Project Europe CEO Kitty Mayo: ‘Harry Stebbings is like our head of state and I’m prime minister’

2026-04-08 · Source: Sifted · Field: Business & Management — Entrepreneurship & Start-ups, Capital Markets & Investment Management, Corporate Strategy & Leadership · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, extended

Summary

Kitty Mayo, CEO of Project Europe, an accelerator supporting European founders under 25, reflects on its first year, describing it as a "movement" and "common good" that convenes talent through city-specific hackathons and unconventional discovery methods like TikTok, reaching individuals beyond traditional university pathways. She emphasizes assessing founders based on tangible "progress made" and "sustained interest/passion" rather than just CVs, while navigating the challenge of a human-intensive, unprogrammatic rolling cohort with a small team. For Fund 2, Project Europe aims to maintain its operational scale, diversify its mentor network to include experienced operators, and increase investment in biotech and female-led companies, particularly those building solutions "one degree separated from the physical world." Mayo views the "grindset" and "996" culture as "outdated," advocating for a holistic "life's work" approach and prioritizing building momentum to effect systemic change rather than waiting for a "perfect system." She envisions Project Europe fostering a culture of optimistic ambition among young Europeans, leading to the creation of companies that materially change the physical world.

Key takeaway

Kitty Mayo, CEO of Project Europe, details the accelerator's first year, highlighting its success as a "movement" that has backed 20 young European teams, with half securing further funding from its initial €10M. Project Europe leverages hackathons and unique application questions, including TikTok sourcing, to find diverse talent building physical-world solutions. Mayo advocates for a "life's work" culture over "grindset" and aims to enhance founder diversity for Fund 2, fostering optimistic ambition across Europe.

Topics

• Project Europe
• Startup Acceleration
• European Tech Ecosystem
• Early-Stage Venture Capital
• Founder Mentorship

Best for: Entrepreneur, Investor, Consultant

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Sifted.