“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From fragmented go-to-market strategies to outdated tax regimes, European tech faces realchallenges. But for Maxime Dubois, CEO of French software scale-up Nomadia, themomentum is shifting. If corporations and policymakers can be bolder, and more European- first in their purchasing and policy decisions, the region could finally seize its competitive edge.

Europe’s startup ecosystem has evolved dramatically in the past decade. Capital is more available, talent is upskilling fast, particularly in technical roles, and founders are thinking bigger. But according to French tech founder Maxime, there are still four deep-rooted challenges standing between European companies and global scale.

“First, the regulatory environment is deeply fragmented,” he explains. “If you want to address Europe, you need 20+ specific go-to-market strategies. The market is divided not only by regulation, but also language and culture.”

That market fragmentation presents a sharp contrast to the US, where companies can target over 300 million consumers under a single framework, in one language, with one approach. In Europe, that complexity increases costs and slows execution. But Maxime doesn’t believe it’s a reason to give up.

“In the past ten years, we’ve caught up significantly on capital and people,” he says. “The real issue that remains is regulation. And that’s where Europe needs to change its mindset. 

Go-to-market: still playing catch-up

Maxime points out that even as European companies build strong products, they often fall behind when it comes to go-to-market execution - not for lack of potential, but because of long-standing cultural norms.

“In Europe, we treat GTM as less important than product or engineering. In the US, it’s seen as equally important, and sales roles are far more attractive to top talent,” he explains. “I’m trying to hire people who’ve learned GTM in US companies, because they’re the best at it.”

The gap isn’t just about skills, but attitude. “European companies are more conservative,” Maxime says. “Sales and GTM strategies in the US are much more accelerated, they start diversifying earlier, scaling faster.”

But that’s changing. Public-private partnerships and AI-focused upskilling initiatives are making a difference. “It’s not enough yet,” he admits, “but I’m not concerned about that part. Technical talent is getting there.”

A mindset shift for corporates and governments

If Europe wants to build more global champions, Maxime argues that public and private institutions both have a role to play, starting with mindset.

“Success in Europe still means working for a big company in a prime sector like luxury,” he says. “In the US, it’s about building and scaling. That difference in how we view risk and failure really matters.”

But perhaps the most urgent change he wants to see is in procurement behaviour, especially from Europe’s largest corporates and public sector bodies.

“I would love to see the private sector be much more European-first,” he says. “Right now, whether you’re a French or German company doesn’t really matter, buyers aren’t prioritising local software. They’re still spending dollars in the US.”

For Maxime, that needs to change if Europe is to create sustainable growth. “Geopolitically, it’s becoming clear we need to support our own ecosystem. That means making local purchase decisions and valuing European tech.”

On the regulatory side, he believes more collaboration is possible — but only if people with private sector experience help shape policy. “Politicians don’t always understand the needs of startups. They’ve never worked in the private sector,” he says. “We need more people who’ve built companies to help co-create future regulations.”

The cost of talent and the real risk ahead

While some founders are concerned about rising wages in Europe, Maxime sees the bigger problem in looming tax changes. In France, new proposals could make it harder for founders and executive teams to benefit from equity-based incentives, a shift he believes would send the wrong message.

“I’m happy to pay to improve the system, but I’m not happy when it becomes stupidly high,” he says. “If they go through with this, it’ll be a big problem, people will move to the US, Dubai, or Singapore.”

Equity, he adds, is what keeps leaders aligned with long-term success. “We’d rather give equity so they’re tied into the company’s future, not rebalance everything towards salary just because of short-term tax decisions.”

A turning point, if Europe takes it

Despite the barriers, Maxime sees this moment as a potential turning point. Global companies are watching Europe more closely. Local capital is more willing to take bets. And large corporations are starting to fund innovation ecosystems.

“The momentum is there,” he says. “But now we need to commit. Build smarter tax regimes. Focus regulation on enabling innovation, not stalling it. And most of all, spend our money on European tech.”

Because as Maxime makes clear, the building blocks for success are already here. What Europe needs now is belief and bold action.