Over the past 10 to 15 years, the start-up ecosystem in Europe has undergone a significant transformation.

Fifteen years ago, founders and VCs often depended on theoretical strategies and a bit of luck. Today, Europe’s startup community has collectively developed a knowledge base of best practices supported by proven playbooks.

How VC is professionalising, just like private equity

The best VCs today have their own playbooks for guiding startups. The focus is on making founders extremely capable: showing them the methods used by the greatest entrepreneurs, helping them assemble strong teams, and supporting them in finding the right go-to-market strategy.

The rise of Europe’s resilient, capital-efficient startups

In the past decade, the number of European software startups has grown fivefold. Today, Europe is home to more than 280 tech companies generating each over €100 million in annual recurring revenues.

Europe’s exit market: the power of predictable small-cap success

The region is now delivering close to 1,000 exits annually in the €100 million – €500 million range.

The contrarian advantage

In Europe, it is increasingly possible to run early-stage seed funds that are structurally and consistently profitable. The nature of venture in Europe has fundamentally changed. It’s no longer a casino game; it is a craft.

About the author: Jérôme Wittamer is the Managing Partner at Expon Capital.