V_labs | New Business Building

German manufacturing is extremely capable. The real challenge lies in managing flexibility, cost, and growth at the same time. Last week, our partner Manuel Hörl joined a machinery-focused economic mission in Bavaria hosted by ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Deutschland. Across company visits including Liebherr Group, DMG MORI, Wacker Neuson, Linde, Josef Lentner GmbH, TGSK - Turbo Gears - Services - Kempten and Jungheinrich AG, a consistent pattern emerged: ⚙️ Engineering quality and manufacturing depth remain at an exceptional level 🤝 Differentiation is driven by strong customer proximity and flexibility 💸 This comes at a cost, with customization leading to high inventory requirements 🚀 There is significant potential to enter new markets based on existing technologies 🛡️ Defence is increasingly relevant, often through existing industrial capabilities Many thanks to ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA for organizing this insightful exchange.

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Europe’s defence landscape has shifted. Industry responses remain cautious. Our 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 was recently featured in the March defence special issue of INDUSTRIEMAGAZIN, highlighting one of the central dynamics currently shaping the sector. Based on 200 executive-level responses across European industry, the report shows that while the geopolitical environment has changed significantly, many companies are still carefully evaluating how to respond. Defence and security have clearly entered corporate agendas. Yet the transition from strategic attention to concrete execution remains cautious. What stands out in the data is that the most significant barriers are rarely technological. Instead, companies are navigating questions such as: 🔹 strategic positioning and corporate identity 🔹 mandate ownership and governance structures 🔹 regulatory complexity and compliance 🔹 positioning within emerging defence value chains Many thanks to Daniel Pohselt for highlighting the findings in the latest issue. 📘 Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/de8eRAEb

Last week, Manuel Hörl and Markus Rothmüller joined MWC Barcelona, one of the world’s largest gatherings for connectivity and digital infrastructure. MWC is always a good place to observe where technology, infrastructure, and business models are heading. A few signals stood out: 🤖 AI is moving from tools to agents The next wave of AI is not just about better models. It is about autonomous agents acting across systems. This raises a new challenge: The permission structures we built for humans do not translate well to software agents. Governance and access control will become an important design question for organizations. 🔌 Differentiation is shifting to applications Building AI software or connectivity solutions alone is no longer a differentiator, the market is crowded with providers. Real value increasingly lies in specific applications and vertical solutions, where hidden champions continue to dominate niche markets. 🦾 Robotics is gaining strong momentum From industrial automation to defense and aerospace applications, robotics is attracting growing attention and investment. 📊 Infrastructure is becoming more strategic From data centers to connectivity layers, infrastructure discussions increasingly revolve around security, reliability, and control, reflecting how critical these systems have become. MWC continues to be one of Europe’s most tangible technology events, bringing together builders, operators, and investors to discuss where industries are heading next. #MWC26 #AI #Connectivity #Innovation #Robotics

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁? Since 2022, Europe’s geopolitical environment has shifted significantly. Defence spending is increasing, and security is increasingly linked to industrial sovereignty and resilience. But how are companies actually responding? In our new 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 across European industry, we found a clear pattern: 🔷 85% say defence is now strategically relevant 🔷 but only 10% have scaled actual market offerings The biggest barriers are not technology or funding. They are organizational. Governance structures, unclear mandates, regulatory complexity, and institutional positioning often determine whether companies move from evaluation to execution. For many industrial players, the real strategic question is therefore not whether the environment has changed. It is how deliberately they choose to respond. 📘 Download your free copy here: https://lnkd.in/de8eRAEb

⚡ 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗘-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱: 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮. Last week, Dr. Lukas Meusburger and Georg Frick represented V_labs at E-world energy & water in Essen and one thing became clear: The energy industry is entering its next phase. Here’s what stood out: 1️⃣ Flexibility is no longer optional From generation and storage to trading and retail, flexibility is increasingly shaping how modern energy systems are designed and operated. 2️⃣ Energy startups have grown up Many former startups have reached real maturity. They’re no longer seen as innovation experiments, but as serious partners for corporates launching new customer offerings and digital services. 3️⃣ Data is the operating layer Without data, nothing works. There are more and more data-driven offerings in the market, but the real differentiator is no longer access. It’s how intelligently data is orchestrated and turned into value. E-World once again showed how quickly the ecosystem is evolving and how much opportunity lies at the intersection of infrastructure, digitalization, and new business models. What trend do you see shaping the energy market most in 2026? #EWorld26 #EnergyTransition #Flexibility #EnergyInnovation #VentureBuilding

👋 Meet Anna Brunmayr, our new 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 & 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿! Anna’s background spans London’s tech scene and Vienna’s startup ecosystem, where she built strong expertise in sales, strategy, and enablement. Having worked in both large organizations and independent ventures, she combines strategic clarity with hands-on execution. With a strong focus on coaching and training, Anna helps teams turn ambitious business goals into practical, day-to-day progress. At V_labs, she designs structures and systems that support both our people and our growth. We’re very happy to have you on board, Anna! 🙌 👉 Swipe through to learn more about Anna’s journey and role at V_labs.

📌 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 | 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 Beyond the evening discussions, the V_labs | New Business Building & Dentons 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 created space for focused exchanges on the practical implications of industrial transformation. During a 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 & 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 through a sunny, snow-covered landscape, conversations quickly moved from strategy to execution, with a shared sense that Europe needs to accelerate delivery across sectors. At the Standard Chartered pavilion, we spoke with Alex Manson (SC Ventures by Standard Chartered) about how banks can scale innovation. A central question emerged: how to balance protected ecosystems for radical new developments with the integration of new solutions into existing structures. At the AI House Davos, we exchanged with Rasmus Rothe (Merantix Capital) on the rise of world models and the dynamics in early-stage AI. These technologies are currently seeing strong traction in investor demand and market presence, pointing to a shift toward more foundational AI capabilities. Across the sessions, one insight stood out clearly: 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲, ��𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲. #WEF26 #IndustrialTransformation #Innovation #AI #Banking

🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 During #WEF26 week in Davos, our Partner Manuel Hörl co-hosted a closed-door executive roundtable together with Reto Näscher (N & V Capital), bringing together investors, corporates, founders, scientists, and policymakers to discuss 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. The discussion went far beyond launch systems and satellites. It focused on what the maturation of the Space Economy means for geopolitics, resilience, security, and long-term value creation. 📌 A few perspectives that stood out: 1️⃣ Space technologies have clearly moved beyond experimentation: cost reductions, standardization, and commercial scalability are reshaping the sector at an industrial level. 2️⃣ Space is becoming critical infrastructure: from defense and climate intelligence to connectivity and economic sovereignty, with strong implications for global power dynamics. 3️⃣ As core infrastructure matures, investor attention is shifting toward service layers and applications that translate space capabilities into tangible economic impact. 4️⃣ The investor landscape continues to broaden, driven by dual-use use cases and increasing strategic relevance for corporates and governments alike. We were delighted to be joined by Rob Desborough (Seraphim Space), who shared an investor perspective on the maturation of the SpaceTech ecosystem, and Prof. Oliver Ullrich 🇨🇭 🇱🇮 🇰🇳 (Universität Zürich | University of Zurich Space Hub & Institute of Aerospace Medicine), who contributed a deep scientific and institutional lens to the discussion, alongside senior representatives from across the ecosystem. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this open and forward-looking dialogue. The Space Economy is no longer “up next”, it’s taking shape now 🚀 Starlab Airbus Defence and Space Alpine Space Ventures Space Applications Services NV/SA #WEF #Davos #SpaceEconomy #SpaceTech #Infrastructure #Investing #Innovation

𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Alongside #WEF26, we hosted the V_labs | New Business Building & Dentons 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 in Davos, bringing together senior leaders to focus on what industrial transformation actually means for defense, energy, and space in Europe. Across the day, a highly curated group engaged in exchanges across multiple formats: 🔹 Walk & Talk discussions on through a scenic landscape 🔹 Pavilion visits at Standard Chartered with Alex Manson (SC Ventures by Standard Chartered) and at AI House Davos with Rasmus Rothe (Merantix Capital). 🔹 An exclusive roundtable on investing in the space economy, co-hosted with N & V Capital The dialogue continued in the evening during an invite-only Executive Dinner. An executive briefing by Simon Evenett (IMD) set the geopolitical frame, highlighting the implications of rising global tensions for Europe. Building on this, a panel with Marie-Helene Ametsreiter (Speedinvest), Josef Aschbacher (European Space Agency - ESA), and Susanne Wiegand (Brenntag & Volkswagen) focused on the concrete steps policymakers and business leaders must now take together to strengthen Europe’s position in an increasingly contested global environment. Three themes stood out clearly: 🔸 Europe must move faster, from alignment to execution 🔸 Competitiveness and resilience require tighter coordination between politics and business 🔸 Industrial transformation demands investment, structural reform, and the courage to leave comfort zones Grateful to all participants for the openness, trust, and depth of the exchange. The real work starts now and continues well beyond Davos. #WEF26 #IndustrialTransformation #Europe Manuel Hörl Thomas Schubert Oliver Grundmann Dr. Rebekka Hye-Knudsen Dr. Peter Braun, LL.M. (Wales) Dr. Lukas Meusburger Marcel Grosskopff Georg Frick