Welcome back to another episode of Upside at the EUVC Podcast, where Dan Bowyer, Mads Jensen of SuperSeed, Lomax Ward of Outsized Ventures and Andrew J Scott of 7percent Ventures, and Lomax unpack the forces shaping European venture capital.
This week’s conversation spans the spectrum, from AI moratoriums and political overreach to funding freezes, LP pullbacks, and the question of whether Europe still dares to dream big.
The crew digs into whether regulation is protecting society or suffocating innovation, the chilling effect of capital retreat, and how optimism can be rebuilt amid macro fatigue.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:41 – The “AI Pause” Debate — Can governments ever pause technology? Why moratoriums sound moral but stall momentum.
05:25 – Europe’s Fear Reflex — The rise of “safety-first” politics and how overregulation is quietly killing risk appetite.
09:57 – LP Freeze Frame — Europe’s institutional capital dries up as funds extend cycles — why secondaries and NAV loans are back in fashion.
13:36 – The Optimism Deficit — How founders are stuck between doomist media and cautious investors, and why conviction is now a superpower.
17:59 – Policy Paralysis — The mismatch between innovation speed and Brussels process — can Europe’s bureaucracy ever run at startup pace?
22:44 – The Deep Tech Divergence — Climate tech, quantum, and AI hardware get hot — but early checks are scarcer than ever.
27:32 – Founders as Statesmen — Why European founders must now act as ambassadors for progress — defending the right to build.
32:18 – The Politics of Optimism — Why Europe’s next unicorns will be built by those who ignore the headlines and build through doubt.
37:20 – AI Regulation & Reality — The EU AI Act’s new interpretive layer — compliance theater vs. competitive advantage.
42:48 – The Great European Reset — Why this downturn might finally force quality, discipline, and depth into the ecosystem.
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