EUVC

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 -------

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

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

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

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.