E608 | Stephan Wirries, Ventech: Announcing Fund VI: €175M for AI, Industrial Software & Europe’s Sovereignty

Welcome back to another EUVC Podcast, where we gather Europe’s venture family to share the stories, insights, and lessons that drive our ecosystem forward.Today, we dive into the announcement of Ventech’s Fund VI, which has closed at €175M — the firm’s largest fund yet, with an impressive 95% LP re-up rate. To unpack it all, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Stephan Wirries, General Partner at Ventech. From AI and industrial software to European sovereignty and late-stage capital markets, Stephan shares how Ventech is positioning itself for the next decade — and why Europe still has structural gaps to fix if it wants to scale globally.🎧 Here’s what’s covered:01:00 Announcing Fund VI: €175M close, Ventech’s largest ever, with 95% LP re-up.03:00 What LPs are telling us: trust in the model and appetite for AI.04:00 Ventech’s pan-European footprint: Paris, Munich, Berlin, Helsinki, Stockholm.06:00 Why 50% of capital is aimed at AI, with cross-pollination into health, cyber, and industry.08:00 AI inside VC itself: sourcing, diligence, and portfolio support.09:30 Sovereignty & cybersecurity as Fund VI’s core theme.12:00 Industrial software & robotics: Europe’s edge in automation and “physical AI.”15:00 Lessons from the dot-com crash to today’s AI wave.18:00 Why Ventech avoids foundational LLMs but backs applied AI.20:00 Strategic European bets: Mistral, ASML, and deep tech leadership.22:00 The road ahead: growth capital, IPO markets, and pension reform.