Amplify Europe
A European Aperitivo. A European Conversation.
Rockstart × Enterprise Think Tank, with Vanessa Arelle
After a few long days at Web Summit, Rockstart and Enterprise Think Tank, together with Vanessa Arelle, invite investors, LPs and ecosystem leaders to the Amplify Europe Aperitivo.
This is the fifth stop. Copenhagen, Malmö, Barcelona, Oslo — now Lisbon.
Over a relaxed early-evening aperitivo inspired by Europe’s tech hubs, we put a small number of dilemmas to the room. Not a panel. Not a presentation. You take a side, out loud, and defend it.
In the other cities, 120+ investors did exactly that. The room disagreed with us on our opening premise within ten minutes, which was the point.
The dilemmas on the table in Lisbon:
European pension funds should be legally required to allocate a minimum share to European venture capital.
Europe has no shortage of capital. It has a shortage of investors willing to take early-stage risk.
The fastest route to more European pre-seed is American capital, not European capital.
If the money arrives, Europe doesn’t have enough managers small enough to deploy it where it’s needed.
The first of these matters most in this room. The allocation debate moving through Brussels would land hardest on exactly the institutions represented here.
Come for an aperitivo. Stay for the argument. Leave with a position you’ve had to defend.
Courage. Capital. Conditions. For the Europe worth building.