Post by The S9+ Coalition

While much of our time in Luxembourg focused on engaging with ministers and policymakers, we also dedicated time to something equally important: learning from each other. Yesterday, S9+ members came together for a series of internal sessions exploring some of the key opportunities and challenges facing Europe's startup ecosystems. We kicked off the day with Tom Michels, CEO of Salonkee, one of Luxembourg's leading scale-ups. Since launching in 2017, Salonkee has grown into a leading European software company. The discussion focused on the realities of scaling a startup in Europe, including access to early-stage funding, the commercialisation of research, and the barriers that continue to hold founders back. We then met with Benjamin Bollendorff, Coordinator for European and International Affairs in Luxembourg, who shared valuable insights on the D9+ process and Europe's digital policy agenda. Following this, we joined an EU Council Deep Dive session led by our own Vasco Pereira da Silva from our supporting member Allied For Startups, providing members with a closer look at the workings of the Council and the policy processes shaping Europe's startup and innovation landscape. We rounded off the day with Cyrille Mai Thanh, Managing Director Europe at Spaak Technologies, who shared insights into how AI is transforming public affairs and government relations. The session included a demonstration of Spaak's AI-powered platform and sparked a discussion on how emerging technologies can support more effective policy engagement. The day was a reminder that one of the greatest strengths of the S9+ is the ability to bring together founders, ecosystem leaders and policy experts from across Europe to learn from one another, strengthen our collective expertise, and amplify the startup voice in European policymaking. #S9Plus #Startups #Innovation #Luxembourg #Scaleups #PublicAffairs #AI #DigitalEurope House of Startups Luxembourg (HoST), PULSE — Luxembourg Startups Association, Startup Poland, Startup Portugal, Scale-Ups.eu, Dutch Startup Association, Finnish Startup Community (FSC), Czech Startup Association, Estonian Founders Society, SISP – Swedish Incubators & Science Parks, Danske Iværksættere - Danish Entrepreneurs, Startup Slovenia, Scale Ireland, Adigital, @EsTech