This week on the EU-Startups Podcast, Emmet King, Founding Partner at J12, a venture firm investing early in frontier-tech and AI-driven companies across Stockholm, London and Paris.
J12 is known for backing highly technical founders at the earliest stages, taking a strong thesis-led approach and helping teams build defensible infrastructure rather than short-cycle apps. Their focus on deep tech, scientific talent and long-term value creation has made them one of the most interesting young VC firms shaping Europe’s next wave of AI innovation.
In this episode, Emmet dives into what the current AI moment really looks like for European founders, arguing that while Europe has world-class talent, it still faces constraints in capital, energy and regulatory timing. He discusses whether Europe can scale iconic AI companies at home, what advantages founders already have, and much more!
Video version of episode 147:
Audio version of episode 147:
Key Takeaways:
- Europe has the AI talent to build global leaders, but still underpowers them with capital, energy and policy.
- The AI “bubble” narrative is lazy; froth is in shallow apps while infra quietly compounds.
- Energy capacity and compute access are now strategic levers, not back-office concerns.
- Winning AI startups in Europe will be trust-first, productivity-proven and talent-dense.
- Europe’s path is clear: align capital, energy, compute, data and visas around its best teams.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/12/eu-startups-podcast-episode-147-emmet-king-founding-partner-at-j12/
