What Happens When 100+ EU Founders Market An Entire Tech Ecosystem Like A Product?

Startup success was always seen as “one company vs the other” but now, a new campaign called Built in Europe is changing that narrative. More than 100 founders and chief executives have joined forces to promote Europe itself as a place to start companies, build technology and find talent.

The campaign was launched by Balderton Capital and features founders from businesses such as Revolut, Wayve, Lovable, ElevenLabs, Mistral AI, Synthesia, Alan, Voi and Lassie. Advertising has started in London, Paris, Stockholm, Berlin and Munich, encouraging people to build or join startups in Europe.

Supporters want more people to see what already exists in European tech. They believe Europe has successful companies, experienced founders and a massive talent base. Their goal, basically, is to focus on getting more people to build careers inside the continent’s startup ecosystem.

Suranga Chandratillake, General Partner at Balderton, said, “Travelling across Europe and meeting founders every day, what we feel is excitement and energy, not just from the big names who have already proven that their ideas work, but also from founders with huge ambition who are just getting started. For too long, the narrative around European tech has been stuck on all the things that need to change. Built In Europe aims to shift the conversation from potential to proof.”

What Does Working Together Actually Look Like?

One of the aspects of the campaign is how openly founders are helping one another build a larger talent pool. Companies that could compete for workers are backing a shared effort to bring more people into European startups.

BuiltInEurope.com has launched a jobs platform that gathers vacancies from 1,000 European tech startups in one place and Balderton believes it is Europe’s largest startup talent hub. So, there are places where people looking for work can browse opportunities from hundreds of businesses without searching company websites one by one or relying on platforms such as LinkedIn that have become oversaturated with spam and AI slop.

The website also lists incubators and resources for people thinking about launching startups of their own. That means the campaign targets future founders as well as future employees.

Anton Osika, Co-founder of Lovable, said, “There has never been a better time to build from Europe than now. The talent is here, the capital is here, the ecosystem is here. And we have the ambition to match.”

Mati Staniszewski, Co-founder of ElevenLabs, said, “There are tons of great founders in Europe right now trying to build things that are truly special. And we’re surrounded by people who are keen to get involved and work with us on frontier technologies. This blend of people, talent and ambition has never been more real.”

Victor Riparbelli, Co-founder and CEO of Synthesia, said, “When we founded the company nine years ago, few European AI startups could compete on the global stage. Today, the situation is very different: we have great companies winning in their categories, not just in Europe but worldwide.”

How Big Has Europe’s Tech Sector Become?

Supporters of Built in Europe say the continent’s tech sector has reached a scale that deserves more recognition.

According to Dealroom, Europe’s tech sector is now worth $6.7 trillion. Atomico’s State of European Tech report says tech now accounts for 15% of Europe’s GDP – it was 4% in 2015.

Those statistics help explain why founders are promoting Europe collectively instead of concentrating on individual businesses. Their argument is that successful companies already exist throughout the continent and more can follow.

Alex Kendall, Co-founder and CEO of Wayve, said, “If you think about what’s going to matter in the next 100 years, it’s the really hard, deep technology, and startups are where that’s built. It’s the most adventurous, exciting thing you could do, build or join a startup in Europe.”

Murvah Iqbal, Co-founder and CEO of HIVED, said, “The best part about building in Europe is the diversity of the talent that this region attracts, from all over the world. The ecosystem is robust, there is energy and momentum – I would say there’s never been a better time to start a company in Europe than right now.”

Fredrik Hejlm, Founder and CEO of Voi, said, “To anyone thinking about starting a business in Europe, I would say – just go for it. We have the talent, the capital, and we’re starting to have the support from our politicians and governments.”

Why Is The Idea Of European Self-Reliance Gaining Support?

The campaign launched at the right time (whether coincidentally or not) when many Europeans are thinking more about local tech and infrastructure.

Research from payment company Enfuce found that 73% of consumers and 97% of payment providers believe the UK and EU should have more control over payment systems, and 60% of consumers and 67% of payment providers believe it is a problem that a small number of global companies control so many payments.

Enfuce also found that 62% of consumers and nearly 78% of payment providers are worried geopolitical tensions could interrupt payment services. These stats are all related to the growing support the campaign is receiving.

Denise Johansson, Co-Founder and CEO of Enfuce, said, “For decades, payments were designed around convenience and global scale. Now they are becoming a question of resilience, control and economic security.

“Consumers are starting to recognise that the systems moving money around the world are not politically neutral infrastructure. This is a rare opportunity to rethink what we want from payments – not just faster, but more transparent, resilient and more aligned with the values of consumers, businesses and society itself.”

That helps explain why startup founders are speaking about Europe as a shared project.

Hedda Båverud Olsson, Co-founder and CEO of Lassie, said, “Europe is full of underestimated founders ready to take on industries no one has touched in decades. The opportunity now is to keep that talent here and back it ambitiously enough to win globally. There has never been a better moment to build in Europe.”

And as Hélène Huby, Founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, advised, “For anyone thinking about starting a company in Europe, I would say: do it now. This is a crucial moment to come together and defend European values of collaboration, peace and diversity. It’s a time for ambition and for big ideas.”