Welcome to a special episode of the EUVC podcast, where Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Cathy White founder of CEW Communications and her star colleague and former tech.eu managing editor Dan Taylor —two of the most plugged-in voices in European tech media —to dissect the shocking news of TechCrunch Europe’s closure and what’s ahead.
In this conversation, they unpack:
Why TechCrunch’s downfall signals something bigger in media
What the rise of AI means for journalists, PR pros, and founders alike
And how Europe’s startup ecosystem can—and must—take charge of its narrative
Here’s what’s covered:
00:10 The Impact of TechCrunch's Closure on European Media
06:33 The Future of Media in Europe
10:30 The Rise of Entrepreneurial Journalism
15:46 Navigating the New Media Landscape for Startups
18:06 The Shift from SEO to LEO in Media Strategy
23:13 Making Complex Ideas Accessible
27:18 The Role of PR in the Age of AI
29:31 The Importance of Human Touch in AI
33:12 AI's Impact on Content Creation and Journalism
39:37 The Future of Journalism and New Publications
🎧 Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts — complete with chapters for easy navigation.
✍️ Show Notes
TechCrunch Falls, Europe Reacts
TechCrunch Europe’s shutdown is more than a single news team being cut—it's a signal of shifting ownership structures, declining ad models, and the rise of creator-led storytelling. Cathy and Dan explain what the PE acquisition of TechCrunch means for narrative control and media plurality.
Pitching Without a Kingmaker
For years, TechCrunch was the holy grail for startups and VCs looking to launch a narrative. Without it, founders are forced to rethink their playbook, and agencies must rewire their strategy. Dan and Cathy offer a new ladder: from Sifted and niche newsletters to creator-driven podcasts.
SEO, LEO & the Next Search Paradigm
Why showing up in ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity results will soon matter more than Google rankings. Dan breaks down the mechanics of schema, structure, and prompt-aware positioning for visibility in a generative-first media world.
The AI-Powered PR Stack
Dan reveals he's been building his own Frankenstein LLM—with real-time indexing, client voice modeling, and custom API integrations. It’s not just hype: AI is rewriting the rulebook for content velocity, narrative control, and brand consistency.
Training the Next Generation—Or Not
As AI replaces junior writers and analysts, both journalism and PR face the same challenge: how do you train the next generation when you no longer need entry-level humans?
From Churnalism to Creatorhood
The gang dives into how journalists can (and should) go solo, à la Substack or 404 Media. But Cathy and Andreas warn: without infrastructure, distribution, or shared platforms, many risk burnout or irrelevance.
Is Digital Frontier Europe’s Answer?
Dan makes the case for Digital Frontier as Europe’s answer to The Information. Can it scale? Will it own the narrative? And will a new generation of European tech media rise—or fade out?
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Before founding LTV Capital, Dario co-led fund investments at Anthemis Group, a top fintech investor, where he developed early-stage fintech plays with BBVA and pioneered a media-financial services fund. His background also includes spearheading international expansion at emerging markets fintech JUMO and contributing to the creation of ROAM, now Africa's largest classifieds group.
Academically, he holds a Master of Business Science in Finance from the University of Cape Town; his dissertation on "Tencent Holdings Limited" is widely downloaded and cited.
Outside of work, Dario is a former 125cc motorcycle racing champion who now advises the Finetwork Mir Racing Team, supporting young talent in motorsports. He is driven by a passion for empowering others and fostering change in the emerging manager VC ecosystem.
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