Podcast
Scaling Europe
Hosted by Sebastian Johnson · ENGLISH
Every week Seb Johnson sits down with 5 of Europe's best builders and investors to talk about what's going on in European Tech.
Prior guests include the founders of Lovable, Cleo, Voi an Zilch, as well as top VCs from 20VC, Index, Balderton and Creandum.
231episodes
Episodes
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Jonathan Godwin, CEO at Orbital: Orbital raised $50m Series B
Jun 2900:21:22Tap to summarizeOrbital recently raised a $50m Series B led by Plural to scale its AI platform for developing advanced materials.Jonathan Godwin is Co-founder and CEO at Orbital Industries. The company is using AI to discover a new GPU cooling material for data centres, with plans to apply the same technology to hardware and manufacturing across sectors such as semiconductors, energy and aerospace.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:20 - Orbital’s $50m Series B1:50 - Discovering a new GPU cooling material3:45 - The long-term vision for AI industrials5:50 - Raising deep tech before the AI boom8:20 - Why Plural backed Orbital11:20 - The Orb open-source model14:05 - Why Orb is open source15:15 - Why Orbital builds hardware, not just AI models20:40 - Building a mission-driven company
Transcribe →Seltz raised $12.5M seed: Antonio Mallia, CEO at Seltz
Jun 2400:19:37Tap to summarizeSeltz just raised a $12.5m Seed as it launches its first product and looks to build a new generation of web infrastructure for AI.Antonio Mallia is Founder and CEO at Seltz. The company is building for a world where AI agents become a new type of web user, requiring a completely different way to access information online. Instead of returning a list of links, Seltz is rebuilding the entire search stack so agents can access trustworthy, citable information and run hundreds of queries in parallel to complete tasks independently.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - $12.5m Seed announcement1:15 - Why AI needs a different type of web search3:20 - Why Seltz rebuilt the entire stack5:00 - Why investors backed the company7:20 - Building a research-heavy team11:50 - Early traction and customer use cases15:40 - The next 12 months16:25 - Rethinking retrieval for AI agents18:30 - Running hundreds of queries in parallel
Transcribe →Will Bennett, Principal at Seedcamp: BREAKING: Seedcamp closed $220M + $100M Funds
Jun 2200:21:29Tap to summarizeSeedcamp just closed $220M + $100M funds as it looks to support European founders from their first cheque through to later stages of company building. The new $220M core fund will continue backing early-stage companies, while the $100M select fund allows Seedcamp to double down on breakout portfolio companies from Series B onwards.Will Bennett is Principal at Seedcamp. He believes the definition of pre-seed is changing rapidly, with founder profiles becoming increasingly diverse and companies achieving more at an earlier stage. As more founders move to the US earlier in their journey, Seedcamp is expanding its presence there to help companies build customer, talent and investor networks.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - Seedcamp’s $220M + $100M funds1:40 - Why the funds are getting bigger2:30 - Why Seedcamp launched a select fund3:50 - European founders moving to the US6:30 - How founder profiles are changing8:15 - What pre-seed means today10:00 - Defence and frontier technologies13:00 - What founders get from Seedcamp15:20 - Building a stronger US presence19:30 - The secret behind Seedcamp’s success
Transcribe →Matteo Benedetti, Founder at Debtist: Debtist scaled to €15M ARR in just 3 years
Jun 1900:19:12Tap to summarizeDebtist scaled to €15M ARR in just 3 years as it builds an AI-powered receivables management platform across Europe.Matteo Benedetti is Founder at Debtist. The company started from identifying a gap in traditional debt collection and built an end-to-end software platform that automates receivables management using AI across email, calling, document handling, and legal workflows. It now serves around 500 clients across Germany, the UK, Scandinavia and other European markets.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - $60m Series A announcement3:01 - What Debtist does5:39 - Novesta partnership6:56 - Enterprise adoption and go-to-market8:41 - Scaling across Europe9:02 - AI in receivables management10:37 - Building organisation and learnings15:18 - Expansion strategy20:37 - Hiring and culture
Transcribe →Jacob Houlberg, Co-founder of Evertrace: Evertrace helps early stage funds identify new investment opportunities
Jun 1800:23:03Tap to summarizeVenture funds are becoming more systematic about finding founders before anyone else has seen them. As more firms build internal sourcing tools, the real advantage is shifting from collecting signals to knowing which opportunities are actually worth chasing.Jacob Houlberg is Co-founder of Evertrace, which helps more than 220 venture funds identify founders at the earliest stages of company creation. He believes sourcing is becoming table stakes for early-stage investors, while the real job of a VC is still deciding which founders can build exceptional companies.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - Why Evertrace was created and the sourcing problem2:13 - Finding founders before anyone else4:44 - How VCs use Evertrace and data signals6:44 - AI agents in sourcing10:34 - Building vs becoming a VC fund14:53 - Expanding the platform beyond sourcing16:43 - Competition and acquisitions20:25 - Future of data-driven investing
Transcribe →JP Haas, Co-Founder & CEO at Conduct: BREAKING: Conduct just raised $60m in a Series A
Jun 1700:21:04Tap to summarizeConduct just raised $60m in a Series A co-led by Index Ventures and ICONIQ, with strategic investment from SAP and participation from existing investors.JP Haas is Co-Founder and CEO at Conduct. The company builds an AI operating system for enterprise software that maps heavily customised systems like SAP and Salesforce and helps enterprises execute changes across them faster.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:25 - $60m Series A announcement3:01 - What Conduct does5:39 - SAP partnership and validation6:56 - Enterprise adoption and go-to-market8:41 - Partner ecosystem9:02 - SAP as starting point10:37 - Why enterprise systems are complex12:05 - Working with large enterprises14:23 - Building organisation and learnings15:18 - Global expansion16:29 - SAP distribution and co-selling model18:34 - Growth and ambition20:37 - Hiring and culture
Transcribe →Pablo Palafox, CEO at HappyRobot: HappyRobot helps enterprises run core operations with AI
Jun 1200:21:14Tap to summarizeMany of the industries that keep the economy running still rely on emails, phone calls and manual coordination between people. AI is starting to change that, allowing companies to automate work that previously required large operational teams.Pablo Palafox, CEO at HappyRobot, believes the biggest opportunity in AI is not building better chatbots, but helping businesses actually get work done. As more companies move from experimenting with AI to deploying it across their operations, the question is becoming less about what the technology can do and more about where it can create the most value.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel. Check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - Building AI agents for the real economy3:43 - How AI is transforming logistics7:47 - Why enterprises are adopting AI faster than expected10:47 - Finding product-market fit14:03 - Hiring and international expansion15:49 - Building in San Francisco17:33 - Maintaining startup urgency18:51 - Scaling through rapid growth20:02 - The future of AI agents
Transcribe →Judith Dada, General Partner, Visionaries Club: How Europe can stay competitive in the age of AI
Jun 1100:24:35Tap to summarizeAI is becoming one of the most important questions facing Europe, yet many leaders still underestimate both the speed and scale of the transformation.Judith Dada is General Partner at Visionaries Club and one of the authors behind Europe 2031, a new scenario exploring how Europe could fall behind in an AI-driven world over the next five years. The solution, she believes, is for Europe to move faster, make difficult trade-offs and focus on building leverage rather than pursuing sovereignty alone.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:19 - Europe 20313:39 - Where Europe went wrong on AI7:23 - Who needs to hear this message9:16 - Can Europe change course?11:36 - The trade-offs Europe may need to make13:17 - Who is responsible for Europe’s future?15:06 - Sovereignty vs leverage20:21 - What success looks like for Europe 203121:37 - Five proposals for Europe’s AI future23:43 - Can Europe still get this right?
Transcribe →Nad Chishtie, Founding Designer, Head of Design at Lovable: Turning non-technical people into builders
Jun 1000:16:50Tap to summarizeMore people than ever before can now build software, as AI removes many of the technical barriers that previously stood in the way. Lovable is helping lead that shift, with two-thirds of its builders coming from outside the tech industry.Nad Chishtie is Founding Designer and Head of Design at Lovable. He believes the next generation of software will be built by far more people than ever before, with AI helping turn ideas into products while giving both generalists and specialists new ways to create and operate.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:22 - Why Lovable is expanding its presence in London1:21 - Building a London hub alongside Stockholm3:19 - Scaling from startup to 50 million projects5:02 - Why empowerment sits at the centre of Lovable6:22 - How AI is changing who gets to build software7:23 - The simplest way to think about design10:15 - Why AI could benefit both generalists and specialists11:44 - Why Lovable focused on the 99% who are not developers13:21 - Building products for both beginners and experts14:14 - Nad’s proudest moments building Lovable15:04 - Building Lovable’s new creative engine
Transcribe →Johannes von Borries and Benjamin Erhart, GPs at UVC Partners: Backing Europe’s next deep tech champions
Jun 900:27:44Tap to summarizeUVC Partners is a European venture capital firm investing in early-stage deep tech companies in Europe, including Proxima Fusion and Isar Aerospace.Johannes von Borries and Benjamin Erhart, GPs at UVC Partners, back companies working on fusion energy and space systems, where development takes long cycles and requires high capital and coordination between research and industry.The Scaling Europe show is presented by Deel - check them out here:https://get.deel.com/ruynb7o4lfjkSponsors:Mishcon: https://www.mishcon.com/pop-ups/scaling-europeChargebee: https://www.chargebee.com/events/beelieve/london/2026SurrealDB: https://surrealdb.com/Airwallex: https://www.airwallex.com/uk?utm_source=other&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=v01_emea_multi_ib_dg_prtmk_mofu_scalingeuropeTimestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:32 - UVC Partners1:10 - Proxima Fusion3:41 - Isar Aerospace8:21 - Deep tech investing in Europe13:15 - Fusion energy16:08 - Space systems20:02 - Germany’s deep tech ecosystem24:27 - Berlin vs Munich27:04 - Germany’s deep tech ecosystem
Transcribe →