Brickken CEO Warns Uneven AI Access Risks European Talent Drain

For founders, the decision of where to scale is no longer just about taxes or proximity to capital. Mata suggests that access to cutting-edge AI—which automates research, coding, and administrative tasks—has become a structural necessity. When European teams are forced to wait for tools available to their North American competitors, they lose the ability to iterate, train staff, and capture market share at the same speed. This cumulative disadvantage encourages them to hire engineers and establish operations in markets where these systems are readily available.

This trend poses a risk to European sovereignty over its own tech ecosystem. While European companies may technically remain local, they risk becoming hollowed-out entities that rely on foreign software for their core operations. Mata notes that if European firms only act as consumers of imported technology, the profits and long-term strategic decisions will inevitably remain outside the continent. This prompted recent calls from figures like Austrian State Secretary for Digitalization Alexander Proell, who suggested the EU consider taking strategic stakes in companies like Anthropic to ensure regional access.

To reverse this, Mata advocates for a more streamlined regulatory environment that balances privacy with the need for rapid technological deployment. While the European Commission recently extended implementation deadlines and expanded access to regulatory sandboxes, the Brickken executive maintains that small companies still face too many overlapping obligations. Without a more predictable framework that allows for competitive employee equity and agile recruitment, European startups may continue to treat the region as a birthplace rather than a permanent home for their most ambitious growth phases.