Bolt founder and Klarna board member Markus Villig on why Europe is sleepwalking into a 'disaster' on self-driving cars and physical AI

When Markus Villig founded Bolt 12 years ago, it was one of dozens trying to take on Uber. Today, it’s the only major European ride-hailing company left — worth €7.4bn and expanding across taxis, scooters, car rental and delivery. This week, Europe editor Mimi Billing sits down with Markus to discuss why it’s now almost impossible to build a new ride-hailing network, why he thinks Europe is sleepwalking into a “disaster” on self-driving cars and physical AI, and how he’s helping shape Estonia’s defence tech landscape. Markus also explains why founders should engage more with politicians, what Europe needs from a single capital market — and his experience as the youngest board member of any US public company, thanks to buy now, pay later giant Klarna.

You can listen to Bolt founder and Klarna board member Markus Villig on why Europe is sleepwalking into a 'disaster' on self-driving cars and physical AI online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Bolt founder and Klarna board member Markus Villig on why Europe is sleepwalking into a 'disaster' on self-driving cars and physical AI is an episode from Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast by Sifted.

This episode is 24:52 long.

This episode was published on Dec 11, 2025.

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