Abstract digital map of Europe with glowing data connections, representing technology, connectivity, and collaboration, alongside Boardwave and McKinsey & Company branding.

Executive Summary: Europe's Moonshot Moment: Fuelling its Tech Ecosystem for Scale

This report is a collaborative publication by McKinsey & Company and Boardwave and is based on qualitative and quantitative research conducted from September 25, 2024 to April 25, 2025.

Group of people trekking across a snowy landscape pulling sleds, symbolizing teamwork, endurance, and a shared journey toward a common goal.

Leadership at the Edge: Lessons from Boardwave’s Polar Expedition

Boardwave’s first Polar Leadership Expedition, co-hosted with WellFounded in Norway, offered a vivid lesson in what leadership looks like when plans change, conditions harden and teams have to adapt together.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Business leaders attending a Boardwave and OakNorth event, listening to former Chancellor Philip Hammond discuss economic outlook and policy ahead of the UK Budget.

Budget 2026: Five Things To Watch

Boardwave and OakNorth host former Chancellor Philip Hammond to discuss UK economic outlook and policy ahead of Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget.

Bruce Cleveland

“Europe Needs to Stop Playing Small”: Abakar Saidov on What’s Blocking Scale in European Enterprise Tech

At the conference, which took place in Menlo Park. Partners from c.15 brand-name VC firms presented their views over a two-day event with c. 300 public market investors and discussed i) emerging enterprise technology trends, ii) the portfolio compani

Amy Wilson-Wyles

AI’s Tornado Effect

Vodafone, Ocado, Deliveroo and the NHS on what AI really means for their industries, and for your...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

From Start-Up Nation to Scale-Up Superpower: The Case for a Scale Up Investment Scheme

The UK is one of the best places in the world to start a company. But, one of the hardest to scale...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Your Customers Aren't Searching Anymore. They're Getting Answers. And You're Not In Them.

The internet's grand bargain is dead. For twenty-five years, we've operated on a simple compact: publishers create...

Boardwave Live 2025: Five key takeaways

We’re now two years into our 10-year mission to elevate Europe as the world’s leading technology powerhouse by 2033. And just...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

“Europe Could Be the New China of Services”: Revolut’s Antoine Le Nel on How the Region Can Scale Big

Europe has the ingredients to build global tech giants: talent, regulation, and cost advantage. But lacks the confidence to...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Big Deals, Bigger Decisions: What might the UK–US Tech Pact Mean for Scale-Ups?

This week’s state visit by the US President, Donald Trump, to the UK is expected to bring another raft of investment and,...

Burhan Al-Gailani

Leaders' Lives

Dean Forbes: Redefining the Road to the Top By Amy Wilson-Wyles, Director of Editorial,...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

“I Want to See a Europe-First Mindset”: Why Nomadia CEO Maxime Dubois Wants European Tech to Back Its Own

From fragmented go-to-market strategies to outdated tax regimes, European tech faces.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

The Cultural Catch: Why Europe Still Struggles to Scale Its Tech Stars

Despite growing investment and a swelling ecosystem, Europe’s most promising tech companies are still struggling to scale

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Europe’s Tipping Point: Five Key Takeaways From Our Panel

A convergence of world-class talent and technology, free-flowing capital, and shifting.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Operational Excellence

Inside the Hg Playbook: What Investors Really Want Founders to Know

We sat down with Hg, one of the continent’s most active private equity investors in B2B software, to understand how they identify.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Talent & Impact

How Policymakers Can Actually Help Scaling Businesses (Instead of Just Talking About It)

By: Felix Mitchell , co-CEO and co-Founder of Instant Impact , a provider of AI-powered talent solutions for small and medium.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Europe’s Software Moment

What the New Boardwave - McKinsey & Company Report Means for Scaling Software The...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Leaders' Lives: Dame Julia Hoggett

Dame Julia Hoggett: The Market-Maker with a Mission From the trading floor to the heart of UK capital markets, Dame Julia....

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Group of people trekking across a snowy landscape pulling sleds, symbolizing teamwork, endurance, and a shared journey toward a common goal.

Leadership at the Edge: Lessons from Boardwave’s Polar Expedition

Boardwave’s first Polar Leadership Expedition, co-hosted with WellFounded in Norway, offered a vivid lesson in what leadership looks like when plans change, conditions harden and teams have to adapt together.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Leaders' Lives

Dean Forbes: Redefining the Road to the Top By Amy Wilson-Wyles, Director of Editorial,...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Leaders' Lives: Dame Julia Hoggett

Dame Julia Hoggett: The Market-Maker with a Mission From the trading floor to the heart of UK capital markets, Dame Julia....

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Leaders' Lives: Rishi Khosla

Rishi Khosla has built not one, but two high-growth businesses - first with Copal Amba, which he...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Lessons In Entrepreneurial Resilience From The Edge Of The World

One rowed solo across the Atlantic. The other led an expedition to the South Pole. Bot...

Founder Resilience: Healthy mind, healthy company - meditation for founders with Gelong Thubten

Founders are famously prone to buildups of stress — which makes them prime candidates for the resilience-building benefits.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Ask the Expert: How private equity-backed companies can optimise their talent acquisition strategies

For this column we asked Jack Lane , Managing Director of Finatal to share his advice on how private equity-backed.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Unveiling Our Leaders' Lives Book: A New Perspective on European Leadership

At Boardwave Live, we introduced Leaders' Lives , our first coffee table book that offers.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Nezahat Gultekin: Independent Non ExecutiveDirector, LOGO Yazılım

The strategic advisor with kindness at her core LOCATIONS: Milan, Italy and...

Alexandre de Vigan: CEO, Nfinite

The retail visionary who broke America with AI imagery LOCATION: Paris, France...

Anne-Sophie D’Andlau: Co-founder, CIAM

The engaged investor activating change LOCATION: Paris, France LANGUAGES SPOKEN: French and English CURRENT ROLES...

Moritz Zimmermann: General Partner, 42CAP

The resilient founder who pre-empted the e-commerce boom LOCATION: Munich, Germany...

Evgenia Plotnikova: General Partner, Dawn Capital

LOCATION: London, UK LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Russian, English and French CURRENT ROLE: General Partner, Dawn...

Øystein Moan: Chair of Visma

LOCATION: Oslo, Norway LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Norwegian, Danish, English,...

Joaquim Lechà: CEO, Typeform

The CEO who turned a major accident into lifelong inspiration LOCATIONS: London, UK; San...

Federico Leproux: CEO, TeamSystem SpA

The former athlete with one eye on the bigger picture LOCATION: Milan, Italy LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Italian, English and...

Amber Vodegel: Founder, NED, Digital Health Expert

LOCATION: Surrey, UK LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Dutch, English, German and French CURRENT ROLES: None.

How To Balance the Load: Mental Health Strategies for Start-up and Scale-Up Founders

By Laura Stembridge, CEO and Founder Let the InsideOut MSc Mental Health and Physical...

Laura Stembridge

Abstract digital map of Europe with glowing data connections, representing technology, connectivity, and collaboration, alongside Boardwave and McKinsey & Company branding.

Executive Summary: Europe's Moonshot Moment: Fuelling its Tech Ecosystem for Scale

This report is a collaborative publication by McKinsey & Company and Boardwave and is based on qualitative and quantitative research conducted from September 25, 2024 to April 25, 2025.

Business leaders attending a Boardwave and OakNorth event, listening to former Chancellor Philip Hammond discuss economic outlook and policy ahead of the UK Budget.

Budget 2026: Five Things To Watch

Boardwave and OakNorth host former Chancellor Philip Hammond to discuss UK economic outlook and policy ahead of Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget.

Bruce Cleveland

“Europe Needs to Stop Playing Small”: Abakar Saidov on What’s Blocking Scale in European Enterprise Tech

At the conference, which took place in Menlo Park. Partners from c.15 brand-name VC firms presented their views over a two-day event with c. 300 public market investors and discussed i) emerging enterprise technology trends, ii) the portfolio compani

Amy Wilson-Wyles

AI’s Tornado Effect

Vodafone, Ocado, Deliveroo and the NHS on what AI really means for their industries, and for your...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

From Start-Up Nation to Scale-Up Superpower: The Case for a Scale Up Investment Scheme

The UK is one of the best places in the world to start a company. But, one of the hardest to scale...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Your Customers Aren't Searching Anymore. They're Getting Answers. And You're Not In Them.

The internet's grand bargain is dead. For twenty-five years, we've operated on a simple compact: publishers create...

Boardwave Live 2025: Five key takeaways

We’re now two years into our 10-year mission to elevate Europe as the world’s leading technology powerhouse by 2033. And just...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

“Europe Could Be the New China of Services”: Revolut’s Antoine Le Nel on How the Region Can Scale Big

Europe has the ingredients to build global tech giants: talent, regulation, and cost advantage. But lacks the confidence to...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Big Deals, Bigger Decisions: What might the UK–US Tech Pact Mean for Scale-Ups?

This week’s state visit by the US President, Donald Trump, to the UK is expected to bring another raft of investment and,...

Burhan Al-Gailani

“I Want to See a Europe-First Mindset”: Why Nomadia CEO Maxime Dubois Wants European Tech to Back Its Own

From fragmented go-to-market strategies to outdated tax regimes, European tech faces.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

The Cultural Catch: Why Europe Still Struggles to Scale Its Tech Stars

Despite growing investment and a swelling ecosystem, Europe’s most promising tech companies are still struggling to scale

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Europe’s Tipping Point: Five Key Takeaways From Our Panel

A convergence of world-class talent and technology, free-flowing capital, and shifting.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Europe’s Software Moment

What the New Boardwave - McKinsey & Company Report Means for Scaling Software The...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

What is it like giving feedback to a Parliamentary Select Committee on the Future of UK Tech Investment in a world on High Security Alert?

Authored by Mike Reid, Founder, Frog Capital Pictured: Mike Reid, Founder, Frog Capital How doe...

Scaling Smarter: Candid Advice from Europe’s Top Founders and Investors

What does it really take to scale a business from scrappy beginnings to global success? For Louise Hill (Co-founder of....

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Business with a Conscience

Five Insights on Purpose-Led Leadership As the U.S. rolls back its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion under...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Taxes, Tariffs, & Trump: How a Shifting World Order Opens Doors for Europe's Moment

Why the Time to Build Global Tech Leaders at Home Is Now For years, the United States has...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Ask the Expert: Scaling Teams Across Europe - Employment Law for Tech Start-ups in Spain

What are the key legal issues from an employment law perspective that Tech Start-ups...

Ignacio del Fraile and Borja González Elejabarrieta

Operational Excellence

Inside the Hg Playbook: What Investors Really Want Founders to Know

We sat down with Hg, one of the continent’s most active private equity investors in B2B software, to understand how they identify.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Operational Excellence

What makes an effective board, according to WeTransfer's Chair and CEO duo

If anyone has the formula for an effective board, it’s WeTransfer’s symbiotic Chair and CEO pairing,...

Operational Excellence

ASK THE EXPERT

Employment Law for Tech Start-ups: Scaling Teams Across Europe In this column, we asked...

Operational Excellence

Ask The Expert: What Are Fractional General Counsel Services? And How Could They Help Your Growing Business?

As a CEO or Founder, getting the right legal advice at the right time is crucial. But not all companies need a permanent team of...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Operational Excellence

Optimising Board Meetings For Start-Up Software Companies: Driving Engagement And Success

By Paul Stark, Govrn For software companies experiencing rapid growth, the need for a dynamic...

Operational Excellence

Event Insights: Building Your Stellar Leadership Team

Date: Thursday, 9 May 2024 Location: London, UK Experts: Dan Hyde, CEO at...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Operational Excellence

Event Insights: From Founder-led to Fortune – B2B Software Sales for Scalability.

The Key Lessons From Our Breakfast Debate Date: Wednesday 5 May, 2024.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Operational Excellence

How to Prepare for an Angel Investment Round

Guidance Note for Members Looking for Angel or Early Stage Investments Boardwave is a membership organisation crafted.

Operational Excellence

Navigating Business Success: Insights from Boardwave's V2MOM Event

Boardwave hosted its first event of the year at Home House, London. The oversubscribed breakfast was a testament to...

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Operational Excellence

Software M&A best practice: Navigating Uncertainty

M&A is a critical for many software companies . Understanding the drivers is vital....

Operational Excellence

Pricing Precision: The Art of Strategy Execution

Pricing is not a one-time task. It’s a dynamic and iterative process that requires careful planning,..

Operational Excellence

Motivation, inspiration, data and the right foundations

By Chano Fernandez CEO, Growth & Transformation Leader Boardwave Patron Fast Company recently announced Chano

Operational Excellence

The art of selling in early-stage B2B software ventures

The ability to sell is the lifeblood of any enterprise and for early-stage software ventures it’s an...

Operational Excellence

How to avoid the Success Trap

Martin Ward is a Boardwave Committee Member and today writes this guest blog for us to...

Financial charts and graphs on paper with a magnifying glass highlighting market trends, representing data analysis, investment insights, and business performance evaluation.

Operational Excellence

How good is your business?

Discusses a new European Software benchmark for CEOs to measure their business against, providing clear insights into performance, growth, and how they compare to others at similar stages.

Talent & Impact

How Policymakers Can Actually Help Scaling Businesses (Instead of Just Talking About It)

By: Felix Mitchell , co-CEO and co-Founder of Instant Impact , a provider of AI-powered talent solutions for small and medium.

Amy Wilson-Wyles

Talent & Impact

Founder's letter to members

Boardwave Founders Review of 2023 and looking forwards to 2024

Talent & Impact

Unmasking unconscious bias training: why it often falls short

We all want to ensure that our businesses offer the fairest possible environment, particularly....

Talent & Impact

Five star players exemplifying the power of diversity in business

It’s official: diversity is a must-have for businesses. Gone are the days when it could be palmed off as merely a nice-t...

Talent & Impact

Tackling gender equity with Boardwave and Bain & Company

Gender equity is a hugely important topic for businesses today, both in Europe and...

Talent & Impact

Work in a post pandemic world

In our latest podcast we discuss new attitudes to work with Chano Fernandez, Co-CEO of Workday, Abakar Saidov, CEO Beamery.

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