{"id":654168,"date":"2025-02-21T19:28:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T16:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/"},"modified":"2025-02-21T19:28:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T16:28:27","slug":"it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/","title":{"rendered":"#It takes an ecosystem to raise a scaleup"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a7a9baab42\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a7a9baab42\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#4_pillars_of_a_thriving_ecosystem\" >4 pillars of a thriving ecosystem<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#1_Talent\" >1. Talent<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#2_Infrastructure\" >2. Infrastructure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#3_Partnerships\" >3. Partnerships<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#4_Customers\" >4. Customers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#The_money_streams\" >The money streams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#The_double-edged_sword_of_regulation\" >The double-edged sword of regulation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/it-takes-an-ecosystem-to-raise-a-scaleup\/#Ecosystems_for_scale\" >Ecosystems for scale<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2025%2F02%2FUntitled-design-5-1.jpg&amp;signature=f1d6907a5d8404bb84447e6e0cce1303\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Europe\u2019s startup scene has entered troubled waters. Long overshadowed by Silicon Valley and now being chased down by China<span style=\"background-color: rgba(46, 146, 255, 0.047);\">,<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0continent is urgently looking for boosts. Increasingly, the search is leading to ecosystems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ecosystem model creates networks of individuals, organisations, and resources. Their shared expertise and resources can produce a multiplier effect, driving innovation and accelerating growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A core component of European ecosystems is the EU. While its tech strategy often faces criticism, the bloc has also played a key role in driving startup success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just ask Nicolas Benady, the CEO of Swan, a thriving banking-as-a-service (BaaS) fintech based in France.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<p class=\"ica-text__title\">TNW Conference FLASH SALE is LIVE<\/p>\n<p>Discover the next big thing. This week only, take advantage of our 2 for 1 offer on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Attendee and Corporate Passes. Ends 21 February.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur company wouldn\u2019t exist without the European Union,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benady points to the impact of the Payment Service Directive, an EU law that established standardised rules for electronic payments. The legislation sparked the success of many global fintech leaders, from Revolut to Adyen. They finally had a chance to compete with banks in payments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swan has reaped the benefits. Last month, the startup announced it had raised \u20ac42mn \u2014 the second part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Series<\/a> B round that brought Swan\u2019s total funding to an estimated \u20ac100mn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWithout this directive, I don\u2019t think we\u2019d have so many fintechs today in Europe,\u201d Benady says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fintechs are far from the only beneficiaries of the EU ecosystem \u2014 but the network still needs work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At TNW\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nurturing Scaleup Success<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> webinar on Tuesday, Benady joined a panel of European tech experts to explain the power and peril of ecosystems. Their message was clear: no startup scales alone. Their success depends on a thriving ecosystem of partners.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_pillars_of_a_thriving_ecosystem\"><\/span>4 pillars of a thriving ecosystem<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jason Lynch, CEO of quantum computing startup Equal1, has firsthand experience of the power of ecosystems. His company has partnered with <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.arm.com\/blog\/pushing-quantum-computing-boundaries-with-arm-equal1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on computing breakthroughs, collaborated with Nvidia to blend hardware with software, and teamed up with the Netherlands Organisation for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a>lied Scientific Research (TNO) on product development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equal1 also recently secured investment from TNO. To strengthen the alliance, the startup has set up shop in another component of the Dutch ecosystem: the House of Quantum in Delft, a national campus for quantum startups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lynch has high hopes for the relocation. \u201cBeing in a centre of excellence\u2026 is a critical piece of an ecosystem,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the TNW webinar \u2014 now <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">available to watch<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on-demand \u2014 Lynch broke down four crucial benefits of an ecosystem.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Talent\"><\/span>1. Talent<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Silicon Valley\u2019s <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">network effects<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continuously prove, startups benefit immensely from proximity to talent. The House of Quantum provides another promising example. With a steady stream of experts flowing through the site, the centre is giving Equal1 a fresh talent pipeline.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Infrastructure\"><\/span>2. Infrastructure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Computation costs for startups can be astronomical. With access to shared infrastructure, startups can achieve dramatic savings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Partnerships\"><\/span>3. Partnerships<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tech firms often rely on complex supply chains. Ecosystems offer a route to bring each component together. \u201cWhat a centre of excellence like Delft offers is an ability to work very closely with companies that are just across the corridor,\u201d says Lynch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Customers\"><\/span>4. Customers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">End users are drawn to areas with substantial expertise and companies. They help startups to validate and commercialise their products more quickly. \u201cA hub like this really attracts in those end users,\u201d says Lynch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet Lynch also has concerns about EU ecosystems. Chief among them is a failure to commercialise ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s well-recognised that European research is leading the world. People would probably say that bringing that research to market is where Europe has more of a challenge. For me, that\u2019s about speed, getting out of the way of startups, and trying to lower the barriers as much as possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_money_streams\"><\/span>The money streams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EU policymakers are often slated for providing insufficient support to startups. There are growing signs, however, that their attitudes are changing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clotilde Hocquard, Public Affairs Lead at France Digitale, a European organisation that connects startups and investors, points to several positive developments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One is an expansion of funding streams, such as <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/news\/eu-launches-investai-initiative-mobilise-eu200-billion-investment-artificial-intelligence#:~:text=At%20the%20Artificial%20Intelligence%20(AI,20%20billion%20for%20AI%20gigafactories.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a new EU initiative<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to mobilise \u20ac200bn for AI investments. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another is France\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sifted.eu\/articles\/tibi-plan-europe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tibi Initiative<\/a>, which brings institutional investors together with accredited VC firms to encourage tech investing. \u201cIt should be replicated at the European level,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hocquard says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Big ideas like this have been hard to bring to life, but they\u2019re now attracting growing support. Hocquard noticed the momentum shift after last year\u2019s publication of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Draghi Report<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which revealed alarming problems for European innovation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPolicymakers are starting to realise that they need to do something to make sure startups can thrive in Europe,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the positive signs, Hocquard wants faster progress. She points to another example set in the US.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have to make sure to mobilise pension funds and insurers, like in the United States. And we have to make sure the money is targeted towards VC funds and to finance innovation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But funding isn\u2019t the only challenge for EU ecosystems.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_double-edged_sword_of_regulation\"><\/span>The double-edged sword of regulation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swan may only exist thanks to EU rules, but the bloc\u2019s regulation is a double-edged sword.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One big problem is the diversity of laws. Despite the single market, the EU\u2019s legislation is fragmented. \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything single,\u201d says Hocquard. \u201cWe have 27 member states doing what they want with their rules.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This smorgasbord of laws raises barriers to scaling across borders. If the ecosystem could harmonise the rules, startups would face smoother paths to expansion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hocquard points to company law as a powerful and straightforward initial target. She also urges member states to stop twisting EU rules in different directions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf there\u2019s a European law, it should be applied in a uniform way across the continent,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ecosystems_for_scale\"><\/span>Ecosystems for scale<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The urge to scale can lead to premature decisions. Benady advises early-stage founders to first focus on the product-market fit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOnce you start to see commercial traction, then you have to scale your company \u2014 and this is a totally different <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At that point, ecosystems become a key player. For Swan, they provided a vital boost to the company\u2019s progress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first, however, Benady underestimated the value of two essential supporting structures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEven though my investors warned me, I paid attention a little bit too late to HR and finance,\u201d he admits. \u201cWhen you scale, you can\u2019t mess with HR and finance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benady compares their impact to musicians in a band.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFinance and HR are the drum and the bass. That\u2019s not what you hear; you hear the singer, you hear the guitar \u2014 but if you don\u2019t have a perfect drum and bass, you won\u2019t scale your company. So pay attention to finance and HR.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To make sweet startup music, ecosystems need an orchestra of instruments. They require one section for talent, a second for infrastructure, another for partnerships, and a fourth for customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also need the public and governments to hum along. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe goal now is convincing citizens that investing in innovation is actually investing in the future of Europe,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hocquard says.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cOnce we have the citizens with us, we need the policymakers to make all the legal changes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that support,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Europe\u2019s band of startups could be heading for the world stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ecosystems will be a hot topic at <\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TNW Conference<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Tickets for the event are <\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">now on sale<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Use the code TNWX<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MEDIA<\/a>2025 at checkout to get 30% off the price tag.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/european-startups-scaleups-need-ecosystem\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Europe\u2019s startup scene has entered troubled waters. Long overshadowed by Silicon Valley and now being chased down by China,\u00a0the\u00a0continent is urgently looking for boosts. Increasingly, the search is leading to ecosystems.\u00a0 The ecosystem model creates networks of individuals, organisations, and resources. Their shared expertise and resources can produce a multiplier effect, driving innovation and accelerating&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":654169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2025%2F02%2FUntitled-design-5-1.jpg&signature=b7cd8c9d7767d93f442cc15ff7e4c09f","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-654168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/654169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}