EU-Startups Podcast

Hosted by Thomas Ohr

Technology Entrepreneurship InvestingExplicit

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Episodes

172

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

The official Podcast of EU-Startups.com - the leading online magazine about startups in Europe.

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60 recent

June 11, 2026Episode 17335 min

The Airship Startup NATO is Backing

In this exclusive interview, Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu, discusses how his company is pioneering the use of autonomous, hydrogen-powered airships to revolutionise aerial monitoring. Unlike traditional drones or satellites, Kelluu’s fleet delivers persistent, high-accuracy environmental data in extreme conditions - from Arctic temperatures to GPS-denied environments. Learn how these near-silent, emission-free platforms are reshaping intelligence, surveillance, and environmental monitoring for defence, infrastructure, and beyond. From its humble beginnings in a Finnish farm shed to its recent €15 million Series A funding, Kelluu has proven its platform in real-world conditions, including NATO exercises and Arctic operations. The company’s autonomous airships aim to bridge the gap between satellites and drones, offering unmatched persistence and precision for critical missions.

June 4, 2026Episode 17239 min

The Christmas Trip that Built BlaBlaCar

Join us for a deep dive with Frédéric Mazzella, founder of BlaBlaCar, as he reflects on the origins of the world’s leading carpooling platform and shares insights on the future of shared mobility, sustainability, and entrepreneurship in Europe. From a personal Christmas trip that sparked a global movement to redefining how we travel, Frédéric discusses the vision, challenges, and impact of BlaBlaCar - and how it’s shaping the way we think about transportation, community, and innovation. In this interview, Frédéric explores the balance between practicality and purpose, the role of technology in fostering human connections, and the unique opportunities and hurdles for startups in Europe today. Whether you’re a founder, a mobility enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of travel, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on building scalable, impactful businesses.

May 28, 2026Episode 17144 min

The Startup Freezing Humans For Tomorrow

Join us for a deep-dive conversation with Dr Emil Kendziorra, CEO of Tomorrow.bio, as we explore the cutting edge of cryopreservation and medical biostasis. Dr Kendziorra, who began his career in cancer research with a summa cum laude degree from the University of Göttingen, shares his remarkable journey from academic science to entrepreneurship, and ultimately to founding Tomorrow.bio - a company he considers his life’s work. In this interview, he discusses the motivations behind his pivot from traditional longevity research to the frontier of cryomedicine, the operational and emotional lessons learned from cryopreserving over 20 human patients and 10 pets, and his vision for making this technology more accessible in the future. Tomorrow.bio stands as Europe’s fastest-growing cryopreservation company, with over 800 members across 200+ cities and 45+ countries. The company offers both whole-body cryopreservation and brain-only preservation, using a transparent pricing model designed for long-term value. With a recent €5 million Seed round and a mission to advance medical biostasis, Emil discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of operating in this space, the ethical considerations of a technology that may not achieve revival for decades, and his long-term vision for the field

May 20, 2026Episode 17032 min

From MI6 to Startups

In this edition of the EU-Startups Podcast we had a cht with Tyler Edwards, the ex-MI6 founder who set out to secure AI Agents.

May 14, 2026Episode 16935 min

From 0 to $100M ARR

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Pieterjan Bouten, Founding and Managing Partner at Entourage, as he reflects on his journey from co-founding In the Pocket and scaling Showpad to $100M ARR, to now building and funding the next generation of B2B SaaS companies through Entourage Studio and Entourage Capital. Pieterjan also shares insights on his role as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Vlerick Entrepreneurship Academy and the vision behind Wintercircus, a hub for entrepreneurs, researchers, and digital creatives. Pieterjan dives into the challenges and triumphs of scaling a global SaaS company, the evolution of his perspective as both an operator and investor, and how Entourage is redefining early-stage support for European founders. He also discusses the future of AI in B2B SaaS, the role of communities like Wintercircus, and what it takes for founders to stand out in today’s competitive landscape. 💬 What’s your biggest takeaway from Pieterjan’s journey? Share in the comments!

April 23, 2026Episode 16839 min

From Skype to Delivery Robots

In this interview, Ahti Heinla - co-founder, CEO, and CTO of Starship Technologies and one of the original engineers behind Skype - shares his journey from a young programmer in Estonia to leading one of the world’s most advanced autonomous delivery companies. Ahti reflects on how his early exposure to coding shaped his mindset, and the lessons he carried from building Skype into scaling Starship. He dives into why last-mile delivery became the problem he wanted to solve, and how autonomous robots are changing the way goods move through cities. The conversation explores the human side of automation - addressing concerns about jobs, the evolving role of delivery workers, and how technology can support rather than replace people. Ahti also discusses the importance of sustainability and impact in decision-making, highlighting how zero-emission delivery can reshape urban environments. From navigating regulation in different markets to working with major delivery platforms across Europe and the US, Ahti offers a look at what it takes to deploy robotics in the real world.

April 16, 2026Episode 16755 min

The Travel Startup that Beat Covid

What does the future of travel really look like - and how is AI reshaping the way we explore the world? In this episode, we sit down with Patrick Andrae, co-founder and CEO of HomeToGo, to unpack the evolution of TravelTech - from early marketplace bets to today’s AI-powered platforms. Founded in 2014 in Berlin, HomeToGo has grown into Europe’s leading vacation rental group, with over 20 million listings worldwide and a public listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Patrick shares the original insight behind the company, how traveler behavior has shifted over the past decade, and what it takes to scale from startup to IPO. We also dive into the post-Covid travel reset, the rise of “soulcation” and wellness-driven trips, and why nature is becoming the ultimate luxury. Patrick reflects on Europe’s startup ecosystem, the increasing role of AI in hospitality, and the responsibility platforms have in balancing tourism growth with local communities.

April 9, 2026Episode 16633 min

How Factorial Became Barcelona's HRTech Unicorn

This interview features Jordi Romero, Founder and CEO of Factorial, offering an in-depth look at the evolution of one of Europe’s leading HRTech scaleups. Based in Barcelona, Romero shares his journey from engineer to entrepreneur, reflecting on his early experience at Redbooth and the founding of Factorial in 2016. The conversation explores how Factorial has grown into a global business software platform serving thousands of companies across more than 90 countries. Romero discusses the company’s mission to eliminate manual administrative work through automation, enabling organisations to focus more on people and decision-making. With increasing investment flowing into AI-driven workforce management tools, Romero provides perspective on how automation, data insights, and integrated platforms are reshaping HR, finance, and IT operations. The discussion also highlights Spain’s growing role in this space, as well as the competitive dynamics emerging across Europe. His insights provide valuable context for understanding how modern companies are rethinking workforce management in an increasingly digital and AI-enabled environment. Key Points - The role of AI in automating recruitment, onboarding, and employee lifecycle management - Challenges and opportunities in scaling a SaaS company internationally - The shift from fragmented tools to integrated, all-in-one business management platforms - How startups can identify and solve inefficiencies in traditional business processes - The competitive landscape of European HRTech and emerging innovation trends

April 2, 2026Episode 16544 min

Why Female Founders Are Still Overlooked

In this episode, Rupa Popat, founder of Arāya Ventures, shares her vision for redefining early-stage venture capital. Rupa discusses the persistent under-allocation of capital to diverse founders, highlighting that female-led teams in the UK still receive less than 1% of VC funding - even though data shows diverse teams consistently outperform. Rupa also dives into the world of AI investing, focusing on workflow-native, human-centred AI rather than headline models. She shares her perspective on the UK’s positioning as a European AI hub, the growing opportunities in Health x AI, and how early-stage founders can prepare for fundraises that go beyond technical spectacle to execution-led, scalable businesses. Throughout the conversation, Rupa explores what it means to be a value-add VC today, the importance of domain expertise in building defensible startups, and the systemic challenges in the venture ecosystem. She highlights emerging sectors, including preventative healthcare, precision medicine, and FemTech, while providing actionable insights for founders, investors, and policymakers. Key points covered in this interview: - The persistent funding gap for female founders and why inclusivity drives performance, not just values. - What makes a founder or founding team stand out at pre-Seed stage: lived experience, resilience, and clarity of vision. - Emerging opportunities at the intersection of Health x AI, including preventative care, precision medicine, and FemTech. - How Arāya Ventures trains investors through its Investment Academy to broaden who writes cheques and build a more inclusive ecosystem.

March 26, 2026Episode 16427 min

Europe's Journey to Tech Autonomy

In this interview, Jan Oberhauser, Founder and CEO of n8n, talks about how a personal frustration with repetitive coding led him to build one of Europe’s best-known workflow automation platforms. From the early pain point of constantly rewriting the same code to creating a fair-code automation tool used by developers and enterprises worldwide, Jan shares the thinking behind n8n and the principles that shaped it from day one. Jan explains the meaning behind the company’s unusual name, why openness and community-driven technology matter, and how flexibility, self-hosting, and control over data have become major priorities for businesses, especially in Europe. He also discusses why companies want to avoid being locked into a single model, provider, or ecosystem as AI adoption accelerates. The interview also looks at the broader AI landscape, including Europe’s position compared to the US and China, the areas where the region still needs to improve, and what may separate long-term winners from the flood of startups building “just another AI tool”. Beyond company building, Jan also reflects on surprising use cases of n8n, how users have stretched the platform in unexpected directions, and what he looks for when backing founders as an angel investor. Key Points - How Jan’s frustration with repetitive coding became the starting point for n8n - The story behind the name n8n and the company’s fair-code, community-driven philosophy - Why data ownership, self-hosting, and flexibility matter more than ever for European businesses - Europe’s strengths and weaknesses in AI compared with the US and China - Jan’s thoughts on the AI bubble, unexpected n8n use cases, and the founder traits he values as an investor