Upside

In this insightful episode, Dan, Mads, and Lomax tackle some of the most pressing topics in tech, venture capital, and global business, diving into issues like Europe's chip dependency, the evolving role of AI in VC, the future of social media moderation, and the rising stars in the European startup scene. Europe’s Semiconductor Struggles The problem: Europe's lag in semiconductor produc...

Overview: In this episode of Upside, hosts Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen, along with guests Andrew Scott and Lomax Ward, delve into their 8 bold predictions for 2025.  Covering everything from AI and space tech to geopolitical tensions and venture capital trends, they unpack what’s on the horizon for tech, business, and venture in Europe and beyond. 2025 Predictions and Discussions: 1. Apple will win...

In this episode we review significant events of 2024, focusing on the rise of AI, the challenges Europe faces in building its own AI infrastructure, and the political and economic landscape shaped by the recent elections. We chat venture capital trends, the impact of geopolitical shifts in the Middle East, and the future of TikTok amid national security concerns.  Altman and Musk face off while El...

Mads and I chatting this week about all things VC, investing, startup affecting Europe, Can the UK govt really think like a startup? Should it? The British DOGE. No one in the Labour govt has ever run a business. Matter? Why China's downturn will batter Europe. The European brain drain - is it real? Freedom of movement, is it coming back? Quantum is here, or is it. The old guards are coming o...

We're in a studio this week, sounding joojie. Mads and I discussing this week's news, views and thoughts around Europe, startup, and investing. What's moving the needle, what's not, and why. The Decline of Europe’s Automotive Industry ◦ The shift from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EVs). ◦ Why Chinese automakers are dominating global markets. ◦ Can Euro...

1st Dec 2024 - This week in Euro VC. Super happy to have Lomax from outsized.vc with us today bringing an extra edge of health tech.  Dan shares his experiences with nekohealth.com full body scanning.  What's the future of preventative scanning, when will it be NHS ready and what opportunities are there for startups. ChatGPT is 2! How OpenAI stole the march on Google, who invented the transfo...

Summary Dan and Mads discuss key developments in European venture capital, focusing on the recent Slush event, the implications of Bitcoin hitting $100k, Anthropic raising $4bn, the volatility of Bitcoin - what is it and what will it become, Klarna's US IPO, does Europe need it's own search engine? Are we at peak AI? Takeaways Slush is great, founders focused, 13,000 attendees. Bitcoin t...

This week in European VC - Dan and Mads explore the real revenue generated by AI startups, not hAIpy at all, no one went to COP29, the EU startup passport is arriving much sooner than anticipated, Germany's instability as an opportunity, AI is programming, insights from a recent MIT report on material science, and the global and local economic ramifications of Trump's administration.  Th...

In this conversation, Dan and Mads discuss what Trump will and won't do now he's in. IS CHIPS out? As Europe's CHIPS is in? UK's investment woes with such little support from Govt. Warren Buffett cashes out - Apple now. Is the market over priced? GS thinks so. AI disrupting big tech gets bigger. Founder burnout is back, bigger and badder so what role should venture capitalists...

In this conversation we dig into the UK's Autumn Budget - it's just *not* investor or build friendly - gah, Germany launches more non-profits, will ARM enter the AI arms race *against* it's own customers?!... and yet *more* regulation - this time in the beautiful game, but why that matters. Chapters 00:00 Juvenile Politics 00:27 UK Autumn Budget: Invest Invest Invest! Ok, don't...

In this conversation Dan and Mads explore crazy hAIpe valuations at Perplexity, Claude controlling the desktop in Enterprise - but RPA is nothing new, Palantir, the NHS and patient records? Is everyone becoming a media company? American markets will chill the growth now, what will a Trump administration really mean for the economy? And more... Chapters 00:00 AI Valuations are Going to be hAIpe. Ri...

In this conversation, Dan and Mads explore the current state of European venture capital, who cares about climate change? insights from the UK International Investment Summit, public sector investment could cost us nothing, and make us everything, Trumps trolls in the polls, EU Inc Petition - any teeth? SpaceX caught a thing - so what, liquidity is everything in VC.  Takeaways • UK based VCs are o...

In this conversation, the hosts discuss a range of topics including the recent Nobel Prizes awarded for AI innovations, the regulatory challenges facing Google, the economic situation in the UK, and the future of venture capital. They explore the implications of the Regulatory Innovation Office in the UK, the appetite of Limited Partners (LPs) for investing in venture capital, and the significance...

Summary Dan and Mads discuss Europe's energy challenges, the need for more positive leadership, the future of remote work, the transformative impact of AI on society, and insights from the Foundations paper regarding the stagnation of the UK economy. They explore the implications of these themes on the future of technology, infrastructure, and economic growth. Takeaways Europe faces significa...

Summary In this episode, Mads, Dan and Monik discuss the dynamics of startup funding, particularly the trend of startups moving from Europe to the US in search of better investment opportunities. They analyse the implications of recent US interest rate cuts on global investments and the challenges faced by the UK government in fostering a conducive environment for startups. The conversation also h...

In this conversation, Dan, Mads, and Andrew discuss what's happened this week in the European startup ecosystem. The real value of events for investors and founders, highlights from the All In Conference, DeepMind's new AI system for protein design, productivity challenges in the EU, the future of innovation in Europe, and the impact of AI on SaaS.  * Events can be valuable if approached...

In this conversation, Dan and Mads discuss various topics including the SuperSaaS event, the Council of Europe's convention on AI, the central bank digital currency, founder mode, and immigration and the future of AI. They highlight key takeaways such as the importance of relationships in dealing with big corporates, the progress made in living standards over the years, the implications of th...

Dan and Mads discuss various topics including the arrest of Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, the debate between big and small venture capital firms, the potential impact of the autumn budget on startups, advancements in cancer treatment, the regulation of AI in Europe, Germany's energy transition, and the concept of agentic workflows in business. keywords Pavel Durov, Telegram, arrest, c...

Summary In this conversation, Mads, Dan and Alex discuss various topics including sports team ownership, freedom of movement, startup work culture, AI regulation, and the state of venture capital. They touch on the investment in Venezia FC, the rejection of the freedom of movement proposal by the UK government, the potential risks and benefits of AI, and the recent increase in startup shutdowns. T...

Summary In this conversation, Dan, Mads, and Andreas discuss various topics including the current state of the US economy, raising capital internationally, the role of European VCs in tech policy and politics, and the decision for founders to bootstrap or seek venture capital. They highlight the importance of understanding the global economy and its impact on venture capital, the need for more fun...

S ummary Leo Ringer, co-founder and partner at Form Ventures, discusses the misconception that Europe is a backwater for innovation and startups. He argues that Europe has made significant progress in producing great companies and that the narrative needs to shift to focus on the advantages and strengths of the European ecosystem. Leo suggests creating a streamlined, pan-European legal entity for...

Summary In this episode of The Seed, Dan, Mads, and Maja discuss various topics related to European venture and the startup ecosystem. They cover SPACs, investing vs gambling, the UK and US public markets, go-to-market strategies for AI-first products, and Revolut's UK banking license. The conversation touches on the challenges and opportunities faced by European founders, the importance of c...

In this episode, Dan, Mads, and guest Guillermo discuss various topics including the AI bubble, the impact of AI on the sales function, the best route for tech founders, the startup ecosystem in Spain, and the potential effects of a Trump administration on European venture. They also touch on the need for an AI bill in the UK, the challenges of fundraising and going global for startups, and the im...

Every week we all discuss what's been bothering us in startup land. Howard Kingston joins Mads and I this week, and we dig into: Govt endorsement - death knell or life force? New stock exchange rules - will they make any difference? Why don't we want to see European founders rich? Founder financial wellbeing - is it the VCs responsibility? AI - how will it make or break my startup? Comms...

My partner Mads and I share the same vision and values but see the world completely differently. We fight, we love, we share, we build, we do, we ponder, we tussle... rinse repeat. Often having difficult conversations behind the scenes that we've decided to have in public.  This week we're talking about: The new govt. and what it means for our industry. Can we rebuild our relationship wi...