Scaling Europe

Marker just came out of stealth and raised a $13m Seed led by Index Ventures. Marker is an AI editor built to help writers develop their ideas and get feedback throughout the writing process. Jon Steinback is Co-Founder and CEO of Marker. He and co-founder Ryan Bowman built it to support the whole writing process, from thinking through drafting to editing. The result is a modern word processor made for people who believe in the craft of writing. The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here: https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjk Sponsors: Chargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026 SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/ Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeurope Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction0:20 - Marker's seed round and coming out of stealth0:57 - What Marker actually is1:41 - Who Marker is built for3:33 - How Marker's product took shape4:39 - Finding the balance between AI and human writing6:52 - Why these investors backed Marker9:20 - Jon's time at DeepMind10:52 - How Marker will use the funding13:04 - The goal behind coming out of stealth14:33 - Marker's long-term vision

Singular is a European early-stage venture capital firm investing from Seed through Series B, with portfolio companies including Aikido, Vibe, Basecamp and Spore.Bio. Laura McGinnis is joining Singular as a Partner. She previously spent several years in venture at Balderton Capital. In London, she'll focus on building out the firm's presence and backing UK and Ireland founders earlier in their journey. The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here: https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjk Sponsors: Chargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026 SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeurope Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction0:10 - Laura's move to Singular0:58 - Why Singular appealed to her2:22 - How the opportunity came together3:33 - The type of founders Singular backs5:31 - Moving from a large firm to a small, nimble team8:21 - What success looks like in her first months10:10 - Why Singular is doubling down on the UK and Ireland13:33 - Finding an edge to meet founders earlier15:38 - Advice for operators breaking into VC

Nyobolt is building fast energy storage systems for AI infrastructure, where data centres and robotics require far higher power density and faster charging than conventional technologies can provide.Sai Shivareddy is Founder and CEO at Nyobolt. The company spent years developing its technology before AI infrastructure created demand for it, and is now deploying its systems in robotics, with data centres as its next target market. The company recently raised a $60m Series C at a $1 billion valuation, making it one of the UK's newest unicorns.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here: https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Chargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:18 - Nyobolt's $60m Series C at a $1bn valuation0:56 - What Nyobolt builds2:52 - Real-world results and use cases7:22 - Working with Symbotic8:30 - Inside the Series C round11:53 - Scaling manufacturing while growing fast14:11 - Biggest bottlenecks to growth18:40 - Raising hardware-focused venture capital22:06 - Building a deep tech company from Cambridge

THEKER Robotics builds robots that takes over the hardest physical labor inside heavy factories.Carla Gómez Cano is Co-founder at THEKER. Their robots that do manual, physical work, like moving packages, assembling parts and folding garments, and use smart software to handle any task or material on a single platform. The company recently raised an $85m Series A, one of the largest robotics rounds ever in Europe.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here: https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Chargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:12 - THEKER's $85m Series A0:54 - What THEKER's robots do today4:11 - Why THEKER skips pilots5:03 - Building a robotics company from Barcelona7:10 - Reconfigurable robots vs. humanoids10:02 - Biggest bottleneck: hiring13:01 - The robotics-as-a-service model16:14 - Biggest lesson: staying focused17:15 - What's next for THEKER

Rig just raised $2.8 pre-Seed led by Emerge Capital to build infrastructure that helps companies use their internal data with AI. The platform connects existing data systems so teams can build AI apps, workflows and agents more easily.Toby Mather is Co-founder of Rig. He says the biggest challenge is no longer building AI applications, but giving them secure access to the right internal context. Rig is designed to solve that problem by connecting data from across a business without teams having to stitch together dozens of systems themselves.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:12 - Rig’s $2.8 pre-Seed0:48 - What Rig is building1:37 - AI workflows in practice3:56 - Why Toby started the company6:37 - Why investors backed the round8:29 - Lessons from building a second company10:03 - Building an AI-native startup11:37 - Hiring for speed and learning14:11 - How AI is changing careers17:06 - Toby’s view on vibe coding19:34 - Priorities after the raise

Orbital recently raised a $50m Series B led by Plural to scale its AI platform for developing advanced materials.Jonathan Godwin is Co-founder and CEO at Orbital Industries. The company is using AI to discover a new GPU cooling material for data centres, with plans to apply the same technology to hardware and manufacturing across sectors such as semiconductors, energy and aerospace.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:20 - Orbital’s $50m Series B1:50 - Discovering a new GPU cooling material3:45 - The long-term vision for AI industrials5:50 - Raising deep tech before the AI boom8:20 - Why Plural backed Orbital11:20 - The Orb open-source model14:05 - Why Orb is open source15:15 - Why Orbital builds hardware, not just AI models20:40 - Building a mission-driven company

Seltz just raised a $12.5m Seed as it launches its first product and looks to build a new generation of web infrastructure for AI.Antonio Mallia is Founder and CEO at Seltz. The company is building for a world where AI agents become a new type of web user, requiring a completely different way to access information online. Instead of returning a list of links, Seltz is rebuilding the entire search stack so agents can access trustworthy, citable information and run hundreds of queries in parallel to complete tasks independently.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - $12.5m Seed announcement1:15 - Why AI needs a different type of web search3:20 - Why Seltz rebuilt the entire stack5:00 - Why investors backed the company7:20 - Building a research-heavy team11:50 - Early traction and customer use cases15:40 - The next 12 months16:25 - Rethinking retrieval for AI agents18:30 - Running hundreds of queries in parallel

Seedcamp just closed $220M + $100M funds as it looks to support European founders from their first cheque through to later stages of company building. The new $220M core fund will continue backing early-stage companies, while the $100M select fund allows Seedcamp to double down on breakout portfolio companies from Series B onwards.Will Bennett is Principal at Seedcamp. He believes the definition of pre-seed is changing rapidly, with founder profiles becoming increasingly diverse and companies achieving more at an earlier stage. As more founders move to the US earlier in their journey, Seedcamp is expanding its presence there to help companies build customer, talent and investor networks.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - Seedcamp’s $220M + $100M funds1:40 - Why the funds are getting bigger2:30 - Why Seedcamp launched a select fund3:50 - European founders moving to the US6:30 - How founder profiles are changing8:15 - What pre-seed means today10:00 - Defence and frontier technologies13:00 - What founders get from Seedcamp15:20 - Building a stronger US presence19:30 - The secret behind Seedcamp’s success

Debtist scaled to €15M ARR in just 3 years as it builds an AI-powered receivables management platform across Europe.Matteo Benedetti is Founder at Debtist. The company started from identifying a gap in traditional debt collection and built an end-to-end software platform that automates receivables management using AI across email, calling, document handling, and legal workflows. It now serves around 500 clients across Germany, the UK, Scandinavia and other European markets.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - $60m Series A announcement3:01 - What Debtist does5:39 - Novesta partnership6:56 - Enterprise adoption and go-to-market8:41 - Scaling across Europe9:02 - AI in receivables management10:37 - Building organisation and learnings15:18 - Expansion strategy20:37 - Hiring and culture

Venture funds are becoming more systematic about finding founders before anyone else has seen them. As more firms build internal sourcing tools, the real advantage is shifting from collecting signals to knowing which opportunities are actually worth chasing.Jacob Houlberg is Co-founder of Evertrace, which helps more than 220 venture funds identify founders at the earliest stages of company creation. He believes sourcing is becoming table stakes for early-stage investors, while the real job of a VC is still deciding which founders can build exceptional companies.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - Why Evertrace was created and the sourcing problem2:13 - Finding founders before anyone else4:44 - How VCs use Evertrace and data signals6:44 - AI agents in sourcing10:34 - Building vs becoming a VC fund14:53 - Expanding the platform beyond sourcing16:43 - Competition and acquisitions20:25 - Future of data-driven investing

Conduct just raised $60m in a Series A co-led by Index Ventures and ICONIQ, with strategic investment from SAP and participation from existing investors.JP Haas is Co-Founder and CEO at Conduct. The company builds an AI operating system for enterprise software that maps heavily customised systems like SAP and Salesforce and helps enterprises execute changes across them faster.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - $60m Series A announcement3:01 - What Conduct does5:39 - SAP partnership and validation6:56 - Enterprise adoption and go-to-market8:41 - Partner ecosystem9:02 - SAP as starting point10:37 - Why enterprise systems are complex12:05 - Working with large enterprises14:23 - Building organisation and learnings15:18 - Global expansion16:29 - SAP distribution and co-selling model18:34 - Growth and ambition20:37 - Hiring and culture

Many of the industries that keep the economy running still rely on emails, phone calls and manual coordination between people. AI is starting to change that, allowing companies to automate work that previously required large operational teams.Pablo Palafox, CEO at HappyRobot, believes the biggest opportunity in AI is not building better chatbots, but helping businesses actually get work done. As more companies move from experimenting with AI to deploying it across their operations, the question is becoming less about what the technology can do and more about where it can create the most value.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - Building AI agents for the real economy3:43 - How AI is transforming logistics7:47 - Why enterprises are adopting AI faster than expected10:47 - Finding product-market fit14:03 - Hiring and international expansion15:49 - Building in San Francisco17:33 - Maintaining startup urgency18:51 - Scaling through rapid growth20:02 - The future of AI agents

AI is becoming one of the most important questions facing Europe, yet many leaders still underestimate both the speed and scale of the transformation.Judith Dada is General Partner at Visionaries Club and one of the authors behind Europe 2031, a new scenario exploring how Europe could fall behind in an AI-driven world over the next five years. The solution, she believes, is for Europe to move faster, make difficult trade-offs and focus on building leverage rather than pursuing sovereignty alone.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:19 - Europe 20313:39 - Where Europe went wrong on AI7:23 - Who needs to hear this message9:16 - Can Europe change course?11:36 - The trade-offs Europe may need to make13:17 - Who is responsible for Europe’s future?15:06 - Sovereignty vs leverage20:21 - What success looks like for Europe 203121:37 - Five proposals for Europe’s AI future23:43 - Can Europe still get this right?

More people than ever before can now build software, as AI removes many of the technical barriers that previously stood in the way. Lovable is helping lead that shift, with two-thirds of its builders coming from outside the tech industry.Nad Chishtie is Founding Designer and Head of Design at Lovable. He believes the next generation of software will be built by far more people than ever before, with AI helping turn ideas into products while giving both generalists and specialists new ways to create and operate.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:22 - Why Lovable is expanding its presence in London1:21 - Building a London hub alongside Stockholm3:19 - Scaling from startup to 50 million projects5:02 - Why empowerment sits at the centre of Lovable6:22 - How AI is changing who gets to build software7:23 - The simplest way to think about design10:15 - Why AI could benefit both generalists and specialists11:44 - Why Lovable focused on the 99% who are not developers13:21 - Building products for both beginners and experts14:14 - Nad’s proudest moments building Lovable15:04 - Building Lovable’s new creative engine

UVC Partners is a European venture capital firm investing in early-stage deep tech companies in Europe, including Proxima Fusion and Isar Aerospace.Johannes von Borries and Benjamin Erhart, GPs at UVC Partners, back companies working on fusion energy and space systems, where development takes long cycles and requires high capital and coordination between research and industry.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - UVC Partners1:10 - Proxima Fusion3:41 - Isar Aerospace8:21 - Deep tech investing in Europe13:15 - Fusion energy16:08 - Space systems20:02 - Germany’s deep tech ecosystem24:27 - Berlin vs Munich27:04 - Germany’s deep tech ecosystem

AI agents are becoming more capable, but most companies still rely on software built for a different era. Zaro just raised a $5.1 million pre-Seed round led by Cherry Ventures to build infrastructure designed specifically for the agentic era.Michael Bajwa is CEO and Co-founder of Zaro. Following the sale of Convergence to Salesforce, he believes enterprises have not yet had their ChatGPT moment, and that the next generation of software will be built around AI agents rather than traditional applications.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:14 - Zaro’s $5.1m pre-Seed round2:47 - Lessons from Convergence and Salesforce5:23 - Making AI agents accessible8:54 - Coming out of stealth11:11 - Creating a new category of software13:25 - Compressing startup timelines16:01 - Building a category-defining company17:49 - Hiring battle-tested operators19:15 - The future of AI-native software

Cheap drones are changing modern warfare, creating demand for new air defence systems that can operate at scale. Alta Ares just raised $50 million to help countries defend against emerging aerial threats.Hadrien Canter is CEO and Co-founder of Alta Ares. Drawing on his experience working in Ukraine and the Middle East, he believes Europe has a unique opportunity to build a stronger defence ecosystem and reduce its reliance on external security guarantees.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:09 - Alta Ares’ $50 funding round1:24 - Why cheap drones are changing warfare3:08 - Combining hardware, software and AI5:26 - Building a defence company from Ukraine7:51 - NATO, Europe and defence sovereignty11:37 - Operating on the ground in Ukraine13:20 - Mission, pressure and attracting talent15:44 - Resilience, failure and company culture17:45 - Raising $50m for Alta Ares20:05 - The investors behind the round and the future of European defence

Factorial just raised $150m from General Catalyst at a $2.5bn valuation as the company enters its next phase as an AI-native business. The new capital will be used to accelerate growth through acquisitions across Europe.Jordi Romero is Founder and CEO of Factorial, which recently turned 10 years old. He believes AI is changing how software companies serve their customers and sees Europe as one of the best places in the world to build a technology company.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:21 - General Catalyst invests $150m in Factorial1:10 - Why raise capital now?2:28 - The relationship with General Catalyst3:55 - How the Customer Value Fund works5:24 - From HR software to AI-native workforce operations9:00 - Leading AI transformation inside a company11:18 - Why Europe is a great place to build13:16 - Barcelona’s startup ecosystem15:52 - Lessons from Silicon Valley18:21 - Building a company for the long term19:57 - What Factorial looks for when hiring

European investors are moving faster, while global funds are becoming increasingly active across the Nordics. As competition for the best founders intensifies, technical talent is attracting more attention than ever at the earliest stages.Oliver Molander is Founding General Partner of Inception Fund, which recently expanded to €30 million. Drawing on his experience as both a founder and investor, he believes technical founders build the biggest outcomes, and that Europe should focus on creating indispensable technologies rather than simply talking about sovereignty.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:18 - Why Inception Fund was created1:42 - Backing technical founders at inception2:25 - Why European investors need to move faster4:17 - The rise of a new generation of European funds5:25 - Working with Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia and Lightspeed7:08 - Building the LP base behind Inception Fund9:31 - Convincing LPs to back a first-time fund manager12:02 - Why Inception invested in Recursive15:42 - Stockholm, Finland and the future of Nordic tech20:52 - EQT and the €5 billion European scale-up fund22:20 - Why Europe should focus on indispensability, not sovereignty

European AI startups are raising billion-dollar rounds, while defence and deep tech companies are attracting far larger rounds than the market was seeing a few years ago.Alex McCracken is Head of Venture Capital Relationships, EMEA at J.P. Morgan, where he is seeing US investors move into Europe earlier and more technical AI founders raise capital across the market.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:16 - The biggest shifts in European venture0:48 - Billion-dollar AI seed rounds2:45 - Why mega rounds are increasing in Europe3:55 - The impact of large AI rounds5:37 - Where capital is flowing in deep tech6:43 - Defence, space and European resilience8:20 - Why defence investment is accelerating9:49 - The rise of US investors in Europe12:25 - How European VCs are adapting14:43 - Growth at all costs vs sustainable growth18:24 - New financing structures for deep tech

Transition VC raised a new $150m fund to back highly technical founders building the next generation of energy, compute and industrial companies.David Helgason, Co-founder at Transition VC, says AI is increasing demand for compute, power and industrial systems at a time when venture is moving beyond traditional software. The new fund will focus on companies building across energy, hardware and industrial infrastructure.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:22 - Transition VC’s new $150m fund0:58 - Backing founders rebuilding industrial systems2:01 - Climate tech, AI and resource constraints3:47 - Raising Fund II6:09 - Investing in photonics chip company Olix9:16 - The founders the firm wants to back10:26 - Nuclear, hardware and industrial innovation12:47 - Why venture is moving beyond traditional SaaS14:00 - Europe vs the US for deep tech15:45 - Building the investment team18:13 - What makes a great founder

Checkout.com is one of Europe’s leading payments companies, powering transactions for some of the world’s biggest digital businesses.Ashley Paulus, VP of Revenue (UK & EEA) at Checkout.com, is leading the company’s growth across two of its most important markets after 78% growth in the UK and around 60% growth in Europe last year. As merchants look for better acceptance rates, global coverage and faster access to capital, Checkout.com is becoming a bigger part of how companies grow across borders.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:16 - Checkout.com’s growth in the UK and Europe1:51 - Why major merchants choose Checkout.com3:40 - Scaling payments across global markets5:12 - Growth targets for 20267:01 - New merchants and existing customers8:14 - Europe vs Southeast Asia in payments10:16 - AI in payments infrastructure13:50 - Using AI in revenue teams16:26 - Agentic commerce18:04 - Stablecoins and faster merchant settlement

1KOMMA5° is working to deliver the cheapest and cleanest electricity in the world, at a time when energy is becoming one of the biggest questions behind the AI boom.Philipp Schröder, Co-founder and CEO at 1KOMMA5°, has grown the company from home electrification into one of Europe’s most important energy players. It is already managing one gigawatt of capacity, with a much larger ambition: making millions of homes part of the energy infrastructure Europe now needs.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:28 - 1KOMMA5°2:27 - Business model5:30 - Subscription model13:11 - Virtual power plant16:27 - One gigawatt of managed capacity21:11 - IPO plans24:38 - Energy and AI27:21 - Europe vs NASDAQ29:32 - International expansion33:25 - Building from Germany36:03 - Entrepreneurs and politics39:08 - Taking pushback41:24 - Energy abundance in Europe43:41 - What governments are missing47:38 - Lessons from Tesla48:54 - The future of energy companies

Scope is building AI for the people who inspect the physical world, from factories and industrial equipment to the assets companies rely on every day.Jonathan Low is CEO at Scope, and the company has just raised $20m led by Index Ventures after growing more than 10x since relaunching last year. Much of this work still runs on pen, paper, Word and Excel, and Scope is turning inspection work into usable data about the physical world.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - The inspection industry1:34 - How Scope works2:20 - Scope’s $20m round3:08 - Growing more than 10x5:08 - Scaling to $15m ARR8:14 - Why inspection is ready for AI10:06 - Building close to customers13:13 - International expansion18:48 - Hiring talent in London

Mouro Capital is a fintech-focused venture firm investing at the intersection of financial services and technology.Manuel Silva Martinez is a GP at Mouro Capital, and they just announced a new $400m fund backed by Banco Santander, giving the firm more capital to back fintech entrepreneurs across the US, Europe and Latin America. Mouro’s thesis has stayed close to financial services, but the opportunity now looks much broader as AI pulls more horizontal companies into the category.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:28 - Mouro Capital’s new $400m fund0:52 - The history of Mouro Capital2:33 - How AI fits into fintech4:04 - Raising from Banco Santander5:55 - Liquidity and exits8:15 - Creating liquidity in Europe11:00 - Growth in fintech13:10 - InsurTech15:55 - New markets in financial services17:49 - The next generation of fintech founders19:18 - Mouro Capital’s portfolio

European founders are still going to the US earlier than ever, but AI is now changing how the companies they build actually operate.Martin Mignot, Partner at Index Ventures, looks at this shift from inside a global firm working with founders on both sides of the Atlantic. For founders and CEOs, AI is becoming much bigger than a tooling question. The challenge is to rethink how the company works before the old structure slows them down.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - European founders going global earlier2:12 - How AI is changing company building3:02 - CEOs learning from San Francisco4:39 - Founder mode and AI leadership7:20 - How Index helps founders through the shift9:48 - Why Index invested in Anthropic13:04 - Index’s AI strategy17:17 - Assessing AI founders21:07 - Explore vs exploit in AI22:19 - Index’s AI portfolio24:27 - Why Index operates as one global team27:24 - The trade-offs of a global partnership

AI data centres are running into a network bottleneck as models demand more bandwidth, more connected processors and dramatically more power.James Regan, CEO of Oriole Networks, thinks the industry is still trying to scale architectures that fundamentally do not work at the size AI is heading towards. Oriole’s approach replaces electrical packet switches with photonic switching technology designed to move data optically across the data centre, with the long-term goal of connecting a million XPUs in a single hop while cutting power consumption at the same time.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:27 - What Oriole Networks is building1:48 - Why optical switching matters for AI4:50 - The network bottleneck problem7:22 - Prism Ultra and scaling AI infrastructure10:24 - Industry reaction to Prism Ultra12:49 - US vs European deep tech investors16:07 - What James does differently as a repeat founder20:27 - Spinning companies out of universities24:15 - Why founders should avoid weak early deals25:53 - Recognising bad VC deals as a repeat founder

Founders can spend years building valuable companies while paying themselves almost nothing, with all of the upside locked away until an exit that may still be years off.Kevin Smith, CEO at Venture Comet, is building a platform that helps founders release a small amount of equity earlier in the journey instead of waiting for a single make-or-break outcome at the end. One of the biggest shifts he points to is how much investor attitudes around founder secondaries have changed, with far more acceptance that giving founders some financial breathing room can actually help companies last longer and build bigger outcomes.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction1:07 - What Venture Comet does2:20 - Why founders struggle in years 3-54:52 - When founders should consider secondaries6:24 - Why Kevin started the company8:36 - The rise of founder secondaries11:17 - How Venture Comet works with investors13:48 - The future of Venture Comet16:38 - Building differently the second time around19:23 - Staying focused as a second-time founder

Most people running multiple roles have no clear way to price their work or decide what is actually worth their time.June Angelides MBE, Founder of the Portfolio Method and Venture Partner at Samos Investments, is building a product around that problem after seeing it play out in her first workshop, where most participants realised they were underpricing themselves once they broke everything down. What started as a single session is already turning into a product with early users, as she builds it in real time and tests how a portfolio career can actually be structured instead of just managed informally.Find out more about the Portfolio Method and get a free audit here: https://theportfolio-method.com/. Most people running multiple roles have no clear way to price their work or decide what is actually worth their time.June Angelides MBE, Founder of the Portfolio Method and Venture Partner at Samos Investments, is building a product around that problem after seeing it play out in her first workshop, where most participants realised they were underpricing themselves once they broke everything down. What started as a single session is already turning into a product with early users, as she builds it in real time and tests how a portfolio career can actually be structured instead of just managed informally.Find out more about the Portfolio Method and get a free audit here: https://theportfolio-method.com/. An anonymous benchmarking survey for portfolio careers is also now live, check it out here: https://tally.so/r/eqxrQq.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - Why she started the Portfolio Method2:36 - The cost of context switching3:27 - Underpricing and workshop insight4:02 - Going back into build mode6:24 - Product vision and early users11:38 - Investing in African startups13:13 - African tech ecosystem15:01 - Balancing a portfolio career

Earlybird raised a €360 million early-stage fund, its largest yet, after extending the hard cap during the raise to bring in an additional institutional LP.Andre Retterath, General Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital, talks about how that number is decided before the fund is even raised, with ownership targets and follow-on reserves shaping the size more than anything else in a market where liquidity has been tight.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:19 - €360m fund announcement0:55 - Fund size and portfolio strategy2:29 - Fundraising in today’s LP market3:54 - IPOs and liquidity returning5:39 - Deep tech focus8:13 - What founders look for in investors10:03 - Aleph Alpha and Cohere12:24 - Sovereignty in Europe15:39 - Ownership structure and long-term setup20:14 - Advice for getting into VC

Stefan Bader is a the co-founder and CEO of Cello, a tech company focused on user-led growth through referral-based marketing for B2B software companies. He is also running the GTM10 awards - an awards programme for the best GTM operators. Check it out here: https://thegtm10.com/The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:]https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkAlso by:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeurope

Deel has grown into one of the fastest scaling SaaS companies globally, building a fully remote organisation of over 7,000 people and reaching more than $1 billion in annual revenue.Dan Westgarth, COO at Deel, shares how he went from customer support at Revolut to leading operations at Deel, and why scaling a company at that speed comes down to constant reinvention, high talent density and a culture built on accountability rather than location.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:37 - From Revolut to Deel2:37 - Why join early and back founders4:20 - Deel’s growth and scale today5:30 - Reinventing the COO role as the company grows6:39 - What the role looks like day-to-day7:30 - Hiring, culture and what makes a great operator10:10 - Scaling a fully remote company12:33 - Remote culture and accountability12:38 - Views on the current market and AI14:47 - The Revolut mafia and operator networks15:51 - Staying at Deel and future plans16:42 - AI adoption inside Deel

Rivan has just raised a £25 million Series A to scale its synthetic fuel technology, after building and operating the UK’s largest synthetic natural gas plant in under a year.Harvey Hodd, Founder at Rivan, shares how the company built and proved its first plant and is now focused on scaling manufacturing to bring synthetic fuels into the grid at costs that compete with fossil fuels.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:22 - £25m Series A announcement0:52 - From hypothesis to working plant2:11 - What Rivan is building4:38 - Customer demand and commercial model6:06 - Energy markets and European context8:54 - Competing with fossil fuels10:10 - Building fast in hardware12:45 - Scaling manufacturing and new facility14:08 - Deployment timelines16:12 - Fundraising and investors17:56 - Challenges and execution19:02 - Building hardware vs software

Station F has become one of the defining institutions in French tech, housing 1,000 early-stage startups in Paris and launching F/ai, a new AI programme bringing together major labs, top funds and a sharper focus on commercial acceleration.Roxanne Varza, Director at Station F, shares how Station F grew alongside the rise of the French ecosystem and why the focus is now shifting toward helping strong AI teams move faster on the commercial side by connecting them with the right partners, investors and buyers.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:19 - Why Roxanne moved to France1:38 - What Station F is today2:24 - Station F’s impact on French tech6:02 - What FAI is and why it launched7:48 - How founders were selected10:12 - Why Deal Day matters16:05 - Why Paris is producing more major AI companies20:27 - Sovereignty and buying European tech23:13 - France’s growing defence tech ecosystem

tozero is building Europe’s first industrial battery recycling demonstration plant, taking lithium-ion battery recycling from research to a live facility running in the real world.Sarah Fleischer and Ksenija Milicevic Neumann, Co-founders at tozero, share how the team built and launched the plant from scratch, now processing end-of-life batteries into critical materials like lithium and graphite, and using it to prove the process continuously as they push toward scaling full industrial plants across Europe.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - Launching the demo plant1:40 - From idea to building the plant3:12 - Why battery recycling now5:22 - What the plant produces6:49 - Proving the process at scale7:55 - Scaling beyond the demo plant9:44 - Pilots and customers12:21 - Market demand and supply chains13:08 - Rapid prototyping approach14:35 - Scaling to future plants18:20 - Hiring and building the team

Arbio is acquiring holiday home portfolios across Europe and using AI to turn highly manual property managers into much more scalable businesses.Constantin Schröder, Co-founder at Arbio, shares how the company has completed 30 acquisitions so far and is using AI to automate pricing, guest communication and operations, turning property management into a far more scalable, software-like model, with tens of thousands of operators across Europe still to consolidate.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:19 - What Arbio is building1:42 - Finding and acquiring property managers2:45 - The first acquisition5:05 - Using AI in property management8:06 - Scaling operations with AI9:32 - Investor interest and market shift12:49 - Building in Berlin14:21 - Growth ambitions16:19 - Selling the vision to sellers18:24 - The AI acquisition space19:58 - Organic growth vs acquisitions

Connectd has grown to 17m ARR, building a cross-border network of senior talent and enabling companies to access specialised expertise on a flexible basis.Roei Samuel, CEO at Connectd, says the shift to fractional work is accelerating as companies rethink how they hire, increasingly relying on flexible, high-skill operators to support and augment teams, driven by strong UK–US growth and network effects.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction1:22 - What Connectd is building1:50 - Growth to ~17m ARR3:37 - Cross-border network effects6:00 - Why fractional work is accelerating9:25 - First exit and lessons learned11:01 - Founder mindset and performance18:11 - Scaling Connectd20:04 - AI and shift in hiring21:53 - How companies will operate in the future

Dwelly is acquiring traditional lettings and real estate agencies across the UK and integrating them into an AI-enabled platform to automate workflows and scale them more efficiently.Dan Lifshits and Ilia Drozdov, Co-founders of Dwelly, talk about Dwelly entering the London market, which represents around 40% of the UK rental market, marking a major step in scaling their model and consolidating the largest part of the market.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:28 - Entering the London market0:58 - What Dwelly acquires and why1:21 - Why London and why now3:24 - The first acquisition and moving to Hull5:42 - Why AI-driven consolidation is getting attention9:40 - The first priority after an acquisition11:00 - Building culture across acquisitions13:27 - London and UK expansion19:19 - Building an AI-native company23:09 - How Dwelly deploys capital and operates

Light is replacing fragmented finance stacks and traditional ERPs by bringing payments, accounting and reporting into one AI-native platform.Jonathan Sanders, CEO at Light, says this shift is only possible now because AI changes how software works, moving beyond fixed SaaS tools towards “organic” systems that learn, adapt and operate more like a team member inside the company.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:50 - What Light is building1:39 - Replacing fragmented finance stacks2:27 - How Light differs from traditional ERPs3:44 - Fundraising and Series A6:03 - AI as a fundamental shift in software8:06 - Building “organic” software10:29 - The end of SaaS playbooks12:03 - Why founders must use AI hands-on15:11 - New ways of working inside companies18:45 - Growth across Europe and the US21:32 - Vision for 2026 and beyond

Eka Ventures has just closed its second fund at £80m, doubling down on early-stage investing across health, wellbeing and sustainability.Jon Coker, Founding Partner at Eka Ventures, says the firm’s edge comes from backing companies before they become obvious, using a data platform that has sourced around half of its deals and a founder assessment approach focused on how quickly founders can develop as they scale.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:20 - Closing £80m second fund1:01 - Fund thesis and focus areas2:28 - Data platform and sourcing edge4:04 - Investing before companies become obvious5:38 - Runner case and founder selection8:23 - Assessing founder potential11:23 - Fundraising for Fund II14:17 - Building an impact VC16:39 - How impact investing has changed19:15 - Advice for emerging managers

Technology is becoming a bigger part of how art is created and experienced, from immersive formats to AI-driven tools.Mark Ball, Artistic Director at the Southbank Centre, says artists are increasingly using technology to create new types of experiences, with a new Creative Intelligence festival exploring how AI is shaping creative work and raising questions around ownership and copyright.Image credit: David LevineThe Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:42 - What the Southbank Centre does1:55 - The 75-year anniversary and Festival of Britain3:16 - Why optimism matters again today4:11 - Key projects and collaborations6:08 - Reinterpreting the spirit of 19518:48 - Technology in art and culture11:32 - Bringing experiences to new platforms14:02 - Creative Intelligence festival and AI focus16:10 - AI and concerns from the creative community

Investing has shifted from backing products to backing teams, and now increasingly to backing execution, as building products becomes easier.Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Managing Partner at Seedcamp, says the focus today is on founders who can attract strong teams and execute clearly from the start.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction1:08 - How Europe’s ambition has changed2:07 - Where Europe still lags: growth capital and liquidity5:11 - Why Seedcamp stayed early-stage7:06 - Key decisions that shaped Seedcamp10:29 - Adapting to faster markets and AI12:04 - Generalist vs specialist investing15:00 - Moving into deep tech, space and robotics20:03 - How Carlos’ investing approach evolved23:27 - New founder profiles in the AI era

The UK has updated its EMI stock option scheme, bringing more companies back into eligibility as startups raise larger rounds and stay private longer.Isaiah Baril-Dore, Reward and Talent at Index Ventures, says stock options remain the main lever for hiring, with secondary sales becoming more common as employees look for liquidity before an IPO.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction1:14 - UK EMI changes3:48 - Why EMI matters5:00 - Stock options as a hiring edge7:06 - UK vs Europe10:27 - Stock options and ecosystem12:39 - Secondary sales15:10 - Compensation strategy18:00 - Compensation and culture

Planet A Ventures is an early-stage fund investing in companies building within planetary boundaries, using internal scientists and lifecycle assessments to analyse the real impact of each investment.Nick de la Forge, Co-founder and General Partner at Planet A Ventures, highlights that angel money is returning to European startups and that companies are getting better at monetising.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:0:33 - Planet A overview2:10 - Using science in investment decisions3:26 - Lifecycle assessments explained5:50 - When Planet A passes on investments7:35 - Rebound effects11:14 - Overlap of climate, energy and AI15:16 - AI vs traditional venture17:55 - European ecosystem outlook19:43 - Key trends: robotics, space, AI

Armis Security builds software that helps organisations understand and secure everything connected to their environment, from devices to critical infrastructure.The company has grown past $300 million in ARR, with customers expanding usage as new products are added, and was acquired by ServiceNow in a $7.75 billion all-cash deal, at a time when AI is increasing both the scale of what needs to be secured and how quickly attacks are carried out.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:0:33 - Introduction and Armis acquisition0:57 - What Armis does1:48 - The ServiceNow acquisition3:21 - How the deal came together5:43 - Growth and scaling to $300M+ ARR8:01 - AI changing cybersecurity10:26 - Security for AI and AI-driven attacks12:57 - ServiceNow and the AI opportunity14:50 - IDF background and founder mindset17:18 - Israeli ecosystem and networks19:08 - Investing and supporting founders

Orrick has just released its latest Deal Flow report, analysing over 400 venture and growth deals across Europe worth more than $10 billion.Liquidation preferences have moved back to 1x, and secondaries are now happening more often from Series B as a way to take liquidity before exit.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:0:33 - What Deal Flow 6.0 covers1:56 - Market stabilisation after 2021–20242:45 - More realistic valuations and better deal terms3:31 - What changed at seed stage4:03 - Liquidation preferences returning to normal5:22 - Founder-friendly governance structures6:44 - Rise of secondaries and liquidity8:15 - When secondaries are happening10:02 - Founder liquidity and repeat secondaries12:07 - What founders should get right early13:56 - Sector trends beyond AI15:20 - Predictions for 202616:48 - Venture debt and alternative financing17:56 - Biggest surprises from the data

American funds are moving fast in the Nordics, with some flying in and pushing term sheets within 24 hours, forcing European investors to keep up.Sara Rywe, General Partner at byFounders, says speed and community now decide the best early-stage rounds. More experienced founders are also paying closer attention to values alignment and local support, not just brand.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:0:33 - Sara Rywe on her path into venture5:02 - How byFounders won the Lovable deal6:41 - Why speed and community now decide rounds8:40 - Why American funds are competing harder in the Nordics11:32 - Why some founders choose local, values-aligned investors13:51 - Why the Nordics keep outperforming17:00 - Why Finland stands out in deep tech18:46 - Verda’s growth and the case for a European hyperscaler20:37 - Sovereignty and why enterprise demand is rising

IQM reported around $30 million in revenue and $100 million in bookings, and announced plans to become the first listed European quantum company, showing how far quantum computing has moved into real commercial use.Jan Goetz, Co-founder and CEO of IQM, says the company builds full-stack quantum computers with its own chip factory, assembly line and data centre. That makes access to capital a central part of the story, especially in Europe where private funding for deep tech is still harder to secure.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:0:33 - IQM, commercial traction and the public listing decision1:41 - Why access to capital and credibility mattered3:34 - $30m in revenue, $100m in bookings and who buys quantum computers5:24 - From academia to building a company6:44 - Why quantum is such an important category8:21 - Why IQM came out of Finland9:28 - Why IQM chose a dual listing in Europe and the US13:04 - Balancing scientific breakthroughs with commercialisation16:07 - Europe’s challenge in funding deep tech at scale18:06 - What Europe needs to unlock more frontier tech companies

Defence, security and resilience startups in Europe have grown 4x over the past five years, with funding now reaching nearly $9 billion as larger rounds start to emerge.Sander Verbrugge, Partner at the NATO Innovation Fund, says the ecosystem is now producing companies with real revenue and scale. He argues the bigger issue is awareness.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:0:33 - Introduction to NATO Innovation Fund2:11 - DSR startups funding growth and 4x increase3:18 - What defence, security and resilience actually mean5:31 - Why larger rounds are driving the ecosystem7:20 - Key hubs across Europe and rise of new regions9:04 - Where more funding is still needed11:02 - How NIF evaluates and deploys capital13:01 - Changing attitudes towards defence investing16:01 - Specialist vs generalist investors in defence18:00 - Portfolio examples and companies to watch20:33 - Why awareness is Europe’s biggest challenge

Pay-by-bank is becoming a serious alternative to cards in Europe, as merchants look for cheaper and faster ways to process payments.Lena Hackelöer, Founder and CEO of Brite Payments, says that shift is being driven by how expensive and fragmented payments are for merchants. She describes how Brite expanded into markets where demand already existed, while staying profitable early to keep control as funding dynamics changed.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:SurrealDB: The multi-model database for AI agents. Check them out here: https://surrealdb.com/Omni: The AI analytics platform trusted by fast-growing companies like Perplexity, Synthesia, and dbt Labs. Check them out here: https://omni.co/Venture Comet: The platform that gives startups and scale-ups real-time equity tracking, daily business insights and automated management information. Check them out here: https://venturecomet.com/Timestamps:0:33 - Introduction to Brite Payments1:32 - How pay-by-bank adoption has evolved3:22 - Using AI to move faster internally6:29 - Why Sweden gave Brite an early advantage6:58 - Expanding across Europe9:29 - Educating the market12:24 - How early pay-by-bank still is13:45 - Profitability and staying in control15:31 - European sovereignty in payments18:39 - What’s next for Brite Payments