How to build a decacorn - The Story of SumUp (w/ Petter Made, SumUp Co-founder) - EWOR x OX1
Want to build a unicorn or decacorn? It might be a good idea to take advice from the few who actually did.
Join SumUp co-founder Petter Made who will share the real story behind SumUp’s early days and the hard truths of building a decacorn company in Europe. He’ll break down:
What actually matters in the first years of building a fintech startup
The specific decisions that unlocked scale, and the mistakes he made along the way
How to think about building not a decacorn in today’s market
What most founders most underestimate from Europe’s startup ecosystem
The evening ends with a Q&A session, where you can ask Petter your most pressing questions about founding, scaling, leadership and more.
About EWOR:
EWOR is a fellowship for outlier founders building transformative tech. We believe that entrepreneurs shape the future – yet only a few create generational impact. This is why we support the top 0.1% of founders with up to €500,000 in funding and weekly 1:1 mentorship from unicorn founders (Adjust, ProGlove, SumUp) who now work full-time at EWOR.
Our approach is virtual-first and modular so that it can suit each founder's non-linear journey, no matter where in the world they are. No standardised playbooks or rigid programming.
Building alongside proven peers, our fellows break records – from raising a €13M pre-seed round as a first-time founder to achieving a $3B valuation within 2 years of joining EWOR.
About OX1:
OX1 is a student-run incubator that supports Oxford entrepreneurs with mentorship from industry leaders and exposure to top-tier investors. The programme culminates in a Demo Day, where cohort members compete for £23,000 in equity-free grants, with over £100,000 disbursed to date.
In collaboration with Proximo Ventures, Oxford AI Society, Oxford Physics Society, Oxford Founders Society and Odyssey Fellowship.