Amsterdam served up sunshine and startup spirit in spades at TNW Conference 2025. For Black Unicorn PR, it wasn’t just another tech event, it was a pulse check on what the future of innovation looks like.
Between moderating panels, catching up with media innovators, and attending standout talks, we came away buzzing. Not just from caffeine and canal-side beers, but from the insight-packed moments that reminded us why we love this work. Spoiler: it’s the people and the stories.
Below, a behind-the-scenes recap of what we were up to and what we think matters most going forward.
Retail’s Next Revolution? Storytelling Over Clicks
Day 1 saw our very own Julija (JJ) Jegorova moderating a future-of-retail panel alongside Maryam Ghahremani (CEO of Bambuser) and Jan Philipp Wintjes (EVP Global Omnichannel at Hugo Boss). The focus? Video commerce, live shopping, and the evolving role of authenticity in how people buy.
Here’s what caught our attention: Europe isn’t China, so the trend is evolving differently. Unlike the instant-gratification ethos of Chinese e-commerce, European shoppers want stories, context, and human connection before they click “buy.” They’re not just purchasing products; they’re buying into narratives.
The most fascinating insight? Forget traditional influencer campaigns. Retail employees going live and talking about products are outperforming creators on trust. Store staff have become the new influencers, and it makes perfect sense. Who knows a product better than the person selling it every day?
In a sea of AI and automation, trust remains the ultimate conversion tool. Sure, AI is changing the game, but tech can’t replace emotional connection. Brands still need to earn it, not just automate it. Authenticity wins, and it’s not even close.
Big kudos to Bambuser and Hugo Boss for not just innovating, but reimagining what “influence” really means in retail.
More Than Panels: The Real Magic Happened in Conversations
Let’s be honest: tech events are only as good as the people you meet. And this year, Amsterdam brought the goods.
There were long-overdue IRL catchups with the brilliant TNW crew (hi Andrea Hak & Ioanna Lykiardopoulou!), deep dives into planet-positive missions with Arjun from Soulmates Ventures, and some incredibly energising chats with the team from Digital Frontier. Their latest issue isn’t just a beautiful print magazine, but also it’s a refreshing take on media centred in optimism, nuance, and next-level storytelling.
And, of course, there was roaming the venue with our TNW crew, Viktorija Ratomskė and JJ, aka “Dik & Jay Jay” (long story, don’t ask).
Sessions From TNW Conference That Hit Different
A few sessions we’d actually replay on YouTube:
AI & Financial Fraud featured technical leads from Monzo and Rabobank discussing everything from AI-powered scams to regulation blind spots. This session was both eye-opening and slightly terrifying. Key takeaway? Identity verification is the next battleground it seems…
European Deep Tech delivered a rallying cry from Walden Catalyst, Drumbeat, and imec.xpand: Europe, stop playing by Silicon Valley’s rulebook. The message was crystal clear. We need pan-European ambition, faster risk-taking, and fewer national silos. It’s time to write our own playbook.
Fashion x Tech was our panel (yes, we’re biased, but it genuinely slapped). JJ, Jan Philipp from Hugo Boss, and Maryam from Bambuser nailed the core truth: retail is evolving fast, and Gen Z isn’t the only audience shifting how they shop. Trust wins every time, and content-led commerce is king.
Small Teams, Big Wins saw Elias Torres from Agency, who wants to reach unicorn status with only 100 employees, and Julien Bek from Sequoia remind us that small teams building smart things will outpace corporate dinosaurs, especially when AI is involved. Copilots today, autopilots tomorrow. Many will try to slow it down, but change is inevitable.
Banking on Culture brought Ali Niknam from bunq with all the sass and substance. His message? European startups need to think bigger. Also, bunq gets more applicants per job than Google. No big deal!
What We’re Taking Back with Us from TNW Conference
The TNW experience didn’t just give us fresh soundbites, it reinforced a few core beliefs we hold at Black Unicorn PR.
First, tech needs storytelling more than ever. Whether it’s for consumers or investors, those who tell the most honest and human stories win. The technology might be complex, but the narrative doesn’t have to be.
Second, conversations are strategy. Our best value came from dinners, drinks, and unscripted chats. Not to say there is no value in the stages, the chats and the insights. Not at all. In fact, some of the sessions are unmissable, and can even change how you see things drastically. But. It’s that real relationships drive real results, and there’s no shortcut to authentic connection. You can’t go to an event and not connect with people.
From deep tech debates to canal-side conversations, TNW 2025 reminded us why we do what we do: we believe in bold ideas, brilliant people, and telling the stories that shape what comes next.
Until next year, Amsterdam. You’ve still got our hearts and our LinkedIn feeds.
More events we wrote about
🇲🇹 EU Startups Summit 2025, Malta
