What's ahead for European tech in 2025? Our Founding Partner, Filip Felician Dames, shares his insights on the key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the tech landscape in the year to come. Filip remains highly optimistic about Europe's potential on the global stage - highlighting its diverse talent, founder ambition, and the opportunity to build businesses with lasting global impact. What trends are you watching closely this year?
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 Filip Felician Dames, Founding Partner at Cherry Ventures, shares his vision for the trends, challenges, and opportunities that will define startups in 2025. From AI as a business transformer to the rise of European tech, here are his insights: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀? "AI will continue to dominate, evolving from a productivity tool into a true business transformer. We’re witnessing a shift from AI merely assisting work to actually performing it, compelling enterprises to rethink their tech stacks entirely. This transition will redefine how startups operate and deliver value. The convergence of AI and robotics will drive innovation, moving beyond repetitive tasks to complex decision-making in dynamic environments." 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁? "The exit landscape remains uncertain. While there’s cautious optimism that the IPO market will reopen gradually, it could take longer than expected. Meanwhile, M&A activity might gain momentum, especially with potential shifts in US regulatory policies. My advice to founders? Focus on building sustainable businesses. The winners will be those with strong unit economics and clear paths to profitability, regardless of market conditions." 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆? "I would focus on European sovereignty in critical sectors like AI, space, defense, or energy storage. Companies like The Exploration Company and Helsing are proving that European founders can compete globally. This ambition—building companies that ensure Europe’s technological independence—is exactly what we need." 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱? "Several traditional industries are ripe for disruption. The automotive sector is a clear example, where many European players are struggling to innovate quickly enough. Healthcare is another, with AI-driven diagnostics and personalized medicine reshaping patient care. Transitioning from reactive to preventive models has the potential to improve outcomes while reducing costs, making it a transformative area." 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲? "Despite bureaucratic challenges, I’m incredibly bullish on European tech. We have world-class talent, diverse markets that foster innovation, and a growing ambition to compete on the global stage. The future is bright for European entrepreneurs willing to aim high." How do you think AI and sustainability will shape startups?