The Spark Behind Project Europe: Kitty Mayo on Starting a Pan-Continental Startup Revolution
Description
Kitty is the co-founder of Project Europe, a new initiative backing under-25 founders with bold, unproven ideas—and helping them build companies from day zero. After years in early-stage talent investing, Kitty was ready for a reset. Then came a cold LinkedIn DM from Harry Stebbings, a mountain trip with no Wi-Fi, and a viral launch that turned her into one of the most talked-about names in European tech.
In this episode we talk about:
• Why young founders need cultural permission before capital
• How to spot “earnestness” as a superpower in early-stage talent
• What makes European ambition different—and what still holds it back
• How to build a continent-wide founder movement with no HQ, no rules, and a lot of trust
A conversation about narrative shifts, deep founder signals, and the emotional chaos of building fast.
For more from Kitty, including founder traits she watches for and how Project Europe scouts talent, subscribe to our newsletter at followthegradient.io.
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