Tallinn Digital Summit 2025

Last week, our President Simon Schaefer (EU Inc, Factory) and Board Member Hedi Mardisoo (Cachet, Estonian Founders Society) participated in the panel “Game On or Game Over: Transforming Europe Into A Startup Powerhouse” at the Tallinn Digital Summit, alongside Kat Borlongan (European Innovation Council) and moderated by Jennifer Schenker (The Innovator).

The discussion focused on the 28th regime and how it could remove barriers to cross-border startup growth, exploring practical challenges European startups face, the role of investment, and the cultural and structural changes needed to make the EU a more competitive innovation hub.

Simon highlighted the barriers that prevent investors from funding startups across Europe and the importance of a single legal framework. He emphasised that venture capital often stays within home markets, limiting growth for European startups. He shared how EU Inc was designed to address these issues by creating a single corporate law ruleset that allows investors to operate across all 27 Member States. Simon also connected innovation to broader European challenges, including safety, sovereignty, and the need for cultural and systemic change.

“To create a single corporate law ruleset with which you can invest anywhere in the 27 Member States without going through additional hurdles was the origin of how we came up with EU Inc.,” he said.

Hedi brought a practical, on-the-ground perspective, describing the real-world challenges startups face when scaling across multiple European countries. She explained how different labour laws, local regulations, and extra layers of compliance – even with EU-wide licenses – make hiring, selling, and investing more complicated. Hedi emphasised the importance of European companies and investors supporting local innovation to help startups scale efficiently.

“If I want to hire someone in Germany or France, I likely have to build another company because digital Single Market passporting works beautifully – but the realities kick in left, right, and center.”

Panellists agreed that Europe needs simpler, harmonised rules and infrastructure to allow startups to scale across borders, attract investment, and compete globally. Their insights underscored that policy, culture, and practical support must work together to make Europe a true innovation powerhouse.