In-Person Event
On 6 November, our founder, Mitchel Volkering, had the privilege of joining fellow innovators plus interesting policymakers in Brussels for ACT | The App Association’s event, “EU Digital Policy at a Turning Point.” “For a founder building a tech company in Europe, being invited to speak alongside officials from the European Commission, advisors from the European Parliament, and leading policy […]
At SXSW Sydney, vaic.at had the incredible opportunity to showcase EUorigin, our spatial and immersive Vision Pro app that’s reimagining how people discover and learn from European business success stories. The Demo Experience Nothing quite compares to watching someone experience EUorigin for the first time. The reactions at SXSW were unforgettable from initially setting up […]
After our panel “Disruptors vs Regulators” at SXSW Sydney, we had the pleasure of sitting down for a post-event interview with Marty McCarthy, a media maker commissioned by SXSW Sydney to capture conversations with keynote speakers and innovators. Marty’s goal was to create short, high-impact videos for the SXSW audience and beyond and we were honoured to be […]
From Local to Global: Reflections on International Expansion at Stone & Chalk Sydney Originally delivered at Stone & Chalk’s Tech Central Sydney on October 16, 2025 A Gathering of Global Minds Last week, our founder (Mitchel Volkering) had the privilege of joining an exceptional panel at Stone & Chalk’s Tech Central Sydney hub, where they […]
The Hidden Tax on Innovation: Why SEP Transparency Matters for Europe’s Digital Future Reflections from the SXSW Sydney NEXT Stage Panel on “Startups, Standards, and Who Really Owns the Future of IoT” When we talk about standards in technology, we imagine a level playing field where any innovator can build the next breakthrough product. That’s […]
When regulators write rules for giants, startups often pay the price. This paradox was at the heart of our founder’s input at the SXSW Sydney panel discussion earlier this week. Our founder, Mitchel Volkering, had the opportunity to join a panel hosted by ACT | The App Association titled “Disruptors vs. Regulators: Who’s Really Shaping the […]
Small Tech Business Voices in Big Policy Rooms: A Weekend in Brussels Last week brought an unexpected and invaluable opportunity for us as Mitchel Volkering, founder of vaic.at Software joined a roundtable with a U.S. Congressional Delegation in Brussels. Around the room sat the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the Chairman of its Antitrust Subcommittee, the Ranking Members of both committees, […]
Inside the Apple DMA Workshop: Why Small Developers Like Us Are Deeply Concerned About the Future of Trust in the App Store In late June, I had the opportunity to join the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) compliance workshop focused on Apple. The event brought together EU regulators, Apple representatives, industry associations, and — thankfully — […]
Last month, I had the privilege of joining a thought-provoking panel at The Next Web (TNW) 2025 in Amsterdam, hosted by ACT | The App Association. The session titled “Error 404: SME Voices Missing in Tech Policy”—was skillfully moderated by ACT’s Executive Director Chelsea Thomas and brought together founders, ecosystem entrepreneurs and tech innovators to shine a light on how regulation […]
Exploring EU’s Founders Competitive Edge In June 2025, I had the privilege of participating in a roundtable discussion at Scale Lab @ Developed: Amsterdam, an innovative micro-accelerator that is revolutionizing the way European startups perceive regulation and policy compliance. This groundbreaking initiative aims to open up a dialogue about compliance and encourage more frequent and […]