Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where our good friends Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen from SuperSeed have a discussion with Andrew J. Scott, Founding Partner at 7percent Ventures, to cover recent news and movements in the European tech landscape. 💬
Watch it here or add it to your episodes on Apple or Spotify 🎧 chapters for easy navigation available on the Spotify/Apple episode.
Escape for an extended weekend of adventure
Join us for a partners retreat packed with awe-inspiring treks, thrilling canyoning and river rafting, and inspiring sessions balanced with moments of reflection and exceptional dining. Be inspired by world record-holding polar explorer Ben Saunders, challenged by our ex-commander, and discover how to deepen focus in an introductory deep work session with Fred Destin.
✍️ Show notes
Class of 2025: The IPO Hopefuls That Could Revive London
London’s IPO market has been in sharp decline, with only six IPOs in 2024, marking its worst year on record. This follows similarly dismal years in 2023 and 2022, as the city struggles to maintain its status as a global financial hub.
Key Points:
Pipeline for 2025: After just six IPOs in 2024, a disappointing record low, 2025 could bring a stronger pipeline with companies like Shein, Starling Bank, Zopa, and Ebury. However, many of these are spinoffs rather than startups that have scaled to IPO. While spinoffs can bring value, a thriving ecosystem requires more startups growing to IPO status to showcase London’s ability to support innovation from start to finish.
Challenges to Address: Several structural challenges are hampering London’s IPO market. Key reforms recommended by Lord Hill in 2021, such as easing free float and dual-class share requirements, have yet to be implemented. Meanwhile, UK asset managers and pension funds continue to show limited interest in equities, restricting late-stage funding. Additionally, post-Brexit visa restrictions have created hurdles for accessing international talent, further stifling growth.
Fintech’s Role: London’s position as a global fintech hub is reflected in its IPO pipeline, with fintech companies like Zilch, eToro, and Clearscore taking the lead. This dominance stems from regulatory innovations such as open banking and the regulatory sandbox introduced in 2016, which made the city a global leader in financial technology. Leveraging this strength could be a key driver for revitalizing the IPO market.
UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan
The UK has launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan, a comprehensive initiative aimed at fostering public-private collaboration to accelerate AI development and economic growth in the UK and Europe.
Key Points
Government as a Catalyst: The plan highlights the importance of the UK government acting as a key customer to drive AI adoption. Initiatives such as the Structured Scan > Pilot > Scale Public Sector Framework aim to make public sector AI integration more efficient, focusing on small-scale successes before scaling them nationally.
Data as a Foundation: The plan recognizes the need for extensive national data resources, suggesting the use of public assets like BBC archives. While promising, concerns arise over funding and copyright rules, including how to prioritize UK companies while navigating international restrictions.
AI Growth Zones: The creation of AI Growth Zones, starting with Culham, Oxfordshire, seeks to encourage regional collaboration and innovation. However, questions linger about how these zones will be structured, incentivized, and effectively managed to deliver meaningful outcomes.
2025: A Step Closer to a Woolly Mammoth Comeback
Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen delve into the work of Colossal Biosciences, a company leveraging CRISPR gene-editing technology to resurrect extinct species like the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and dodo. While this initiative sparks awe, it also raises significant ethical, environmental, and scientific questions about humanity’s role in rewilding efforts.
Key Points
Colossal’s Vision: Colossal Biosciences plans to use CRISPR technology to integrate mammoth-specific genes into Asian elephants, which share 99.6% of their DNA with woolly mammoths. Similar projects include reviving the Tasmanian tiger and dodo, bringing extinct species back to life.
Ethical and Practical Considerations: The initiative invites debate on risks, morality, and practicality. Key questions include whether humans should play God and if resources are better allocated to preserving current ecosystems.
Rewilding Necessity: Advocates argue that reviving species could repair ecological damage caused by human activity. However, critics question the necessity of such efforts, given that 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct.
Can White Hydrogen Be the Next Energy Frontier?
Hydrogen has long been explored as a renewable energy source, but recent discoveries of naturally occurring “white hydrogen” deposits have reignited interest. Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen discuss the potential of white hydrogen as a sustainable power source while highlighting the technical and commercial challenges involved.
Key Points
The Potential of White Hydrogen: Naturally occurring and renewable, white hydrogen has been found in regions like Mali, Russia, and Australia. Advocates see its potential for low-carbon energy, but exploration and extraction are still in early stages.
Challenges to Commercialization: Hydrogen’s small molecular size makes containment difficult, requiring specialized infrastructure. Storage and transport require either very low temperatures or extremely high pressures, further complicating scalability.
A Diversified Energy Strategy: While white hydrogen offers promise, its viability remains uncertain. Experts argue that immediate focus should remain on expanding nuclear, renewable energy, and improved storage solutions.
Some things are made for platforms - music, cabs & pizzas. But fund solutions aren’t one of them. Their individual client focus and regulation-first approach is your guarantee for flexible solutions accommodative to a broad range of deal and client specifics. The kicker? Prices that match any of the shelf-products in the market.
🤗 Join the EUVC Community
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✍🏻 EUVC Masterclass | VC Fund Performance Benchmarking
Benchmarking is more than just numbers - it’s a critical tool for GPs and LPs to measure performance, position funds effectively, and align with market expectations.
Join us for this 2-hour masterclass designed to demystify VC benchmarking and provide actionable insights to navigate key metrics like IRR, TVPI, DPI and PME.
Led by Joe Schorge, Managing Partner of Isomer Capital, this session will help you understand how LPs think, how benchmarks are created and - most importantly - how to use them to evaluate performance, communicate results, and position your fund confidently in the market.
Emerging fund managers face countless challenges when setting up and structuring their first VC fund. The process is complex, daunting, and full of pitfalls, from navigating legal frameworks to engaging with the right service providers, the foundations you lay now will shape your growth trajectory.
That’s why we’re planning an exclusive 3-hour masterclass designed to equip emerging managers with the insights, strategies, and tools needed to tackle these challenges head-on.
✍🏻 EUVC Masterclass | Marketing & VC Fund Narrative
Your brand is everything. It’s what sets you apart, helps you win the best deals, attract LPs, and ultimately drive your growth. For emerging fund managers, building a credible brand and establishing the right marketing foundations early on are game-changers. Yet, many don’t know where to begin.
Your fund’s narrative is what makes the difference between an LP glancing at your deck or deciding they’re ready to write a check. It’s your brand that makes LPs feel confident they’re partnering with someone who knows how to make magic happen.
We’re planning a masterclass on building strong marketing foundations with a top industry leader. If enough people show interest, we’ll make it happen.
🗓️ The VC Conferences You Can’t Miss
There are some events that just have to be on the calendar. Here’s our list, hit us up if you’re going, we’d love to meet!
GoWest | 📆 28 - 30 January 2025 | 🇸🇪 Gothenburg, Sweden
Investors Summit Bilbao 2025 | 📆 11 - 12 February 2025 | 🇪🇸 Bilbao, Spain
0100 DACH 2025 | 📆 18 - 20 Feb 2025 | 🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria
0100 Europe 2025 | 📆 02 - 04 April 2025 | 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
0100 Emerging Europe 2025 | 📆 14-16 May 2025 | 🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary
GITEX Europe 2025 | 📆 23 - 25 May 2025 | 🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany
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