While founder CEOs like Arthur Mensch (Mistral), Torsten Reil (Helsing), and Jonas Andrulis (Aleph Alpha) often grab the headlines. There’s a growing cohort of AI startups operators quietly driving some of Europe’s most high-impact startups from behind the scenes.
From product development and clinical innovation to scaling strategy and US market expansion. These individuals are shaping the future of AI across the continent. A region where tech talent is becoming a critical competitive edge. Despite a sixfold increase in AI roles in Europe over the last decade, the talent war is heating up, especially as the U.S. regains its hiring momentum.
Based on insights from VCs and Sifted’s own reporting, here are 10 AI startup operators in Europe you need to know about:
1. Meriem Sefta – Chief Diagnostics Officer, Owkin (Paris)
A founding team member at Owkin, Sefta began as head of partnerships, forming key data alliances with hospitals across Europe and the U.S. Now chief diagnostics officer, she leads efforts to revolutionize AI-based cancer diagnostics. Axel Badalian of Alpha Intelligence Capital says her leadership has been “instrumental” in advancing the startup’s mission.
2. Dali Kilani – CTO and Cofounder, FlexAI (Paris)
At FlexAI, Kilani is building tools to help developers deploy AI systems across different chip architectures. A former Nvidia engineer, he has held CTO roles at AI healthtech companies including Lifen, and co-founded FlexAI with Brijesh Tripathi.
3. Baptiste Pannier – CTO and Cofounder, AdaptiveML (Paris)
Pannier, a physicist by training, leads AdaptiveML, a GenAI startup crafting custom models for enterprise use. He previously held research roles at Samsung and Hugging Face, where he met his cofounders. His academic background includes a PhD in physics and a master’s in machine learning.
4. Eric Sibony – Chief Science Officer, Shift Technology (Paris)
Sibony co-founded Shift Technology, which uses AI to detect insurance fraud. With a PhD in machine learning, he drives innovation as CSO, helping the company grow into a global leader in fraud analytics for insurers.
5. Constantin Schröder – COO and Cofounder, Arbio (Berlin)
At Arbio, Schröder is building AI-powered tools for short-term rentals, focusing on trip management automation. With experience in private equity and sales strategy at Adidas, he brings business operations expertise to the travel-tech space.
6. Dan Lifshits – Chief Operating and Product Officer, Dwelly (London)
A McKinsey prodigy turned operator, Lifshits now leads both product and operations at Dwelly, a proptech startup using AI to consolidate and streamline real estate management. His previous role at Gett (the ride-hailing unicorn) shaped his approach to scale.
7. Kate Woolland – COO, Closed Loop Medicine (UK)
Woolland runs operations at Closed Loop Medicine, which personalizes drug dosing using AI. With 15+ years in healthcare, including time at PA Consulting and mental health tech firm Ieso, she brings operational excellence to digital therapeutics.
8. Dr Thomas Pearson-Jones – COO, Optellum (Oxford)
A clinician-turned-operator, Pearson-Jones helps lead Optellum, a university spinout applying AI to lung cancer diagnosis. With experience in investment banking and healthcare, he’s positioned to scale clinical AI adoption across the NHS and U.S. markets.
9. Claire Lasserre – AI Product Manager, Pennylane (Paris)
Lasserre steers AI product development at Pennylane, an accounting platform syncing real-time financial data. A serial entrepreneur with roots in AI trading at Citadel Securities, she’s also behind NFT Factory — a Web3 hub for creators and corporates.
10. Nad Chishtie – Designer, Lovable (Stockholm)
Chishtie leads design at Lovable, a startup building agentic AI systems. With a design career spanning over 15 years, he previously shaped user experiences at Element, the government communication platform, where he was the first non-technical hire.
These operators are proving that Europe’s AI strength isn’t just about research labs or founder vision — it’s about the talent making things happen day to day. As AI startups race toward scale and global relevance, the spotlight is starting to shift beyond the CEOs — and rightly so.
