Massive companies are likely to have well-oiled lobbying machines, accustomed to swaying policymakers of their favour. Startups — comparatively time-poor and with smaller groups — have usually introduced much less slick operations
However issues are ramping up, and people with key authorities expertise are selecting to take a punt and be part of a startup.
European startups’ coverage wins embody a invoice permitting autonomous autos onto UK roads — with out which, self-driving automotive startups would don’t have any path to market — and a bundle to take away hidden charges from forex conversions, making it simpler for fintechs to supply cross-border transfers.
Listed below are a few of the movers and shakers making it occur.
This can be a non-exhaustive record: if you already know somebody you assume needs to be on our radar, get in contact: freya@sifted.eu and tommatsuda@sifted.eu
Flora Coleman — Klarna
Flora Coleman joined Klarna in 2021 as its head of worldwide coverage and authorities relations, the place she works on subjects together with fintech regulation, AI, competitors and privateness.
Klarna will not be Coleman’s first rodeo: she beforehand headed up authorities relations for funds app Smart, the place she pushed for CBPR2, an EU regulation geared toward bettering transparency in cross-border funds.
Previous to becoming a member of the tech world, Coleman had labored as a particular advisor within the UK’s Home of Lords.
Clem Cowton — Octopus Vitality
Greg Jackson, CEO of UK vitality provider Octopus, is incessantly pictured cosying as much as a few of the nation’s high politicians.
Jackson met Rachel Reeves, the UK’s new Chancellor, inside days of her getting into workplace. Vitality minister Ed Miliband warmly described him as “his buddy” when the 2 shared a stage final November, Politico reviews.
Jackson might be the face, however the brains behind the slick operation is alleged to be Clem Cowton, Octopus’ director of exterior affairs. She’s been at Octopus for seven years and led its marketing campaign for an vitality worth cap. Cowton beforehand labored in political consultancy.
Charlotte Weil von der Ahe — Helsing
After graduating from the College of Oxford with a PhD in geography and the surroundings in 2016, Charlotte Von der Ahe took on a wide range of roles with Germany’s liberal Free Democratic Get together.
She joined Helsing in 2021 as a communications director, ultimately being promoted final 12 months to senior group director of presidency affairs. Throughout that point, Helsing has labored with governments throughout Europe on new defence initiatives, whereas hanging new partnerships with corporations like French AI darling Mistral and aerospace big Airbus.
Sarah Gates — Wayve
UK autonomous autos startup Wayve noticed its lobbying efforts repay in 2023 when the nation handed its Autonomous Automobiles Invoice. With out the laws — which paves the way in which for self-driving autos on UK roads — Wayve’s tech would have had no path to market.
Wayve’s lobbying lead is Sarah Gates, who has been on the firm for the final three years. She’s additionally a part of the Self-Driving Automobiles Working Group and lectures at IE Enterprise Faculty on autonomous autos coverage.
Earlier to Wayve, Gates labored within the UK’s civil service as a senior coverage advisor.
Antoine Jouteau — European Tech Alliance
Antoine Jouteau has been a president of the European Tech Alliance for the reason that begin of 2024, a job he juggles alongside his position as CEO of French categorised advertisements platform Leboncoin.
The EUTA represents 33 main tech corporations from 33 European nations, together with ride-hailing app Bolt, meals supply firm Simply Eat, French AI startup Mirakl and secondhand clothes market Vinted.
In a press release on the corporate’s web site, Jouteau says: “In an effort to thrive, European tech corporations want to have the ability to compete on a worldwide scale. That’s the reason the EUTA focuses on encouraging insurance policies that degree the taking part in discipline, and regulation that fosters development and innovation.”
Lucie-Aimee Kaffee – Hugging Face
Lucie-Aimee Kaffee joined French startup Hugging Face in April 2024 as the corporate’s EU coverage lead. She has a PhD in pc science, which was targeted on tech options to issues in on-line communities. Kaffee’s work focuses on advocating for the open supply AI developer group, she instructed Sifted. She’s additionally engaged on pushing for larger transparency round coaching knowledge and clearer labelling of AI-generated content material, as a part of the EU AI Act.
Audrey Herblin-Stoop — Mistral
February’s AI Summit in France crystalised Mistral’s place because the poster little one of the nation’s tech scene. Cofounder Arthur Mensch enjoys sturdy connections to president Emmanuel Macron and has develop into the voice for AI corporations’ considerations over incoming rules.
Mistral’s lobbying tsar is Audrey Herblin-Stoop, who joined the corporate initially of 2024. Herblin-Stoop beforehand did a seven-year stint at Twitter, the place she was the general public coverage director for France and Russia.
Mistral’s authorities connections are prone to develop into more and more essential as the corporate strikes into defence: it’s presently pursuing contracts with nations throughout Europe.
Adam Gagen — Revolut
Adam Gagen joined Revolut in June 2022 to behave because the monetary superapp’s international head of presidency affairs. Gagen started his coverage profession on the European Fee the place he was the financial and commerce officer for Taiwan. After holding public affairs roles at drinks firm Pernod Ricard and the World Federation of Advertisers, Gagen landed his first finance-focused position in 2017 as American Categorical’ VP for EMEA authorities affairs earlier than taking over his present position at Revolut.
In his position at Revolut, Gagen engages with policymakers and central banks globally to foyer for pro-fintech regulation. He’s additionally overseen Revolut at a time of heavy regulatory scrutiny for the neobank, together with the drawn-out determination over its software for a UK banking licence, probes into its monetary crime controls and delayed submitting of its annual monetary accounts.
Ariane Vickman — Starling
Ariane Vickman joined Starling in July 2023 to guide the UK neobank’s public affairs division. A former advisor to deputy prime minister Dominic Raab, Vickman beforehand labored as a researcher for the Conservative authorities, specializing in worldwide human rights, monetary providers, training and the European Union. She joined Starling from trade physique UK Finance, the place she acted as principal of public affairs and public coverage.
Boniface de Champris — CCIA Europe
Boniface de Champris joined CCIA (Laptop & Communications Business Affiliation) Europe in 2023 and was promoted to senior coverage supervisor shortly thereafter. An outspoken voice within the ongoing debate across the EU’s sweeping AI Act, he has warned Brussels lawmakers towards limiting tech corporations’ flexibility by means of onerous laws. CCIA members embody startups like speedy supply firm Deliveroo and Norwegian net browser Opera, in addition to Massive Tech corporations like Apple, Google and Meta.
Dom Hallas — Startup Coalition
Dom Hallas has run coverage group Startup Coalition for the final seven years, campaigning for insurance policies to profit the UK’s startups. Key points the group works on embody visa guidelines to assist startups entry expertise, and pushing for regulation that permits corporations to innovate.
Earlier roles held by Hallas embody engaged on diplomatic technique for the UK authorities and a job at Bloomberg Philanthropies, engaged on authorities innovation.
Nick Pickles — Instruments for Humanity
Nick Pickles, a former music photographer from Yorkshire, was one of the crucial influential executives at X earlier than becoming a member of Instruments for Humanity, the organisation which builds the expertise for Sam Altman’s crypto biometrics mission World Community (previously Worldcoin), final 12 months. Throughout his tenure at X, Pickles was thought-about CEO Linda Yaccarino’s “right-hand man”, and in 2021, he appeared earlier than British MPs to be questioned over X’s coverage on hate content material.
At Instruments for Humanity, Pickles is tasked with educating regulators and policymakers a couple of mission which has come underneath appreciable regulatory scrutiny since launch.
Yedidia Levy-Zauberman — Owkin
Yedidia Levy-Zauberman joined Paris-based AI biotech Owkin in 2022 as its senior VP of public affairs. Levy-Zauberman introduced with him a wealth of presidency expertise: he was particular advisor to France’s minister for European affairs; chief of employees to the Paris deputy mayor; and a diplomatic advisor to France’s larger training division.
Marianne Tordeux-Bitker — France Digitale
France Digitale is an affiliation for startups: it runs trade occasions and coverage campaigns to spice up the voice of its members. Marianne Tordeux-Bitker is the group’s director of public affairs, a job which includes advising EU and French policymakers on how finest to work with startups.
Tordeux-Bitker additionally works as a counselor to France’s Financial, Social and Environmental Council, the place she’s presently drafting a report on AI in French society.
Aurélien Pozzana — Bolt
Aurélien Pozzana joined mobility firm Bolt in 2018 to go up its coverage efforts throughout Europe. Previous to that, Pozzana was director of public affairs at lobbying and communications agency Affaires Publiques Consultants (APc).
At Bolt, Pozzana frequently interacts with digital, transport and labour public policymakers and has beforehand spoken out towards the Platform Work Directive — the EU’s gig employee laws. Together with Uber and Free Now, Bolt is a part of Transfer EU, a lobbying group that celebrated the rejection of the directive within the European Parliament final 12 months.
