 million growth fund, and why staying small and boutique matters to him.

    This episode goes beyond the typical investment talk. It dives deep into what drives Robin, the principles behind his investments, and the personal journey that shaped him into the investor he is today. Robin’s story is one of resilience, growth, and a deep desire to serve founders in ways that go beyond just financial backing.

    Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀

    Chapters:

    02:55 Robin Capital: The Basics
    03:59 Investment Strategy and Progress
    05:54 Challenges of Fundraising
    09:14 Personal Journey and Philosophy
    13:02 Spirituality and Life Lessons
    16:54 The Importance of Community
    17:46 Long-Term Vision and Acceptance
    20:07 Spiritual Exploration and Insights
    25:23 Conclusion and Newsletter Shoutout
    26:59 The Journey's End: Funding Status
    27:17 Finding Passion in Marketing
    27:45 The Love for Human Stories
    28:34 Exploring Bhutan: A Personal Journey
    30:36 Meeting the Royal Family
    32:13 Building a Coffee Shop in Bhutan
    32:47 Impact of COVID-19
    33:10 Transition Back to Travel Business
    34:09 The Role of Operators in VC
    44:57 The Importance of Serving Founders
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    51 mins
  • E372 | Startups in Focus by Seedcamp | Revolutionising Customer Engagement via WhatsApp with Tarek Khalil and Mohamed Elbadwihi from Rasayel

    E372 | Startups in Focus by Seedcamp | Revolutionising Customer Engagement via WhatsApp with Tarek Khalil and Mohamed Elbadwihi from Rasayel
    Nov 6 2024
    In the ever-evolving landscape of business communication, platforms like WhatsApp are no longer just messaging apps but have transformed into powerful platforms enabling businesses to connect with their customers in groundbreaking ways.

    The latest episode of Startups in Focus features Carlos Espinal and Felix Martinez from Seedcamp, dive deep into this topic with Tarek Khalil and Mohamed Elbadwihi, co-founders of Rasayel, exploring how they are leveraging WhatsApp to redefine business communication.

    Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀

    Chapters:

    00:35 Founders' Backgrounds and Journey
    02:42 Lessons Learned from Previous Startups
    04:59 The Birth of Rasael
    07:35 Understanding Rasael's Product
    10:08 WhatsApp as a Business Platform
    12:59 Platform Risks and Meta's Incentives
    16:00 Global Adoption of WhatsApp
    18:37 WhatsApp's Role in Business Functions
    20:52 Navigating Multiple Messaging Platforms
    23:25 Global Customer Insights
    23:41 The Dominance of WhatsApp
    24:12 Trust and Confidentiality
    25:12 WhatsApp's Strategic Development
    26:42 Regional Messaging Preferences
    27:10 Navigating Multiple Channels
    31:07 WhatsApp Business Platform
    32:41 Compliance and Data Management
    37:01 Future of WhatsApp Integrations
    44:28 Conclusion and Contact Information
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    46 mins
  • EUVC | E371 | Oxx's Mikael Johnsson on how to make a company stand out in a competitive market

    EUVC | E371 | Oxx's Mikael Johnsson on how to make a company stand out in a competitive market
    Nov 5 2024
    In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses with Mikael Johnsson, co-founder and General Partner of Oxx.

    Andreas and Mikael discuss the key strategies and insights that have shaped Oxx as a leading player in the European B2B SaaS investment landscape. Mikael shares his extensive 24-year journey in venture capital, highlighting the evolution of his investment philosophy and the experiences that have driven Oxx’s unique approach to backing scale-up stage companies.

    Oxx’s second fund, totaling $190M, underscores the firm’s commitment to supporting B2B SaaS innovators across Europe and Israel. With a team of six in Stockholm and nine in London, Oxx maintains a pan-European reach, enabling it to stay closely connected to the pulse of regional tech ecosystems. The firm’s notable investments, including Funnel, Gravitee, and SOCRadar, exemplify Oxx’s focus on high-potential SaaS businesses with the ambition and capability to scale internationally.

    Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀

    Chapters:

    02:35 Meet Michael Johnson of Oxx
    03:04 Michael's Journey into Venture Capital
    04:35 The Intellectual Curiosity of Venture Capital
    05:20 Building and Growing Companies
    06:11 Challenges and Stubbornness in Venture
    07:31 Pivotal Moments and Lessons Learned
    09:47 Oxx's Investment Strategy
    13:49 The Importance of Product-Market Fit
    19:07 The State of Early Stage and Growth Stage VC in Europe
    26:00 Challenges in Scaling Venture Firms
    26:44 Optimism in European Venture Ecosystem 2
    7:30 Importance of Positioning for Startups
    28:43 Building a Scalable Company
    29:49 Common Mistakes by Founders
    30:59 Evaluating Companies for Investment
    32:11 The Role of Hustle and Strategy
    36:29 Issues in the Venture Capital Industry
    49:12 Final Thoughts and Learnings:
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    54 mins
  • EUVC | E370 | Carmen Alfonso Rico & Evan Finkel on managing the personal relationship vs. business relationship

    EUVC | E370 | Carmen Alfonso Rico & Evan Finkel on managing the personal relationship vs. business relationship
    Nov 1 2024
    In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas talks with Carmen Alfonso Rico, a self-described VC turned angel at Cocoa Ventures. and Evan Finkel, Head of Venture Capital Investments at Integra Global Advisors.

    Carmen is leading the charge at Cocoa Ventures, a €15M fund headquartered in the UK and focused on backing pre-seed and seed-stage startups across Europe. Cocoa Ventures invests across sectors, emphasizing Carmen’s vision of supporting bold founders in their first institutional round. Notable investments include Speckle, Eventstore, FDM, Tilebox, Fractile from Cocoa I, and hopin, SideQuest, Hived, pre-Cocoa.

    At Integra Global Advisors, a venture fund with €700M in assets under management, Evan targets early-stage and emerging managers across the US, LatAm, Europe, and Israel. Notable investments include Plural, Fly, and Retail (EU).

    Carmen, and Evan delve into the complexities of LP-GP relationships in venture capital, emphasizing the importance of separating personal and business dynamics. They also share insights on identifying strong GPs and the importance of maintaining integrity in the venture ecosystem and discuss the complexities of management fees and carry in the venture capital landscape, emphasizing the need for alignment of incentives between GPs and LPs.

    Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀

    Chapters:

    02:10 Diving into Personal and Business Relationships
    04:09 Managing LPGP Relationships
    10:45 Gamesmanship in Business
    15:07 Challenges of First Closings
    23:57 Re-ups and Signaling in Fundraising
    32:50 Handling Fund Breakups
    45:30 Succession Planning in VC
    46:33 Tough Decisions in Venture Capital
    48:00 Assessing Emerging Managers
    49:16 The Importance of Personal Brand in VC
    50:30 Carmen and Cocoa: A Perfect Synergy
    53:18 Management Fees and Carry: A Deep Dive
    55:52 Challenges with the 2% Management Fee Model
    01:03:05 The Debate on Carry Structures
    01:05:12 European vs. American Waterfalls
    01:11:39 Navigating LP-GP Relationships
    01:29:14 Closing Thoughts and Future Topics
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • EUVC | E369 | The Autumn Budget, Arm vs. Nvidia, Volkswagen’s Decline, and Boeing’s Space Division – with Dan Bowyer

    EUVC | E369 | The Autumn Budget, Arm vs. Nvidia, Volkswagen’s Decline, and Boeing’s Space Division – with Dan Bowyer
    Oct 31 2024
    Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where we’ll cover recent news and movements in the European tech landscape with Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen from SuperSeed.

    Go to eu.vc to read the core take-aways.

    Chapters:

    01:48 UK Autumn Budget Highlights
    02:29 Government's Investment Focus
    03:07 Challenges in Public Services
    04:14 Economic Reactions and Investor Sentiments
    04:56 Tax Changes and Their Implications
    05:59 Impact on Founders and Venture Capital
    06:57 Building a Company: Challenges and Rewards
    08:19 Capital Gains and Venture Capital Taxation
    09:15 London's Position in the Global Market
    15:45 ARM vs. NVIDIA: The AI Race
    16:47 ARM's Business Model and Market Position
    18:58 Qualcomm and ARM: Legal Battles
    20:15 SoftBank's Influence on ARM
    23:46 Volkswagen's Profit Warnings
    25:30 Boeing's Challenges and Industrial Issues
    28:15 The Role of AI in Startups
    30:15 Meta's AI Search Engine
    32:42 Football Regulation and Government Policies
    36:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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    38 mins
  • E368 | EUVC | Announcing Rerail with Anthony Danon - our most awaited episode this year! 😍

    E368 | EUVC | Announcing Rerail with Anthony Danon - our most awaited episode this year! 😍
    Oct 25 2024
    Today, we’re thrilled to bring you one of the most anticipated episodes of the year with Anthony Danon about the official announcement of Rerail, his brand-new $20M angel fund. You ofc already know Anthony as one of the hosts of our SuperAngel podcast series and part of the powerful duo behind Cocoa together with Carmen 🍫.

    But now he’s built Rerail to pursue his powerful "FinTech is everything" thesis, placing $200-500K checks into early-stage companies that are transforming the future of finance and beyond. And my god are we excited for this.

    He focuses on pre-seed and seed investments in three core areas:
    • Fintech: Backing companies driving innovation across all finance sub-verticals, tapping into the potential of AI and cutting-edge technologies.
    • Fintech-powered sectors: From climate tech to healthcare and logistics, Anthony looks for startups leveraging fintech to disrupt and enhance industries far beyond traditional finance.
    • Not-yet Fintech: Seeking companies that may not be fintech today but have the potential to use fintech as a strategic advantage, whether in their revenue model, customer base, or business approach.
    This is one of the biggest and most important episodes we’ve done because we think Anthony will be one of the European venture's true trailblazers.

    Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀

    Chapters:

    02:07 Welcoming Anthony Dannon
    02:33 Anthony's Journey to Founding Rerail
    03:06 Early Career and Transition to VC
    04:16 Building a Network in FinTech
    07:34 Launching Cocoa and the Angel Fund
    11:05 The FinTech is Everything Thesis
    20:29 Collaborative Investment Strategy
    23:28 Global Expansion and LP Support
    26:44 Proving the Strategy
    27:27 Degrees of Freedom in Fund Management
    27:51 Focus on Europe First
    28:19 Collaborative Fund Approach
    30:18 Ownership Sensitivity in Venture Capital
    33:24 Co-Investment Strategies
    37:50 Balancing Pre-Seed and Seed Investments
    39:24 Reserve Ratios and Fund Economics
    41:51 Handling High-Valuation Outliers
    47:10 Future Ambitions for Rerail
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    53 mins
  • E374 | EUVC | Perplexity’s $8B Target, Anthropic’s AI Control, NHS Data Privatization, and Tech Giants’ Media Acquisitions – with Dan Bowyer

    E374 | EUVC | Perplexity’s $8B Target, Anthropic’s AI Control, NHS Data Privatization, and Tech Giants’ Media Acquisitions – with Dan Bowyer
    Oct 25 2024
    Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where our good friends Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen from SuperSeed cover recent news and movements in the European tech landscape 💬

    Go to eu.vc to read the core take-aways.

    Chapters:

    00:09 AI Perplexity's Massive Valuation
    01:41 Anthropic's New AI Model
    03:46 NHS and Patient Records
    06:06 Palantir's Role in NHS IT
    06:31 Revitalizing NHS with IT
    07:59 Stripe, HubSpot, and JP Morgan's Media Acquisitions
    08:37 The Creator Economy and Content Marketing
    09:56 Sustaining Economic Growth
    10:24 The Future of Economic Growth
    11:11 Investing in Business Technology
    11:23 The Myth of Limited Growth 11:37 Solving the Energy Problem
    12:17 The Positive Side of AI
    13:27 Europe's Digital Leap 13:55 Challenges in the Automotive Sector
    14:32 Unlocking Venture Capital in Europe
    15:00 Regulatory Hurdles and Growth
    18:35 The Future of the S&P 500
    23:07 Trump's Economic Policies
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    26 mins