E500 | This Week in European Tech with Dan, Mads & Lomax

Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen of SuperSeed and Lomax from Outsized Ventures gather to unpack the macro forces and micro signals shaping European tech and venture.This week, the trio tackles one of the most geopolitically charged, capital-heavy, and morally complex episodes yet:The global reshuffling of power: Israel, Iran, Russia, and UkraineWhy defense is back—and what it means for VCsEurope's space ambitions and what the ESA's new satellite project signalsChina's trade plays and Europe's vulnerability in rare earthsAI, IPOs, and why founders might want to stay private longerSurgical robots, ambient AI, and who’s building the future of healthcarePlus: Daniel Ek gets flak, SPACs sneak back, and why VCs are now speed-running $15B deals in one week.Here’s what’s covered:02:00 War & Markets: Iran, Israel, oil prices & Bank of England holds06:00 Defense Budgets: Why Europe is (finally) spending10:00 VC Taboo: Why investing in weapons gets complicated fast15:00 EIF Restrictions: Sex, gambling, and no defense20:00 The Rise of Helsing: Europe’s $12B defense unicorn24:00 Strategic Autonomy: Europe’s new military satellite constellation30:00 ESA vs. Starlink: Earth observation gets serious34:00 China, Trade Wars & Rare Earths: Why Europe’s exposed40:00 EU-US Tariffs & Trump’s Pharma Threat42:00 IPO Boom: Chime, Circle, and the SPAC comeback47:00 CMR Surgical: UK’s $4B robot exit—is that enough?53:00 Lessons from Intuitive Surgical & deeptech M&A56:00 Deal of the Week: Nabla’s AI for clinicians, Helsing, and Scale AI’s lightning-fast cash01:02:00 Founders in Government: Alex DePledge & Matt Clifford’s impact01:05:00 Meta’s AI Transfers: Zuck goes full football transfer window