Welcome back to another episode of the EUVC Podcast, your trusted inside track on the people, deals, and dynamics shaping European venture. This week marks a major milestone — Episode 50! To celebrate, Dan Bowyer, Mads Jensen of SuperSeed and Lomax from Outsized Ventures, and Andrew J. Scott return to unpack the headlines and trends shaping the European tech landscape.
From the UK government’s OpenAI partnership and what it means, to the missed boat on stablecoins, and to AI outperforming the brightest minds in math—this episode cuts deep into the future of tech, sovereignty, and competitiveness in Europe.
Whether you're a founder navigating policy shifts, an investor eyeing infrastructure plays, or just an AI-curious policy wonk—this one’s for you.
Here's what’s covered
00:00 | Celebrating Episode 50
The gang reflects on hitting a podcasting milestone and shares quick updates from Denmark, Paris, and a beachside founder retreat.03:30 | OpenAI x UK Government: A Real Deal?
The UK’s MOU with OpenAI is meant to boost public sector productivity—but is it too flimsy to matter? The hosts debate if this partnership is toothless signaling or meaningful progress.06:00 | Can AI Actually Transform Public Services?
From “Humpfree the Chatbot” to NHS waitlists, the panel weighs in on the real-world use cases, and how opt-in AI diagnostics could solve the NHS backlog.09:30 | The Bigger Picture: AI Sovereignty and Strategy
With the UK relying on US players (OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia), are we compromising our digital sovereignty? Andrew drops the big question: Is this the modern equivalent of exporting raw strategic resources?14:00 | US vs UK AI Plans: Build, Baby, Build vs. Think, Baby, Think
The team compares the UK's thoughtful “consultancy-style” AI strategy with the US’s aggressive, deregulatory action plan—complete with eagles and executive orders.19:00 | Policy Recommendations from the Pod
From national compute backbones and Buy-UK mandates to AI visa fast-tracks and sovereign LLMs — the panel proposes big ideas Europe should act on today.25:00 | Stablecoins: UK’s Missed Opportunity
While Japan, Singapore, and the US regulate stablecoins, the UK is just starting consultations. Why? And what’s at stake?30:00 | Dollar Dominance Reinvented
Mads explains how stablecoins are reinforcing US economic control — and how UK hesitation risks long-term relevance in fintech.34:00 | Ideas for UK Leadership in Stablecoins
Could interest-bearing stablecoins become London’s new edge? Could we reclaim fintech innovation by embracing DeFi rails?38:00 | AI Wins Gold at the Maths Olympiad
Google’s DeepMind and OpenAI hit gold-level scores at the IMO. The gang discusses the leap in AI’s creative reasoning and what it means for R&D, drug discovery, and Europe’s scientific leadership.43:00 | Should Europe Build Its Own Sovereign Research Hub?
From CERN-for-AI to training sovereign models, the crew asks whether public sector moonshots are the right way to compete.48:00 | Deal of the Week: Eurazeo’s €650M Fund for AI Scaleups
In a capital-constrained landscape, Eurazeo closes a rare growth fund to back Europe’s AI champions.50:00 | Wildcard: AI vs. Raccoons
Andrew shares a niche but hilarious use case for computer vision AI: keeping raccoons out of houses. No joke.
🎧 Watch it here or add it to your queue on Apple or Spotify — chapters for easy navigation are ready to roll.
✍️ Show Notes
Public Sector AI: MOU or Move That Matters?
The UK’s OpenAI partnership is more a symbolic toe-dip than strategic leap — but it might still signal a new phase of public-private AI testing.
Europe Needs an AI Marshall Plan
With deregulation, infrastructure buildout, and talent policy in limbo, UK and EU efforts risk falling behind. The panel calls for a Churchill-style response — bold, funded, and forward-looking.
Fintech Friction: Where’s Our Stablecoin Strategy?
While others legislate and launch, the UK dithers. A lack of boldness could see London lose out on the next-gen financial rails and sovereignty.
AI Reasoning Gets Real
Olympiad-level performance shows AI isn’t just mimicking — it’s solving. Europe’s legacy in mathematics could be its AI superpower — if we act.
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