At Greeking Out in Paris, the closing panel brought together founders operating at the intersection of deep tech, AI, blockchain, and healthcare - all navigating global markets while building from Europe. Moderated by Myrto Papathanou (Partner at Metavallon VC), the panel featured:
Kostas Chalkias (Co-Founder & Chief Cryptographer, Mysten Labs)
Bertrand Hassani (Group CEO, QUANT AI Lab)
Robin Roumengas (Co-Founder & CEO, Juisci)
The conversation offered an unfiltered look into the realities of building global companies with European roots, the cultural and structural challenges between Europe and the U.S., and how these founders are positioning themselves in a rapidly evolving AI world.
Why Build in Europe - and Why It’s Still Hard
All three founders have built internationally but remain deeply connected to Europe’s talent and research base. As Kostas shared, the technical depth in fields like cryptography, security, and AI is world-class - France, in particular, produces some of the best cryptographers globally. But retaining that talent remains Europe’s ongoing challenge. “We have some of the best people. The problem is, we lose them,” he noted.
The reason? Structural differences between how Europe and the U.S. support deep tech. Where U.S. VCs embrace higher risk for higher returns, European investors often move more cautiously, with longer diligence cycles and a preference for safer, proven models. Regulation adds another layer: in many industries, founders struggle to navigate fragmented laws, while American companies often benefit from a "move fast until told otherwise" legal culture.
Bertrand added that while European universities produce top-tier AI researchers, they often lack the funding, infrastructure, and industry linkages that make U.S. labs more attractive. He highlighted the cultural difference: where American founders confidently declare themselves “the best,” Europeans hesitate - cautious not to sound arrogant. “In the U.S., confidence is celebrated. In Europe, it’s seen as arrogance. But we have world-class talent that often doesn’t say so.”
The Equity Gap: Stock Options & Founder Incentives
Beyond capital, incentives are often misaligned between European founders and employees. Kostas pointed to stock options as a major cultural barrier. When Mysten Labs offered highly competitive equity packages in Greece, many candidates still preferred slightly higher salaries over long-term stock upside - a reflection of limited startup exits and lack of familiarity with equity compensation. “Without exits, people don’t understand the value of stock. In Silicon Valley, it's different - everyone shares in the upside.”
Changing this mindset will be key to developing repeat founders and stronger startup “mafias” across Europe.
Navigating Fragmented Markets in Healthcare
Robin brought the perspective of healthcare and life sciences - where regulatory complexity is even more pronounced. For Juisci, starting in France offered an advantage: if you can navigate French healthcare compliance, you’re often well-positioned to expand globally.
The company has taken a modular product approach, adapting its AI platform to local requirements while maintaining a common global foundation. “Every country has its own system, but the underlying product can stay consistent. We localize content and partnerships to fit each market.”
Today, Juisci operates across Europe, the UK, U.S., and is expanding into LATAM, the Middle East, and Asia - proof that even in highly regulated fields, European startups can scale across borders with the right structure.
AI’s Future: Hype vs. Real Value
With each founder operating in AI-heavy sectors, Myrto closed the discussion by asking how they see the current AI wave reshaping their companies.
For Kostas, the key is staying focused on foundational technology rather than chasing every hype cycle. While Mysten Labs leverages AI internally, it remains committed to building blockchain infrastructure that can serve industries far beyond crypto. “You need to invest in depth, not distraction. The companies that win will be the ones thinking long-term, like Apple.”
Robin sees AI’s most exciting impact in information dissemination. With LLMs now reshaping how scientific knowledge is accessed, Juisci’s mission is to ensure healthcare professionals get reliable, verified information directly from trusted publications - countering misinformation while increasing global access to scientific knowledge.
Bertrand offered a sharp take on AI efficiency: “We don't need LLMs to do 2+2. Not everything requires giant models. The future is distributed AI - smaller, specialized models working together, with a focus on sustainability and cost.” For him, the real breakthroughs will come when companies design AI systems that are scalable, efficient, and economically viable over the long term.
A Shared Message: Europe’s Time Is Now
Throughout the conversation, one theme kept emerging: Europe may have its challenges - from risk appetite to regulatory friction - but its talent depth, research strength, and cultural diversity make it uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of deep tech innovation.
As Bertrand put it, “The talent is here. We just need to keep it, empower it, and think big enough to compete globally.”