The Two-Country Strategy for Swiss Startups: Laurent Decrue & Sophie Lamparter (EP#560)
May 25, 2026
Co-produced by
Co-produced by
15:14 European AI Landscape and Mistral AI Acquisition
28:12 The Rise of European Startups in the U.S.
30:06 Building Bridges: Dual Ecosystems for Success
42:30 IPO Frenzy: The U.S. Market's Impact on Europe
This episode was co-produced with Swiss Startup Days, the leading Swiss deep-tech catalyst event for startups, investors, enablers, and corporates.Checkout Newcomers - the ultimate pitching format for pre-seed and seed startups in Switzerland. Applications open in December 2025.
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Swisspreneur Briefing, we’re joined by Laurent Decrue, Co-CEO of Holycode, and Sophie Lamparter, Founding Partner of VitaminºC, a climate tech venture fund investing across Europe and the US. Together, they unpack the latest developments shaping the Swiss and European startup ecosystem, from record-breaking funding rounds and AI acquisitions to the growing role of European founders on the global stage.
In this episode, we discuss why venture capital remains heavily concentrated in AI, biotech, and deep tech, and what that means for founders building outside those sectors. We explore whether Europe has already lost the consumer AI race and why industrial AI could become its biggest opportunity. We also examine the emerging playbook for ambitious European startups: keeping talent and R&D in Europe while leveraging the US for fundraising, sales, and scale. Finally, we look at the return of IPOs and large exits, and how new liquidity could restart the flywheel of startup creation and investment across the ecosystem.
Beyond the headlines, we dive into the cultural differences between the US and European startup ecosystems, what Switzerland’s quality of life means for attracting and retaining talent, and why Europe’s challenge may not be a lack of talent but a lack of ambition. We also discuss the psychology behind investor FOMO, the race to gain exposure to companies like Anthropic, and how success stories create the optimism and momentum that inspire the next generation of founders to think bigger.
The cover portrait was edited by www.smartportrait.io.
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