Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch on Youtube.
Timestamps
0:00 - Intro: The missing market thesis slide
0:36 - Welcome to Sidekick + episode overview
2:18 - Weak Signals of the Week (7 European deals)
3:53 - Dealroom Global Tech Ecosystem Index intro + quiz
5:35 - Quiz: European cities in top 20 global champions
9:43 - Rising Stars rankings
12:49 - The missing slide: market thesis deep dive
14:16 - Higher ed example (simplified thesis): universities as a membership model
15:40 - Why the thesis unlocks product, pricing & roadmap
17:20 - Wrap-up + closing thoughts
The slide missing from most fundraising decks and what this week's deals reveal about where AI is heading.
This week David and Rhys cover three things founders should know:
Weak Signals: Seven European deals caught their eye: Viktor (€65M Series A), Mister IA (€10M seed), BackOffice, Nordfen, Craci, Cigno and Auryx. The pattern: AI embedding into existing workflows (Slack, compliance, hospitality, consulting) rather than asking users to adopt new tools. The most successful AI products may be the invisible ones!
Dealroom's Global Tech Ecosystem Index: A data-driven quiz on which European cities are punching above their weight, including a surprise #3 global ranking for Cambridge on density and what Paris's alumni founder advantage signals for the ecosystem's future.
The missing slide: The one thing David looks for in a deck that most founders skip: a market thesis (not a vision statement). A genuine point of view on where your market is going and why. It tells investors everything about how deeply you know your space.
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