Raising Europe with Tom Guinness

About Raising Europe with Tom Guinness

Raising Europe, hosted by Tom Guinness, takes you behind the scenes with the people building the future of European technology - and, with it, the future of our economy. A decade inside Goldman Sachs, Lazard, Rothschild, and GIC taught Tom what separates the founders who get funded from the ones who don't - knowledge he now puts to work asking founders and investors the questions that actually matter. Each episode goes inside the businesses shaping European tech and the investors backing them. Join us to see how the future gets built - and funded.

Publisher

Tom Guinness

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Feb 2026

Latest episode

16 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Oct 2026

   Italy’s First AI Unicorn: The 3rd Mover Advantage & Sovereign AI | Uljan Sharka & Marco Caradonna

   Brought to you by Frontier Stack. Sign-up now for perks and discounts on the tools and services you need to scale your business at www.getfrontierstack.com.About this Episode:Most enterprises treat artificial intelligence as a superficial wrapper – paying continuous token taxes to hyperscalers without securing data ownership, margin profitability, or proprietary defensibility. Meanwhile, institutions operating in regulated and mission-critical industries face severe privacy, sovereign compliance, and zero-error-tolerance hurdles that generic off-the-shelf chatbots can’t hope to resolve.In this episode of the Raising Europe podcast, host Tom Guinness sits down with Uljan Sharka, Founder & CEO of Domyn (Italy’s first AI unicorn, valued at over $2B), and Marco Caradonna, Co-Founder of BlackSheep Ventures. Starting with Uljan’s early days at Apple realizing enterprise customers wanted conversational intelligence for their internal data, Domyn has grown into a 200+ person powerhouse helping global banks, shipbuilding conglomerates, and defense leaders turn enterprise data into a sovereign virtual brain. Uljan and Marco breakdown why the future belongs to "AI ownership" rather than passive consumption, how European compliance serves as a strategic trust moat rather than a hindrance, and why the historic "3rd mover advantage" will define the ultimate winners of the AI revolution. Marco also shares BlackSheep’s distinct investment playbook – bringing operator empathy, double-digit GP capital commitment, and domain-specific focus to backing Europe's most ambitious tech founders.What defines the next era of sovereign enterprise AI & European ambition?➡️ AI Ownership Over Adoption: Why renting external API tokens creates margin drag without commensurate enterprise value uplift, and how enabling banks and industrial leaders to own their sovereign models unlocks significant value.➡️ The 3rd Mover Advantage: How history repeats itself – from Olivetti inventing the personal desktop computer, to HP commercializing it at scale, to Apple redefining the category – and why the enduring AI winner will be an agile, design-centric new entrant.➡️ Trust & Regulation as a Moat: Why the EU AI Act provides structural guardrails analogous to car brakes, positioning Europe to lead global trust while the US chases brute-force compute and China prioritizes efficiency.➡️ Fixing Broken Software Economics: How addressing defective enterprise data unlocks multi-trillion-dollar market value before AGI even arrives, shifting the conversation from minor efficiency gains to strategic acceleration.➡️ Founder-Led VC Alignment: Marco Caradonna breaks down why only single-digit percentages of European venture funds are run by former operators, and how BlackSheep leverages corporate LP networks and deep domain expertise to de-risk Series A expansion.Chapters:00:00 Introduction & The Apple Spark: Building Italy’s First AI Unicorn04:15 AI Ownership vs. Adoption: Transforming Regulated Industries10:45 Sovereign AI & Why Europe Can Win the Trust Battle17:30 The 3rd Mover Advantage: Lessons from Olivetti, HP, and Apple24:00 Operator-Led Venture: Why BlackSheep Backed Domyn29:45 From Chatbots to Autonomous Decision Systems34:20 Scaling to a Decacorn & Building for Human FlourishingEnjoyed the episode? Find more interviews with leading founders & investors on our channel.You can follow Uljan Sharka and Marco Caradonna here:◼ Uljan Sharka LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/uljan/◼ Marco Caradonna LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcocaradonna/◼ Domyn - https://www.domyn.com◼ BlackSheep Ventures - https://blacksheep.venturesFollow Raising Europe here:◼ Raising Europe website - https://raisingeurope.com/◼ Follow Tom Guinness - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-guinness-raising-europe/◼ Raising Europe LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/raising-europe/◼ Subscribe on Substack - https://raisingeurope.substack.com/

2. 

   9 Oct 2026

   300K Users With $0 Marketing Spend! | Ludovica Rosi (CEO & Founder, Arno / Zeroone)

   Brought to you by Frontier Stack. Sign-up now for perks and discounts on the tools and services you need to scale your business at www.getfrontierstack.com.About this Episode:The modern creator economy frequently trades massive attention for fleeting dopamine, leaving artists without direct fan ownership or steady revenue streams. Meanwhile, early Web3 platforms often suffered from friction and clunky user experiences.In this episode of the Raising Europe podcast, host Tom Guinness sits down with Ludovica Rosi, Italian entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Arno (formerly known as Zeroone). Arno – a creator platform empowering over 300,000 artists by combining digital collecting with zero ad spend – was recently acquired after a deal that originated from a simple Twitter DM.In this episode, Ludovica breaks down how she built an organic, viral growth engine by conducting 20 user interviews a day and abstracting complex blockchain technology under the hood for a seamless mobile experience. She shares her journey moving to New York City at age 22, navigating selling her business at the age of 25, and rebranding Zeroone to Arno. Ludovica also discusses her return to Europe to build in Milan’s emerging startup ecosystem, her passion for tennis, and her timeless mental frameworks.What defines the next era of creator infrastructure & global ambition?➡️ $0 CAC & Product-Led Virality: By creating a self-sustaining growth loop where artists actively marketed their own collectible drops to fans, Arno scaled to 300,000 creators without spending a single dollar on paid acquisition.➡️ Dopamine vs. Revenue: Ludovica explains how Arno shifted creator monetization away from ephemeral likes and comments toward true micro-ownership, empowering artists across emerging economies to earn steady income.➡️ Invisible Tech & Intuitive UX: Discover how Arno leveraged tools like Biconomy for gasless, invisible transactions while delivering an intuitive consumer experience.➡️ Discovery Rigor: Hear how conducting 20 user interviews a day during the first two years helped Ludovica anticipate market trends, build deep user loyalty, and shape a product users love.➡️ Strategic Exit via Twitter DM: Learn how a casual direct message evolved into a strategic acquisition and brand evolution into Arno, expanding their mission with greater resources and broader reach.Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:30 01: $0 Marketing: Scaling To 300K Users05:15 02: Dopamine vs Revenue: Fixing Creator Pay09:20 03: Invisible Tech: Abstracting Web3 For UI13:10 04: Discovery Rigor: 20 Interviews A Day16:40 05: The Exit: Acquired Via Twitter DM20:15 06: Scaling Mindset: European Roots, Global AmbitionCompanies and institutions mentioned in this episode: Zeroone, Arno, Biconomy, Bending Spoons.Enjoyed the episode? Find more interviews with leading founders & investors on our channel.You can follow Ludovica Rosi here:◼ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ludovica-rosi-3b53561a3◼ Zeroone - https://zeroone.art/Follow Raising Europe here:◼ Raising Europe website - https://raisingeurope.com/◼ Follow Tom Guinness - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-guinness-raising-europe/◼ Raising Europe LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/raising-europe/◼ Subscribe on Substack - https://raisingeurope.substack.com/#Zeroone #Arno #CreatorEconomy #Art #RaisingEurope #TomGuinness #LudovicaRosi #ArtTech #Tech #Web3 #Startups

3. 

   2 Oct 2026

   VC Partner: Your Startup Idea Is Worthless! | Gaultier Brun (199 Ventures)

   Brought to you by Frontier Stack. Sign-up now for perks and discounts on the tools and services you need to scale your business at www.getfrontierstack.com.About this Episode:I hear this a lot: Founders need to be passionate about their sector to succeed. But, to Gaultier Brun, passion is completely overrated - discipline, endurance, and relentless execution beat raw passion every single time.In this episode of the Raising Europe podcast, host Tom Guinness sits down with Gaultier Brun, Partner at 199 Ventures. Launched with Andréa Bensaid - founder and CEO of leading digital marketing agency Eskimoz, who is the fund's solo LP - 199 Ventures is rethinking early-stage venture capital by pairing single-LP agility with unmatched marketing firepower to back high-growth startups like Lucis and Spiko.Gaultier breaks down why he rejects traditional VC clichés - explaining why conviction beats soft coachability, why market insight is overrated, and why founder discipline is the ultimate predictor of success. He also details how 199 Ventures uses Eskimoz's deep marketing & acquisition expertise to supercharge portfolio companies, his viral "investing in public" YouTube series, the real unit economics behind AI solopreneurs, and how European startups are scaling rapidly by building R&D in Paris while expanding GTM to New York.What defines the 199 Ventures approach to backing European tech?➡️ Discipline Over Passion: Why Gaultier rejects the myth that founders must be passionate about their sector, arguing that relentless execution, endurance, and unshakable conviction beat market insight and soft coachability every time.➡️ Single-LP Speed & Marketing Advantage: How 199 Ventures pairs single-LP agility with Andréa Bensaid’s SEO, paid ads, and digital acquisition expertise to give early-stage startups an unfair distribution edge alongside flexible €200k checks.➡️ European Scaling & AI Realities: From the underlying token economics of AI solopreneurs to building tech teams in Paris while scaling GTM in New York, Gaultier outlines how European founders are navigating market fragmentation and winning globally.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:45 Gaultier's Journey: From GFC and Antler Paris to 199 Ventures05:15 199 Ventures: Single-LP VC & The Eskimoz Marketing Advantage11:00 Investing in Public: Scaling Visibility with Authentic Content16:30 Discipline Over Passion: Why Execution Beats Market Insight22:15 Anti-Coachability: Why Conviction Beats Softness in Founders27:45 AI & Solopreneurs: Token Economics & Talent Density32:30 European Scaling: R&D in Paris, GTM in New York37:15 Backing Founders & The Future of Specialized VC SyndicatesEnjoyed the episode? Find more interviews with leading founders & investors on our channel.You can follow Gaultier Brun & 199 Ventures here:◼ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brun/◼ Website - https://199.vc/Follow Raising Europe here:◼ Raising Europe website - https://raisingeurope.com/◼ Follow Tom Guinness – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-guinness-raising-europe/◼ Raising Europe LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/raising-europe/◼ Subscribe on Substack - https://raisingeurope.substack.com/#199Ventures #VentureCapital #RaisingEurope #TomGuinness #GaultierBrun #MarketingVC #EuropeanTech #StartupGrowth #AI #Startups #Eskimoz

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