Maciej Frankowicz

They both have a point.... Europe creates many promising startups, but few global leaders! Every year, we see incredible companies emerge — from product-first players like Lovable, to workflow automation champions like n8n, and many more across climate, fintech, and AI. The starting point looks bright: strong talent, solid products, and communities that believe in them. But the challenge isn’t starting up. It’s scaling up. European startups often face structural hurdles once they move beyond product–market fit: ⚠️ Fragmented markets - 27 languages, regulations, and customer preferences make “going European” as complex as going global. ⚠️ Capital intensity - later-stage funding still lags compared to the U.S., forcing founders to spend more time fundraising than scaling or going to the US (lovable) ⚠️ Risk appetite - culturally, we’re great at building sustainable businesses, but often hesitate to make the bold, global bets that create category leaders. To turn more Lovables and n8ns into global champions, Europe needs to bridge this gap - with more growth capital, harmonized regulations, and ecosystems that reward ambition at scale.

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Rearming Europe is essential…but much of defense is largely unsuitable for venture investing. Other asset classes and types of capital often make more sense in the sector. Many VCs are making investments that simply aren't venture suitable. To note, there's definitely some parallels to cleantech/climatetech VCs who often invest in deals which would be more appropriate for project finance, infrastructure funds, etc. The irony - and oddity - of climatetech VCs now asking for defense dealflow is not lost on me. https://lnkd.in/edFAN8MN.

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NLC Health Ventures is a masterclass in building a studio without raising capital upfront. Here’s what they did: 1. Licensed dormant IP from EU universities as the foundation for new companies. 2. Secured MOUs to access that IP, turning untapped potential into opportunity. 3. Approached trusted angel investors with compelling pitches: - The IP. - The market opportunity. - Their track record of successful company building. Investors said yes. That funding didn’t just launch portfolio companies—it also covered the studio's operating costs. For 3+ years, they built 3+ companies annually with this model. But their genius didn’t stop there. NLC Health excelled in disciplined evaluation: - Only pursuing IP worth their time, resources, and vision. This is a repeatable playbook. Consider the untapped IP in many ecosystems: - Universities. - Corporates. - State governments. It’s just sitting on the shelf. The Venture Studio model can transform dormant IP into real-world value. NLC Health proves it. Special thanks to Bert-Arjan Millenaar (Founder and CEO of NLC Health) for building a leading example within this space. 

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𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗥/𝗩𝗥 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. The response to our first version was overwhelming; founders, investors, and operators from across Europe commented and reached out with suggestions. In this updated map, we’ve added over 70+ new companies to make the picture more complete. AR and VR were once seen as experimental... Today, they’re solving our major problems. By 2030, the global market is projected to reach $200B+, with Europe contributing $15.8B by 2029. But the more important shift is where AR/VR is actually starting to work. We’re already seeing tangible impact in healthcare: → The World Health Organization reports a 20% reduction in surgical errors through immersive simulation. → The NHS in the UK now treats over 10,000 patients annually using VR-based therapies. → In France, hospitals using AR-assisted surgeries have achieved 35% faster recovery rates. Backing these outcomes, the European Investment Bank recorded over €5 billion in public and private investment in AR/VR healthcare applications in 2022 alone. Countries like Germany, France, and the UK are leading the way through industrial use cases. 5G networks are improving the technical foundation. And the integration of AI is making AR and VR systems more intelligent, more responsive, and easier to apply in real-world environments. The broader trend is clear: AR/VR is no longer a speculative bet. That changes the lens for both founders and investors. Instead of asking “What can we build with AR/VR?”, the better question is: “Where does this technology naturally integrate to unlock measurable value?” #VentureCapital #AI #DeepTech #Startups Follow us at APEX Ventures and subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content on groundbreaking Deep Tech startups: 🔗 https://t2m.io/EV2qHQuo

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