Petition launched for single EU startup structure

Entrepreneurs in the EU have launched a petition calling for a single European startup ecosystem. The idea is to create a single template for investment, stock options, incorporation and regulation. With just 6 weeks until the new EU commissioners start working on their agenda for the coming years, the goal is to set lofty goals for a reboot of Europe's startup landscape.

The petition is led by: 

• Andreas Klinger, investor Prototype Capital, Co-Initiatior eu/acc

• Philipp Herkelmann, investor, previously Partner Entrepreneur First

• Simon Schaefer, founder Factory, Boardmember AFS

• Vojtech Horna, Index Ventures, Co-Initiatior notoptional.eu

Supporters include Taavet Hinrikus, founder of Wise; Patrick Collinson, founder of Stripe; Niklas Zennström, founder of Atomico, and backed by VC firms including Index, Sequoia, Point Nine, Blue Yard, 20VC, Festina, Interface, Speed Invest, Atlantic Labs, Plural, tiny.vc, System.One, FEV, Amino Collective, Prototype, and many many more.

The demands:

1. Standardize investment processes to enable genuine pan-European investments.

2. Establish a unified employee stock options program to share startup success more widely.

3. Simplify cross-border operations, such as employment and capital flows.

4. Fully digitize the incorporation process, reducing it to just a few hours – entirely in English and online.

The petitions says: 

"The European startup scene is often compared to the US, but this comparison isn't valid.

Unlike in the US, continent-wide investments and collaboration are rare in Europe—less than 18% of first-round investments are pan-European. The complexity of navigating multiple legal systems is a key barrier.

Founders are stuck in national silos, which are limiting opportunities, slowing funding, and hindering innovation.

A pan-European startup entity could standardize investment processes, level the playing field, and unify the ecosystem. Easier collaboration, faster investments and hence more opportunities for founders. It could also harmonize stock options, simplify cross-border employment, and set a standard even beyond the EU.

Europe can become the best place for innovators, and creating a shared startup standard is the first step."

What can I do?

The organisers say: 

"Support us on Twitter/X and Linkedin, and share our updates and news. Write about this petition – here is our Press Release."

Biz Age says

"This seems like an eminently sensible plan. The EU is at a notable disadvantage compared to the US, owing to the variety and complexity of systems spanning the 27 member states. Some nations are far ahead of others. Estonia, for example, is a showcase of how digital governance can accelerate the entire startup culture.

The last European Commission claimed to be focusing on growth, but struggled to deliver results. This is an opportunity to see if the new Commission is serious about competing with the US."

Charles Orton-Jones, founder and editor of BusinessAge.com.

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