From fintech to defense tech, Europe’s most ambitious startups are running into the same wall: political fragmentation. As national regulations diverge and EU-level alignment struggles to keep pace, scaling across borders has become more than a business challenge, it’s become a geopolitical one. Uncertainty clouds cross-border compliance, procurement silos and security concerns hamper collaboration. Can Europe still build a truly integrated tech ecosystem? Or are we entering an era where founders must pick their regulatory battleground?  And what happens when global investors start favouring more predictable markets?