ETN seed round backs Europe-focused live tech show expansion
European Technology Network raised $1.6 million and is expanding its live tech show to five days a week from London.
By Jordan Bell · Startups & Deals Reporter
· 3 min read
European Technology Network’s ETN seed round gives the London startup-media show fresh capital to expand at a time when founders and investors are using live video as part of the tech press circuit. ETN said Monday it raised $1.6 million and is moving from two live shows a week to a five-day schedule, a shift that matters for investors tracking how Europe’s startup market is building its own media channels.
Luke Knight and Ronan Chambers launched ETN last October as a live-streamed show covering technology news and trends. TechCrunch reported that the program streams on X and YouTube and has passed 5 million views.
The seed funding, meaning early-stage capital used to build out a young company, came from Powerhouse Capital, Axel Springer SE, LadBible, and angel investors linked to OpenAI and DeepMind, according to TechCrunch. Axel Springer owns Business Insider and Politico.
What is the European Technology Network?
European Technology Network is a London-based live show focused on European tech, startups and venture capital. Its format is closer to a live business broadcast than a traditional podcast: hosts discuss current stories, bring guests on camera, and use the show as a venue for company updates and broader industry conversations.
ETN’s expansion includes a move into a larger studio in Kings Cross, a bigger team, and a newsletter, according to TechCrunch. The company currently has a team of eight. The new weekday format will run from noon to 3 p.m. U.K. time for news discussion, followed by two hours of guest interviews.
Chambers told TechCrunch that the show had outgrown its earlier schedule as guest demand increased. He said ETN was receiving about 70 pitches a week and had been trying to fit 12 interviews into two-hour shows twice weekly.
The guest list already gives ETN a role in Europe’s startup publicity cycle. TechCrunch reported that the show has hosted the founder of Synthesia, the CFO of Legora, the founder of Granola, and Kanishka Narayan, the U.K.’s first AI minister. ETN also expects interviews with George Robson, a partner at Sequoia, and Rishi Sunak, the former U.K. prime minister who is a senior adviser to Anthropic and Microsoft.
Why ETN is leaning into Europe’s tech boom
Chambers told TechCrunch that ETN was created because existing U.K. tech media was not keeping pace with the speed of Europe’s startup market. Dealroom data cited by TechCrunch shows London startups have raised $14.7 billion so far this year, with six companies raising more than $500 million: Wayve, Superintelligence, ElevenLabs, Recursive, Ineffable Intelligence, and Isomorphic Labs.
ETN makes money from advertising and already counts Polymarket, Base, and ElevenLabs among its sponsors, according to TechCrunch. The hosts are also considering debates, roundtables, and a pitch-session format modeled on startup investment shows.
The comparison point is TBPN, the founder-led tech talk show created by John Coogan and Jordi Hays. TechCrunch reported that OpenAI recently acquired TBPN for a sum described by some as nine figures. Knight and Chambers told TechCrunch they see TBPN’s founders as early movers in a new type of tech media, while positioning ETN as a European counterpart.
Although ETN is based in London, Chambers told TechCrunch the show aims to bring on guests from across Europe. The team has also broadcast from events including the Panathenaea Conference in Athens and the RAISE AI Summit at the Louvre in Paris.
This story draws on original reporting from TechCrunch.
