EU-Startups Podcast

In this episode, we catch up with Tony Jamous. Tony is the CEO and Co-Founder of Oyster, a unicorn and hyper-growth company that empowers companies to hire, pay, and care for team members globally. He believes in providing opportunities for everyone anywhere. Over the last decade, Tony has built and scaled Oyster to become a global employment platform valued at over $1 billion. He raised $150 M in Series C funding (total raised $230m), grew the team to over 600 + people across 60 + countries, and achieved B corp status. Tony is passionate about the future of work and the evolution it brings to create better lives worldwide. He helped over 4000 people get certified on Remote Ready and built Oyster in public to show how they work remotely.

Tony shares his personal journey from burnout to founding a mission-driven company. He emphasizes the importance of sustainable leadership and practicing empathy in the workplace.He discusses the challenges and benefits of remote work, particularly in supporting and managing a fully remote team. He also highlights the impact of Oyster's initiative to empower emerging economies and reduce inequality. Tony shares insights on building in public and staying true to the company's mission amidst rapid growth. He concludes by discussing his ideal leadership retreat, focusing on connection, strategy, and expanding consciousness.

Takeaways

1.Practice sustainable leadership by prioritizing your own well-being and creating space for recovery.

2.Remote work done well requires a commitment to flexibility, freedom, and a sense of mastery for employees.

3.Encourage a culture where saying no to the CEO is encouraged to foster open communication and growth.

4.Building in public can attract top talent and inspire other companies to adopt mission-driven practices.

5.Empower emerging economies by making global hiring as easy as local hiring, reducing brain drain and reversing inequality.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this special episode, we present to you The AI Innovator Spotlight, which is part of the Innovation Radar Bridge initiative, unveiling some of Europe’s most exciting AI startups backed by EU initiatives. This session served as a crucial platform for these emerging companies to present their innovative technologies and engage with leading venture capitalists for invaluable feedback, driving forward the frontier of AI advancements in Europe. The session aimed to connect innovators with investors and policymakers, showcasing technologies in automated TV production, digital twins for personalized medicine, credit scoring solutions, cloud computing platforms, AI governance, and digital therapeutics for back pain management.

In this episode, we catch up with Jan Reichelt, Founding Partner of 10x Founders. Jan is an entrepreneur at heart who has spent his professional career in tech startups, online businesses, professional information services, and digital media. He started and exited two companies and he has been awarded "European Founder of the Year" by TechCrunch / The Europas. Now he's a Founding Partner of 10x Founders, a network-driven investor backed by over 200 entrepreneurs and angels.

Through an exclusive international network of successful entrepreneurs and investors, mainly in Europe and the US, 10x Founders' partners have been the first backer of unicorns such as Adyen, EquipmentShare, Luminar, Palantir, and others. Their past and present startup investments over the last 16 years include 16 unicorns, and they've had more than 40 notable exits and 8 IPOs. This super angel expertise is implemented in the 10x Founders strategy. Their one-of-a-kind network and community of supporters are there to enable founders' success.

In this conversation, Jan discusses the nuances of entrepreneurship as a lifestyle choice rather than just a career. He shares insights on selling a company, managing emotions during the highs and lows of startup life, the transition from being a founder to an investor, and his most expensive mistake. Jan emphasizes the importance of storytelling for founders, trusting one's instincts, and investing in unconventional ideas. He also reflects on the challenges of balancing hustle with personal life and shares his past experience as a salsa instructor. The conversation concludes with a discussion on balancing hustle and relaxation, and Jan's ideal dinner party with top entrepreneurs and investors.

Takeaways

1.Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle choice that impacts your whole life.

2.Managing emotions is crucial for founders during their journey.

3.Investors should not dictate the direction of a startup; founders must trust their instincts.

4.Storytelling is essential for both fundraising and internal motivation.

5.Red flags in startups are subjective; each opportunity should be evaluated on its own merits.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this episode, we catch up with Andre Retterath, Partner & EagleEye Lead at Earlybird Venture Capital and Author of Data-Driven VC. Earlybird VC was founded in 1997 and is a European early-stage VC firm that invests in all development and growth phases of technology companies. With more than EUR 2 billion under management, eight IPOs and 31 trade sales, Earlybird is one of the most established and active venture capital firms in Europe.

In Earlybird's team, Andre focuses on enterprise software with a particular interest in developer, data and productivity tools, alongside AI-centric products and robotics. He has been leading Earlybird’s engineering team and the development of our proprietary data-driven platform “EagleEye”. Andre conducted his Ph.D. at the Technical University of Munich on the topic of "Machine learning and the value of data in venture capital". Moreover, he was previously educated at Harvard University, University of Cambridge and Georgia Institute of Technology, among others.

Andre is also an Author of Data-Driven VC, a community of 30k+ experts interested at the intersection of startups, venture capital, data & AI. With 173 episodes, 30k+ subs, 2.2m annual reads, they produce three weekly newsletters "Insights", "Essays", and "Picks", the annual "Data-Driven VC Landscape" report, events, and more.

Andre talks about the shift from traditional VC to a data-driven approach. He explains how data-driven VC provides an edge in picking winners by improving the sourcing and screening process. He also highlights the importance of balancing data-driven insights with gut feelings and the human component in venture capital. André shares insights on overhyped startup metrics and the value of headcount as an indicator. He discusses the challenges of integrating data science in VC and the future of VC, including the professionalization of the industry and the aggregation of VC tools.

Takeaways

1.Balancing data-driven insights with gut feelings and the human component is crucial in venture capital.

2.Headcount is an important indicator to evaluate the growth and inflection points of startups.

3.Overhyped startup metrics, such as GitHub stars, may not necessarily indicate the success of a company.

4.Integrating data science in VC requires identifying and addressing human biases in AI models.

5.The future of VC involves the professionalization of the industry and the aggregation of VC tools.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this episode, we catch up with Madeline Lawrence, CBO of Aikido Security, former Partner at Peak, and one of the most colorful voices in the European tech and venture capital scene. Aikido recently raised $17M to bring “no BS” security for devs. This round comes just 6 months after they raised $5.3M in seed funding. Aikido is the get-it-done security platform for developers that centralizes all necessary code and cloud security scanners in one place and makes security simple for SMEs and doable for developers without industry jargon, red tape, and frankly, BS.

Madeline discusses her journey from venture capital and making rich men richer to startup and the no-bullshit approach to security for developers. She shares her experiences in different European startup ecosystems and her love for Belgian chocolate (and beer). She also talks about what's wrong with the VC industry, the need for more transparency and what's the way forward. Madeline also mentions her side project, Outta Town, where you can find beautiful European homes to buy - or dream about.

Takeaways

1.Venture Capital needs to stop making rich men richer.

2.Becoming more transparent and inclusive is a must for the VC industry.

3.GenZ (and Alpha) is the way forward for Venture Capital.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this episode, we catch up with Joaquin Cuenca, Co-Founder and CEO of Freepik. Located in the center of the sunny Malaga, Spain, Freepik is a leading global tech company with a goal to help anyone create great designs faster by producing and distributing high-quality graphic and audiovisual resources. Freepik has over 500 employees and more than 800 freelance designers collaborators and 52,000 registered contributors.

Joaquin shares the journey of building Freepik and bootstrapping the company to $300M valuation. He discusses the tough decisions made to keep growing without raising capital and emphasizes the importance of staying focused on users and providing them with a starting point for their creativity. Joaquin talks about the impact of AI on the company and the need to adapt to the changing landscape of design tools. He also shares Freepik's vision to help people create great design faster to express the power of their ideas and to make a positive impact in underrepresented regions.

Takeaways

1.When bootstrapping a company being ready to make tough decisions and staying focused on user needs is a must.

2.AI has been a total game changer for enhancing creativity and improving design processes.

3.The biggest breakthrough in Freepik's history was when they changed from being a search engine for content to hosting the content themselves.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this episode, we catch up with Martin Schilling, Managing Director of Techstars Deep Tech Berlin Accelerator; author of the book "The Builder’s Guide to the Tech Galaxy – 99 Practices to Scale Startups into Unicorn Companies"; former COO of the FinTech N26 where he scaled operations from 100 full-time employees to 900 full-time employees and scaled up an international team for 25 markets; and an organizer of Deep Tech Momentum, the #1 European bootcamp for Deep Tech founders.

Martin discusses the importance of building unicorns in Europe and the challenges founders face. He shares his insights on leadership lessons learned from scaling N26, including the importance of a clear North Star, hiring AAA leaders, and focusing on functional excellence. Martin also reflects on his most expensive hiring mistake and the need for founders to prioritize certain practices to accelerate growth. He gives advice for early-stage founders approaching investors and navigating the challenges of scaling startups. Lastly, he emphasizes the importance of building alliances and friendships in the global tech ecosystem.

Takeaways

1.Europe needs to build more unicorns and become the leading global Deep Tech ecosystem.

2.Founders should prioritize finding their North Star, hiring and retaining a strong leadership team, and mastering the fundraising game.

3.Investors look for qualities such as speed of execution, traction, domain expertise, product traction, and CEO sales skills when evaluating startups.

4.Early-stage Deep Tech founders should leverage grants, seek specialized Deep Tech investors, and be clear on technical milestones.

5.Building alliances and friendships in the global tech ecosystem is crucial for success and navigating geopolitical challenges.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this episode, we catch up with Pablo Pedrejon, Partner at Seaya. Seaya has closed Seaya Andromeda, the first Article 9 climate-tech fund based in Southern Europe, at €300 million. Seaya’s new fund will invest anywhere between €7-40 million as a first cheque, and will retain capital for follow-ons. It plans to make 25 investments in total between now and the end of 2027, including around five more deals this year.

Seaya raised its first funding in 2013 and currently manages over €650 million across five early-stage venture funds. Seaya’s provides startups with a global platform and its extensive network of founders, investors and multinational corporations, as well as all its experience in the global expansion of companies such as Glovo, Cabify, Wallbox (NYSE:WBX), Spotahome, Clarity AI, Clicars, Alma and RatedPower.

Pedro discusses the challenges and opportunities in climate tech investing. He explains the different types of climate tech companies and the tough path to market they face. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the market and having a clear go-to-market strategy. Pablo also highlights the key traits of successful founders, such as ambition, humility, and the ability to pivot. He shares examples of how Seaya has supported startups in critical moments and helped them expand. Finally, he discusses emerging trends in climate tech and the importance of resilience and efficiency.

Takeaways

1.Develop a deep understanding of your target market and craft a clear go-to-market strategy to ensure your product's success.

2.Cultivate ambition, humility, and the ability to pivot quickly in response to market changes or challenges.

3,Utilize investor guidance during critical decision-making and expansion phases to accelerate growth.

4.Capitalize on emerging trends like home electrification and industrial digitalization to stay ahead in climate tech.

5.Build resilience and efficiency into your solutions to effectively combat climate change and create lasting impact.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this episode, we catch up with Benedikt von Schoeler, General Partner of VSquared Ventures, Europe’s leading early-stage Deep Tech fund, backing some of Europe’s most promising Deep Tech companies, including Isar Aerospace, Zama, IQM Quantum, Inbrain Neuroelectronics and The Exploration Company.

Vsquared recently announced the successful closing of their latest fund, Vsquared II, which got oversubscribed at €214 million, above the initial target size of €165 million. It's the largest European early-stage Deep Tech fund to date, cementing the Deep Tech momentum in Europe. Vsquared continues their commitment to fostering a sovereign and resilient European Deep Tech ecosystem, which the fund has promoted since its inception. The closing of Vsquared II brings their assets under management to around €450 million.

Benedikt discusses the Deep Tech boom in Europe and how they decide which moonshot ideas to invest in. He emphasizes the importance of market potential, technology diligence, and the right team. He also talks about the challenges of navigating regulations and the need for a more unified European market. Benedikt highlights the importance of staying curious, humble, and supporting founders through the ups and downs of their entrepreneurial journey.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups

In this episode, we catch up with Rob van den Heuvel, Co-founder and CEO of Sendcloud. With access to 100+ carriers, 7000+ shipping methods, and 400,000+ parcel points across Europe, Sendcloud enables online merchants of any size to own their shipping from checkout to returns. With a growing ecosystem of 60+ webshop integrations and 750+ partners, they make it easy for online shops to scale cross-border shipping and expand to new markets. Backed by Softbank and trusted by 25,000 companies and counting Sendcloud raised $200M in funding and is building the #1 platform to solve shipping globally.

Rob shares his journey of building Sendcloud, including the challenges of the early days, raising funding, and scaling internationally. He emphasizes the importance of execution, hiring the right people, and maintaining a no bullshit culture. He also reflects on his biggest operational failures and the lessons learned from them. Rob shares his vision for the future of Sendcloud, including acquisitions and innovations in smart shipping. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Rob's startup journey and find out how he's building the number one platform to solve shipping globally!

Takeaways

1.Execution and delivering on promises are key to building a successful business.

2.Hiring leaders is harder than hiring people who just do the job, it's important to onboard and guide them effectively.

3.Going international is like starting a new business from scratch, and personal involvement is crucial for success.

4.Maintaining a no bullshit culture requires direct communication, confronting issues, and hiring leaders who align with the culture.

5.Mistakes and failures are inevitable, but you learn the most out of them.

This episode of EU-Startups Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Trusted by over 7,000 companies, Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for ISO 27001,SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Learn more here: http://vanta.com/eustartups