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Venture building and EU funding, from the inside.
Practical articles written from the experience of building ventures for European corporations and evaluating innovation projects for the European Commission.
EU Funding
How EIC Accelerator consultants charge: the success fee
Fixed fee, success fee, or both? The models, what a fair engagement costs, and the red flags to avoid.
Venture BuildingFrom corporate to founder: de-risking the jump
What kills most corporate-to-founder transitions, how to validate before you quit, and where a venture builder fits.
Venture BuildingInnovation consultant vs venture builder
Who advises, who builds, who shares the risk, and which one you actually need. Written from both sides.
EU FundingEIC interview (Step 3): how the jury scores you
Where most EIC outcomes are decided: the panel, the recurring questions, and how to prep the 45 minutes.
EU FundingEIC Accelerator 2026: the challenges and which fits
Five thematic challenges plus the open call with 220M ring-fenced, and how to choose your route.
EU FundingEIC Accelerator 2026: what changed for you
Six cut-offs a year, a 20-page proposal, five challenges: what changed and how to adapt.
AI & InnovationCustomer discovery for AI products in HR
Buyer, user and the person in pain are three different people. Which workflows have real adoption signal.
AI & EU RegulationEU AI Act for startups: what founders need to know
The practical version, not the legal one: risk tiers, what applies today, what evaluators already check.
Venture BuildingDo startup accelerators actually work?
Most accelerator data is selection bias. What they really deliver, and when EU funding beats the equity cost.
Innovation ConsultingInnovation consulting: what it costs and if you need it
Day rates, engagement types, red flags, and the honest cases for and against hiring one.
Venture BuildingCustomer discovery for B2B AI products
Most B2B AI fails on discovery, not tech. How to recruit the right early adopters and get real signal.
EU FundingEU funding for startups and SMEs in 2026
Every European funding option, with amounts and requirements, from an EU Expert Evaluator.
EU FundingNon-dilutive capital in Europe: a map for startups
Grants, soft loans, R&D tax credits and EIB instruments, and how to stack them across stages.
Corporate InnovationAI and corporate strategy: the organisational gap
Big firms have the same AI tools as startups. The bottleneck is not technology, it is the organisation.
Venture BuildingVenture builder vs studio vs accelerator
Three models that all claim to build startups but work very differently. Mechanics, economics, use cases.
Venture BuildingAI and the MVP: why lean startup no longer applies
When building is nearly free, the lean logic inverts. The new risk is speed without learning.
EU FundingEIC Accelerator vs Horizon Europe: which fits you
Two EU instruments, two different logics. Mechanics, amounts, and a decision framework.
AI & InnovationAI for operations vs AI for growth: where to start
Different approaches, timelines and metrics. Conflating them is why AI projects deliver nothing measurable.
Venture BuildingStructuring a corporate-startup co-development deal
Most fail on structure, not intent. The four decisions to make before you call a lawyer.
AI & InnovationIs your company ready for AI?
Not whether to use AI, but whether the conditions exist for it to work. A four-dimension check.
AI & Automation ToolsMake vs n8n vs Zapier for startups (2026)
Not a feature list: what each is good at, where each breaks, and which fits your situation now.
AI & InnovationWhy AI projects fail: the common mistakes
Between 50 and 85 percent fail to deliver. The mistakes that repeat, and what to do instead.
AI & InnovationHow to measure the ROI of AI automation
Measure time recovered, not automations built. A 90-day framework with realistic benchmarks.
Innovation ConsultingWhat does an innovation consultant actually do?
What the work really looks like, and the four situations where you are better off without one.
AI & InnovationAI strategy: build in-house or bring in an expert?
The real mistake is starting before the strategy is clear. A framework with observable signals.
AI & InnovationAI automation for startups: where to start
Most founders automate the wrong things first. Real tools and priorities to do more with less.
EU FundingWhy most EU funding applications fail
After hundreds of proposals evaluated, the same five mistakes. Technology is rarely the problem.
EU FundingEIC Accelerator: the complete guide
Hundreds of proposals evaluated for the Commission: what gets rejected, and how strategy changes.
EU FundingHorizon Europe for SMEs
Not just for universities: join consortia, find partners, and access grants up to 100% of costs.
Corporate InnovationCorporate venture building: startups built inside
The two models that actually produce results, and why most corporate innovation fails at the start.
Venture BuildingWhat is a venture builder (not an accelerator)
15+ years building ventures for European corporates. The question I always get: what do you do?
Venture BuildingCorporate-startup collaboration that works
Most fail on process, not technology. A framework tested across dozens of programmes, including CERN.
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