Alex Manson (SC Ventures): Corporate venturing is more than CVC

In the 100th episode of This Week in European Tech,Mads Jensen and Dan Bowyer of SuperSeed are joined by Lomax Ward of Outsized Ventures and Andrew J. Scott of 7percent Ventures.Two years after the show began, they reflect on how much the technology and venture landscape has shifted. They compare the surge in AI funding, hyperscaler investment and trillion-dollar technology companies in the US with Europe’s progress in company creation, venture activity and strategic technologies.The conversation also explores where Europe continues to lag, from pension capital and scale-up funding to energy, defence and access to space, and whether the continent can reduce its reliance on the US while building globally competitive companies.They then turn to 2028, sharing their views on the next phase of AI, robotics, smart glasses, quantum computing, sovereign technology and the infrastructure needed to support them.Key highlightsHow European venture has evolved over the past two yearsWhy Europe is creating more unicorns and decacorns while its global funding share remains under pressureThe increasing concentration of capital around AI and the largest US technology companiesWhether Europe can unlock more pension and institutional capital for ventureWhy every AI strategy is increasingly becoming an energy strategyEurope’s position in defence, sovereign technology and space infrastructureThe next wave of robotics, autonomous vehicles and physical AIPredictions for AGI, quantum computing, smart glasses and the companies that could shape 2028—————Love Tomorrow Summit - July 23, 2026, Tomorrowland, BelgiumThe Impact Circle Investor Lounge - July 24, 2026EUVC is curating the investment stage.Register ⁠here⁠.

AI is giving attackers cheaper, faster ways to target organisations at scale. On the defensive side, security teams are starting to replace rigid playbooks with AI systems that can investigate incidents, adapt to new attack paths and support faster response.In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Ahmed Achchak, Co-founder and CEO of Qevlar AI, and Réza Malekzadeh, General Partner at Partech, an investor in Qevlar AI.They discuss how Ahmed and his co-founder approached cybersecurity without coming from traditional security backgrounds, why that outsider perspective helped them rethink static playbooks and how Qevlar AI is moving security teams beyond manual triage.The conversation also covers why organisations should assume breach, how automated remediation can be governed without turning the system into a black box, how young startups earn trust with major enterprise customers, Europe’s cybersecurity opportunity and why founders need to build security into their products from day one.HighlightsHow AI is reshaping cyberattacks and cyber defenceWhy static security playbooks are falling behindHow an outsider perspective shaped Qevlar AIHow Qevlar AI investigates and responds to incidentsWhy organisations should assume breachHow startups build trust with enterprise customersEurope’s opportunity to build global cybersecurity leadersWhy security must be built in from day one---Learn more about the Love Tomorrow Summit and the programmes EUVC is curating, and secure your tickets here.---Timestamps(02:00) Introduction to Qevlar AI and Partech(03:00) How AI is changing cybersecurity(05:00) From cloud security to the AI shift(07:20) Why small businesses are increasingly exposed(09:00) Building Qevlar AI without a traditional security background(12:00) Why outsider founders can rethink established industries(14:20) How Qevlar AI investigates cyber incidents(18:30) Why organisations should assume breach(21:30) Governing AI-driven security decisions(26:00) Winning trust with enterprise customers(30:30) Europe’s cybersecurity advantage(34:00) Why European companies still need to think globally(37:00) Qevlar AI’s long-term vision(39:00) Why Partech backed the team(40:30) Why security can no longer be an afterthought(43:00) Closing thoughts

Europe’s AI position is being tested from every direction: Chinese open-weight models are gaining usage, Nvidia could become even more central to the stack and Europe still has gaps across power, chips, data centres and model capacity.In the latest episode of This Week in European Tech, Mads Jensen and Dan Bowyer of SuperSeed are joined by Lomax Ward of Outsized Ventures to discuss the AI power shift between China, the US and Europe.They also cover UK pension capital moving into venture, whether today’s AI market looks like 1999, Anthropic and OpenAI’s IPO pressure, model commoditisation and where Europe may still have an edge.HighlightsWhy China’s AI model usage is becoming harder to ignoreWhat Chinese model restrictions could mean for EuropeEurope’s AI infrastructure gap across power, chips, data centres and modelsWhether UK pension capital is finally moving into ventureWhy today’s AI market both does and does not look like 1999Where Europe may still have a real opportunity in AI—————Love Tomorrow Summit - July 23, 2026, Tomorrowland, BelgiumThe Impact Circle Investor Lounge - July 24, 2026EUVC is curating the investment stage.Register here.—————Timestamps(01:45) Introduction(03:25) Quick news roundup(05:30) Tesla, SpaceX, Samsung and the week’s market signals(08:00) The UK’s fiscal outlook and the OBR warning(11:10) Government oversight of frontier AI releases(12:00) China’s rise in AI model usage(14:30) Could Nvidia benefit if China restricts model access?(17:00) Europe’s exposure across the AI infrastructure stack(19:15) OpenAI, Anthropic and the pressure to IPO(22:45) UK pension capital starts moving into venture(25:00) Why pension investment matters for the UK ecosystem(28:00) Where pension capital should be deployed(30:00) Incentives, coercion and the role of government(32:45) Is today’s AI market another 1999?(40:30) The case against the dot-com comparison(46:30) AI Corner: Anthropic’s Fable and Sonnet strategy(48:30) Lisbon’s earthquake history and engineering response(54:15) Lisbon’s tech ecosystem(56:30) Europe’s opportunity, deals of the week and what to watch next

Corporate venturing works best when investing is only one part of the model. To drive real transformation, corporates need to build, partner and invest in ways that reinforce each other.In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Alex Manson, CEO at SC Ventures by Standard Chartered and author of Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained, alongside Jeppe Høier, EUVC’s in-house corporate expert.Together, they explore why SC Ventures was built to operate both inside and outside the bank, how corporates can build independent but institutionally backed ventures and why corporate ventures need to prove themselves through the market.The conversation also covers venture clienting, corporate-startup partnerships, when corporates should invest, why SC Ventures only backs partners it actually works with and why financial returns remain non-negotiable.HighlightsWhy corporate venturing is more than traditional CVCThe role of build, partner and invest in corporate transformationWhy SC Ventures builds outside the bank but at bank-gradeWhy corporate ventures must prove themselves in the marketHow to balance strategic value with financial returnsTimestamps(01:15) Introduction to Alex Manson and SC Ventures(02:05) Why Standard Chartered created SC Ventures(05:40) Building ventures inside and outside the bank(09:20) Governance, risk and compliance in corporate ventures(17:45) Why corporate ventures must prove themselves in the market(24:40) Moving from build to partner(27:15) Why SC Ventures is not a traditional CVC(29:10) Why SC Ventures only invests in partners it works with(35:35) Real partnerships versus innovation theatre(38:35) Strategic value versus financial returns(43:35) Why Alex wrote Nothing Ventured, Nothing GainedLearn more about Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained by Alex Manson, CEO at SC Ventures, here.

What happens when a society becomes too afraid to take risks?In the latest episode of This Week in European Tech, Mads Jensen and Dan Bowyer of SuperSeed are joined by Lomax Ward of Outsized Ventures to discuss whether the West's growing aversion to risk is holding back innovation, capital allocation and long-term competitiveness.Together, they explore UK technology policy, AI infrastructure, trade tensions, enterprise AI adoption and defence investing, alongside a broader discussion about capital allocation, competitiveness and where the next generation of technology winners will come from.HighlightsIs the West becoming too risk-averse?What a new UK government could mean for technologyWhy AI is becoming a geopolitical assetThe next phase of enterprise AI adoptionHow trade tensions are reshaping technology marketsWhy the biggest venture winners are rarely obvious earlyWhat Quantum Systems says about investing ahead of the market—————Love Tomorrow Summit - July 23, 2026, Tomorrowland, BelgiumThe Impact Circle Investor Lounge - July 24, 2026EUVC is curating the investment stage.Register here.—————Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(01:00) News roundup(05:00) Burnham's Britain and the future of UK growth(10:00) Has the West become too risk-averse?(21:00) AI, governments and strategic control(35:00) AI markets: rotation, not collapse(43:00) Trade tensions, tariffs and Europe's dilemma(55:00) Why AI still needs humans(01:01:00) Deal of the week: Quantum Systems(01:04:00) Deal of the week: EquiLibre(01:05:30) What to watch next week

Great consumer teams still start with the customer. AI is changing the speed, tools and team structures around them, but the fundamentals of building enduring consumer companies remain remarkably consistent.In Episode 3 of the Consumer Tech Napkin series, produced in partnership with True Global, ⁠Andreas Munk Holm⁠ speaks with ⁠Rishabh Kaul⁠ (Venture Partner at ⁠Hoxton Ventures⁠), ⁠Mike Martin⁠ (Director, Investment at ⁠True Global⁠) and ⁠Camilla Dolan⁠ (General Partner at ⁠Eka Ventures⁠).Together, they discuss the DNA of successful consumer teams, what investors look for in founders, how AI is reshaping product development, hiring and experimentation, and why customer obsession, distribution and execution continue to separate the best consumer companies from the rest.The conversation also explores defensibility in the AI era, whether consumer investing has truly changed and which consumer categories excite investors most.HighlightsWhat great consumer teams have in commonWhy customer obsession still matters mostHow AI is changing product developmentDistribution as a consumer startup superpowerWhat investors look for in consumer foundersHow to build AI-native teamsThe biggest red flags in consumer investing------Learn more about the Love Tomorrow Summit and the programmes EUVC is curating, and secure your tickets ⁠here⁠.------Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(02:00) What makes a great consumer team?(07:45) Customer obsession vs. distribution as competitive advantages(13:10) Building teams that can scale with the company(21:10) How AI is changing consumer founders and products(26:00) Can AI-native teams stay lean?(31:10) Why experimentation is becoming a competitive advantage(35:00) Hiring in the AI era: curiosity, expertise and learning velocity(39:50) The biggest red flags in consumer founders(44:00) Founder intensity, disagreement and closing thoughts

The next chapter for UK technology may depend as much on capital markets as company building.In this episode of This Week in European Tech, Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen of SuperSeed are joined by Neil Shah, Director, Tech Sector Specialist at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).They discuss what it will take to unlock more capital for UK technology, from pension reform and IPOs to public markets and founder liquidity.The conversation also explores what Micron's latest results reveal about AI infrastructure demand, Europe's defence investment boom, the rise of sovereign AI and where value is likely to be created as AI adoption accelerates.HighlightsCan the UK mobilise more capital for technology?Why pension reform matters for innovationThe outlook for UK IPOs and public marketsHow PISCES could reshape private market liquidityWhat Micron's results reveal about AI demandEurope's defence technology investment boomWhy sovereign AI is becoming a strategic priorityWhere the next wave of AI value is likely to be createdLearn more about the Love Tomorrow Summit and the programmes EUVC is curating, and secure your tickets here.Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(02:00) This week's topics and guest introduction(03:00) The outlook for UK tech IPOs(05:00) Markets, AI and the IPO landscape(08:00) Why Micron matters for AI(13:00) Can the UK unlock more capital?(17:00) Capital markets, PISCES and IPO reform(23:00) Europe's defence technology boom(31:00) The AI economy and where value will be created(37:00) Sovereign AI and Europe's strategy(43:00) Predictions, deals of the week and what's next

Most innovation programmes start with reasonable assumptions. The challenge is that reality often proves them wrong.In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier speak with Cynthia Hansen, Managing Director of The Innovation Foundation, empowered by the Adecco Group, about four lessons learned from building and scaling employment solutions for people often excluded from the labour market.Cynthia shares how her team moved from designing programmes around demographics to designing around trends, why technology became central rather than supportive and what it takes to build venture teams capable of creating scalable social impact inside a large organisation.The conversation also explores the evolution of the Foundation's Scan, Build, Scale methodology, the challenge of finding people who can operate across business and social impact and how Foundry is helping create the next generation of innovation talent.Highlights Why designing around demographics led to repeating patternsHow trend-based innovation changed the team's approachThe evolution of the Scan, Build, Scale frameworkWhy technology became essential to scaling impactThe challenge of finding the right venture buildersHow Foundry is creating a pipeline of innovation talentWhat corporate innovators can learn about designing for scaleWhy scale should be built into a solution from day oneTimestamps(00:00) Introduction(02:00) What The Innovation Foundation does and why Adecco created it(03:00) Learning 1: Why demographics were the wrong place to start(08:00) Moving from audiences to trends(10:00) How the team identifies emerging labour market shifts(14:00) Learning 2: The Scan, Build, Scale framework(18:00) The challenge of finding the right venture builders(20:00) Introducing Foundry(23:00) Learning 3: Why technology became central(26:00) Technology, scale and the digital divide(29:00) Measuring impact beyond reach and job placement(31:00) The flywheel behind scaling social innovation(35:00) Learning 4: Building the right teams(38:00) What entrepreneurs can learn about working with corporates(39:00) Closing thoughtsSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

Europe's best founders are no longer building for Europe first and the US later. They're building global companies from day one.In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Seedcamp Principal Will Bennett as Seedcamp announces a new $320 million fund, split between a $220 million Core fund and a $100 million Select fund.Will explains why Seedcamp is expanding its US presence, how its transatlantic bridge helps founders access customers, talent and capital earlier and why the firm's conviction remains centred on backing exceptional founders before the company or category is obvious.The conversation also explores how AI is intersecting with science and the physical world, what excites Seedcamp about the next generation of startups and how venture is evolving after nearly two decades of investing.Disclosure: EUVC is a small LP in Seedcamp's latest fund and has also invested in previous Seedcamp funds.Key highlightsWhy Europe's best founders are building global companies from day oneThe strategy behind Seedcamp's $320 million fund raiseHow the transatlantic bridge helps founders access customers, talent and capital earlierWhy Seedcamp backs founders before the company or category is obviousHow AI is intersecting with science and the physical worldTimestamps(00:00) Introduction and Seedcamp's $320 million fund raise(01:00) Why Seedcamp launched a dedicated Select fund(03:00) Supporting founders beyond the first cheque(05:00) Venture's next frontier(06:00) AI, science and the physical world(11:00) Valuations, competition and the current market(17:00) Why Seedcamp is building a transatlantic bridge(18:00) Helping European founders win in the US(19:00) Building global companies from day one(21:00) Why pre-seed investors should avoid rigid theses(24:00) Closing thoughtsSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

Europe already produces world-class technology companies. The mistake is assuming future winners will look obvious before they become winners.In this episode of This Week in European Tech, Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen of SuperSeed speak with Joe Schorge, Founder and Managing Partner at Isomer Capital, about why the best investors focus less on predicting outliers and more on building exposure to exceptional founders, technologies and ecosystems.Joe shares why Europe's next trillion-dollar company is probably already operating today, what Amazon and Google teach us about identifying future winners and why diversification remains one of the most powerful tools in venture capital.The conversation also covers AI sovereignty, Anthropic's model shutdown, DeepSeek's $7 billion round, Mistral's latest raise and Europe's position in the global AI race.Key highlights:Why Europe's next trillion-dollar company probably already existsWhy future winners rarely look obvious early onThe LP case for backing ecosystems instead of chasing predictionsLessons from Amazon and GoogleWhy Europe already produces world-class technology companiesWhy tech sovereignty depends on world-class productsDeepSeek, Mistral and the future of AI infrastructureWhether Europe can compete with the US and China in frontier technologyTimestamps(00:00) Introduction(05:00) Why Accenture matters for the future of AI adoption(12:00) Anthropic's model shutdown and AI sovereignty(15:00) Why tech sovereignty is creating opportunities for European startups(20:00) AI alliances, geopolitics and Europe's position(26:00) DeepSeek's $7 billion funding round(31:00) Mistral's next chapter and Europe's AI ambitions(35:00) Can Europe build a trillion-dollar technology company?(38:00) Why future winners rarely look obvious(40:00) Europe's world-class technology companies(41:00) Isar Aerospace and European winners(42:00) European tech deal of the week(43:00) The week ahead in AI and ventureLearn more about the Love Tomorrow Summit and the programmes EUVC is curating, and secure your tickets here.