Advertise on podcast: EU-Startups Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Paul Bonnet, General Partner at 20VC, the London-based venture capital firm founded by Harry Stebbings that sprung from the extremely popular 20VC podcast. We start with Paul's path into venture - from equity capital markets and equity research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, through five years at DST Global, to joining 20VC in 2024. We explore how his days as an investor at DST Global shaped the way he thinks about investing today, and what drew him to a firm as unusual as 20VC, where the media platform famously came before the fund. From there, we dig into how 20VC actually operates: why the firm deliberately keeps a core team of just six people, how the media ecosystem changes deal sourcing, founder relationships, and access - and what Paul sees as the future of the firm and his own role within it. We also discuss the shifting landscape of tech media itself, as more venture firms launch their own podcasts, newsletters, and publishing operations, and ask what role independent journalists and traditional tech publications still have to play. Finally, Paul gets candid about the investments he's proudest of and why, the thinking behind his own public content - deep dives on companies, thought pieces, and cap table breakdowns - even alongside Harry's massive profile, what most worries him about venture today, and his advice for European founders who feel the continent simply doesn't have enough funding.

This is a special two-part addition, building on the back of the A5X conference series we published last week. Since the EU-Startups team could only stay for part of the event, we missed the Singapore Defence Tech Hackathon (SDTH) in person - so we're bringing it to you in a slightly different format. Instead of our usual deep-dive conversations, we sat down with the winners to hear how they built their projects and where they're heading next. The hackathon brought together teams assessed by a panel of senior leaders from the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore's defence science and technology community, and industry. 22 teams competed in the three-month extended challenge, with MAELSTROM taking the top prize of S$10,000 (~€7,000). In this episode, we talk with Vaikesh Manimaran of MAELSTROM, a micro-missile system designed to take on one of the most talked-about threats in modern defence: drone swarms. Vaikesh explains how the idea evolved over three months of development, what makes defending against a swarm fundamentally different from dealing with a single drone, and where the hardest trade-offs appear when building something that needs to react in real time.

This is a special two-part addition, building on the back of the A5X conference series we published last week. Since the EU-Startups team could only stay for part of the event, we missed the Singapore Defence Tech Hackathon in person - so we're bringing it to you in a slightly different format. Instead of our usual deep-dive conversations, we sat down with the winners to hear how they built their projects and where they're heading next. The hackathon brought together teams assessed by a panel of senior leaders from the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore's defence science and technology community, and industry. 39 teams competed in the two-day challenge, with NeuroMech taking the top prize of S$8,000 (~€5,500). In this episode, we speak with Wayne Lin of NeuroMech. Their project tackled a challenge that sounds straight out of science fiction: controlling an unmanned ground vehicle without using your hands. What makes the story remarkable is that the whole thing was built and demonstrated in just 48 hours. Wayne walks us through the two-day build, the problem NeuroMech is trying to solve for defence operators, and what his prototype actually allowed an operator to do. He also opens up about the hardest technical problem behind making a brain-computer interface reliable under hackathon pressure, and whether winning changed how he sees NeuroMech as a potential company rather than just a hackathon project.

Filmed at the A5X Conference, Singapore - This interview forms part of a wider series we filmed in collaboration with NUSX, who invited us to Singapore to speak with founders, investors and academics from across the globe about shared challenges, the developing bridge between Europe and Asia, and the lessons we can learn from each other. In this conversation, we sit down with Gary Ang, Professor of Practice in Defence Innovation & Applications at NUS Enterprise and a senior representative of the Strategic & Defence Technology horizontal, to explore dual-use innovation and the growing Europe–Singapore DefenceTech partnership. Having worked across defence, government, investing and now university innovation, Gary offers a distinctive perspective on why good defence technology so often struggles to move from R&D into real-world use. He unpacks what "dual-use" really means at a time when the label has become a major theme in Europe - what makes a technology genuinely valuable across both civilian and defence markets, rather than simply being marketed as such. We explore the strongest opportunities for Europe and Singapore to work together as Europe puts renewed attention on defence innovation, while Singapore has long taken a deeply integrated approach across technology, government and industry. For European DefenceTech founders looking at Asia, Gary explains what they need to understand about Singapore as a partner, a market and a gateway to the wider region. We also discuss how founders should build companies when their technologies are increasingly shaped by national security, export controls and strategic competition, what NUS must do to turn promising defence research into companies that attract capital and scale internationally — and what Europe and Singapore can each learn from the other's approach to procurement and scaling.

Filmed at the A5X Conference, Singapore - This interview forms part of a wider series we filmed in collaboration with NUSX, who invited us to Singapore to speak with founders, investors and academics from across the globe about shared challenges, the developing bridge between Europe and Asia, and the lessons we can learn from each other. In this conversation, we sit down with Professor Helmut Schönenberger, co-founder and CEO of UnternehmerTUM and VP Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich, to explore what Europe and Singapore can learn from each other on university venture building and DeepTech talent. UnternehmerTUM has become one of Europe's best-known university startup ecosystems in its own right, and Prof. Schönenberger shares the hard-won lessons from two decades of turning strong academic research into companies that can actually scale. Having built that engine in Munich, he offers a direct comparison with Singapore - where the biggest differences lie in how universities support founders and commercialise DeepTech, and what each side does better. We dig into one of Europe's most persistent puzzles: world-class research that struggles to produce companies of comparable scale. Prof Schönenberger explains what he believes is still missing between the lab and the global market, and what European ecosystems could adopt from Singapore's skill at connecting universities, government, investors and industry. Just as importantly, he flips the question - what could Singapore and other Asian innovation hubs learn from Europe's strengths in engineering, industrial technology and long-term research? Finally, we discuss how European universities should compete for increasingly global DeepTech talent while building stronger bridges with Asia, and the role universities and innovation centres should play in helping European deep-tech companies expand into Asian markets.

Filmed at the A5X Conference, Singapore - This interview forms part of a wider series we filmed in collaboration with NUSX, who invited us to Singapore to speak with founders, investors and academics from across the globe about shared challenges, the developing bridge between Europe and Asia, and the lessons we can learn from each other. In this conversation, we sit down with Professor Benjamin Tee, Vice President (Ecosystem Building) at NUSX, for a look inside the university's lab-to-market engine and NUS's push to build globally competitive DeepTech spin-outs. Prof. Tee has lived both sides of this world: as a researcher pushing new technologies forward - including years developing electronic skin and sensors that give machines a sense of touch - and as a founder trying to turn those ideas into companies. He shares what entrepreneurship taught him that academia couldn't, and how he decides whether breakthrough research should stay in the lab or has the potential to become a real company. With physical AI drawing increasing attention as AI moves into robotics and the physical world, Prof. Tee explains where the biggest opportunities lie over the next few years - and what working so close to the research frontier has taught him about how long DeepTech really takes to reach the market. Finally, we discuss what typically stops university spin-outs from reaching global scale, and what is still left to be done in the Singaporean innovation ecosystem.

Filmed at the A5X Conference, Singapore - This interview forms part of a wider series we filmed in collaboration with NUSX, who invited us to Singapore to speak with founders, investors and academics from across the globe about shared challenges, the developing bridge between Europe and Asia, and the lessons we can learn from each other. In this conversation, we sit down with Dr. Babak Parviz, DeepTech inventor and entrepreneur, best known as one of the founders of Google Glass and later as a leader of major innovation initiatives at Amazon. Today he leads NewDays.ai, a startup applying AI to dementia and cognitive care. Dr. Parviz shares what pulled him toward dementia after a career spanning some of the most iconic consumer technology projects of the past two decades - and why he felt this was a problem worth building his next company around. We talk about what NewDays is trying to make better for patients and families, and where AI can genuinely help today in one of healthcare's most human challenges. We explore why Europe and Asia - both dealing with ageing populations at scale - may become the most important testing grounds for new models of dementia care, and what a small company can do in healthcare that a tech giant sometimes cannot. Finally, we discuss whether Europe's more cautious approach to health data and AI regulation slows innovation or can actually help build better, more trusted products - and how AI's growing capabilities could change the way we detect, manage, and even think about dementia over the next five to ten years.

Filmed at the A5X Conference, Singapore - This interview forms part of a wider series we filmed in collaboration with NUSX, who invited us to Singapore to speak with founders, investors and academics from across the globe about shared challenges, the developing bridge between Europe and Asia, and the lessons we can learn from each other. In this conversation, we sit down with Dr. Orna Berry, Technical Director at Google Cloud and former Chief Scientist of Israel's Ministry of Industry and Trade, whose career spans national R&D policy, venture capital, cybersecurity, cloud and AI. We explore the themes from her A5X panel sessions: AI, systems and DeepTech for national innovation, and talent supply chains for AI, biotech and quantum. She shares what her different roles have taught her about what actually makes an innovation ecosystem work, and what separates countries that successfully turn scientific strength into economic impact from those that struggle to move beyond the lab. Dr. Berry explains where she sees the biggest bottlenecks today, what "the talent supply chain" really means, and whether countries can realistically build highly specialised expertise in AI, BioTech and quantum themselves, or whether the strongest ecosystems will depend on attracting global talent. Finally, having watched several major technology waves over her career, she offers her view on this AI wave — and what Europe can to do to turn its research strength into globally competitive DeepTech companies.

Filmed at the A5X Conference, Singapore - This interview forms part of a wider series we filmed in collaboration with NUSX, who invited us to Singapore to speak with founders, investors and academics from across the globe about shared challenges, the developing bridge between Europe and Asia, and the lessons we can learn from each other. In this conversation, we sit down with Dr. Tan Sian Wee, Senior Vice President (Innovation & Enterprise) at the National University of Singapore, to explore the NUSX story - from the A5X vision and its billion-dollar ambitions to Singapore's growing role as a global launchpad for DeepTech ventures. Having worked across Silicon Valley, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Dr Tan offers a rare comparative perspective on what it actually takes to turn world-class research into a world-class company. We discuss why so much brilliant university research never reaches the market, where the biggest gaps between lab and commercialisation lie, and what NUS is doing to close them. We also dive into the launch of Nova, NUSX's full-stack AI platform for opportunity discovery - what problem it's solving, and how AI might fundamentally change the way universities identify which ideas are worth building companies around. Finally, Dr Tan shares what catches his eye when he evaluates a young deep-tech company, and what needs to happen over the next five to ten years for Singapore to become a place where the world's most important DeepTech companies are not just funded, but born and built.

Join us for a conversation with Andreas Flodström, co-founder and chairman of Varangians, as we explore the journey that led him from building the Swedish-Ukrainian tech ecosystem Beetroot to investing in Ukraine’s DefenceTech sector. Varangians is a DefenceTech-focused investment fund backing Ukrainian technologies developed and tested in demanding frontline conditions. With more than €10 million raised, the fund has invested in companies including Norda Dynamics, Himera and Sine Engineering, working across autonomous UAV systems, secure communications and technologies for contested environments. In this interview, Andreas reflects on more than a decade of building companies in Ukraine and how that experience shaped his understanding of resilience, engineering and innovation. We also unpack the history behind the Varangians name and its connection between Sweden and Ukraine. The conversation explores the balance between DefenceTech and dual-use technologies, the responsibilities involved in investing in defence, and what Europe can learn from Ukraine’s rapid development of drones, electronic warfare and secure communications. With approximately €667 million in disclosed European DefenceTech and adjacent dual-use startup funding covered in 2026, alongside almost €3 billion in announced investment capacity across new funds and vehicles, Andreas discusses whether enough capital is reaching the sector and what Europe needs to do next. If you found this conversation valuable, be sure to like, share, and subscribe for more content like this. Drop a comment below with your biggest takeaway.

Join us for a conversation with Patrick Ryan, co-founder of Odin, as we explore the journey that led him from consumer goods and corporate venture capital to launching a platform that’s transforming how investment firms operate. Odin, often described as "Shopify for Venture Capital," enables anyone, anywhere, to launch and run a private investment firm online - handling everything from legal structuring and investor onboarding to KYC/AML, payments, and reporting. In this interview, Patrick dives into the inspiration behind Odin, the inefficiencies he identified in traditional investing, and how the platform is empowering a new wave of fund managers, angel syndicates, and founders to invest in companies. We unpack what it truly means for Odin to offer "VC in your pocket" and who the platform is designed for. The conversation also explores the cultural and ideological differences between investing in the US and Europe, and how Odin’s recent expansion is addressing critical friction points for global investors. With nearly €1 billion in disclosed European VC vehicle announcements in 2026, Patrick explains Odin’s role in this evolving ecosystem and how it’s enabling more people to shape the future through capital allocation.

Join us for an interview with Momchil Sabev, Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), as we explore the critical role of public institutions in shaping Europe’s startup and innovation landscape. With a career that bridges entrepreneurship, private sector consulting, and high-level EU leadership, Momchil shares how his diverse experiences inform his approach to supporting ambitious founders and driving systemic change across the continent. This conversation shines a spotlight on EISMEA’s often-unsung but vital work in strengthening Europe’s innovation ecosystem. We delve into the biggest hurdles startups face when scaling internationally, the EIC’s growing impact in DeepTech, and why non-financial support - such as mentorship, strategic partnerships, and access to expertise - can be just as transformative as funding. Momchil also explains how EISMEA and the EIC are tackling the fragmentation that still hinders startups from less-connected regions, ensuring opportunity is distributed evenly across Europe. Looking ahead, Momchil paints a vision for the next decade of European innovation—one where EISMEA and the EIC act as catalysts for a more integrated, competitive, and founder-friendly ecosystem.

Join us for a conversation with Oana Jinga, co-founder and Chief Commercial & Product Officer at Dexory, an innovator in warehouse robotics and intelligence. In this interview, Oana shares her journey from leading strategic partnerships at Google and Telefónica to co-founding a company that bridges the gap between cutting-edge robotics and practical, scalable solutions for the logistics industry. Oana shares the evolution of Dexory - from its early days as BotsAndUs to its current status as a European scale-up with nearly €300 million in funding, including a $165 million raise in 2025. She discusses the challenges of transitioning from DeepTech innovation to global scalability, and how the company balances technical ambition with real-world customer needs. With a focus on Physical AI and international expansion, including growth in the US, Oana also explores the broader landscape of warehouse robotics in Europe. The conversation tackles critical questions about the future of work: How can robotics and AI augment human roles rather than replace them? What responsibilities should remain uniquely human, and which tasks are better suited to machines? Oana also addresses the ethical implications of AI in robotics, emphasizing the importance of building unbiased, transparent systems and the industry’s blind spots in this area. Beyond technology and scaling, Oana advocates for making robotics a more inclusive and attractive career path. She challenges the outdated stereotype of robotics as a male-dominated field, highlighting the diverse roles - from data science to commercial strategy- that define the industry today.

Join us for a conversation with Karin Fleck, the CEO and Founder of Vienna Textile Lab, an innovator in sustainable textile dyeing through biotechnology. With a decade of experience in the oil and energy sector, Karin transitioned her expertise to address one of the fashion industry’s most pressing challenges: the environmental and human cost of synthetic dyes. In this interview, she shares her journey from managing large-scale industrial projects to founding a company dedicated to creating bio-based, eco-friendly dyes derived from microorganisms. Discover how Vienna Textile Lab is transforming the textile industry by offering a commercially viable, safe, and sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic dyes. The conversation also touches on the role of Women TechEU in supporting deep-tech startups and the importance of fostering a collaborative ecosystem to drive meaningful change in the industry.

Join us for an interview with Angela Ivanova, the co-founder and CEO of LAM’ON Compostable Films, a Bulgarian company at the forefront of sustainable packaging solutions. Angela shares her journey of addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges: the 1.2 million metric tons of laminated paper wasted annually. LAM’ON has developed bio-based, compostable laminating films and packaging foils that seamlessly integrate with paper recycling, offering a circular economy solution without compromising quality. In this discussion, Angela dives into the challenges of building LAM’ON from the ground up. She reflects on the gender gap in entrepreneurship, the moments that led her to focus on biodegradable materials, and the hurdles of product development, industry adoption, and scaling a startup in Bulgaria. The conversation also explores the real-world impact of LAM’ON’s innovations. Angela discusses how companies are transitioning to their compostable films, the barriers to widespread adoption, and whether customers are driven by genuine environmental consciousness or regulatory pressures. With a sharp focus on the future of sustainable materials, she examines the role of technology, infrastructure, and consumer behavior in making compostable packaging mainstream within the next five years.