Leo Apotheker, former CEO of SAP and Hewlett-Packard, believes that Europe has a lot to offer in terms of tech innovation, but lacks the peer support and mentorship that Silicon Valley provides. He is part of a team called Boardwave, which aims to mentor European tech entrepreneurs and guide their big ideas to fruition.

Apotheker acknowledges that Europe does have leaders in certain fields, such as industrial design programs and financial software, but wonders why there aren't more giant technology firms coming out of Europe.

He believes that the issue is not lack of capital, as Europe has plenty of venture capital firms, but rather the lack of a supportive network of peers who can provide advice and guidance. Boardwave seeks to fill this gap by mentoring company bosses and providing them with the support they need to succeed.

Apotheker sees this as a way to spare future generations of tech pioneers the pains and sleepless nights that he and his colleagues endured.

Read more here.

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