Campus To Capital

#26 David Stålmarck - Co-Founder & CTO of Atech on Building the “Lovable for Hardware”

Why is hardware still dramatically harder to build than software? This week we sat down with David Stålmarck, Co-Founder & CTO of Atech, one of the most exciting early-stage hardware startups coming out of Scandinavia right now. Backed by Lovable, Nordic Makers, Emblem, and scout-linked capital connected to Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz, Atech is tackling a problem that has existed for decades: while software has gone through massive abstraction waves, hardware development is still constrained by complexity, tooling, and long iteration cycles. In this conversation, we explore whether hardware could go through a similar transformation to software, and what happens if building physical products suddenly becomes dramatically more accessible. We talk about: * Why hardware never experienced the same abstraction wave as software * The biggest bottlenecks in modern hardware development * Why "Hackathon Maxxing" and Building in Public is Key * Building a software-like UX for physical products * The role of AI in hardware development * Physical AI, robotics, and the next computing wave * Working with Lovable and lessons from modern developer tools * The realities of building a deep-tech startup in Europe Many thanks to David for the highly technical and thoughtful conversation. Now available on all major platforms.

#25 Niels Martin Brøchner - Founder of Paradox on Organizational Intelligence, Context Fragmentation & the Future of Enterprise Software

Why are organizations still structured around management principles that are thousands of years old? This week we sat down with Niels Martin Brøchner, Founder of Paradox, a Danish startup building what might become one of the most ambitious infrastructure layers in enterprise software. Backed by SpeedInvest and already working with leading Danish companies, Paradox is tackling a problem most organizations feel every day but rarely describe clearly: context fragmentation -> the idea that meaning, priorities, and understanding drift as information moves through layers of an organization. Instead of building another productivity tool, Paradox is trying to fundamentally rethink how companies align, communicate, and make decisions. In this conversation, we explore what happens when organizations move beyond static workflows and toward continuously connected organizational intelligence. We talk about: * Why most companies still operate on outdated organizational structures * The hidden cost of context fragmentation inside large organizations * What Paradox and Apppa actually do in practice * The idea behind the “Organizational World Model” * Why enterprise alignment is becoming one of the biggest software opportunities * The overlap between AI, knowledge systems, and leadership * Trust, security, and handling highly sensitive organizational data * How AI could fundamentally reshape leadership and decision-making * Building deep-tech enterprise software in Europe * Advice for students and young founders entering tech Many thanks to Niels for the thoughtful and highly ambitious conversation. Now available on all major platforms.

#24 Yerrie Kim - Executive Director of CSE on Research, Entrepreneurship and Long-Term Impact

What happens when universities move beyond teaching entrepreneurship and start shaping it? This week we sat down with Yerrie Kim, who holds degrees from Harvard and MIT and has worked across finance, consulting, and venture building, before recently taking on the role of Executive Director at the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship. At CSE, the ambition is not to replicate a VC fund or accelerator. Instead, it operates at the intersection of research, education and entrepreneurship; supporting founders while staying grounded in academic thinking and long-term impact. In this conversation, we explore what that actually looks like in practice, and where universities can play a more meaningful role in building companies and ecosystems. We talk about: What differentiates university entrepreneurship from VC and accelerators The role of research in shaping entrepreneurial thinking Why US universities continue to outperform in producing top innovators Whether business schools risk losing relevance in the age of AI and deep tech How to prepare founders for increasingly competitive venture environments Europe’s ambition to strengthen its innovation ecosystem Making entrepreneurship accessible beyond the “already entrepreneurial” Many thanks to Yerrie for the thoughtful and forward-looking conversation. 🎧 Now available on all major platforms.

#23 Dr. Hendrik Brandis - Co-Founder & General Partner at Earlybird VC on Deep Tech, AI in Venture Capital & Europe’s Innovation Gap

What does it take to back the most ambitious technology companies before the breakthrough? This week we sat down with Hendrik Brandis, Co-Founder and General Partner at Earlybird VC and one of Europe’s most experienced venture capitalists. After starting his career as an aerospace engineer and later moving through consulting, Hendrik co-founded Earlybird nearly three decades ago and has since helped finance some of Europe’s most important technology companies. In this conversation we explore how venture capital actually works behind the scenes - from sourcing founders long before they become visible to the market, to evaluating deep tech opportunities where the biggest uncertainty is technical feasibility rather than market demand.  We talked about: * The role of AI and data in sourcing, screening and investment decisions * Why deep tech investing requires a fundamentally different due diligence mindset * Europe’s persistent gap between world-class research and global category leaders * Whether Europe is building the capital stack needed to compete with the US * The reopening of IPO markets and what it means for venture exits * Career advice for students interested in technology and venture capital Many thanks to Hendrik for the thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation. 🎧 Now available on all major platforms!

#22 Peter Møllgaard - President of Copenhagen Business School on AI, Geopolitics & the Future of Business Education

How should a European business school position itself in a world shaped by AI and geopolitical fragmentation? This week we sat down with Peter Møllgaard, President (Rektor) at Copenhagen Business School. From his early career in economic research and public policy to leading one of Europe’s most international business schools, Peter reflects on how universities are evolving in an era of technological acceleration and political uncertainty. We explore whether business schools risk becoming irrelevant in an AI-driven economy, how small open economies like Denmark navigate global power shifts, and what universities must do to remain both competitive and responsible. We talk about: * The changing role of university leadership in a politicized and technologized world * Economic power, tariffs, and fragmentation beyond the headlines * CBS’s positioning as a European alternative to US-style MBA models * The growing dominance of AI and STEM and what that means for business education * Redesigning education in the age of generative AI * Supporting international students in an increasingly complex global job market * The responsibility of universities in climate and long-term policy debates Many thanks to Peter for the thoughtful and forward-looking conversation. 🎧 Now available on all major platforms PS: Here is Peter’s Podcast Recommendation: https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/boss-class [https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/boss-class]