Podcast

December 11, 2025

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

He also explains how he's helping shape Estonia’s defence tech landscape.

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.

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Maya Dharampal-Hornby

Maya Dharampal-Hornby is a reporter, covering UK tech for Sifted, based in London. She's also the producer of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast .

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