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On October 20, 2026, a power failure in Google Cloud’s London region disrupted services for hours. Some Revolut customers couldn't make card payments or withdraw cash, and Lloyds and HSBC customers also reported problems. None of these companies caused the outage, but their customers felt it.

What happens when one company ends up seeding half an ecosystem? PayPal, Skype, Exponea, Mews. Every startup hub has a handful of companies whose alumni go on to found, fund and run the next wave. We call it the "startup mafia effect", and the usual take is that it's a happy accident. We don't think it is.

Some companies don’t just grow, they produce founders. The ones that do share four habits: ownership that reaches everyone early, real responsibility, leaver terms that let people go, and liquidity before the exit. Here’s what that looks like at Exponea and Mews, and what it means for your company.

Eldison Startup Mafia event, big contracts & cyber rules

The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus on AI is designed to simplify the implementation of the AI Act and reduce unnecessary compliance burdens for businesses. It introduces measures to make compliance more practical and proportionate in relation to high-risk AI systems.

Rohlik is one of the Europe’s fastest-growing online grocery platforms. Founded in Czechia, the company now operates across several markets and continues to scale fast and employee ownership has always been a core part of Rohlik’s culture.

AI Act deadlines & Rohlik's ESOP story: an ESOP success, compliance tips, and the people behind Eldison.

The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus on AI is designed to simplify the implementation of the AI Act and reduce unnecessary compliance burdens for businesses. It introduces measures to make compliance more practical and proportionate in relation to high-risk AI systems.

CloudTalk is a next generation calling software helping businesses connect with their customers. CloudTalk strongly believes that customer experience can give businesses a crucial competitive edge. It also believes that ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) is a key component to having a dedicated and engaged team.

Let's bring the light to your case: Valuation. A simple way to set a defendable valuation, whether you're pre-revenue or already selling.

The Eldison ESOP event featured a panel discussion with founders who actively live ESOPs in practice – Richard Valtr (Mews), Petr Irikovský (Exponea / today Bloomreach), and Richard Malovič (Whalebone). Here are a few thoughts from the discussion:

Velaris is a smart customer success platform helping B2B companies grow, retain, and deepen customer relationships. It combines data, automation, and collaboration in one place so teams can reduce churn and maximize long-term value.

In the fast-changing world of hospitality, Mews is not just taking the travel experience on next level but also finding new ways to involve its employees. At the heart of this transformative journey is its CEO Matthijs Welle whose belief in the power of employee ownership drives the company's core values. Dive into their story of starting the ESOP, with all its ups and downs."

If something breaks in a startup, you can usually fix it. Product, pricing, strategy. You adjust and move on. But a messy cap table is different.

If a fundraising round slows down after an investor shows interest, it’s usually not because of one big issue. More often, momentum gets lost in the basics that were not fully ready yet.