EUVC – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Welcome back to the Impact Highlight Series, powered by EUVC, Impact VC, and Impact Supporters.

Over the past months, we’ve hosted ten conversations with some of the most thoughtful GPs, LPs, and unicorn founders shaping the impact investing landscape. In this special capstone episode, August Solliv (Impact Supporters) and Dougie Sloan (Impact VC & Better Society Capital) sit down to unpack what we’ve heard and distil the lessons into four big themes.

🎧 Here’s what’s covered:

• 01:00 Impact driving returns: from the founder lens to the “lockstep” model where impact and profits reinforce each other.

• 04:00 Shared value in practice: how impact-native companies scale impact and profit — and why this creates resilience and de-risks venture.

• 07:00 Proving performance: what LPs at EIF, Isomer, and BSC are seeing in their data, and why DPI still matters.

• 09:00 Great vs. good funds: LP perspectives on partner skills, GP thesis fit, and “edge” in impact venture.

• 12:00 Specialist vs. generalist: why even generalist impact funds must go deep in certain verticals.

• 14:00 Overlooked opportunities: adaptation, circularity, first-of-a-kind plants, and where impact capital is most needed.

• 17:00 Innovating the VC model: evergreen structures, impact-linked carry, and the tension between GP innovation and LP appetite.

• 20:00 Democratizing LP capital: why both institutional and retail channels are needed to scale impact VC.

• 23:00 It all comes back to people: values, motivation, and the dual lens of commercial and impact acumen that defines the unicorn founders of tomorrow.

• 26:00 Closing reflections: what we’ve learned from 10 conversations, and what’s next for the Impact Highlight Series.

Welcome back to another episode of the EUVC Podcast, where we gather Europe’s venture family to share the stories, insights, and lessons that drive our ecosystem forward.

Today we welcome David Vlerick, Founding Partner at Bluegrass Ventures, to discuss how LP capital can be mobilised with meaning, why a platform approach makes venture more accessible, and what it takes to shift mindsets in a conservative market like Belgium.

Bluegrass Ventures backs top-decile, small-to-mid-sized VC funds globally, while giving investors flexibility and transparency through a platform model. In this conversation, David shares his journey from law and private equity into venture, the philosophy behind Bluegrass, and why he believes primary capital is one of the most powerful forces for shaping a brighter future.

🎧 Here’s what’s covered:

• 01:00 David’s Path: From law and private equity to launching Bluegrass Ventures.

• 05:00 Building Bluegrass: Why a platform, why small-to-mid-size funds, and why top-decile track records matter.

• 08:00 Fund Selection: Unfair advantages, avoiding hype cycles, and sector-focused funds.

• 15:00 The Person Behind Bluegrass: Travel, poetry, and how fatherhood shapes perspective.

• 22:00 Risk in VC: Why startups ≠ diversified funds, and what the data says.

• 27:00 Primary Capital: Fueling the future vs. parking money in secondary markets.

• 31:00 Belgium’s Culture: From conservatism and PE comfort to embracing venture.

• 36:00 Platform Model: How Bluegrass balances investor choice with portfolio discipline.

• 42:00 Venture as Community: High-calibre people, collaborative networks, and optimism.

• 43:00 Bluegrass’s Mission: Delivering Belgium’s best financial product and moving more money with meaning.

At the EUVC Summit 2025, Nirmesh Patel from Amino Collective took the stage with a message that felt less like a pitch and more like a call to arms. His focus? The intersection of AI, health, and bio—and why Europe is uniquely positioned to lead this next era.

We’re still waiting for the first blockbuster drug developed using large AI models. But don’t mistake that for inaction. As Nirmesh put it:

“It’s fundamentally changed how everyone does research in this space.”

So much so that the Nobel Prize committee had no choice but to take notice.

That shift is already reshaping how scientists think, experiment, and build companies—and it’s opening the door for a new generation of outlier founders at the earliest stages.

Amino Collective invests pre-seed and seed into health and bio, and Nirmesh was unequivocal:

“Europe has all the ingredients required to make the next healthcare giants.”

Here’s what he sees:

• Technical founders now thinking commercially from Day 1.

• Citizens more willing to contribute data to studies, even if they don’t cancel that January gym membership.

• Stable grant funding across Europe—especially in contrast to recent volatility at U.S. institutions like the NIH.

• On-continent innovation in manufacturing mRNA at scale—key to pandemic preparedness.

These aren’t future predictions. They’re current capabilities, and they’re maturing fast.

Venture is about betting on outliers.
In AI x Bio, the next outliers are likely being formed right now.

“We’re at the very early stages of the collision between AI, health, and bio. The companies that will define the future are just starting.”

If you want to back the next transformative firm in medicine, don’t just look to the coasts.
Look to Europe. The science is here. The funding is here. The talent is ready.

“I truly believe the future of medicine is European.”

So do we.

AI Has Already Transformed Research. The Market Impact Comes Next.Why Europe? The Ingredients Are Already Here.From Outliers to Giants

Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where Dan Bowyer and Mads Jensen of SuperSeed and Lomax from Outsized Ventures dive deep into the macro and micro of European venture, joined this week by special guest Chris Elphick, Head of Venture Capital at the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA).

Together, they pull back the curtain on the real stories shaping VC—from pension reform to geopolitical shocks, blackout readiness, and the transatlantic battle for AI and aerospace dominance.

Here’s what’s covered:

• 03:15 What Really Happens at a VC Conference?
• 07:40 Politicians Using AI: Tech Literacy or National Security Risk?
• 12:01 UK Local Elections: Rise of Reform & Political Fragmentation
• 18:20 Trump’s Tariffs: Recession Risk & Global Trade Realignments
• 22:33 Heart Aerospace Flies to LA: A Blow to Europe?
• 28:04 UK VC Fundraising Rebounds—but Where’s the LP Money?
• 33:42 The Pension Problem: Zero UK Pensions Backing UK VC?
• 48:58 NATO x Deeptech: Europe’s First Combat Robots?
• 52:35 Portugal’s Great Blackout: A Warning for Renewable Grids
• 1:03:00 Show Me the Money: Can Pension Reform Really Unlock Capital for UK VC?

In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm talks with Daniel Dippold to unpack the vision behind EWOR, a venture platform designed not as a fund but as a self-reinforcing ecosystem where LPs become builders, the community drives capital, and Europe’s boldest entrepreneurs find a launchpad.

Daniel challenges the traditional LP-GP dynamic, advocating instead for an interconnected flywheel where education, storytelling, and systems-thinking empower both founders and funders. From the structural flaws in European venture to the cultural shifts needed to drive generational change, this episode is a masterclass in rethinking the venture equation from first principles.

Here’s what’s covered:

• 02:47 The Origin of Ewor: Lessons from Building Momentum
• 07:12 Understanding the LP Journey
• 11:25 The European LP Landscape vs. the U.S.
• 15:33 Structuring EWOR as a Flywheel, Not a Fund
• 21:10 Solving for LP Education and Community
• 26:45 Why Now: The Timing Behind EWOR’s Launch
• 30:30 LPs as Builders: Shifting the Narrative
• 35:18 How EWOR Aims to Serve GPs
• 42:14 Storytelling, Visibility, and the Next Chapter

In this episode, Charles Martin of Kinnevik unpacks how their evergreen investment model fuels sustainable growth—enabling long-term, hands-on support that aligns deeply with entrepreneurs through every stage.

By eliminating the pressure of fixed fund lifecycles, Kinnevik can take a hands-on approach, offering support through various growth stages and aligning closely with entrepreneurs over time.

Charles highlights the shift in venture capital, where today’s focus is not just on financial returns but also on building adaptable companies with strong governance and positive societal impact.

Kinnevik’s approach exemplifies this broader movement toward deeper, more collaborative partnerships in driving lasting success.

Here’s what’s covered:

• 05:10 AI in the Nordics: Talent and Innovation
• 08:56 The Importance of Operational Talent
• 13:16 Spotting Outlier Talent and Venture Insights
• 25:22 Evaluating Founders: Experience vs. Potential
• 39:02 The Importance of People in Venture Capital
• 44:53 The Future of AI and Talent

In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm talks with Sara Kappelmark, Co-CEO of Norrsken Foundation, and Willem Vriesendorp, Founder of Sustainable Public Affairs, to explore the powerful intersection of venture capital, sustainability, and EU policymaking.

In this episode, Sara and Willem share how they’re bridging the gap between Europe’s most mission-driven founders and the often distant world of regulation, starting with the launch of the Norrsken House in Brussels.

From climate tech to deep tech, they unpack why now is the moment for VCs and startups to engage with policy, how smart regulation can unlock real scale, and why Europe may be on the brink of its own era of exceptionalism.

Here’s what’s covered:

• 04:15 The Importance of Regulation in Venture Capital
• 06:04 The Excitement in Brussels: Tech and Policy
• 12:27 The Role of Norkin House in Brussels
• 16:55 Engaging in Policy as a Small VC Firm or Startup
• 20:26 The Importance of Sustainability in Tech
• 26:07 The Role of VCs and Founders in Shaping Policy

In this episode of our "Behind European Unicorns" series, David Cruz e Silva talks with Dan Vahdat, the founder and CEO of Huma, to unpack the journey behind one of Europe’s standout digital health scale-ups. Founded in 2011, Huma is headquartered in London and has grown to approximately 500 employees, raising over €275 million to date.

Dan shares how the company evolved from supporting rare diseases to building a disease-agnostic, globally scalable platform used by healthcare systems, research institutions, and pharmaceutical giants.

Here’s what’s covered:

• 07:09 The Evolution of Huma
• 09:56 Challenges and Future Vision
• 22:16 The Challenges of Starting a Digital Health Company
• 22:40 Geographical Focus and Strategy
• 29:57 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in Digital Health
• 36:12 Partnerships and Organizational Growth
• 41:26 Future Vision and Expansion Plans for Huma

Welcome to a new episode of our podcast series focused on impact, where August Soliv, author of Impact Supporters, and Douglas Sloan, Managing Director at Better Society Capital, talk with Marie Ekeland, Founder and CEO of 2050 and one of Europe’s most forward-thinking impact investors.

In this episode, Marie shares how her path, from coding at J.P. Morgan to founding France Digitale and now 2050, has been driven by a deep curiosity and a passion for building businesses that matter. She discusses why the classic VC model falls short in addressing today’s biggest challenges and how she is rewriting the rules with a regenerative, evergreen fund that aligns profit with purpose.

Here’s what’s covered:

• 05:53 Challenges and Systemic Issues in Tech and Impact VC
• 10:15 The Concept of Alignment in Impact VC
• 28:17 Reinventing the VC Model for a Sustainable Future
• 33:17 Rethinking the VC Model: Extending Time Horizons
• 37:14 Evergreen Model: Diversifying Risk and Liquidity
• 39:53 Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change