Each week Mads and I delve into the real stories behind the headlines affecting European VC.
This week we explored:
State of European Venture Capital Geopolitics & VC – the Munich Security Conference, JD Vance blah, European autonomy in defence and tech, China filling the void?
VC Fundraising & LPs – AI and defence are hot baby! Shift from US pension to government cash, VCs must engage in ecosystem building, economic policies influencing VC strategies.
The Future of European VC European – VC has outperformed the US in IRR (20.8% vs 18.2%) over the last decade.
We’re nailing AI, Fusion and Quantum. Quantum: Hype Shmype Microsoft’s Majorana 1 Quantum Chip, cautious optimism, power PR and viable quantum computing by 2030.
Grok 3 It’s out! Speed and benchmarks vs Claude and GPT 4.5. Fusion is on like Donkey Kong
France’s CEA West Tokamak reactor – sets a new record with 22 minutes of continuous fusion, limitless clean energy, realistic timelines for commercial fusion.
Startup Funding Dynamics – Go big early? Peter Walker’s Carta report: Theory 1: AI reduces startup costs, meaning less = more. Theory 2: AI increases competition, making capital more crucial for scaling. = Seed Strapping.
Asteroid Mining – Spotlight on Karman Plus, autonomous asteroid mining. Government funding in space.