Despite the tech downturn, Europe’s founder ecosystem continues to thrive with an unprecedented surge in new entrepreneurs entering the market.
These findings were revealed in the comprehensive report “Europe’s New Tech Founders 2023” published by Antler, one of the world’s leading day zero investors and Europe’s most active early stage venture capitalist.
The report was launched at Antler’s first European Founders Conference held at Mansion House, London.
According to Antler, the report is based on 845 unicorn founders, 2,500 founders participating in Antler training, and more than 70,000 European aspiring founders who applied to Antler, including 22,000 We analyze the educational background, expertise, and demographics of people living in the Netherlands. This is the largest study of European technology founders in history.
Here are some important points.
Image credit: Antler
Technology department cuts create new founder
The influx of new founder talent is being driven by technical layoffs and attrition. Antler’s research is the first to show a direct correlation between layoffs and new technology founders.
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In the 12 months since technology companies announced layoffs, Antler saw a 391% increase in applications from employees looking to become aspiring technology founders.
Nine of Europe’s top 10 tech companies for producing ambitious founders have made layoffs in the past three years, a report has found.
In 2022, the number of employees leaving tech companies to become tech founders will increase by 111 percent.
Since 2021, there has been a significant increase in the number of aspiring founders from Big Tech companies (+21%) and large startups (+27%).
Booking.com, Spotify and Klarna are the largest startups in Europe with the most founders. Microsoft, Google, and IBM are the Big Tech companies that produce the most entrepreneurs.
In the Netherlands, the report found that ambitious technology founders considering launching a technology startup in the Netherlands in the past three years were 216 percent more likely to be female than Dutch unicorn founders. It became clear.
Image credit: Antler
unicorn founder
The report points to a lack of diversity among European unicorn founders.
The report highlights that the typical unicorn founder is a man (96% male) who founds a technology company in his home country.
A third of European unicorn founders attended the same 20 universities, and unicorn founders are more likely to be Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) graduates (35) than women (32). means.
The Dutch unicorn founder most likely studied at the University of Amsterdam, Delft University of Technology, or the University of Groningen.
Triodor Software, Optiver and GSK are the companies where the Dutch unicorn founder worked most often before becoming a technology founder.
6% of Dutch unicorn founders are women, and 30% come from abroad and have founded companies that have achieved multi-billion dollar valuations in the Netherlands.
Europe’s new tech founders are more diverse
Research shows that this new generation of founders is more diverse.
New technology founders are five times more likely to be female and three times more likely to be of a nationality than European unicorn founders.
The report also highlights some statistics regarding diversity and inclusion.
Compared to European unicorn founders, the number of nationalities among European emerging technology founders has increased by 300 percent Gender diversity among European emerging technology founders is 525 percent compared to European unicorn founders Increasing 51 percent of emerging technology companies in Europe are more willing to move countries to establish their startups
In the Netherlands in particular, the report found that ambitious technology founders who have considered launching a technology startup in the Netherlands in the past three years are 216% more likely to be female than Dutch unicorn founders. states.
Founder’s engine room
Regardless of geography, one-third of unicorn founders attended the same 20 universities.
Consulting firms and corporations dominate the list of employers producing unicorn founders, the report said.
Looking at the biographies of technology founders who have secured investment from Antler in the Netherlands, Maastricht University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Groningen produce graduates most likely to receive investment.
Also, former employers at McKinsey, EY, ING and Booking.com are most likely to secure investment in tech startups, based on 22,000 aspiring founders who applied to Antler in the Netherlands The report reveals.
Employers producing unicorn founders in the Netherlands:
Triodor Software Optiver GSK Bibit Global Payments Services Mollie
Employers producing new technology founders in the Netherlands
McKinsey EY ING Booking.com ABN AMRO Bank
Academic institution producing unicorn founders in the Netherlands
University of Amsterdam Delft University of Technology University of Groningen University of Twente Eindhoven University of Technology
Academic institution producing new technology founders in the Netherlands
Maastricht University Vrije University University of Amsterdam University of Groningen Delft University of Technology INSEAD
Christoph Klink, Partner at Antler, said: In the past 12 months alone, we’ve invested in a female rocket scientist who’s sending a satellite into space, a mother starting a family while running a proptech business, an engineer who found a way to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and a fintech expert. I’ve been doing it. Keeping small businesses afloat even during economic downturns. ”
“Although their backgrounds are different, what unites them is the belief that technology can make the world a better place.When I think about the founders I spend time with every day, I feel that the European tech eco “I don’t think there’s ever been a more exciting time in the system,” Klink added.
