It was mid-October, with autumn settling into the Vallée de Joux, when 39 founders from across Europe gathered in a quiet corner of Switzerland for something that shouldn't feel radical but somehow does: three days with no pitching, no performing, no agenda beyond thinking and connecting.
The inaugural XAnge European Founders Academy ran October 16–18, 2025, at Hôtel des Horlogers in Le Chenit — a serene spot tucked between forests and watchmaking workshops. Remote, yes. But the idea behind it speaks to something Europe's startup ecosystem desperately needs as it grows up: spaces where high-growth founders can meet as peers. No filters. No pressure.
We spent months curating the group. Half came from our own portfolio — founders we believed would benefit most from guidance and mentorship, or who could bring something valuable back to the table. The other half came from across the European ecosystem: Germany, France, Benelux, Switzerland, the Nordics. AI, biotech, fintech, climate, healthtech, SaaS, next-gen hardware. Most had never met. That was the point.
Why We Built This
With two decades investing in European startups behind us, one thing has become impossible to ignore: founders today are surrounded by noise but starved of real connection.
Most events are built around stages and spotlights. Founders get little time to reflect, even less to speak honestly, and almost no space to articulate the challenges that come with leading teams, raising capital, and carrying a weight few outside the role can understand.
The Academy came from a simple thesis: if we want stronger companies across Europe, we need stronger founders. And if we want stronger founders, we need spaces where they can be fully human, not just CEOs.
“Founders rarely get the chance to step back, breathe, and talk openly with people who truly understand their world. We wanted to create that space”
A Different Kind of Gathering
Everything was intentional: group size (39), length (2.5 days), pacing (slow mornings, deep afternoons), format (founder-to-founder, not audience-to-stage).
We ran masterminds, built trust, and designed an programme around peer learning and honest conversation. Hands-on working sessions on topics like founder liquidity and personal energy management were offset by a hike and mountain bike expedition through the valley.
What Sparked the Most Conversation and What We Learned
Several themes kept surfacing across hikes, meals, and workshops:
- Leadership is lonely — but it doesn't have to be.
- Europe's ecosystems are stronger together.
- Founders crave honesty, not inspiration.
- Personal state drives company performance.
Looking Ahead
The European Founders Academy started as an experiment for XAnge: a bet that Europe's next generation of leaders would benefit from something deeper than another conference.
We saw founders step away from constant urgency and rediscover perspective. Strangers became collaborators. Real conversations sparked real insight.
We're already hard at work on the 2026 edition. This is the ecosystem we want to help build: one grounded in trust, openness, and long-term thinking.
To the founders who joined: thank you for your candor, your courage, and your willingness to show up as whole human beings.
See you next year.
— The XAnge Team
