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Oct 2026

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The home of European tech. Connecting the people, capital and companies building Europe. EUVC features conversations with the founders, investors, operators and policymakers shaping the continent's future. We explore venture capital, startups, AI, deeptech, defense, industrial policy, entrepreneurship and the ideas driving European competitiveness. From emerging managers and unicorn founders to institutional investors and government leaders, EUVC documents the people building Europe's next chapter.

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October 15, 202615 min

Tomaz Stolfa (Sunrise Robotics) & Patrick Murphy (Tapestry VC): Revolutionizing European manufacturing

Europe’s manufacturing sector faces a growing labour shortage, while much of the continent’s industrial base remains difficult to automate with traditional robotics. In this conversation from the EUVC Summit & Awards Show 2026, Tomaz Stolfa , Co-Founder and CEO of Sunrise Robotics , joins Patrick Murphy , Partner at Tapestry VC , to discuss what it takes to bring robotics into high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, where flexibility and reliability matter as much as the technology itself. Tomaz explains why manufacturers care less about the label of “AI-driven robotics” than whether a system can reliably take repetitive work off people’s hands, why even 99% robustness can fall short on a factory floor and how Sunrise is reducing automation projects that typically take 12 to 18 months to a matter of weeks. They also discuss Europe’s advantages in robotics, the importance of getting hardware into production early and why building a deep-tech company requires investors who are aligned for the long term. Highlights Europe’s growing manufacturing labour gap Why traditional automation struggles with high-mix production What manufacturers actually need from robotics Why 99% reliability is not enough How Sunrise is cutting deployment times from months to weeks Why Europe has an advantage in industrial robotics What it takes to finance deep tech for the long term Timestamps (00:00) Intro (01:00) Europe’s manufacturing labour gap (03:00) Why traditional automation falls short (04:20) Cutting deployment from 12–18 months to weeks (06:00) Why 99% reliability is not enough (08:00) Physics, safety and actually shipping robotics (09:00) Getting robots onto factory floors and scaling production (11:00) Why Europe is a strong place to build robotics (13:00) Choosing investors for a 15-year journey

October 13, 202612 min

Harry Haeck (Smartfin): AI’s footprint is easy to measure. Its handprint isn’t

AI’s footprint is visible in the energy, water and infrastructure required to run it. Its positive impact is harder to capture in a single number, which can make the costs of AI easier to see than the value it creates. In this talk, Harry Haeck , Partner at Smartfin , looks at both sides of that equation. He starts with the story of San Marcos, Texas, where residents rejected a $1.5 billion data centre investment over concerns about water use, before examining why greater efficiency does not necessarily mean lower overall resource consumption. Harry then turns to AI’s “handprint”, highlighting examples across drug discovery, agriculture, methane detection, accessibility and the recovery of ancient texts to show where the technology is already creating tangible benefits. The session closes on the question of how investors, technologists and society can reduce AI’s footprint while directing more of its capabilities towards problems that matter. Highlights Why AI’s footprint is easier to measure than its positive impact What the San Marcos data centre dispute reveals about AI infrastructure Why efficiency gains can still lead to higher overall resource use How AI is already creating impact across science and society The difference between AI’s footprint and its “handprint” Why we still have agency over where AI is applied This session was recorded at the Love Tomorrow Summit, where EUVC curated the investor-focused programme. Timestamps (00:00) Intro (01:00) From bedroom DJ to talking AI at Tomorrowland (02:00) When a $1.5B data centre competes with water (03:05) The growing energy and water footprint of AI (04:10) Why greater efficiency can increase consumption (05:15) From AI’s footprint to its handprint (06:00) How AI is already creating impact in the real world (09:55) Why AI’s positive impact is harder to measure (11:35) Why we can still steer the future of AI

October 10, 202651 min

This Week in European Tech: Europe’s AI edge could be science, not scale

Europe’s strongest AI opportunity may not be building the biggest general-purpose model. It could be applying AI where the region already has an advantage in science, engineering and specialised industries. In this episode of This Week in European Tech, Dan Bowyer⁠ , ⁠Mads Jensen⁠ and ⁠Priyanka Savjani⁠ of ⁠SuperSeed⁠ discuss what London-built Isomorphic Labs tells us about that opportunity and why AI for science could become a distinctive area of strength for the UK and Europe. They also examine who is paying for the AI infrastructure boom, why falling model prices can still lead to rising total costs, how Mistral fits into Europe’s sovereignty ambitions and why Anthropic’s potential IPO could become a benchmark for the wider AI market. The conversation also turns to closer UK-EU cooperation and whether sector-specific agreements could strengthen Europe’s technology ecosystem. Highlights Why Europe’s AI advantage may be strongest in science What Isomorphic Labs could signal about the UK’s AI opportunity Who is ultimately paying for the AI boom Why cheaper AI can still mean higher overall spending Where Mistral fits into the sovereign AI debate Why price-performance matters more than headline model size How Anthropic’s IPO could reshape AI valuations Whether deeper UK-EU cooperation could benefit European tech ------- We’re pleased to be partnering with Luxembourg Venture Days on October 14–15 at Luxexpo The Box. Explore the agenda and register here: venture-days.lu -------

October 8, 202612 min

Summit | Joe McDonald (tem) & Adam Chirkowski (AlbionVC): Fixing the $900B energy problem

Cheap, reliable energy is becoming a strategic advantage. As AI, data centres and manufacturing demand more power, the economics of electricity increasingly influence which countries and companies can stay competitive. Recorded at EUVC Summit 2026, Joe McDonald , CEO and Co-Founder of tem , joins Adam Chirkowski , Partner at AlbionVC , to discuss how the energy market needs to change and why the UK and parts of Europe could be particularly well positioned to build major new companies in the sector. Joe explains how tem is rebuilding the transaction infrastructure behind energy using AI, why layers of intermediation still add significant cost and what it takes to compete with long-established utilities. The conversation also explores why the complexity of energy can create defensibility, how the sector could develop in a similar way to fintech and why lowering the cost of the electron matters far beyond the energy industry itself. Highlights Why energy costs increasingly influence national competitiveness How AI and data centres are increasing the importance of low-cost power Where friction still exists in energy transactions How tem is building new transaction infrastructure Why incumbents struggle to reinvent their own business models How complexity can become a moat in energy Why the UK and parts of Europe may have a structural advantage What the energy sector can learn from fintech Why Europe could produce the next generation of major energy companies

October 7, 202644 min

Jasper Roll (Haufe Group Ventures): How to build a credible CVC without a traditional fund structure

A credible CVC does not have to start with a traditional fund structure. Haufe Group Ventures ⁠ built its model around an evergreen balance-sheet setup, a lean team and a clear mandate, proving the approach through deals rather than a large fund launch. In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier speak with Jasper Roll , Managing Director at Haufe Group Ventures⁠, about how he helped build the venture arm of a family-owned German software company from the ground up. Jasper explains how Haufe combines direct investments, venture building and, more recently, LP investing, why the team deliberately started small and how three investors have completed more than 20 deals, including follow-ons. He also shares why early-stage CVCs need a clear portfolio strategy, enough commitment to build it properly and the discipline to walk away when valuations or deal dynamics do not fit the model. The conversation also explores how Haufe manages expectations around venture timelines and failures, how a young CVC builds credibility with founders and other investors and why Jasper believes corporates can no longer rely on innovation happening entirely within their own walls. Highlights How to build a credible CVC without a traditional fund structure Why Haufe deliberately started with a lean setup How direct investing, venture building and LP investing work together How a three-person investment team has completed more than 20 deals Why CVCs need conviction before committing capital Why saying no can be harder than saying yes How to manage internal expectations around failures and long-term returns How young CVCs build credibility with founders and investors Why corporates need to engage with innovation beyond their own walls Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:00) From startup operator to building Haufe Group Ventures (04:00) Designing Haufe’s corporate venturing model (09:00) AI, SaaS and the new moats in software (16:00) How a three-person team completed 20+ deals (24:00) Navigating inflated AI rounds and knowing when to say no (28:00) Building credibility and deal flow as a young CVC (34:00) Managing failures, returns and internal expectations (40:00) What European corporates should learn from the Mittelstand

October 6, 202614 min

Summit | Pavel Mucha (Aspire11): Why and how a Czech pension fund launched a €500m venture fund

Getting pension capital into venture is not simply about proving that the returns are attractive. It requires building an investment model that institutions can actually underwrite, while knowing which parts of the strategy should remain non-negotiable. Pavel Mucha , Founder of Aspire11 , explains how a Czech pension fund committed €500 million to venture and growth investing, why the team chose to start with €500 million rather than the €2 billion initially discussed and how they structured the platform to make pension capital work in practice. The conversation covers how Aspire11 adapted the economics, absorbed initial costs and introduced shorter commitment windows, while maintaining its position on avoiding home bias, accepting long holding periods and building concentrated portfolios. Pavel also discusses why attracting younger savers mattered, what venture can learn from pension investment in buyout funds and how the Canadian pension model influenced Aspire11. Highlights Why Aspire11 started with €500m rather than €2bn What pension capital needed from a venture investment model Why attracting younger savers mattered alongside returns What venture can learn from pension investment in buyouts Why Aspire11 rejected a domestic-only investment mandate Why long holding periods and concentration mattered How Aspire11 removed an additional management-fee layer Why the team absorbed initial costs itself How vintage windows made commitments easier to manage How fund investments and later-stage direct investments helped smooth the J-curve

October 5, 20266 min

Patrick Murphy (Tapestry VC): Why drone delivery could replace millions of car journeys

Sending a car or moped across a city to deliver a single meal is an expensive and inefficient way to move food. Drone delivery offers a different model, with the potential to make last-mile logistics faster, cheaper and cleaner. Patrick Murphy , Co-founder and Managing Partner at Tapestry VC and a founding investor and board member at Manna , explains how autonomous drone delivery is moving into real-world use. He shares how Manna has completed 300,000 deliveries, partnered with major delivery platforms and raised $50 million to support its global expansion. The conversation covers the economics of drone delivery, how the technology works in practice and why replacing delivery cars and mopeds could change the way local logistics operate. Highlights Why delivery by car is so inefficient How drone delivery can reduce cost and delivery time Why Manna believes autonomous delivery is ready to go mainstream How the drones operate in practice What 300,000 completed deliveries have demonstrated Why major delivery platforms are partnering with Manna How the company plans to expand to hundreds of cities Why drone delivery could replace millions of car journeys This session was recorded at the Love Tomorrow Summit, where EUVC curated the investor-focused programme.

October 3, 202655 min

This Week in European Tech: What ElevenLabs says about Europe’s AI potential

ElevenLabs reaching a $22 billion valuation is another sign that Europe can produce globally competitive AI companies. But as personal agents become more capable, Europe also risks falling behind if consumers get access later and the US captures the learning curve first. In this episode of This Week in European Tech, Dan Bowyer , Mads Jensen and Priyanka Savjani of SuperSeed discuss what ElevenLabs says about Europe’s AI potential, why Mads believes UK venture is in its strongest shape since 2016 and how regulation could shape where the next generation of consumer AI products gets built and adopted. The conversation also covers the tension between making AI agents more persistent and keeping them within safe boundaries, what AI safety could learn from aviation, AMD’s acquisition of World Labs and what Anthropic’s economics reveal about the cost of competing at the frontier. Highlights What ElevenLabs’ $22B valuation says about European AI Why UK venture may be in its strongest shape since 2016 Why Europe could fall behind in personal AI agents How regulation is shaping where consumer AI products launch Why persistence makes AI agents both more useful and harder to control What AI safety could learn from aviation Why AMD acquired World Labs What Anthropic’s economics reveal about frontier AI

September 30, 202640 min

Greg Lawton (Nodes & Links): Why product-market fit won’t get you through enterprise procurement

A product can solve a real problem and still fail to make it through enterprise procurement. Greg Lawton , CEO at Nodes & Links , joins Andreas Munk Holm to explain why technical founders selling into large, risk-sensitive organisations need more than product-market fit. Greg argues that they also need company commercial fit: the processes, security, compliance and operational maturity required for a customer to actually buy from them. Drawing on his experience selling into defence and building Nodes & Links, Greg explains why complex enterprise sales is often about clearing milestones long before revenue starts to scale. That means understanding how decisions are really made across users, management, budget holders, IT, security and procurement. The conversation also explores why procurement friction can become a competitive moat, how to hire for relationship-led sales, why legitimacy matters more than lead volume and how Nodes & Links built auditable AI for environments where hallucinations are unacceptable. Highlights Why product-market fit is not enough for complex enterprise sales What company commercial fit means in practice Why procurement milestones can matter more than early revenue How multiple stakeholders shape the enterprise buying process Why procurement barriers can reduce competition What Greg looks for in enterprise sales hires Why legitimacy matters more than a huge top of funnel How Nodes & Links approaches AI where outputs need to be provably reliable ------- We’re pleased to be partnering with Luxembourg Venture Days on October 14–15 at Luxexpo The Box. Explore the agenda and register here: venture-days.lu ------- Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:45) Why product-market fit is only the first hurdle (05:00) Why enterprise sales is a milestone game, not a revenue game (06:20) What Nodes & Links does and why its AI must be auditable (09:40) Selling AI where hallucinations are unacceptable (12:10) How enterprise procurement really works (16:00) Why barriers to entry become barriers to competition (17:30) What selling to the Navy taught Greg about complex sales (20:10) Hiring for relationship-led enterprise sales (23:45) Why legitimacy matters more than lead volume (28:15) How the AI boom changed the sales conversation (32:50) Why pilot contracts can mean very little (34:35) What 744 years of project time saved looks like (36:35) Why complex enterprise software is still difficult to build in-house

September 29, 202611 min

Itxaso del Palacio (Notion Capital): The founder health paradox

Working longer does not necessarily make founders feel worse. In fact, some of the founders putting in the most hours report feeling healthier than their peers. Itxaso del Palacio , General Partner at Notion Capital , explores this founder health paradox and why feeling capable of pushing harder may not be the same as performing sustainably. Using lessons from endurance sport and findings from Notion Capital’s Negative Split research, she explains why founders need to pace themselves for a journey that can last five, eight or ten years. She also looks at the role of intrinsic motivation, teams, coaches and peer networks in helping founders maintain performance over time. The talk ultimately challenges investors and board members to look beyond growth metrics and consider whether the people building the company have what they need to finish the race strongly. Highlights Why founders can learn from endurance athletes What the negative split reveals about sustainable performance Why long working hours can distort how healthy founders feel What startup culture misunderstands about recovery Why intrinsic motivation matters over the long term How strong support networks help founders keep performing Why boards should look beyond financial and operating metrics Why the way a founder finishes matters more than how they start This session was recorded at the Love Tomorrow Summit, where EUVC curated the investor-focused programme. Timestamps (00:00) Intro (01:20) What happens when founders have to keep going for years (03:00) Why elite athletes pace for the second half (04:35) Why investors treat founders like machines (05:30) What the Negative Split research found (06:40) The perception gap around founder health (08:05) What startup culture gets wrong about recovery (09:10) Intrinsic motivation and support networks (10:00) Why founder health is a business issue (10:40) What investors should ask in the boardroom (11:15) Why performance is about how you finish