Silicon Valley doesn’t need another founder building for Silicon Valley. But Latin America does. Underdog markets do. From the start, my ventures have always tilted that way. Not because it’s easier—Because it’s harder. Infrastructure is messy. Systems are broken. Capital is scarce. But here’s the thing: That’s where innovation matters most. Because in underdog markets, one breakthrough doesn’t just increase margins. It changes lives. It levels the playing field. That’s why I’ve always felt drawn to build there. Even now, running Wise Agents from Silicon Valley, I work with Latam and underserved markets. I think about the markets most people overlook. Because efficiency and tech doesn’t just belong to the giants. It belongs to everyone. 👉 Do you believe the next big wave of innovation will come from the “obvious” markets, or the underdog ones? Last year Forbes Mexico highlighted our efforts to tap the underserved markets of Latam. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/g5aFZRk3 #AI #AgenticSystems #Efficiency #FutureOfWork #FoundersJourney I’ll be sharing my journey—lessons from building in Silicon Valley, bridging with Latin America, and applying AI to industries most people overlook. Follow and tag along!

Europe's tech talent is thriving 🚀 but there's a critical execution gap that's holding back our scale-ups. The latest McKinsey & Boardwave report "Europe's moonshot moment: fueling its tech ecosystem for scale" reveals some fascinating insights: ✅ European tech talent has grown 24% annually over the past decade - matching US growth rates ✅ Seed and Series A funding has surged since 2019, with both total capital and average round sizes expanding significantly ✅ We're building thriving ecosystems where top talent becomes advisers and repeat entrepreneurs But here's the challenge that caught my attention: ❌ US scale-ups hire Chief Revenue Officers roughly 2 years earlier than their European counterparts ❌ GTM execution is cited as one of the biggest challenges for European scale-ups One French CEO commented: "When I reflect on my education in France, it was all about excellence, never about taking risks." This cultural shift from perfectionism to rapid execution is exactly where European scale-ups can accelerate their growth. The report emphasises the need to "elevate your go-to-market strategy" and "plug into founder networks and industry groups." At Partner Management Group, we're seeing this gap firsthand. Brilliant European companies with world-class products struggling to scale their revenue engines at the pace their US counterparts achieve. The opportunity is massive. Europe has the talent, the funding, and increasingly the ambition. What we need now is execution excellence in GTM strategy and more innovation in GTM. #EuropeanTech #ScaleUp #GoToMarket #TechEcosystem #Revenue #Growth Boardwave McKinsey & Company Partner Management Group

Having a great idea, or spotting a real problem, is no longer enough. What will define which companies get funded in the next two decades are breakthroughs. And they will need to make innovation their very foundation. So, what’s behind the next generation of companies that will build and sustain Europe’s tech ecosystem? Founders, supported by investors who believe in them. According to Julia Hawkins, General Partner at LocalGlobe, founders need three essential qualities: - Resilience, the ability to face and endure major setbacks. - The ability to attract talent. - Obsession, that relentless drive that keeps them going. From the investor’s side, the mission is to work closely with founders to identify these traits, and to go beyond the vision of what’s possible. It’s about setting clear milestones to achieve within each round, making ambition measurable and progress tangible. What can we take away from perspectives like this? No one builds anything meaningful alone. Success comes from working with others who challenge, guide, and sometimes safeguard your vision. And that’s what we’re proud of at Italian Tech Week, a place where people go home having listened to the most inspiring voices, carrying insights that leave a mark on their journey.

Notes from Italian Tech Week #ITW25 Europe is building the foundation of the 4th Industrial Revolution. There’s a new confidence across Europe. Founders are multiplying, talent from top universities wants to join startups, and the next generation is choosing to build here. Goldman Sachs’ CEO David Solomon said investors are finally moving along the risk curve because they’re excited about the opportunity. Matt Miller, Founder Evantic Capital added that Europe has a strong startup pipeline that could crest a $100 billion wave, but we still need to strengthen our capital markets so founders list here instead of in New York. Ursula von der Leyen reminded everyone that Europe doesn’t lack money, we’re world champions in savings (€1.4 trillion vs $800 billion in the US), but we lack risk capital. Only 24% of European household wealth is in equities, compared to 42 % in the US. Her response: a multi-billion euro Scale-Up Fund and a new “28th regime” to simplify startup rules across the EU. Jeff Bezos shared a founder’s view: most should finish their education, he built Amazon at 30, and founders should stay optimistic, even to the point of delusion. “We do these things not because they were easy, but because we thought they would be easy.” He also called AI an “industrial bubble” that will still change everything, productivity, quality, every company. And yes, he believes we’ll still find meaning in the age of intelligent agents. Ursula von der Leyen closed with a promise: Europe must be a place where innovators feel at home and can build globally competitive companies. Matt Miller echoed that our strength is in creating strong foundations, making Europe a great place to stay, build, and invest. The feeling in Turin was clear: the wave is forming. The next decade belongs to those who build here, in Europe. Watch the video for the highlights . Last 2 minutes are for #JeffBezos fans.

Europe is building the foundation of the 4th Industrial Revolution. From my front row seat at Italian Tech Week, here are the top insights on regulation, funding, and how top leaders view the AI Opportunity. Watch the video highlights below, and please give Market Boost a follow!

If you’re in tech, people love to tell you that you have to be in San Francisco. The capital. The hype. The unicorn factory. But Europe forces you to build differently. 1. Capital is scarce. In the Valley, you can raise millions on a dream. In Europe, you sell first. You prove first. That discipline is why we hit 70+ paying clients before raising a penny. 2. Markets are smaller. Sounds like a weakness. It’s not. Smaller TAM forces you to choose a real ICP, tighten your outbound, and build a product people actually use. That focus doubled our business last month. 3. Talent is distributed. My first hire was in Bucharest. I’ve worked from multiple European capitals. In Europe, you don’t compete with Big Tech salaries. You build with people who value flexibility, ownership, and grit. 4. AI leveled the field. San Francisco doesn’t have a monopoly on tools anymore. The difference isn’t location, it’s execution. So no, I’m not chasing a unicorn valuation. I’m building a company that lasts. And Europe is the right place to do it.

Germany’s tech ecosystem is flying under the radar, but it shouldn’t be. A new wave of home-grown startups has quietly scaled into billion-dollar valuations, proving that strong fundamentals can carry just as much weight as hype. - Over 1,500 new tech businesses launched in Germany in just the first half of 2025. - Success in this cohort is grounded in deep specialisation: from defence-tech to energy systems, content platforms, logistics, and fintech. - Startups are combining strong R&D / academic roots, international ambition, and regulatory strength (especially in privacy, compliance, and labour law). - Many are also delivering on impact: carbon-neutral solutions, EV infrastructure, subscription-based energy models, innovations that align with both business growth and sustainability. Why this matters: - Investors looking for less crowded markets, but with resilient foundations, should pay attention. - Founders can learn from Germany’s balance of policy support, infrastructure, and disciplined scaling. - The narrative around “quiet success” shows that sometimes going deep, not loud, builds the biggest foundations.

Last Friday, I joined UK investment leaders at a breakfast hosted by #GrishinRobotics, a Silicon Valley VC now backing UK innovation. The Silicon Valley difference: One insight hit hard: in Silicon Valley, founders invest in other founders. It's cultural, not optional. If you're not investing back into the ecosystem, you're an outsider. This creates cohesion where knowledge, capital, and connections flow freely. The UK is still building towards this. My key takeaways: 1. DeepTech requires different evaluation meeting robotics and DeepTech experts showed me how differently these companies must be assessed versus SaaS businesses I typically see. Technology risk, capital intensity, timelines, and value creation are fundamentally different. I find a lot of female health medical innovations I like fit in this sometimes. 2. Partnerships before capital A seasoned founder who has built and exited multiple companies shared crucial advice: the best way for companies to grow is to secure partnerships first and find creative, outside-the-box ways to gain traction. Then approach investors with proven momentum and a clear long-term play. Traction validates vision. 3. Ecosystem building is the work The UK has world-class universities and exceptional founders. What we need is better collaboration across angels, VCs, corporates, and government. These connections directly benefit the founders we support. Thank you #GrishinRobotics and #Tatiana for facilitating these crucial conversations. It was wonderful to meet Susan Elliott (British Business Bank), Scott Haughton (Envestors), Gergő Gulyás IMC Gulyas (iScale Ventures), Kaitlin Fritz (Capital Enterprise), Chris de Sibert (Cambridge Future Tech), and Marla Shapiro (HERmesa). Understanding what each person does and their unique perspective on the ecosystem was incredibly valuable. #VentureCapital #AngelInvesting #DeepTech #EcosystemBuildin

What will it take for Europe to win the global talent race? It was a pleasure to discuss this topic with Speedinvest While talent is just one aspect of the challenges European founders are facing, the reality is stark: 93% of EU founders Stripe surveyed would choose the US over Europe to incorporate today. Drawing from our Stripe Atlas experience (80,000+ companies incorporated globally in just a few clicks), we're calling for a harmonized, fully digital EU-wide company framework that removes the structural barriers impeding European startups. That’s why we submitted Stripe’s response to the EU's 28th regime consultation this week, advocating for a digital-first company framework across Europe: 🇪🇺 One standardized EU legal entity, not 27 different systems  ⏱️ Incorporation in hours, not months  ⚖️ Zero mandatory notarial interventions 💻 100% digital processes  💶 Cross-border fundraising with standardized documents  🏎️ True mobility of businesses and talent between EU countries Let's make Europe a competitive place for founders and innovation. A big shout-out to EU–INC for leading the way on this topic and European founder voices like European Accelerationism for their advocacy efforts. You can read the full article at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gZfTfjMv

At REACH Australia and New Zealand, we know that scaling internationally is one of the most exciting—and challenging—stages for any technology company. That’s why our network of 100+ bilateral partnerships across 85 countries exists: to remove barriers and open doors to the right people, at the right time. 🌍 Through these partnerships, proptech and technology companies gain: 🔑 Access to global markets – Tap into new regions with built-in credibility through trusted local relationships. 🤝 Strategic connections – We connect founders directly with industry leaders, investors, and innovators who understand the nuances of their markets. 📈 Accelerated international growth – Instead of spending years navigating unfamiliar ecosystems, our companies leverage the reach of our partnerships to expand faster, smarter, and more sustainably. For startups and scaleups, this can mean transforming a great product into a globally recognised solution. From Asia-Pacific to Europe, North America to the Middle East, these relationships ensure that our founders are never scaling alone. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced when trying to expand internationally? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more insights and opportunities: 👉 https://lnkd.in/guMC9CJZ #GlobalPartnerships #TechGrowth #InternationalExpansion #BilateralAgreements #MarketAccess #TechScaling #BusinessGrowth