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The European startup ecosystem has emerged as a stable and flourishing startup market, maintaining its position as one of the world’s leaders in research and development (R&D), groundbreaking innovation, and market development. However, reports on the European startup ecosystem[1] reveal a disparity: Europe produces 36% of global startups but only accounts for 14% of the world’s unicorns. Furthermore, European startups are 30% less likely to progress from seed to a successful exit compared to their counterparts in the United States. This indicates that Europe’s ecosystem may be less effective in fostering sustainable growth and transforming startups into late-stage successes. But what are the underlying reasons for this? What challenges are European startups and venture capitalists (VCs) currently facing, and what strategies are other markets, such as the US, employing more effectively? Could there be a lack of collaboration and consolidation among European startups that is hindering their growth?  

In the insightful article by Sven Janssen, CEO of Tradition Meets Future, featured in the “Börsen-Zeitung” on July 30, 2021, the author discusses the changing trends in startup financing in Europe. Janssen examines the practice of providing loans to emerging companies, contrasting it with the traditional model of equity financing that is common across the continent. He explains how venture capital investors, through venture equity funds, assume the financial risks of supporting new enterprises, with the expectation that a small portion of these investments will generate enough returns to cover the losses from others.