EU-Startups Podcast

• Episode 110: Anna Alex: Founder of NALA Earth - Nature vs. Greed

  This week on the EU-Startups Podcast our host Marcin Lewandowski sits down with the amazing Anna Alex, entrepreneur & investor in sustainability and nature. Anna's a Co-Founder of companies such as Nala Earth, Planetly, Outfittery and a SPIEGEL Bestselling Author. Her latest venture, NALA Earth, is at the forefront of measuring biodiversity and nature for companies. Before co-founding NALA Earth, Anna launched Planetly, a leading carbon management solution, which she successfully scaled to 250 employees and over 350 customers in just three years before its acquisition by a US software company in 2021. Earlier in her entrepreneurial journey, she also co-founded Outfittery, now Europe’s top curated shopping company. In addition to her entrepreneurial work, Anna actively invest as an angel in the climate tech sector and serve on several boards, including the Vodafone Sustainability Board. She is also a member of the advisory council "Young Digital Economy" for the German Minister for Economics. Through her foundation, the Wild&Free Animal Fund, Anna support organizations dedicated to combating livestock farming. In this engaging conversation, Marcin and Anna explore her journey through entrepreneurship, her deep connection to nature, and the misconceptions surrounding biodiversity in business. Anna emphasizes the importance of recognizing nature as a critical supplier for businesses and discusses the risks associated with neglecting environmental concerns. The conversation also touches on the challenges of being a founder, the intersection of climate and nature tech, and the pressing issue of greed in relation to environmental preservation. Anna shares her vision for NALA Earth and the importance of integrating nature into corporate decision-making. Takeaways 1.Nature is a critical supplier for businesses. 2.Misconceptions about nature lead to inaction in businesses. 3.Translating scientific data into business language is essential. 4.The Amazon rainforest is nearing a tipping point of deforestation. 5.50% of global GDP depends on intact nature. 6.Sustainability should be a financial priority for companies. 7.Greed is a significant threat to environmental preservation. This podcast episode is brought to you by Scytale - making compliance super easy for startups, helping them get compliant and stay compliant with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and more, without breaking a sweat. Learn more at https://scytale.ai/eus

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• Episode 109: Nicole Buttner: Founder & CEO of Merantix Momentum - AI: The Renaissance of Humanity

  This week on EU-Startups Podcast, Marcin Lewandowski hosts Nicole Buttner, Founder & CEO Merantix Momentum, Founding Partner at Merantix Capital and WEF Digital Leader for Europe. Nicole is an entrepreneur, economist and tech optimist. She believes artificial intelligence will create deep positive impact on individuals, businesses and society as a whole. In this engaging conversation, Marcin and Nicole talk about the current state and future of AI. They discuss the balance of risks and rewards in AI implementation, the challenges within Europe's AI ecosystem, and the seamless integration of AI into daily life. Nicole shares insights on the importance of focusing on real-world applications, the potential of AI in underrated industries, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI regulation. They also touch on the role of women in tech and how AI could redefine humanity's relationship with work. Takeaways 1.The focus on AI should shift from risks to opportunities. 2.Europe has exceptional talent but struggles with storytelling. 3.AI will become an invisible layer in our daily lives by 2035. 4.Real-world applications of AI should address pressing issues. 5.AI for science and fraud prevention are underrated areas. 6.Regulation should not set technology to a higher standard than humans. 7.Women in tech should embrace their unique value rather than conforming. 8.AI will help us rethink our relationship with work. 9.The future of AI holds the potential for the renaissance of humanity. This podcast episode is brought to you by Scytale - making compliance super easy for startups, helping them get compliant and stay compliant with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and more, without breaking a sweat. Learn more at https://scytale.ai/eus

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• Episode 108: Yoram Wijngaarde - Founder & CEO of Dealroom - EU Startup Funding Creates Over €500 Billion Economic Impact

  This week on EU-Startups Podcast, Marcin Lewandowski hosts Yoram Wijngaarde, Founder & CEO of Dealroom, to talk about "Startups backed by the EU's Framework Programmes" report. A first-of-its-kind report compiled by Dealroom, with Dealflow.eu and EU-Startups, reveals that a €12 billion investment made up of EU grants and Framework Programmes such as Horizon, has helped generate €520 billion in total company value. According to the findings, European Union Framework Programmes have provided €12 billion in direct funding to startups. These startups secured an additional €70 billion in venture capital funding, with the supported companies now collectively valued at €520 billion. This represents 10% of all venture-backed startups in Europe. Over the past 40 years, EU research and innovation initiatives have allocated significant funding through programmes including the Seventh Framework Programme, Horizon 2020, and Horizon Europe. Of the total €225 billion deployed through these three programmes, approximately €12 billion (5%) went directly to startups. Notable success stories include BioNTech, which developed a Covid vaccine, and ARM, a leader in mobile chip technology. While ARM benefited from an earlier 1990s Framework Programme and is not included in the €400 billion valuation of current startups, including it brings the total value creation to €520 billion. As much as 74% of EU-backed startups manufacture physical products, mostly in frontier tech areas, compared with 25% in the total European ecosystem. EU support also plays a key role in sectors including SpaceTech, Semiconductors, ClimateTech, and Robotics. These EU-backed startups also have a significantly higher graduation rate between VC rounds, compared with European VC-backed startups that did not receive any EU funding. These findings show the important role that EU programmes play, often at the early stage, in de-risking the growth journeys of European tech champions. Key observations from the report include: 1.Only 5% of EU innovation funding is allocated to startups, despite their critical role in Europe’s future and global innovation. 2.Over the last three EU framework programmes, 13,600 startups have received funding, totaling €12 billion from the EU and €70 billion from private VC, already worth €520 billion. 3.EU-backed startups, particularly in DeepTech sectors like AI, Robotics, and ClimateTech, have higher graduation rates and show promising outcomes, though most remain in early stages requiring further funding to scale. 4.The complexity and number of current EU funding programmes create challenges for startups to access the support available. 5.EU funding has provided a successful launchpad for startup at early stages, and can be considered fruitful hunting ground for private investors to back in further rounds Recommendations to the European Commission include: 1.Expand Startup Investment - Increase the funding allocation to startups in Horizon Europe’s successor programme (FP10) to capitalise on their measurable economic and societal impact. 2.Streamline Support Mechanisms - Consolidate fragmented programmes into a single pathway for grants, equity, and mentorship drawing on the current work of Europe Startups Nation Alliance (ESNA) and the European Innovation Council (EIC). 3.Promote Visibility - Scale up EU startup summits and pitch days to connect EU-backed startups with private investors and corporates. 4.Leverage Digital Platforms - Scaleup existing tools such as Dealfllow.eu and Innovation Radar with real time startup insights and matchmaking to empower stakeholders. Full report here: https://dealroom.co/reports/startups-backed-by-the-eus-framework-programmes This podcast episode is brought to you by Scytale - making compliance super easy for startups, helping them get compliant and stay compliant with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and more, without breaking a sweat. Learn more at https://scytale.ai/eus

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• Episode 107: Hannah Leach: Partner at Antler - Investing on Day Zero

  This week on the EU-Startups Podcast, Marcin Lewandowski hosts Hannah Leach, Partner at Antler. Antler is known for investing in founders on day zero and is now the most active private early-stage investor in the world. In Europe, Antler has backed more than 500 tech startups in the last five years. In 2024, Antler was more selective than ever before, with only the top 2.5% of founders being accepted to residencies. Hannah is also a Co-Founder of VentureESG, the non-profit organization driving ESG integration in venture capital. In this episode, Hannah talks about her journey in venture capital, the startup ecosystem, and the importance of community. Hannah shares her insights on leading Antler's UK team, the potential of the UK startup scene compared to San Francisco, and what sets exceptional founders apart. She also discusses the growing importance of ESG in venture capital, the need for diversity in the industry, and the significance of building strong relationships in business. Hannah concludes with valuable advice for aspiring founders looking to raise from Antler. Takeaways 1.The UK startup ecosystem is thriving with talent and opportunities. 2.London has unique advantages over San Francisco for startups. 3.Exceptional founders demonstrate curiosity, urgency and extremely strong communication skills. 4.Diversity in venture capital is essential for long-term success. 5.Building relationships is key in the startup ecosystem. This podcast episode is brought to you by Scytale - making compliance super easy for startups, helping them get compliant and stay compliant with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and more, without breaking a sweat. Learn more at https://scytale.ai/eustartups/.

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• Episode 106: Filip Kozera: Founder & CEO of Wordware - The Fastest Way to Build AI Stack

  This week on the EU-Startups Podcast, Marcin Lewandowski hosts Filip Kozera, Founder and CEO of Wordware, a startup that enables anyone to build complex AI Agents and applications. Wordware recently raised $30M seed round, which was one of the biggest rounds in the Y Combinator history, before graduating the program. In this episode, Filip talks about his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, the challenges of building AI solutions, and the importance of empowering domain experts to create AI agents without technical skills. Filip shares insights on the misconceptions surrounding AI, the unique approach of Wordware, and the future of work in an AI-driven world. He emphasizes the need for trust in AI outputs and the importance of iteration in development. The conversation also touches on personal growth through adventure and the lessons learned from climbing some of the most difficult mountains in the world. Filip summited 3 of the 7 highest peaks on each continent and a few 7-thousanders in the Himalayas. One of the most technical mountains he climbed was Ama Dablam. Takeaways 1.Entrepreneurship is about daring to try and keep iterating. As Filip puts it "I failed more times than you tried". 2.Deep conviction in the problem and mission is crucial for founders to succeed. 3.Adoption of AI is hindered by a lack of understanding. 4.Building AI requires clear communication of tasks and trust in outputs. 5.AI will transform knowledge workers into creatives. This podcast episode is brought to you by Scytale - making compliance super easy for startups, helping them get compliant and stay compliant with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and more, without breaking a sweat. Learn more at https://scytale.ai/eustartups/.

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