Podcast
EU-Startups Podcast
Hosted by Thomas Ohr · EN
The official Podcast of EU-Startups.com - the leading online magazine about startups in Europe.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Is the Office Era Over?
2w ago00:28:54Tap to summarizeJob van der Voort, CEO and co-founder of Remote Key Points How scientific training influences decision-making and problem-solving at Remote The mindset shift from academia’s precision to startups’ speed and action What personal experiences revealed about what employees truly need from employers The hidden costs of traditional office work and the freedom gained through remote flexibility The balance between global hiring and the necessity of human overlap in distributed teams The future of global work beyond the remote vs. in-office debate
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From Dining Table to $700M Exit
3w ago00:38:19Tap to summarizeJos White, co-founder of Notion Capital Key Points Early entrepreneurial conversations and their lasting impact on mindset and ambition Recognising the pivotal moments when a business idea gains real traction and scalability Why firsthand entrepreneurial experience gives VCs a unique edge in advising founders The intangible traits - beyond metrics and pitch decks - that define exceptional founders How the founder landscape has evolved since 2009, including the rise of AI and its new blind spots Key differences between European and American founders in approach, ambition, and execution
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From Getting Scammed to Building a Unicorn
4w ago00:33:11Tap to summarizeTarek Müller, co-founder & co-CEO, ABOUT YOU 📌 Key Points The early motivations and pivotal moments that shaped Tarek’s entrepreneurial path. How ABOUT YOU’s unicorn status impacted both the company and Hamburg’s startup ecosystem. The biggest opportunities for AI in e-commerce, from personalisation to operational efficiency. The intersection of customer choice, convenience, and sustainability in fashion retail. Tarek’s vision for the emotional and technical future of online shopping in five years.
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The Startup Turning Swamps Into Fashion Gold
Jun 1800:29:16Tap to summarizeInterview with Julian Ellis Brown, CEO & co-founder of Ponda **Key Points Ponda’s mission was sparked by a bold idea: materials should restore, not deplete, their environments, with wetlands as the ideal starting point for this vision. BioPuff is a plant-based insulation derived from bulrush, offering a regenerative, high-performance alternative to goose down and synthetic fills. Regeneration goes beyond sustainability by actively healing ecosystems - such as rewetted peatlands - while creating materials, rather than just minimising harm. BioPuff can disrupt fast fashion by demonstrating that regenerative materials can be scalable, cost-effective, and viable for mainstream adoption, not just premium brands. Partnering with farmers revealed the critical role of collaboration, traceability, and shared long-term vision in building a truly regenerative supply chain from the ground up. Rewetting and farming degraded peatlands transforms them from carbon sources into carbon sinks, while enhancing biodiversity and flood mitigation.
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The Airship Startup NATO is Backing
Jun 1100:35:08Tap to summarizeInterview with Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu Key Points Janne’s journey into airships, autonomy, and aerial data Why Kelluu chose airships over drones and satellites, and their unique advantages Modernising the concept of airships for cutting-edge applications The operational workflow of Kelluu airships, from deployment to landing The environmental benefits of Kelluu’s near-silent, emission-free technology The future impact of persistent aerial intelligence on global understanding
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The Christmas Trip that Built BlaBlaCar
Jun 400:39:52Tap to summarizeInterview with Frédéric Mazzella, founder of BlaBlaCar Key Points The origin of BlaBlaCar stemmed from a personal travel challenge, but it quickly evolved into a vision for sustainability and resource consciousness. BlaBlaCar’s mission today balances environmental impact with the social experience of connecting strangers through shared rides. Frédéric’s experiences in the US and Japan shaped his approach to building a startup in Europe, blending global insights with local needs. Europe excels in collaborative ecosystems and sustainability focus, but faces challenges in scaling and access to capital compared to the US and Japan. Ridesharing’s appeal varies by region, with success depending on cultural attitudes toward car ownership and shared mobility.
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The Startup Freezing Humans For Tomorrow
May 2800:44:08Tap to summarizeInterview with Dr Emil Kendziorra, CEO of Tomorrow.bio Key Points The pivotal moment when Emil decided to dedicate his life to cryopreservation and biostasis, leaving behind a career in cancer research. The necessity of a European-based cryopreservation organisation and what was missing before Tomorrow.bio entered the field. A detailed explanation of the cryopreservation process, from sign-up and stabilization to long-term storage in liquid nitrogen. Addressing the gap between preservation and revival, and the importance of honest communication with members about the current limitations. The operational and emotional lessons learned from cryopreserving the first 20 human patients and 10 pets.
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From MI6 to Startups
May 2000:32:28Tap to summarizeInterview with Tyler Edwards, Founder & CEO of Overmind In this edition of the EU-Startups Podcast we had a cht with Tyler Edwards, the ex-MI6 founder who set out to secure AI Agents.
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From 0 to $100M ARR
May 1400:35:52Tap to summarizeInterview with Pieterjan Bouten, Founding and Managing Partner at Entourage 🔑 Key Points The motivations and early influences that drove Pieterjan to start building companies. Lessons from scaling Showpad from zero to $100M ARR and +500 employees globally. How his perspective on founders has shifted after sitting on both sides of the table - as a CEO and now as an investor. The rationale behind combining a venture studio and VC fund at Entourage, and how the two models complement each other. Where Entourage fits into today’s European VC ecosystem, amid sector-specific funds and cautious capital deployment. The role of communities like Wintercircus in fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and ambition among the next generation of founders.
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From Skype to Delivery Robots
Apr 2300:39:10Tap to summarizeInterview with co-founder of Starship Technologies Athi Heinla Key Points Ahti’s early start in programming and how it influenced his long-term approach to building technology Key lessons from Skype that directly shaped how he built and scaled Starship Why last-mile delivery stood out as a high-impact, unsolved problem worth tackling How autonomous delivery is reshaping (not simply replacing) jobs in the logistics ecosystem The balance between innovation and regulation when deploying robots in public spaces Ahti’s vision of future cities where autonomous delivery is seamlessly integrated into daily life
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