Robert Verwaayen

When Fabrizio Del Maffeo co-founded Axelera AI, he wasn’t chasing buzzwords. He was solving a real problem: making cutting-edge AI actually usable at the edge. From launching the company with backing from Bitfury and IMEC, to assembling a world-class team in just weeks, Fabrizio’s journey is pure execution. The result? A purpose-built chip that combines performance, efficiency, and simplicity — built not in Silicon Valley, but in Europe. In a world obsessed with cloud AI, Axelera AI is quietly reshaping the edge. And they’re doing it fast. 🧠⚡️ Read the full interview here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dWcY4ePg #EdgeAI #StartupStory #AIHardware #TechLeadership #VerveVC #AxeleraAI #DeepTech

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𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 ... For some time now, I’ve wanted to share what I’ve learned (continue to learn) about Innovation, both from my time in venture and engaging with a wide variety of companies around the globe. If I’m being honest here, my colleagues at INNOVERA (https://www.innovera.ai/), a company I’ve started with Kamran Elahian to help companies, governments, and investor groups drive to more effective management of innovation, finally forced my hand to the keyboard. So, where, where, where to begin? Let’s start with how I think about what innovation is. Traditional innovation, think pre-2023, was R&D-driven, product-focused, and efficiency-oriented, centered on breakthrough technologies, patents, and competitive advantage with long development cycles. It was bound mainly by classical definitions of “adjacent”, “sustaining”, and “disruptive”. My argument is that for innovation to succeed, how we look at it must change. Innovation is the continuous transformation of ideas, technologies, and business models to create value while proactively mitigating risks in a dynamic, unpredictable world. Innovation is a strategic risk management tool, and when done right, results in: 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 – Anticipation of market shifts, regulatory changes, and technological disruptions before they become threats. 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 + 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼n – Expanded revenue streams and business models while reducing dependency on a single product, service, or market. 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 + 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 – Ability to iterate and pivot in response to crises, competition, and unforeseen changes. Now, what becomes interesting is that managing innovation overlaps with decision-making in the business context. Critical business decisions, such as those related to innovation, ultimately have massive exposure. As I unpack my thoughts on innovation, if you choose to join the journey here, I’ll bring our conversation back to the unifying construct of what I call “decision making under uncertainty”. Before I let you go, let’s do an honesty check. How capable is your organization in managing AI, innovation, and critical business decisions? 𝗔 – Everything is under control 𝗕 – We have a reasonable idea of what to do 𝗖 – We mean well – but can’t execute I’ll share with you what I’ve heard from the audiences to whom I’ve asked this question in my next post. Until then, [p]

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🔥 Europe’s startup scene just got a big reality check — and the results are impossible to ignore. At Nordic Tech Week, Norrsken VC dropped the largest impact pulse report to date, built on insights from 660 founders & investors. The verdict? ➡️ Impact-optimism is on the rise. Highlights that stood out: 🚀 60% of founders + investors say the future looks bright 📈 this optimism has increased in 2025. 💶 3 out of 4 investors are doubling down on impact bets ⚡️ Energy. Industrials. Healthcare. → The sectors to watch But let’s be real: Europe’s still holding itself back. The potential is massive — if we dare to unlock it. Reach out to us at Norrsken Evolve if you are a pre-seed founder building in resilience and sustainability. 👉 Full report in comments. Props to the team for putting this together: Per Frykebrant, David Frykman, Tove Larsson, Beata Enwall, Agate S. Freimane, Ludvig Bergstrom

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"I could be the Lionel Messi of mining, but ..." Hg's Nic Humphries shares advice for young and old people about what to learn or study in the age of AI. Watch the entire conversation on Alt Goes Mainstream here: https://lnkd.in/erQGkAMK

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Here’s a harsh truth: fundraising today is slow, costly, and unfairly tilted towards the well-connected. You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all seen it again and again.   Europe has brilliant founders with bold ideas, yet too many fail before they even get a fair chance. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not because they lack vision, but because the fundraising system is outdated. CORE changes that. Because founders get a digital co-pilot that levels the playing field: AI guidance, investor-ready decks, early visibility, and rounds live in under 72 hours.  For the cost of a dinner, every founder now has access to the tools, structure, and visibility once reserved for a few. The real cost isn’t trying, it’s waiting. This isn’t about building another tool. It’s about building Europe’s private market infrastructure, where preparation, raising, and managing capital become accessible to all. 👉 This is how we level the field: https://lnkd.in/dsYhQqnp

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NEW: Open Equity episode is now live! This week we’re doing something different. Because I invited Jasper Crocker-Kilic, the founder of nalu, our podcast production partner, on the show. Together, we walk through how to 5x his podcast agency (…the summary of a plan we sketched on a napkin the night before). No fluff. No theory. The exact step-by-step to hit his $100k / month revenue goals - and beyond. The principles apply for early-stage as well as larger companies. Perhaps yours? Here’s some of what we cover: 1. How repositioning for enterprise customers can unlock bigger margins with less day to day pains. 2. The hidden barrier almost every agency and services business struggles with - and how to solve it (experience from scaling to $250M+) 3. How to free yourself from operations in 3 simple steps (I learnt this scaling a 0-175+ team in under 24 months) 4. The overlooked strategy for finding acquirers and strategic partners for your company (hint: you probably know them already) And much more… Great fun, thanks to Jasper for being a good sport. After our napkin planning chat I put him on the spot to join me in the studio, he kindly agreed. Is this format valuable? Let me know. Any other words of wisdom to support Jasper's success? Do share. → Watch the full episode now by searching 'Open Equity With Thomas Cornwall' on YouTube, Spotify - or click the links in the comments below.

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