Klaus Hommels, the European venture capitalist who backed Spotify (SPOT) and fintech giant Revolut, has a blunt message for the continent: your reliance on American technology and capital is a strategic liability. And if you don't act now, it's irresponsible.
Hommels, founder of Lakestar, told the Financial Times in a report published Friday that Washington's recent move to restrict Anthropic from exporting sensitive AI models underscores Europe's urgent need for tech independence. "If you don't get the message now… this is without responsibility," he said, urging investors to diversify both technology and financing away from U.S. sources.
$300 Million Fund Bets on European Resilience
Lakestar has launched a $300 million "resilience" fund focused on investing in dual-use and defense startups across NATO-aligned countries. The fund has backing from UK defense contractor BAE Systems, and its advisory board includes former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
According to the report, Hommels, who advises the NATO Innovation Fund, said European governance should take priority in any escalation scenario, even when U.S. capital is involved. He called this year pivotal for defense-tech firms to prove their technologies work and secure military contracts. "You need to be as independent as you can, and that means the technology as well as the financing of the technology," he said.
Sovereignty Warnings Echo Across Europe
The warning follows European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's own acknowledgment that Anthropic's export curbs exposed Europe's need for AI sovereignty, even as she pushed for deeper US-EU cooperation.
French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, a leading European rival to OpenAI and Anthropic, has also sounded the alarm. CEO Arthur Mensch in May similarly warned Europe has roughly two years to build independent AI infrastructure or risk becoming a U.S. "vassal state," citing chip, energy and capital constraints.
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.
