Comments on: Techcruch Waking Up to Europe

By: Jacques

Jacques — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:27:20 +0000

You will succeed – it just might be a harder and longer road than you might have seen in back home – so, just carry on – if you believe in your product, you’ll get there.

Other than that, it will be also interesting to see if you can get (more) US VC’s to cross the ocean – I know of companies setting up camp in London, as their home market becomes overcrowded.
Plus, having to pioneer, you might become the expert yourself – your next startup? :-)

By: Tara

Tara — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:12:38 +0000

@Jacques & @Antonio

Ok, looks like I got a little overexcited. No doubt working in an over-regulated environment is tough (we’re battling the Italian labor laws right now). And indeed there are less tools available for investors to maximize their returns (think: no preferred stock).

That said, you know what really makes the valley tick? Optimism.

So in the spirit of wishful thinking… I still believe[smile]

Good luck to both of you as well!

By: Antonio Leonforte

Antonio Leonforte — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:52:44 +0000

Nice post, Tara. Business is becoming distributed and the web is definitively behind this process. But laws and regulations applicable on venture capital operations are still quite different across European countries, and I guess that such barrier will be very hard to overcome in the near future…

By: Jacques

Jacques — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:17:53 +0000

@ Tara,

Your question states ‘Europe’ – but in my view, there is no one Europe – it’s just a bunch of countries stitched together – not being one entity (like the ‘United States of Europe’)

So, Europe as a whole will not see a tech renaissance – perhaps a few European countries will.

That is the irony: once ‘Europe’ (Brussels) dreams up some tech-industry policy (with subsidies), it will stiffle real innovation…

Yes, must be tough to work in an over-regulated environment, with outdated policies, intended to favor existing parties and interests.

Good luck with Passpack – good you came over from the States :-)

By: Tara

Tara — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:50:04 +0000

@Jacques
I would never expect any centralized technology policy. I actually think that its *decentralized* nature could be the key to a new type of success?

Just mulling over some ideas I’ve had for a while now. It’s interesting being a US citizen running a startup out of Europe. Kind of like swimming upstream [gotta love a challenge].

By: Jacques

Jacques — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:55:14 +0000

‘Europe’ is a wide concept – 27 countries, with complete different backgrounds. A centralized technology policy will be virtually (no pun) impossible, as the levels differ so much. Most northern countries have their own funds. London, Holland (several universities) and Munich have some sort of tech-valley trends, there is VC funding, but all in a modest form (compared to the US). So, it will not be an European renaissance, but a local one (perhaps some countries working closer together), but certainly not pan-European.

By: Tara

Tara — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:33:15 +0000

@Riccardo
I agree, it’s the European VCs that are going to make the difference (or not).

I think/hope the language barrier will sort itself out on it’s own. Italy, alas, is very far behind in that so far.

By: Riccardo

Riccardo — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:20:46 +0000

I deeply believe that Old World’s diversity and richness of culture, languages and mindset is going to prove it’s main strength once we’ll all agree on a common comunication channel (e.g. english language).
However, more than american VCs in Europe, I’d like to see European VCs emerge and try to adopt a more “modern” approach to their job.