Video: DFJ's Sage on Europe's next big tech trends

According to Sage, a partner at venture capital firm DFJ Esprit, some of the more traditional types of investors, including pension funds, investment banks and fund-of-funds, are returning to the venture capital market: "Similarly, we're seeing other kinds of alternative forms of capital coming in; corporates and family offices are dabbing their toes in the European venture industry, which is good for the ecosystem."

Sage doesn't believe there has been a seed or series-A crunch in Europe yet, but rather there is a lack of capital in large follow-on series-B and series-C funding rounds of $20m and higher.

Sage names consumer internet and gaming companies, as well as software-as-a-system (SaaS) and enterprise products, as Europe's strong sectors. "What's exciting to us right now is the whole movement into SaaS and enterprise deals. So far this year, nearly half of of the 20 investments we've made have gone into SaaS products – directly relating to new markets and mobile – and I would hope that the next billion-dollar company to come out of Europe will be from the SaaS space."

Scott Sage on the return of traditional investors to VC and exciting tech trends

Commenting on emerging tech trends, Sage says mobile payments and mobile security as well as their impact on e-commerce are crucial. He also sees possibilities for solving problems around collaboration software for distributed workforces.

Sage also discuss online education technology and its development within Europe. "In Europe we haven't really yet had the breakthrough companies in this space that we've had in the US. It's something that we would love to find."

This is an extract from the full video interview, viewable in the player above

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