London Stock Exchange welcomes CMC Markets to close the market
London Stock Exchange today welcomed Boardwave, the network of more than 2,000 European software leaders and investors, to open the market. The ceremony celebrates the success of Boardwave Live 2026 and the recent publication of Europe's New AI Edge? The Emerging Application Layer Opportunity, a new report produced jointly with McKinsey & Company.
Kath Easthope, Cofounder and CEO, Boardwave opened the market, joined by members of the Boardwave community, following Boardwave Live 2026, which brought together over 400 software and AI leaders who are defining the next chapter for European tech.
Boardwave's ten-year mission is to make Europe the world's leading technology powerhouse by 2033. The new report suggests that the goal is gaining momentum. As AI shifts from general-purpose models towards applications embedded in complex, regulated industries, Europe's deep industrial expertise and experience of navigating diverse markets are becoming competitive advantages. European AI application start-ups raised €6.8 billion in the first half of 2026. That brings them to 44 percent of comparable US funding levels, up from 11 percent in 2018. In vertical, industry-specific AI, the figure has risen from 9 percent to 67 percent.
The UK sits at the heart of this story. London is home to several of the companies the report highlights as leaders of Europe's new AI cohort, including PhysicsX, Synthesia, ElevenLabs and Wayve. The UK also remains a global magnet for AI talent, anchored by world-class research institutions and a concentrated ecosystem of founders and investors.
“Europe has always had the talent, the research and the industrial depth. What's changing is that AI is turning those strengths into a genuine global advantage. The next challenge is scale, and the UK, with the depth of London's capital markets, has a central role to play in making sure Europe's breakout companies can grow into global champions. Opening the market today, just after Boardwave Live, is a chance to celebrate how far this community has come and to look ahead to what we'll build next.”
Kath Easthope
Cofounder and CEO of Boardwave
About Boardwave
Boardwave is the community for Europe's most ambitious software leaders, bringing together more than 2,000 founders, CEOs and investors. Founded in 2022, it is working towards a ten-year mission to make Europe the world's leading technology powerhouse by 2033.
