Andreessen Horowitz is taking its checkbook on a European road trip. The Silicon Valley powerhouse is ramping up its hunt for early-stage startups across the continent, aiming to spot the next unicorn before local funds even get a pitch deck. With eyes now trained on markets from Stockholm to Berlin, a16z is betting it can compete with homegrown investors on their own turf - and win.
Andreessen Horowitz isn't content watching European unicorns from across the Atlantic anymore. The venture capital giant is planting boots on the ground across Europe, building what it claims is a scouting network sophisticated enough to rival local investors at their own game.
The strategy marks a significant shift for the Menlo Park-based firm. Rather than waiting for European startups to mature before writing checks, a16z is hunting at the seed and Series A stages - precisely where homegrown VCs have traditionally held the advantage. According to the firm, it has assembled a network of scouts and advisors that spans key European tech hubs, allowing it to identify promising companies as early as local funds might.
It's a bold claim in a market where proximity has always mattered. European VCs have long argued that their local knowledge, regulatory expertise, and founder networks give them an edge that Silicon Valley money can't match. But a16z is betting that its brand, deeper pockets, and US market connections can offset any home-field advantage.
The firm's European targets reveal its focus areas. Companies like dentio, which is digitizing dental practice management, represent the kind of vertical software plays that a16z has historically favored. The firm is also circling startups emerging from top-tier accelerators like Stockholm's SSE Labs, the breeding ground for Nordic tech talent.
Stockholm in particular has caught a16z's attention. The Swedish capital has quietly built one of Europe's most productive startup ecosystems, producing unicorns like Klarna and Spotify while maintaining a steady pipeline of early-stage companies. For a firm hunting the next breakout European company, it's a logical starting point.
But the expansion isn't just about finding deals - it's about getting them. European founders have historically been wary of taking Silicon Valley money too early, concerned about losing control or being pressured to relocate. a16z will need to prove it can add value beyond capital, whether through introductions to US customers, operational expertise, or help navigating international expansion.
