#61 - Yoram Wijngaarde (Dealroom) - The oracle of European Tech

What this episode covers

In this episode of Finscale, I welcome Yoram Wijngaarde, Founder and CEO of Dealroom.co, for a sharp, data-backed conversation on what is really happening in the global tech and venture capital ecosystem. Beyond headlines and hype, this episode offers a rare, factual look at how innovation, capital and power dynamics are shifting. We discussed: • Yoram’s journey from investment banking at Lehman Brothers to founding Dealroom, and how the financial crisis and M&A work with startups shaped his entrepreneurial path. • How Dealroom evolved from a deal-making idea into a global data platform used by VCs, tech giants and more than 100 governments to understand and benchmark innovation ecosystems. • The unique methodology behind Dealroom’s data, combining public sources, deep human-led research and contributions from a global community of investors, founders and universities. • What the last 18–24 months really look like for venture capital, with global investment still far below 2021 peaks despite massive AI rounds, and Europe stabilising around €60bn per year. • The growing gap between the US and Europe, driven by AI mega-deals, rising valuation multiples in the US, and Europe’s relative absence from the largest funding rounds. • Sector-level shifts beyond AI, including the return of fintech through incumbents and infrastructure plays, and the explosive rise of deep tech and defense, security and resilience. • How Dealroom is preparing for the next wave of AI, from transforming its internal development processes to building a shared global data layer for cities and startup ecosystems. A clear, insightful episode that replaces speculation with data — and offers essential perspective for anyone navigating tech, venture capital or innovation today. Yoram’s recommendation : • Odd Lots, the Bloomberg podcast. Useful links: Yoram Wijngaarde: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoramdw/ Dealroom.co: https://dealroom.co/ ******************** Finscale is much more than a podcast. It’s an ecosystem that connects key players in the financial sector through networking, coaching, and strategic partnerships. 📢 With Finscale Private Talks, I bring together investors, entrepreneurs, and institutions for high-value private exchanges. 🎯 Through my coaching and advisory support, leaders and finance professionals can better structure their vision and accelerate their impact. 🤝 As for partnerships, they create unique opportunities to position yourself at the very heart of the industry’s transformation. 🔗 Discover all the initiatives on the Finscale website : https://finscale.business Enjoy listening! Produced by Gokyo Sàrl-S, hosted by Audiomeans©. Visit the Privacy Policy of Finscale and Audiomeans for more information.