At Oxx, we believe the most important conversations rarely happen on stage. They happen when people turn off the microphone, stop posturing, and speak honestly — founder to founder, investor to operator, technologist to policymaker.
That’s why we set out to organise Scope. Not to broadly showcase or broadcast — but to gather. We wanted to bring our community together in one room to explore big questions, share insight, and connect with each other. So in May, we did just that. Following our AGM, we set the scope for this year’s event and invited our network to reflect together on one of the biggest questions facing us today: AI, and how we can thrive in this new age.
Below, you can find some of the key takeaways from the day, and here you can check out more information about the event and agenda, along with some photos from the day.
A Focused Agenda
The agenda was simple by design. We started with some food for thought on the macro view — what’s happening in the markets, how the funding landscape is shifting, and what broader forces are shaping the software world. Then we zoomed in: into the teams, tools, and decisions founders are navigating right now.
The format moved between keynotes, data-rich sessions, moderated discussions, and — in one case — practically building something together. Nothing flashy. Just a structure that gave space for ideas to develop and for people to speak from experience.
Below are some of the takeaways from the day.
Rory Sutherland: Innovation vs Innoficiency
Rory opened the day by reminding us that logic isn’t always persuasive — and that innovation often lies in reframing, not reinventing. From the story of Watt’s “horsepower” to why Uber’s wait-time map works so well, Rory showed how perception drives value — in products, pricing, and user trust.
In a world increasingly driven by algorithms and marginal efficiency, Rory’s session suggested we embrace the irrational, the playful, and the human.
“Be incomparably good — not the best at what everyone else is doing, but great at what they’ve all ignored.”
Mikael Johnsson: The State of SaaS in 2025
Each year, Mikael shares a comprehensive run-down on the State of SaaS. While this year’s view was sobering — valuations are down, late-stage capital is bottlenecked, and the IPO window remains shut — there were glimmers of light.
SaaS demand remains strong, and a new wave is already building. Mikael introduced the concept of agentic software — systems that plan, act, and reflect autonomously — as the next great computing cycle (following mainframe, client-server, and cloud). This new model could reshape everything from product to pricing to team structure.
“We’re not just building tools anymore. We’re building team members.”
He also made the case for a European software stack — the EuroStack — grounded in sovereignty, resilience, and strategic independence. This theme resurfaced later in the day, underscoring its growing relevance.
Panel: Complexity Meets Capability in the AI Age
This session got tactical and philosophical in equal measure. Ingrid Bonde Åkerlind led a sharp discussion with founders Malin Schmidt (Kodiak Hub), Cecil Wöbker (remberg), and Natalia Panowicz (Codility) on how AI is reshaping teams, roles, and the very idea of an organisation.
They explored the emergence of internal agent networks, the shift toward outcome-based teams, and how AI might eventually dissolve function-based hierarchies. It was one of the most practical — and one of the most forward-looking — conversations of the day.
Phil Edmondson-Jones: What Next? AI’s Unsolved Brainteasers
Phil’s session was framed around a set of questions that don’t yet have clear answers — but are becoming impossible to ignore. He laid out four challenges that every founder and investor building in AI needs to grapple with:
- How do you build a moat when AI makes replication easy?
- Who has the real advantage — startups or incumbents?
- What does a company look like when agents are doing the work?
- And how do we protect people — and ideas — in this new environment?
“We’re not replacing people. We’re redefining what a team even is.”
He highlighted the growing tension between innovation and regulation, and the widening gap between how we build and how we govern. It wasn’t about being provocative for its own sake — it was about surfacing the harder, long-term questions that will define whether AI-native companies are actually sustainable, defensible, and responsible. It also set up some of the most animated discussions over drinks and dinner.
Richard Anton, Dr. Laura Gilbert & Mark Scott: What Will It Take for Europe to Thrive in the Age of AI?
The final session brought together Richard Anton, Dr. Laura Gilbert, and Mark Scott to reflect on Europe’s evolving position in the global AI race — across policy, technology, and economic leadership. Laura, speaking from her work in government, called for a more outcome-oriented approach to public sector innovation. As she noted, systems can move fast when there’s a clear goal — as we saw during COVID. The challenge now is applying that same urgency to AI.
Mark provided a broader policy perspective, highlighting the Commission’s shift in tone after Mario Draghi’s 2024 report, which warned that overregulation could be stifling innovation. He raised important questions about the real-world impact of flagship EU initiatives. What emerged wasn’t a single narrative, but a shared recognition that Europe still has time to shape its future — but not forever.
Vibe Coding in Practice
We like to keep things practical — and what promotes understanding better than seeing something work in real time?
After the formal agenda wrapped, Bob hosted an informal session on vibe coding — a topic that’s been lighting up tech threads in recent weeks. It wasn’t a talk or a demo in the traditional sense, but a collaborative, hands-on exploration that pulled in LPs, founders, operators, and investors alike. The discussion was open, curious, and deeply technical.
Curiosity cuts across every role in the room — and it’s something we try to keep at the core of Scope.
What’s Next?
Scope 2025 wasn’t designed to provide answers, it was about asking better questions, together with the people best placed to explore them. The themes we covered, from AI to organisational design to European strategy, are still unfolding. They’ll take time, thought, and ongoing discussion.
We’re grateful to everyone who joined us – not just for attending, but for contributing – and we hope to see you at Scope 2026 as we set our sights on a new, equally intriguing, topic.
