Wise Founder Taavet Hinrikus on Europe’s Tech Renaissance

From being the first non-founding employee of Skype to co-founding international money transfer platform Wise, Taavet Hinrikus has been at the center of Europe’s technology ecosystem. Today at early-stage VC Plural, he focuses on funding European tech startups and supporting the next generation of founders. He spoke about the impacts of early exits, the importance of backing mission-driven entrepreneurs, and his optimism for Europe’s tech landscape with Clif Marriott, Goldman Sachs co-head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Group in EMEA. The conversation was filmed at Goldman Sachs’ Disruptive Technology Symposium in London on March 5, 2025 This session was recorded on March 5, 2025. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:13 Skype 4:18 Tech ecosystems 5:26 Exiting early 6:56 Wise 11:20 Lessons learned 12:20 Transitioning roles 14:34 Plural 21:06 Key advice 22:50 Investor legacy 24:33 Conclusion The opinions and views expressed in this program may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. This program should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of Goldman Sachs. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned in this program is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only, and is not used to imply any ownership or license rights between any such company and Goldman Sachs. The content of this program does not constitute a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to the recipient, and is provided for informational purposes only. Goldman Sachs is not providing any financial, economic, legal, investment, accounting, or tax advice through this program or to its recipient. Certain information contained in this program constitutes “forward-looking statements”, and there is no guarantee that these results will be achieved. Goldman Sachs has no obligation to provide updates or changes to the information in this program. Past performance does not guarantee future results, which may vary. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or any information contained in this program and any liability therefore; including in respect of direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage is expressly disclaimed.