Events

TechBBQ 2025

Share on LinkedIn
Go to the Report
Home
Our Resources
TechBBQ 2025

TechBBQ 2025

"Fueling Inclusive Entrepreneurship Through Digitalisation & AI" Pannel

At TechBBQ, the Policy Lounge hosted a panel, moderated by Kasia Piasecki. The discussion brought together voices from politics, tech, and venture, including:

✨ Key themes discussed:

- How digital tools and AI can democratise entrepreneurship and open new markets

- Why closing the funding gap for female founders is not just fairness, but a competitiveness issue

- The role of EU regulation in enabling or blocking innovation

- Practical insights from founders, policymakers, and investors on how to unlock Europe’s untapped potential

‍

Gender Gap in Investments, Copenhagen 🇩🇰

At this year’s TechBBQ, we joined EISMEA for the Gender Gap in Investments project to explore best practices from Copenhagen 🇩🇰 on closing the gender gap in venture capital and investment ecosystems.

Partners for the event were EIFO and Thousand Faces.

The session featured fantastic keynotes from Claudia Colciago, PhD (EIFO) and Ekke Van Vliet (EIC - European Innovation Council), who brought fresh perspectives on how policy, data, and targeted instruments can accelerate gender parity in innovation.

One of the standout announcements came from Denmark’s government. The launch of a DKK 250M fund (2025) dedicated to female entrepreneurs, administered by EIFO together with private investors. It’s a strong example of how policy and targeted funding can shift the game. By requiring at least one female founder in company, the fund ensures that capital flows directly to female-led and mixed teams.

The energy and engagement around this topic were inspiring.

✨ Key takeaways:

  • Gender equity drives competitiveness – Closing the gender gap is not just the right thing to do; it’s an economic imperative.
  • Policy + capital = change – When public funding sets inclusive criteria, it helps reshape market behavior.
  • Digitalisation & AI are enablers – As discussed at the Policy Lounge panel “Fueling Inclusive Entrepreneurship Through Digitalisation & AI”, tools like AI can democratise access, empower founders, and open new markets.
  • Collaboration matters – The conversation brought together voices from politics, venture, and tech, including Samantha Niblett MP, Arba Kokalari (EPP), Gulfem Toygar (Amazon), Frederikke Antonie Schmidt (roccamore), and Caro Rossi (ESNA) — all united by a shared goal: unlocking Europe’s untapped entrepreneurial potential.

‍
Other highlights form TechBBQ 2025

🍽️ VC Platform x HSBC TechBBQ Dinner - It was a pleasure to participate in this gathering. The discussions were thought-provoking, the hospitality was excellent, and it was inspiring to connect with so many talented individuals. I look forward to the next opportunity to come together.

🤝 Corporate Day – We partnered with The Link, Industriens Fond, and Beyond Beta to convene a day of exchange between corporates and startups. The event facilitated dialogue, highlighted potential collaboration opportunities, and encouraged new ideas for co-creating the future of innovation in Europe.

🛠️ EUVC & Investor Day – A strong start to the summit. The session on fundraising in 2024 and current challenges for VCs, featuring Søren Thinggaard Hansen (Novo Holdings), Sara Rywe (byFounders), and Julie Høi-Nielsen (Mazanti-Andersen) offered valuable perspectives. On the CVC side, the session on founder-CVC dynamics with Linn Clabburn (Inter IKEA Group) and Destana Herring (Regeneration.VC) was excellent. Additional contributions from Nicole LeBlanc, Anne C. Fleischer and others further enriched the conversations.

💬 Pensions Day – We joined the discussion on Europe’s missed opportunity. Europe holds one of the world’s largest pools of long-term savings, yet far too little of it is channelled into innovation. Unlocking even a small share of pension capital could transform Europe’s ability to scale its startups and compete globally.

‍

No items found.