What happens when a top European banker and a leading VC team up to fix the continent’s tech funding gap? Join Marco Iannaccone (HypoVereinsbank/UniCredit) and Alexander Kudlich (Capital 468) for an unfiltered, optimistic take on why Europe’s startups struggle to scale – and how that’s about to change.

Both guests agree: Europe doesn’t suffer from a lack of innovation or ambition – it suffers from an underpowered funding landscape for growing companies. As Kudlich bluntly puts it, “We’re not just selling a fund. We’re selling an entire industry.” And Iannaccone, representing one of Europe’s largest banks, doesn’t shy away from calling out the systemic lag: “Europe is 25 years behind in growth financing. But we're finally learning where the value is – and we’re catching up fast.”

Together, they offer a candid diagnosis of why tech startups struggle to scale in Germany and all over Europe – and how new alliances between institutions and venture capital could change that. Kudlich outlines the next frontier: “The best companies in Europe today aren’t about pizza delivery—they’re launching GPUs into space.”

Along the way, the conversation smashes a few myths, like the idea that tech investments aren’t a fit for banks. Iannaccone is clear: “That’s a massive misconception.” HypoVereinsbank/UniCredit is playing a vital role in bridging the trust, education, and capital gap between traditional investors and tech founders. As Kudlich says, “Our worlds used to be far apart. Now we’re learning each other’s language – and building something together.”

The Optimist is presented by TECH by Handelsblatt Media Group and independent from the Handelsblatt editorial team. With the Technology Experience Convention Heilbronn (TECH), Handelsblatt Media Group, Handelsblatt and Schwarz Digits are creating a strategic platform to strengthen the European tech ecosystem. TECH‘s mission is to establish a „cluster of optimism“, connecting Europe’s most influential leaders across technology, industry, politics, and academia. More at tech-europe.org