Sonali de Rycker, general partner of Accel and one of the most influential risk capitalists in Europe, is optimistic about the prospects of the continent in AI. But distrust of the regulatory overreach that the hamstrings could their impulse.
On a TechCrunch Strictlyvc night earlier this week in London, by Rycker reflected on the place of Europe in the global career of AI, balancing optimism with realism. “We have all the pieces,” he told those who met for the event. “We have businessmen, we have ambition, we have schools, we have the capital and we have talent.” Everything missing, he argued, is the ability to “unleash” that potential at scale.
The obstacle? The complex regulatory landscape of Europe and, in part, its act of pioneer artificial intelligence but controversial.
Rycker acknowledged that regulations have a role to play, especially in high -risk sectors such as medical care and finance. Even so, he told him that the broad scope of the law of AI and potentially suffocating fines can deter innovation at the time when new European companies need space to iterate and grow.
“There is a real opportunity to make sure we are going quickly and we address what we are capable,” he said. “The problem is that we also face winds against regulation.”
The law of AI, which imposes strict rules on applications considered “high risk”, from credit score to medical images, has raised red flags between investors such as Rycker. While the objectives of ethical AI and consumer protection are laudable, fears that the network can be launched too wide, potentially discouraging experimentation and entrepreneurship of the early stage.
That urgency is amplified by changing geopolitics. With the support of the United States to the defense of Europe and the economic autonomy that decreases under the current Trump administration, Rycker sees this moment as decisive for the EU.
“Now that Europe is letting go [for itself] In multiple ways, “he said.” We need to be self -sufficient, we need to be sovereign. “
That means unlocking the complete economic and technological potential of Europe. De Rycker points out efforts such as the “28th regime”, a framework for creating a single set of rules for companies throughout the EU, as crucial to create a more unified and friendly region for startups. Currently, the mishm of labor laws, licenses and corporate structures in 27 countries create friction and decrease progress.
“If we really were a region, the power you could unleash would be incredible,” he said. “We would not have these same conversations about Europe lagged in technology.”
In De Rycker’s opinion, Europe is updating slowly, not only in innovation but also in its cultural adoption of risk and experimentation. Cities such as Zurich, Munich, Paris and London are beginning to generate their own self-reforrating ecosystems thanks to first-level academic institutions and a growing basis of experienced founders.
Accel, on the other hand, has invested in more than 70 cities in Europe and Israel, giving De Rycker a front -row to the fragmented but flourishing technological panorama of the continent.
Even so, on Tuesday night, he noticed a marked contrast with the United States when it comes to adoption. “We see much more propensity to customers to experiment with AI in the United States,” he said. “They are spending money on this type of speculative companies of early stages. That steering wheel continues.”
Accel’s strategy reflects this reality. While the company has not backed any of the main fundamental model companies such as OpenAi or Anthrope, it has focused instead on the application layer. “We feel very comfortable with the application layer,” said Rycker. “These fundamental models are intensive in capital and do not really seem companies supported by companies.”
Examples of promising bets include synthesia, a video generation platform used in business training, and Speak, a language learning application that recently increased to an assessment of $ 1 billion. From Rycker sees these as early examples of how AI can create completely new behaviors and business models, not only to increase the existing ones.
“We are expanding the total directable markets at a rate that we had never seen,” he said. “It feels like the first days of mobile devices. Dordash and Uber were not only mobilized websites. They were new paradigms.”
Ultimately, Rycker sees this moment as a challenge and a unique opportunity in generation. If Europe leans too much in regulation, it runs the risk of suffocating innovation that could help you compete worldwide, not only in AI, but throughout the technological spectrum.
“We are in a superciclo,” he said. “These cycles do not come often, and we cannot afford to be with a strap.”
With the increase in geopolitical uncertainty and the increasingly internal United States, Europe has few options to bet on itself. It remains to be seen if you can do it without binding your own hands. But if the continent can achieve Rycker’s correct balance, he believes that he has everything he needs to lead, and not just follow, in the AI revolution.
Asked by an assistant what the founders of the EU can do to be more competitive with their American counterparts, from Rycker he did not hesitate. “I think they are competitive,” he said, citing the companies that accelerate, including Supercell and Spotify. “These founders do not seem different.”
You can see the complete conversation with De Rycker here: