Barcelona-based Integra Therapeutics has closed a €10.7 million pre-Series A round to advance its gene writing technologies designed to improve the safety, precision, and efficacy of advanced therapies. Founded in 2020 by Dr. Marc Güell and Dr. Avencia Sánchez-Mejías as a spin-off from Pompeu Fabra University, the company has developed FiCAT, a platform that combines CRISPR-Cas accuracy with an engineered piggyBac transposase to address major limitations in gene therapy, including payload size, stability, and accuracy, with applications in genetic, oncological, and autoimmune diseases. Avencia Sánchez-Mejías, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Integra Therapeutics, shared: Thanks to the support of our investors, we will continue leading innovation in cell and gene therapies and are getting closer to transforming the treatment of complex diseases like cancer, autoimmune diseases and rare diseases. The round includes €4 million from the EIC Fund and €2.7 million from CDTI Innvierte of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and University, alongside continued backing from AdBio Partners, Columbus Venture Partners, Invivo Partners, and Takeda Ventures. Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board, commented: We are happy to announce EIC Fund’s investment in Integra Therapeutics. We empower them to accelerate the development of groundbreaking therapies that have the potential to transform lives and advance the field of gene therapy on a global scale. The funding will support the integration of new advances into the FiCAT platform, preclinical validation of next-generation CAR-T therapies, and expansion of cell engineering capabilities to facilitate technology transfer to the pharmaceutical industry. In parallel, the company is developing its first gene therapy for a rare pediatric liver disease, supported by an EIC Accelerator grant.

Helsinki-based DataCrunch, a provider of high-performance AI infrastructure, has raised €55 million in a Series A round to scale its compute platform and advance its ambition to become Europe’s first AI cloud hyperscaler. The round was led by byFounders, Skaala, Varma pension fund, and Tesi, with participation from J12 Ventures and angel investors. Debt financing came from Nordea and Armada Credit Partners, alongside Danske Bank, Norion Bank, and Local Tapiola. With this raise, DataCrunch’s total funding reaches €76.5 million since its founding in 2020. The company already serves major enterprises and innovators, with customers including Sony, Freepik, Schibsted, 1X, Unbabel, and several leading educational institutions. One-stop AI platform DataCrunch provides affordable access to compute clusters optimised for AI workloads, supporting research, training, and inference at scale. It is among the first globally to deploy NVIDIA’s HGX B200 systems, with B300 and GB300 integration to follow, ensuring enterprise users access to the most advanced hardware. The platform is rapidly evolving with innovations such as: Instant Clusters for distributed AI workloads, awarded bronze by SemiAnalysis’ GPU Cloud ClusterMAX™ — matching Google Cloud and outperforming 100+ providers. Serverless Containers, enabling high-volume, low-latency inference, already processing hundreds of millions of requests monthly. Addressing European AI Independence Europe’s AI market is projected to hit $1.4 trillion by 2033, yet US hyperscalers dominate nearly 70 per cent of the continent’s cloud market, while Europe’s largest provider holds only 2 per cent. This dependency raises concerns around sovereignty, compliance, and rising costs. Operating out of Finland and Iceland, DataCrunch is tackling this gap with a sovereign, scalable AI cloud powered 100 per cent by renewable energy, combining high performance, sustainability, and data locality. Ruben Bryon, CEO and Co-founder of DataCrunch, explained: European organisations are facing a critical choice: continue depending on foreign cloud providers or invest in local infrastructure that offers true data sovereignty. This funding enables us to accelerate our vision of becoming Europe's first AI cloud hyperscaler, providing enterprises with cutting-edge infrastructure that keeps their data secure, their operations compliant, and their environmental impact minimal. As regulatory, environmental, and technological forces converge, the company aims to become the default platform for enterprises seeking high-performance, compliant, and sustainable AI compute in Europe. Looking ahead, DataCrunch is strengthening its one-stop AI development platform with new features and upgrades. Upcoming releases include Managed Kubernetes for cluster management, geographically distributed Object Storage, and Managed Inference Endpoints with custom acceleration for cutting-edge generative models. In parallel, the company will enhance existing capabilities with improvements to Identity Access Management (IAM), APIs, serverless container cold starts, broader OS image support, and advanced network automation.  Securing EU-backed AI gigafactory In partnership with Latvia and international investors, DataCrunch has submitted a proposal to the European Commission to develop an AI gigafactory equipped with around 100,000 AI accelerators. Located in Latvia, with potential for additional EU sites, the facility would provide secure, regulation-compliant compute capacity for startups, SMEs, and research institutions, fully powered by renewable energy. Funded by DataCrunch’s investor partners, this project will further demonstrate DataCrunch’s competence as a provider of large-scale, secure, and energy-efficient computing infrastructure.  Henrik Rosendahl, board member in DataCrunch, commented: DataCrunch exemplifies the type of European tech leadership that’s essential today. As AI becomes increasingly integral to business operations, European enterprises are seeking infrastructure partners who not only grasp complex regulatory landscapes but also share their sustainability values. DataCrunch delivers on both, while providing access to the most advanced AI compute on the market. By maintaining 100 per cent renewable operations at scale, DataCrunch is positioning itself not just as Europe’s first AI hyperscaler, but also as a global leader in sustainable, regulation-ready AI infrastructure.

In August, European tech companies secured €3.2 billion across 189 deals, reflecting a 66 per cent drop in investment volume and 47 per cent fewer deals compared to July 2025. Despite this month-on-month slowdown, the market showed far greater strength than a year earlier, with investment levels up nearly 70 per cent year-on-year from €1.9 billion in August 2024, even though deal count fell slightly from 203 to 189. The UK led the way with €907.9 million in investments, followed by Italy (€504.8 million), Switzerland (€467.9 million), Germany (€331.1 million), and Sweden (€202.2 million), highlighting both the UK’s continued dominance and the growing role of other European hubs. By industry, energy (€746.9 million), software (€633.1 million), and healthtech (€514 million) stood out as the strongest sectors, underscoring investor appetite for long-term, transformative technologies. Simone Lavizzari, Investment manager at Join Capital, commented on the August numbers within the European tech investment landscape in our August Tech.eu Pulse, a compact version of the monthly report: Europe is bursting with talent, ideas, and the ability to lure back those who once left. But if we want real scale-ups and true category leaders, we need more than talent and capital. We need bold structural change: a true single market, and a single stock exchange. Until then, Europe will keep producing brilliance, just not enough breakthroughs. For his more detailed review and more in-depth analyses of the European tech ecosystem, including industry and country performance, exit activities, and more, check out our August report. Here are the 10 largest tech deals in Europe from August, accounting for approximately 59 per cent of the month’s total funding. Amount raised: €500M Bending Spoons is a Milan-based technology powerhouse that develops and operates a portfolio of widely acclaimed mobile apps, including Evernote, komoot, Meetup, Remini, StreamYard, and WeTransfer, used by hundreds of millions worldwide. The company combines design excellence with strong engineering, leveraging proprietary technologies and a highly data-driven, creative mindset to power its products. Bending Spoons secured over €500 million in debt financing to accelerate its acquisition strategy and strengthen its position in the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector. Amount raised: $300M Energy Vault pioneers long-duration, utility-scale energy storage using gravity- and kinetic-based systems. Their flagship "gravity battery" harnesses the potential energy stored in towering stacks of heavy composite blocks, releasing electricity when needed via reversible cranes. Their solutions span multiple technologies, from proprietary gravity storage and traditional batteries to hybrid configurations involving hydrogen, supported by advanced orchestration software to optimise performance across both operational and commercial metrics. Energy Vault raised $300 million to launch Asset Vault, a new subsidiary focused on building and operating energy storage assets. Amount raised: £220M Pulse Clean Energy is a UK-based leader in energy storage solutions, focused on stabilising and optimising clean energy networks through ethical and sustainable practices. Their innovations help overcome renewable energy’s inherent variability by advancing energy storage and grid optimisation. Notably, they developed the UK Storage Asset Emissions Impact Calculator, an open-source tool enabling real-time tracking and certification of battery storage systems’ carbon impact. Pulse Clean Energy secured £220 million in green financing to fuel the construction of six new ready-to-build BESS sites. Amount raised: €200M Ortivity is a German outpatient orthopaedic care platform, a physician-led network dedicated to revolutionising non-surgical orthopaedic treatments. Operating over 100 sites across three regional clusters (Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Baden-Württemberg), Ortivity unites top-tier practices under a shared philosophy of medical excellence, seamless patient experience, and operational innovation. By pooling resources across its network, Ortivity enables clinics to access cutting-edge equipment, advanced treatment methods, and digital tools, creating a unified ecosystem that enhances patient access, elevates treatment standards, and fosters sustainable growth. Ortivity closed €200 million funding round to scale its integrated outpatient model across Germany. Amount raised: €150M Aira is a Swedish clean energy technology company on a mission to decarbonise homes across Europe one at a time. With a vertically integrated model, from R&D and manufacturing in Sweden and Poland to end-to-end installation and service in markets like the UK, Germany, and Italy, Aira makes intelligent heat pumps accessible via affordable monthly plans with no upfront cost. Its solutions can reduce household heating bills by up to 40 per cent and cut CO₂ emissions by up to 75 per cent, supporting the transition off gas toward a cleaner, smarter energy future. Aira secured a €150 million investment to accelerate its operations and expand its intelligent clean energy technology offering. Amount raised: €150M Greenvolt Group is a Portuguese renewable energy company that generates power from forest residues, wind, and solar. Listed on Portugal’s PSI-20, it develops and operates projects across Europe, North America, and Asia, with activities structured around three business areas: Sustainable Biomass, Distributed Generation, and Utility-Scale projects. Greenvolt Group has raised €150 million to fuel its growth strategy, with a focus on expanding large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS). Amount raised: £125M GoFibre is an independent broadband provider dedicated to bridging the rural digital divide across Scotland and northern England. By investing millions in state-of-the-art full-fibre infrastructure, the company delivers ultra-fast, reliable broadband, up to 1 Gbps, to underserved towns and villages. Driven by local teams and communities, GoFibre combines swift installations, UK-based customer support, and a commitment to environmental sustainability and community development. GoFibre has raised £125 million to support the rollout of two Project Gigabit contracts in South and North East Scotland. Amount raised: €106.2M Oculis is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to “rethinking ophthalmology to save sight and improve eye care.” Its pipeline includes innovative, non-invasive eye drop treatments for conditions such as diabetic macular oedema (OCS-01), dry eye disease (OCS-02), and acute optic neuritis (OCS-05), all built upon its proprietary OPTIREACH® drug delivery technology and designed to address stubborn unmet needs in eye health. Oculis has expanded its loan facility to provide up to €106.2 million in flexible financing, intended to support regulatory activities and late-stage clinical trials for its three core ophthalmic and neuro-ophthalmic asset candidates. Amount raised: $100M CuspAI is a UK-based frontier AI startup transforming materials science with its “search engine for materials.” The company harnesses generative AI, deep learning, and molecular simulation to discover breakthrough materials in months instead of decades, drastically accelerating innovations in sectors like carbon capture, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. CuspAI has raised $100 million to drive growth, expand its platform, build partnerships, and scale hiring, paving the way for breakthroughs in material science. Amount raised: $100M Framer is a no-code website design and publishing platform that combines a fully flexible visual design canvas with built-in CMS, animations, SEO, A/B testing, analytics, and enterprise-grade security. Trusted by designers and high-performance teams, it makes it easy to create, collaborate on, and launch complex, high-traffic websites without writing code. Framer has closed a $100 million Series D, boosting its valuation to $2 billion and raising total funding to over $160 million.

Germany-based unmanned aerial systems (UAS) specialist Quantum Systems has announced a major strategic expansion into the UK market, committing up to €50 million in investment over the next five years. The expansion follows Quantum Systems' full acquisition of Nordic Unmanned UK, a move that solidifies its local footprint and underscores its intention to support the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) 20-40-40 strategy. "Our mission is clear. The UK is investing in autonomy, resilience, and next-generation unmanned intelligence. With our UK hub, our acquisition of Nordic Unmanned UK, and the leadership of Vito Tomasi, Quantum Systems is committed to being the trusted partner delivering these capabilities for Britain’s defence and security," said Martin Karkour, Chief Revenue Officer of Quantum Systems. Quantum Systems plans to invest in local infrastructure, engineering, and industry partnerships, with an emphasis on building sovereign capabilities through the development of Service, Support, Training, and Logistics Center (SSTLC) capabilities on demand. The model is based on its localisation work in Ukraine, where the company has built forward-operating capacity for drone operations and maintenance. The company also plans to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding with Skyports at DSEI UK 2025, aimed at integrating drone logistics and transport solutions, further embedding Quantum Systems within the UK tech and defence ecosystem. The company has also appointed former Royal Marines officer Vito Tomasi as Managing Director of its newly established subsidiary, Quantum Systems Ltd. UK, as it aims to strengthen its position in the UK defence sector. A former Royal Marines officer with operational deployments in Afghanistan, Tomasi later worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and as an investor in deeptech at Speedinvest. "Quantum Systems is here to stay and deepen our investment in the UK. By investing in British talent, infrastructure, and partnerships, and by delivering our proven, battlefield-ready aerial intelligence systems, we will contribute to the UK’s defence priorities and even exceed expectations," said Tomasi. Headquartered near Munich, Quantum Systems has built a reputation as a leader in AI-powered VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone systems. Its drones are already in use across defence, emergency response, and industrial markets in Europe and the United States. The company’s expansion into the UK reflects growing European interest in strengthening domestic unmanned systems capabilities amid geopolitical uncertainty and evolving warfare demands.

Czech mental health platform Hedepy has acquired HearMe, a Polish provider focused on workplace mental health support. Active in nine markets across Central and Eastern Europe, Hedepy offers comprehensive services for individuals and businesses and plans to strengthen its position by consolidating the European market and integrating new brands. Founded in 2020, Hedepy is an online psychotherapy platform delivering mental health and psychiatric support to individuals, workplaces, and schools through an app with self-help tools. Within its first years, the company expanded into eight other European countries, including Poland. Lukáš Krčil, CEO and co-founder of Hedepy, commented: We’ve been active in Poland for three years, helping thousands of people, and we now see strong demand from companies in particular. Acquiring HearMe is a strategic step for us. It allows us to specialize further in corporate care, while also offering HearMe’s clients access to our services abroad. These synergies make perfect sense to us. Equally important is that we align on a human level and share the same vision of what modern mental health care should look like, not only in companies. HearMe, also founded in 2020, supports employers and HR teams by providing employees with psychological support through video and chat sessions, webinars, educational resources, and tailored well-being programs. Talks about the transaction began last autumn, with the final agreement reached in the first half of this year. Following the merger, both platforms will operate under the Hedepy brand and expand corporate services under Hedepy for Business, which will include employee therapy, mood tracking, webinars, and educational content. HearMe will enhance these offerings with locally tailored content and improved app functionality. Katarzyna Gryzło, co-founder of HearMe, shared: Merging with Hedepy is a logical step that opens doors to new markets while preserving the personal approach, high expertise, and quick accessibility, that our Polish clients value most. We considered several options but chose Hedepy because we share a similar company culture and a strong commitment to business with purpose. Hedepy plans to replicate the successful Polish model in other markets. Poland was crucial for us as it’s the largest market in our region with a highly developed mental health sector. We also greatly value having Katarzyna and Adam join our team. Adam brings extensive experience in consolidating the CEE market, and Katarzyna has deep expertise in providing corporate mental health care, adds Lukáš Krčil. The company expects to break even by the end of 2025 with a projected GTV of €13 million and is preparing for a new investment round. We are pleased that Hedepy continues to confirm its strong market position and prove it is moving in the right direction. The successful merger with the Polish platform has created a solid foundation for developing corporate services and paves the way for further acquisitions, says Jan Davídek, partner at Purple Ventures, one of Hedepy’s regular investors. Hedepy already leads the online psychotherapy market in Slovakia, Romania, and Greece, and is among the top providers in Slovenia, Hungary, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The platform works with around 1,000 therapists, delivering hundreds of thousands of sessions annually. Looking ahead, Hedepy plans to combine online and in-person care while responsibly integrating artificial intelligence into its services. AI represents a major technological advancement and is increasingly finding its place in mental health care. That makes it all the more important to approach its use thoughtfully and responsibly. This is exactly what we are working on now, says Lukáš Krčil. The acquisition adds over 80 corporate clients and more than 120 professionals, including psychologists, psychotherapists, coaches, nutritionists, and physiotherapists. HearMe’s founders, Adam Radzki and Katarzyna Gryzło, will join Hedepy’s leadership team, with Radzki driving business development in Poland as Head of Sales and Gryzło leading B2B marketing across the group.

I’ve spent a chunk of the past few days at IFA, Germany’s answer to CES and Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show. Once upon a time, this was the stage for breakthroughs like the debut of dual-channel colour TV and the Nintendo 64. These days, though, when it comes to innovation, while whitegood manufacturers excel in advancements in reducing the amount of water and energy required, much of IFA feels like a landfill preview: endless stands of costpointless gadgets destined to become e-waste, with European innovation often drowned out by a wave of Korean and Chinese exhibitors. Still, if you dig past the noise, there are many products that stand out — solutions to real problems, or simply those that delight. Here are some of the European startups that managed to cut through the clutter this year: Hedgehog Dryer (Norway)   Founded in 2019 by a recently widowed father, Bjørn Holte, grappling with the challenges of drying his kids' shoes after playing outdoors, Hedgehog Dryer is a shoe and glove dryer in the form of anultra-compact cordless blower which delivers 162 mph of wind power, stronger than most full-size leaf blowers. Built for campers, hikers, and anyone who loves spending time outside, the Hedgehog JET is a pocket-sized powerhouse that clears pine needles, leaves, and debris from campsites and trailheads, dries off wet boots and tents after a rainy hike, and blows sand or dirt off coolers, chairs, sleeping bags, and backpacks. The rechargeable blower is powered by a 500-watt motor and six high-capacity battery cells. It weighs less than a kilo, it charges via USB-C, and delivers up to 45 minutes of runtime on a single charge. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of noisy leaf blowers, and not much for the great outdoors, but having been faced with trying to dry a pair of trainers in a hotel room with a hairdryer after an unexpected storm in Barcelona resulted in knee-deep water, I can see the value in such a device. Krafted (UK) The Krafted Connex cable adaptor hub tackles a problem most of us know too well — the tangle of different connectors required by our gadgets, especially when travelling. While the industry is slowly moving towards the “one cable for all” dream with USB-C, the reality is that most of us still own a mix of devices that need different connectors. That’s not changing anytime soon. Connex offers a neat, compact solution, featuring a Swiss Army knife-style tool that not only covers the basics of standard charging but also supports PD fast charging and data transfer — features usually reserved for higher-end cables — without the bulk or mess. I want one. L’Atitude 52°N (Germany) Debuting at IFA this year and bagging the Best of IFA Next Innovation Award, L’Atitude 52°N is a Berlin-based smart eyewear brand with glasses that look and feel like your favourite everyday pair while offering hands-free tools for capturing memories, real-time translation, and effortless voice control. Its  Departure collection features three signature models — Berlin | 52°N (edgy navigator), Milan | 45°N (versatile panto), and Antwerp | 51°N (sleek rectangular) — each inspired by the latitude and spirit of its city. The POV camera seamlessly switches between landscape and portrait views, allowing for easy capture of life from any angle. The company is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter The OOONO CO-DRIVER (Denmark) The CO-DRIVER is a Traffic Safety Device that improves your driving experience by informing you of speed cameras and road hazards on your route. This includes all types of speed cameras in +80 countries. The CO-DRIVER connects millions of drivers and allows them to share traffic information in a single click. The second iteration OOONO CO-DRIVER NO2 is the upgraded version of OOONO’s popular traffic safety device, designed to provide drivers with real-time alerts about speed cameras and road hazards in more than 80 countries. It features a rechargeable USB-C battery, improved audio and visual warnings with a bright LED ring, and seamless integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing alerts and navigation to display directly on the dashboard. A new dismiss button, which lets users remove outdated or incorrect alerts, improves the accuracy of the community-driven database. Built in collaboration with over 10,000 community members who influenced its design, the NO2 offers a smarter, more user-friendly, and sustainable approach to safer driving. SunLED Life Science (Netherlands) Not quite got what you hoped from that Seasonal Affective Disorder-busting sun lamp? SunBooster is the first near-infrared device that brings the systemic health benefits of sunlight indoors. Exposure to near-infrared light is proven to lower resting heart rate and strengthen the immune system. NIR light therapy has multiple additional potential benefits, including for skin and eye health. SunBooster leverages patented SunLED technology based on over five years of internal research and over 50 years of broader photobiomodulation science. It offers a scientifically-proven dose of near-infrared light to users while they work, game or surf the internet – counteracting the negative health effects of insufficient natural light exposure to make people happier and healthier. SunBooster can be clipped onto any external monitor or laptop screen — seamlessly integrating into the user’s workspace – and makes screen time energising instead of draining. SunLED offers a licensing program, letting partners integrate their patented technology into broader solutions. We Are Rewind (France) I’m old enough to have fond memories of boomboxes, and We Are Rewind is a company committed to bringing back the charm of cassette players with the Boombox – GB-001. With an appeal to Gen X nostalgics, music fans and design enthusiasts, the company’s latest boombox offers a refresh on the OG: Think rechargeable batteries, Bluetooth support, and four Hi-fi class loudspeakers. Collaboration with French analogue sound specialists (like ORA) ensures high-quality audio performance laced with modern components. You can plug in a microphone for an instant karaoke party, old school, or electrify a guitar. 

Last week, we tracked more than 60 tech funding deals worth over €1.3 billion, and over 25 exits, M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe.Click to read the rest of the news.

This week, we tracked more than 60 tech funding deals worth over €1.3 billion, and over 25 exits, M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe. In addition to this week's top financials, we've also indexed the most important/industry-related news items you need to know about. If email is more your thing, you can always subscribe to our newsletter and receive a more robust version of this round-up delivered to your inbox. Either way, let's get you up to speed. ? Notable and big funding rounds ?? Netomnia secures €346.2M ?? IQM raises record $320M Series B to cement Europe’s place in the quantum computing race   ?? Bitcoin treasury company Treasury debuts with €126M funding ??‍?? Noteworthy acquisitions and mergers ?? Aonic completes $250 million+ acquisition of Prime Insights in largest deal to date ?? SeqOne acquires Congenica to create a global leader in AI-powered genomic medicine ?? Zopa buys UK payments infrastructure outfit Rvvup ?? Flowbox acquires Dreaminfluence ?? French startup Cycle joins Atlassian, embedding customer insight tech into Jira ? Interesting moves from investors ? ? More than €1.2 billion raised by EIC Scaling Club members ? Siena Secondary Fund II builds momentum with institutional and founder backing   ? EQT Foundation’s fast-track grant program targets rare disease moonshots ?️ In other (important) news ☀️ Summer chill: European tech funding cools by 66% in August ?? European Tech.eu Pulse: key trends and investment in August ?? Europe’s digital health innovators warn: “unite or fall behind” ? Klarna targets $1.27BN raise in second stab at US IPO ? Recommended reads and listens ?? Dalton raises €1M to turn static websites into self-improving growth engines ? Europe's 10 biggest fintech deals in H1 2025 ?? FERNRIDE bags €18M Series A extension as it expands into defence ? Can algorithms rule better than humans? Sensay Island resurrects Churchill, Gandhi, and Tesla to find out ? European tech startups to watch ?? TrustNXT raises €1.6M pre-seed to fight AI-driven image and video manipulation ?? Driven lands €1.5M to transform sales commissions management ?? RYE raises €1M pre-seed to help hospitality and retail monetise energy demand ?? mypaperwork secures €500,000 to streamline EU work and residence permits ?? Greenvoltis secures new strategic investment to drive AI energy innovation in Europe

Ever wondered if society's predecessors could do a better job of ruling the world? Well, now you can, and it's all thanks to AI.  Sensay Island is a micronation, a privately owned island off the coast of the Philippines (formerly known as Cheron Island), now governed entirely by AI. It has been purchased and renamed by the British AI startup Sensay to experiment in AI-driven governance. I spoke to founder and CEO DanThomson to learn all about it Sensay Island is an actual island located off the coast of the Philippines. Viewable on Google Maps, it spans about 3.4 km² and features beaches, rainforest, and coral lagoons. The team chose the Philippines due to its availability and price. According to Thomson, "the Philippines is underrated compared to places like Thailand, Vietnam, or Bali. It just came up as the right opportunity, and I jumped on it." As a journalist who has written extensively about smart cities over the years, I share Thomson's interest in the notion of building a city-state from scratch.  Thomson sees Sensay Island as a testbed:  "What if governance weren't distorted by lobbying, corruption, or self-interest? Could AI create better systems? " Resurrecting the past to govern the future To form a government, Thomson looked to history.  Sensay Island's digital cabinet draws on a range of philosophical, political, scientific, and cultural luminaries, compiled to bring historical wisdom and ethical depth into governance via AI. Thomson admitted that initially he opted for philosophers, then realised they were "all old, white men."    Currently, the Island's (non) elect are: President (Head of State), Marcus Aurelius Prime Minister: Winston Churchill Foreign Affairs Minister: Eleanor Roosevelt Defence Minister: Sun Tzu Treasury Secretary: Alexander Hamilton Justice Minister: Nelson Mandela Science & Technology Minister: Ada Lovelace Education Minister: Confucius Health Minister: Florence Nightingale Agriculture Minister: George Washington Carver Environment Minister: Wangari Maathai Culture Minister: Leonardo da Vinci Ethics Advisor: Mahatma Gandhi Innovation Advisor: Nikola Tesla Infrastructure Director: Queen Hatshepsut Chief Strategist: Zhuge Liang Intelligence Chief: T. E. Lawrence  Notably, the list excludes anyone from the Philippines, and when I asked Thomson if they would be included, he admitted it's not something he ever thought about.  "It hasn't come up yet, but if a proposal for local figureheads were put forward, I'd support it. We've already debated council members — Churchill even won a vote over Lee Kuan Yew, which shows how democratic (and unpredictable) the system can be. Broadly, I want Sensay to inspire human-centred, transparent, and impactful uses of AI—whether in business, education, or governance. If AI Island proves that AI can improve systems, even in small ways, that's success." So how are decisions made?  Thomson explained that 'e-residents' put forward proposals and the AI government debates and votes on them. "I stay hands-off to minimise bias—it's about seeing what happens when AI governs." According to Thomson, "even becoming a resident starts with a proposal. We already have hundreds, maybe thousands, interested. The point isn't just numbers — it's showing that AI can serve as a think tank or advisory body for governments." From philosophy to digital Immortality: Thomson's journey into AI But what inspired such a project? Thomson's background is in philosophy. He shared: "I studied it at university and ended up writing two books during a quarter-life crisis.  Those books explored digital mortality, mind uploading, and the meaning of life. I thought: we forget people after just two or three generations unless they were famous or successful. What if AI could preserve us? With all the photos, videos, and data we have, we could create versions of ourselves that interact with our great-grandkids. That's the long-term vision—digital immortality." Sensay bets on replicas to humanise digital interactions To be clear, Thomson already has skin in the game. His company Sensay provides an AI-driven platform that enables businesses to create custom AI chatbots, or "digital replicas," powered by advanced AI agents. These chatbots can interact naturally, round-the-clock, based on knowledge sourced from your content— like documents, websites, videos, and audio. The company is currently building products for companies in sales, customer support, tourism boards, and even governments.  But I wanted to really understand what makes for a good virtual human? Thomas contends that replicas are extensions of people, not replacements.  "They should put the humanity back into interactions, not take it out.  For example, I save time every day because my chatbot drafts my emails. Left to myself, I'd send five-word replies, but the AI helps me flesh them out. Done correctly, it's seamless and accurate to me." According to Thomson, it's all about good data and contextual awareness.  "The AI needs to know who it's talking to, whether it's on email, Twitter, or chat, and adjust tone and style. Adding voice and video makes it even more realistic.  We think of it as an "AI brain" that ingests data — text, voice, video, style — then layers on reasoning, situational awareness, knowledge retrieval, and personality before generating interactions. Training is the hard part, so we're making that as seamless as possible. We've even built hallucination checkers to keep accuracy very high." The company has created numerous demos — such as the one featuring George Clooney for Nespresso — to demonstrate to brands how they can utilise ambassadors. Its experimented across healthcare, education, gaming, and tourism, but its focus is now B2B.  An example is the replication of CEOs or sales leads so customers can connect with them in the buying process. There's also a strong interest in HR. Sensay's head of HR replica interviewed 50,000 people for various job applicants — applicants start by speaking to the chatbot, which filters based on criteria before moving them to formal applications. According to Thomson, "it weeds out people who don't even read job descriptions." That said, I was curious how the problem of bias in AI decision-making is factored in when it comes to Sensay Island. Thomas admits it's the biggest challenge: "LLMs naturally filter out parts of humanity — they won't swear, they avoid controversial topics. But humanity isn't clean-cut. People often identify with aspects of various ideologies, including those with problematic elements. We don't want an "AI Hitler," obviously, but neither do we want a left-wing utopia. Striking a balance is key. We've worked on balancing perspectives, avoiding extremes but still capturing human diversity. We've also developed a charter drafted by AI, which the AI government then debates and refines. It's not perfect, but it's about testing whether AI governance can be more efficient or fair than humans alone." Living laboratories or libertarian playgrounds? Sensay Island is an actual place — although "right now it's basically one hut and a caretaker named Mike," admits Thomson, who suggests that in time they might migrate to a more autonomous location or expand elsewhere — not some kind of Web3 virtual reality.   Further, manufactured cities are hardly a new idea. Entrepreneurs worldwide have been securing land to build them as testbeds for reimagining governance, sustainability, and economic growth, often sidestepping traditional public-sector constraints: There's Songdo in South Korea, home to over 160,000 residents. And soon we might finally see  Woven City, in action: The brainchild of Toyota, Woven City is a purpose-built "living laboratory" at the base of Mt Fuji, designed to test and refine innovative technologies in a real-world urban setting — the official phase 1 launch planned for autumn 2025, with the first 100 residents moving in soon after. Then there's NEOM, the planned mega-city in northwest Saudi Arabia, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in October 2017 as part of the country's Vision 2030, aimed at diversifying away from oil dependency. The project spans 26,500 km² and plans for multiple renewable energy-powered themed regions, including futuristic urban hubs, industrial zones, tourism and leisure resorts, and digitally driven communities. That said, beyond the glitz and CGI-generated videos, only about 2.5 km of The Line is under construction, with plans significantly scaled back: housing targets dropped from 1.5 million to around 300,000 residents by 2030.  Additionally, in the US, VC-backed tech entrepreneurs have purchased land to create their own manufactured towns or cities, such as Belmont, Telosa, and California Forever. It all sounds promising in theory, until it doesn't. Last year, Trump proposed building up to ten new master-planned cities on federal land across the United States.  These deregulated zones — granted broad "regulatory relief"— could be exempt from major federal laws such as the Internal Revenue Code, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Fair Labour Standards Act, and OSHA. Supporters envision each city serving as a dedicated hub for industries such as semiconductors, defence, biotechnology, or nuclear power, operating without the need for prior approval from agencies like the FDA or EPA. Should these testbeds trump (yeah, excuse the pun) labour rights and environmental protection?  An AI island without internet? Sensay’s bold governance experiment collides with the Philippines’ digital divide Placing the issues around manufacturing cities and unregulated testbeds in the context of Sensay Island, it's hard not to connect them to the harsh reality of life in the Philippines – a place with low digital literacy and poor internet access. It's something that startup teks is working to address. CEO and co-founder Livia Dolle previously told me: "The internet penetration rate is just 1.8 per cent per year. Satellite internet options like Starlink exist, but remain unaffordable for most users. Many NGOs try to provide connectivity, but they fund it for a year and leave, making it unsustainable." Thomson concedes that while not everyone can afford Starlink or has reliable connections. "But AI replicas could help democratise access. Imagine replicating world-class professors and making them accessible to kids in remote areas. Suddenly, someone who could never attend Oxford or Cambridge gets that knowledge. There are cultural barriers — lawyers and educators can be protective of expertise — but the potential impact is huge." To be clear, I believe Thomson has good intentions, and the initiative has captured public interest. Interested people can apply for citizenship. According to Thomson, so far, interest has been in the hundreds, if not thousands, of people.  "The point is less about numbers and more about showing governments that AI can be used as a think tank or advisory body for decision-making." Observer visas are slated to open mid-2026 for visitors to Sensay Island, with research residencies and permanent citizenship following in stages.

Dutch startup TracXon has secured €4.75 million in seed funding to industrialise its hybrid printed electronics (HPE) technology, aiming to replace traditional printed circuit boards (PCBs) with more flexible and environmentally sustainable alternatives. The round was led by Invest-NL’s Deep Tech Fonds, contributing €2 million, alongside investments from DeepTechXL and the Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM). Founded in 2022 and spun out of research institute TNO, TracXon has developed a roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing process that prints electronics directly onto flexible and recyclable films. The process eliminates the need for copper, solder, or toxic chemicals, key components in conventional PCB production. “TracXon is bringing about a fundamental change in electronics manufacturing. From traditional and polluting to efficient and sustainable,” said Ashok Sridhar, Co-founder and CEO of TracXon. “This investment round brings us closer to our goal of replacing at least 10% of PCBs with our HPE technology by 2033.” “This represents approximately €15 billion worth of circuits per year. Our technology is a huge step towards ‘ubiquitous electronics’ – electronics that are all around us – in a socially responsible way.” The startup’s flagship product is the R2R VIA Printer, a machine designed to print double-sided electronic circuits at scale. The company plans to roll out the first commercial units by mid-2027, using the new capital to scale production and build out custom equipment to reduce costs and carbon emissions by as much as 80 percent, according to internal estimates. PCBs are a cornerstone of modern electronics, but their manufacture is resource-intensive and polluting. The global PCB market is projected to reach over €150 billion by 2030, driven by growth in IoT, MedTech, automotive, and consumer electronics, all sectors TracXon is actively targeting. The demand for lighter, thinner, and more versatile electronics is also on the rise, especially in areas like wearable biosensors, flexible displays, and embedded smart surfaces. “TracXon’s technology opens doors to applications that were previously unimaginable. Think of medical plasters with integrated biosensors or smart, interactive surfaces in cars,” said Liz Duijves, Investment Manager at Invest-NL. “The fact that their technology is also much more sustainable than traditional electronics makes us, as Deep Tech Fonds, not only proud but also hopeful about where the industry can go.” Despite being in early stages, TracXon has already attracted over 20 co-development partners and customers from more than 10 countries. By offering printed electronics as a service, it allows clients to integrate next-gen tech into their products without investing in expensive production infrastructure. The funding follows a broader push in the Netherlands to boost deep tech startups. Initiatives such as the collaboration between TNO, Techleap, and Invest-NL are building a national support system for high-impact, high-tech innovation. “We are proud of this achievement. TracXon is a good example of how TNO innovations can grow into impactful companies,” said Hans Boumans, director of TNO Ventures. “TNO invests in technologies that create a better world, and TracXon contributes directly to a more sustainable future by fundamentally changing how electronics are produced.”

Payments giant Stripe has teamed up with a Silicon Valley crypto firm to launch a blockchain firm geared to improving stablecoin payments- and has already signed up European firms Revolut and Deutsche Bank as partners. Stripe, founded by two Irish entrepreneur brothers and which is dual-headquartered in Dublin and San Francisco, is launching Tempo with crypto outfit Paradigm. The launch of Tempo comes amid a crypto bounce, helped by a pro-crypto Trump government and mainstream banks trying out blockchain technology as well as big brands embracing stablecoin payments, which are types of crypto backed by assets seen as reliable, like the dollar. Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison explained the rationale behind Tempo in a post on X, saying that existing blockchains were not “optimized” for Stripe, Stripe-owned crypto wallet Privy and Stripe-owned stablecoin platform Bridge.Tempo is what is called a layer 1 blockchain, which is the main network of a blockchain, where core functions like transactions occur. Other layer 1 blockchains include Bitcoin and Ethereum. Collison said: "We think of Tempo as the payments-oriented L1, optimized for high-scale, real-world financial services applications.” Collison said Tempo was geared towards improving payment acceptance, global payouts, remittances, microtransactions, tokenised deposits, and agentic payments. Tempo is independent of Stripe, but has Stripe and Paradigm as its first investors. The venture will likely benefit from the customer base of Stripe, which includes half of the Fortune 500 and which processed over $1tn in payments in 2024.Tempo’s partners include Anthropic, Coupang, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Lead Bank, Mercury, Nubank, OpenAI, Revolut, Shopify, Standard Chartered, and Visa, said Collison. The Tempo team is 15-strong.

Barcelona-based Adsmurai announced the completion of this strategic transaction with Seaya, a pan-European venture capital and private equity firm specialising in scaling sustainable, high-growth technology companies. Through its Andromeda fund, Seaya acquired a minority stake, while Adsmurai’s founders and management remain majority shareholders, retaining leadership in strategic and operational roles. This partnership marks a key step in Adsmurai’s growth, boosting AI investment and enabling global expansion. Marc Elena, CEO and co-founder of Adsmurai, commented: This alliance allows us to consolidate our growth trajectory and accelerate our international expansion, with Artificial Intelligence as the driving force behind our proposal. Seaya’s investment validates Adsmurai’s business model and reinforces its potential in marketing technology and analytics. With Seaya’s global network and expertise, Adsmurai is set to accelerate development, expand internationally, and strengthen its position in the digital advertising ecosystem. Carlos Fisch, Partner at Seaya, added:  We are very excited to join forces with Marc and Otto to accompany Adsmurai in this new stage of growth, a company with a unique vision and proprietary technology that is already redefining the future of digital marketing, led by an exceptional team. Adsmurai has shown strong momentum, surpassing €100 million in revenue in 2024 and projecting €140 million by 2025. Its ambitious plan targets €400 million by 2029 through both organic and inorganic growth. With 450+ employees driving innovation, the company now benefits from Seaya’s network to accelerate expansion and product development. Trusted by brands such as Wilson, Unilever, Henkel, Mango, and UNICEF, Adsmurai has consolidated its position as a key partner across industries.  Zero Loop: a strategy driven by AI At the heart of this new phase, Adsmurai introduces Zero Loop, a conversational AI assistant integrated with internal infrastructure in a private environment. It automates complex tasks by combining generative AI with business data and tools, delivering actionable insights and freeing teams to focus on strategy and creativity. Zero Loop ensures data security through self-hosted models and customer control, with the option to connect to providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, or xAI while maintaining full traceability, routing control, data residency, and compliance with regulations including GDPR. It also incorporates advanced features such as video generation from images via VEO3, offering style, resolution, and duration options to accelerate creative production under strict security and control standards.

Happening from September 29 to October 1, 2025, during Munich’s Oktoberfest, Bits & Pretzels returns with the theme Connecting Europe. The festival will gather 7,500 participants, including 1,500 investors, over 70% international speakers, and a diverse lineup of Europe’s growth companies. Its mission: to facilitate collaboration between startups, investors, and political leaders, shaping the next phase of European innovation policy. What began as a humble founders’ breakfast has evolved into one of the most influential platforms for entrepreneurship in Europe. This year’s line-up includes leading voices from technology, business, society, and politics, headlined by Niklas Zennström — the entrepreneur who transformed communication with Skype and built Atomico into one of Europe’s top venture capital firms. The 2025 edition will focus, among many other topics, on Europe’s global ambitions in AI, the continent’s role in the New Space movement, and the push for strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty. The full agenda has just been released and is available on the festival’s website. AI Takes Center Stage Artificial Intelligence remains at the center of public debate, and Bits & Pretzels will spotlight the field with real-world applications and strategic discussions. Europe’s most innovative AI startups — including Hugging Face, Mistral AI, and Parloa — will take the stage alongside top technology leaders and policymakers to examine economic opportunities, regulation, and the latest breakthroughs. “Europe should not focus solely on ethical frameworks and fairness debates when it comes to AI,” said Bernd Storm van’s Gravesande, co-founder of Bits & Pretzels. “The real priority is to see AI as an economic tool — one that can optimize processes, improve products, and transform entire industries. Bits & Pretzels provides the stage to explore this vision.” Spotlight on European Tech In line with its Connecting Europe theme, this year’s festival will highlight international cooperation more than ever. New European country partners and global guests will join, opening space for cross-border dialogue. “In 2025, we’re doubling down on bringing together the key players in Europe’s startup ecosystem,” said co-founder Andy Bruckschlögl. “In a fragmented market like Europe, startups and scale-ups need clear answers on scaling and funding. They also need direct access to decision-makers, which we provide.” Flagship Bits & Pretzels formats such as the Investor Summit, gathering over 1,500 capital providers, including more than 300 limited partners, and the CIO Summit will put industry leaders at the center of the conversation. “Europe has enormous entrepreneurial potential. Now it’s time to turn that into real economic impact,” said co-founder Felix Haas. “To make this happen, we need capital, exit opportunities, and a culture that rewards entrepreneurial courage. That’s exactly what Bits & Pretzels is here for.” By Founders for Founders The theme of the event may change from year to year, but the festival’s core remains the same: providing startups with a strong platform to connect, learn, and grow. The Startup Exhibition allows young companies to showcase their ideas, structured networking formats link founders with investors and corporates, and targeted sessions focus on scaling, funding, and international expansion. The event also facilitates one-on-one meetings, giving startups the chance to plan conversations in advance and maximize their time in Munich. “Bits & Pretzels was built by founders, for founders,” said co-founder Andy Bruckschlögl. “Our main mission every year is to give startups the access and visibility they need to succeed.” Join the 12th edition of Bits & Pretzels from September 29 to October 1 2025, in Munich. Get your ticket now!

Belgian startup Dalton, which turns static websites into self-improving growth engines, today announced it has raised a €1 million Pre-Seed round from leading technology founders.  I spoke to CEO  Vincent Declercq to learn more.  Websites are no longer static billboards  Dalton makes websites self-improving with AI. Its platform analyses websites, runs continuous experiments, and personalises user experiences to maximise conversion, 24/7 automatically. Most company websites are still static billboards — unmeasured, unpersonalised, and slow to change — even as digital advertising has become highly data-driven. Giants like Amazon or Booking run thousands of experiments a year to squeeze more revenue from website visitors, but most businesses lack the people, technology, and traffic to do the same. Dalton changes that with a specialised AI agent obsessed with increasing conversion rates. It constantly analyses a website, suggests improvements, launches experiments, and personalises experiences for each visitor segment.  A champion swimmer and a magician turned AI entrepreneurs Dalton is led by CEO Vincent Declercq and CTO Ward Van Laer, whose unconventional backgrounds shaped their approach to entrepreneurship.  Declercq, a former elite swimmer and Belgian champion who studied Operations Research Engineering at Cornell, went on to work in venture capital at Volta Ventures and in operator roles at StuDocu and itsme, after an early start selling firecrackers as a child.  Van Laer, an AI expert and award-winning magician — you read that right — for a decade, studied Computer Science and AI at UGent and launched three side businesses, including a Shopify store during COVID that scaled to 15,000 customers.  The pair previously founded another startup that failed to find product-market fit, a learning experience they credit with shaping their resilience.  According to Declercq, the idea for Dalton actually came from Van Laer: "After we wrapped up a previous startup that didn't work out, we sat down at the Winter Circus in Ghent and started listing things we were truly passionate about. We kept coming back to growth hacking, digital marketing, and data-driven experimentation." Van Laer had also run three side businesses that scaled through Meta and Google ads, one of them a Shopify store. He realised he could constantly test and improve ads easily, but not his store.  "He thought, "Why isn't there something that automatically tests and optimises my website the way ads work?" With AI advancing so fast, it felt like the right moment to solve that gap. That was the spark for Dalton." The technology behind Dalton Dalton is a blend of generative AI, machine learning, and traditional software engineering.  According to Declercq, many AI products go too heavy on GenAI — you get a prompting box and not much else, and it doesn't always work as expected — "We wanted a real balance." "Generative AI drives everything around suggesting and implementing website changes directly in HTML — tweaking layouts, headlines, CTAs, or adding sections." The team has developed agent flows to ensure a smooth process. Traditional software engineering powers the UI/UX to keep it intuitive. And its machine learning algorithm handles live-traffic adjustments, which means even sites with fewer than 100,000 visitors can get meaningful results.  "That algorithm is inspired by ad optimisation and platforms like Netflix," shared Declercq.  One website, 100 versions: Dalton tailors experiences in real time Dalton goes beyond traditional A/B testing, which tries to find the single best version of a site. Dalton takes it further with personalisation — tailoring the experience based on context. Declercq explained that, "for example, if a user comes through a SaaS ad targeting a specific pain point, we can adapt the site so the message matches the ad. Typically, companies would need to build multiple landing pages to do this; Dalton handles it dynamically." In practice, this might mean emphasising "vegan" or "plastic-free" for an e-commerce brand, or pushing social proof higher up on the page for a SaaS product. These micro-optimisations often deliver 10–20 per cent conversion lifts. And because attention spans are short, surfacing the right message quickly can make a huge difference. Every change is measured, so the process is fully data-driven. "It's like having 100 versions of your site live at once, and the system continuously learns which ones perform best."  Dalton can turn tiny tweaks into 20–40 per cent conversion gains It cannot be underestimated how massive the impact of small changes can be. Shifting a headline or button text can deliver 20–30 per cent more conversions.  "You don't always need a whole redesign," shared Declercq. While Dalton is still at an early stage, there's a clear pattern across customers: they spend heavily on ads. "Whether it's e-commerce or SaaS, they're paying for traffic but not seeing proportional results," shared Declercq. "Our sweet spot is mid-sized companies — think product-led growth SaaS firms like Ikidoo, where users sign up, request demos, or fill out forms.  But we also work with very small businesses, though changes take longer, and very large enterprises with full testing teams." For the latter, Dalton helps them go from running a handful of tests per month to ten times that volume, unlocking AI-driven scale in their workflows. One of Dalton's customers increased conversions by 40 per cent in just weeks - fully automated. Dalton's human-in-the-loop AI approach However, Dalton's approach isn't just about agentic AI.  "Our philosophy is that Dalton should do 99 per cent of the work, while users approve final changes before they go live," said Declercq. "That keeps control and minimises risk. The system acts like an employee: you provide your site, it generates changes, and you approve them. Once enough data is gathered, it tells you what worked, what didn't, and proposes the next set of optimisations." I was interested in how Dalton ensures continuity. For example, what if I regularly shop on the same website and want a consistent experience? If you're on the same device, Dalton drops a cookie so you see the same version you saw last time. While the continuity can't be guaranteed across different devices, most changes are subtle — like adding a badge that says "vegan" — so users often don't even notice. The real challenge, however, is not technical but cultural.  "Traditional A/B testing is finite — you start an experiment, stop it, and implement or discard the result," explains Declercq.  "Dalton is continuous. There's no 'end.' That requires a shift in how growth teams think about website optimisation." The web is ripe for evolution with personalised adaptability Declercq contends that websites are one of the oldest digital products, but fundamentally, they haven't evolved much: "The future, as we see it, is fluid, personalised sites that adapt dynamically to each visitor — like an ad manager, but for websites. Some argue websites will disappear into chat interfaces. I don't believe that. Companies will always need a storefront — a place where customers can browse and explore beyond a single conversation." The company also sees opportunities around accessibility and insights. Regulations are coming — possibly a GDPR-style moment — requiring sites to meet accessibility standards. Dalton could make compliance seamless. Similarly, instead of overwhelming users with dashboards, Dalton can surface direct insights: "20 per cent of mobile users in this country are having a poor experience. That shift from raw data to actionable guidance is where the real value lies." There's also scope around accessibility, which is often overlooked, but regulation is on the horizon. For Dalton, it would be a natural extension — flagging issues and fixing them automatically. There are also adjacent opportunities, such as detecting "rage clicks" when users get stuck, or identifying non-clickable elements that frustrate users.  The company also sees Dalton evolving into a kind of growth analytics agent — replacing clunky dashboards with clear insights. Instead of digging through Google Analytics, Dalton tells you what's broken and why. "Dalton is applying AI to a real, overlooked problem that can drive meaningful growth for businesses. We're excited to keep building and to see Dalton become the go-to solution for website optimisation." Investors in the current round include Syndicate One and a roster of prominent entrepreneurs, such as: Stijn Christiaens (Collibra), Matthias Geeroms (Lighthouse), Jorn Vanysacker (Henchman), Gilles Mattelin (Henchman), Wouter Van Respaille (Henchman), Joris De Wit (Teamleader), Roeland Delrue (Aikido), Louis Jonckheere (Wintercircus), Bruno Vandegehuchte (Wintercircus), Alexander Stevens (Greenomy), Christophe Morbee (NewSchool VC), and e-commerce leaders. Robin Wauters, founding member of Syndicate One, added: "Dalton demonstrates a well-defined problem, impressive early traction, and a highly capable, fast-acting team. These qualities are exactly what investors look for in an early-stage company. Additionally, the widespread support from prominent founders across Belgium indicates strong external validation and confidence in Dalton's potential." Louis Jonckheere, founder of Wintercircus and backer of Dalton, said: "Where Dalton sits at the intersection of AI, marketing, and product is exactly the kind of frontier we look for in Wintercircus. These founders are building smart and delivering tangible results for real customers." With customers including Sunday, Dexxter, Aikido and klimaatshop.nl, Dalton is expanding quickly. Backed by the new investment, the team will focus on product development from its base at Wintercircus Ghent, while adding engineering and product talent to keep pace with growth.

Austrian-American Ketryx, the AI-powered compliance platform helping life sciences companies ship safer products faster, today announced a $39 million Series B, bringing the company’s total funding to over $55 million. Life sciences teams face the challenge of balancing strict compliance requirements with the accelerating pace of innovation. Despite advances in cloud tools and LLMs, most still rely on infrastructure not built for this speed of change. Ketryx addresses this gap by automating validation, traceability, and regulatory workflows, including FDA and EU MDR-ready documentation, across the product development lifecycle. The result is safer products delivered faster, with customers reporting up to 90 per cent less documentation time and release cycles more than 10 times quicker. Erez Kaminski, CEO and founder of Ketryx, shared: I’ve spent the last decade at the intersection of AI and life sciences, watching it evolve from an emerging tool to a critical application for patients. It’s now time to accelerate adoption and ensure AI is safe, reliable, and ready for regulated environments. The company’s platform is built for the enterprise and already used by three of the top five global medtech companies, several Fortune 500 organizations, and AI-powered companies such as DeepHealth, Heartflow, and Aignostics. With adoption accelerating, Ketryx is emerging as the key AI infrastructure layer for product development in regulated industries. The round was led by Transformation Capital, with participation from existing investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, MIT’s E14 Fund, Ubiquity Ventures, and 53 Stations. Bill Hawkins, former CEO of Medtronic and new Ketryx investor, said: In medtech, long-term success depends on balancing innovation with the uncompromising demands of safety and compliance. This balance has historically been hard to achieve. Ketryx has built the infrastructure that allows both to advance together. Their ability to deliver this level of rigor at true enterprise scale is why I’m proud to support them as they shape the future of regulated software. As part of this latest round, Vinay Shah, Partner and Founding Team Member at Transformation Capital, will join Ketryx’s board. According to Shah, medtech teams are at the forefront of using AI to enhance patient outcomes while ensuring their products adhere to the strictest safety and regulatory requirements. He commented: In our diligence, Fortune 500 giants and fast-growing innovators consistently praised Ketryx for proving that compliance can accelerate, rather than slow, technological progress. We believe Ketryx is defining the future of regulated infrastructure across industries and are proud to back them in their next stage of growth. Kaminski continued: Having Transformation Capital, the pre-eminent digital health VC & growth equity firm, as our lead partner, gives us more than just capital. They understand exactly what it takes to build and scale healthcare technology companies. With their backing and industry connections, we’re continuing our global expansion, accelerating our product roadmap, and hiring rapidly in both Boston and Austria. By enabling real-time traceability and documentation, Ketryx integrates zero-lag compliance into product development, helping teams release safer products faster and at scale.

Aonic, a Stockholm-based powerhouse with a global group of multiplatform tech and gaming companies, has completed the acquisition of research technology firm Prime Insights for a total transaction value in excess of $250 million. This represents Aonic’s largest acquisition to date. Prime Insights joins Aonic’s existing firms to form a unified, global rewards and data platform spanning 50 million+ consumers, 12 owned and operated consumer brands, and approximately $300m+ in yearly revenues. Prime Insights was founded in 2022 by serial technology entrepreneur Benjamin Ritzka,  who leads a team of around 120 people working across 17 countries. It has grown over 70 per cent annually and swiftly established itself as a leader in the research technology sector. Prime Insights manages multiple mobile and web platforms, through which millions of users earn real money by completing online surveys. Through its flagship platform Exmox and recent addition of Mega Fortuna, Aonic already possesses one of the largest gaming-focused discovery, testing and loyalty platforms, driving significant scale in user acquisition and insights for many of the world’s leading mobile game developers. Meanwhile, Prime Insights has emerged in recent years as one of the fastest-growing companies in the $142 billion global research technology industry, a leader in programmatic sampling through its expansive global proprietary panels. It operates multiple mobile and web platforms, through which millions of users earn real money by completing online surveys. Both Aonic and Prime Insights have delivered more than 80 per cent organic growth per annum over the past two years.   By joining forces, the firms double the scale of their platforms and enable both client bases – mobile game developers and consumer insights researchers alike – to achieve superior reach, insights and engagement. Ritzka will continue to lead Prime Insights as CEO and has contributed a significant amount of the transaction proceeds into shares of Aonic, becoming one of the group's largest shareholders. “Prime Insights has rewritten the rules in programmatic data collection for consumer insights as a true disruptor in the highly competitive world of research technology,” says Aonic CEO and co-founder Paul Schempp.   "Bringing together scale, data and technology will be the key to sharpening our competitive edge. We welcome Benjamin and his team with highest regards – they deserve every accolade.” “The growth path we achieved with Prime Insights over recent years is unprecedented in our industry,” says Benjamin Ritzka, CEO and Founder of Prime Insights.  “A transaction of this scale is an amazing validation of everything we’ve built. A huge thanks to my fantastic team at Prime Insights. “The two firms are extremely complementary, which will allow us to double down on adding unparalleled value to our clients and users.”  

Investment volumes fell to €3.2B across 189 deals, with Bending Spoons’ €500M raise standing out, while energy startups and UK companies continued to dominate the landscape.Click to read the rest of the news.

Swedish SaaS company Flowbox has acquired Danish Dreaminfluence, pushing Flowbox past 1,000 customers in Europe and bringing its annual recurring revenue (ARR) close to €9 million. Founded in 2018, Dreaminfluence has built a leading influencer marketing platform used by more than 200 companies, including Estée Lauder, Mondelēz, and DK Company. Its curated network of hand-picked creators, real-time campaign tracking, content management tools, and streamlined payment processing simplify end-to-end collaboration between brands and influencers. The acquisition aligns with Flowbox’s international growth strategy and follows its merger with the Spanish company Photoslurp three years ago. It further strengthens Flowbox’s position as Europe’s leading UGC platform, expanding its offering to meet the needs of the fast-growing UGC creator market. Eulogi Bordas, CEO of Flowbox, commented: This acquisition is a natural step in our mission to transform how brands and creators collaborate to drive e-commerce across Europe. More than 80 per cent of Flowbox’s customers already work with content creators. By integrating Dreaminfluence’s UGC creator network with our platform, we’re building a unique end-to-end solution that empowers brands to seamlessly create, activate, and scale authentic content. It’s not just about technology – it’s about fostering an ecosystem where brands and communities grow together through storytelling and measurable impact. Following the acquisition, Flowbox now serves over 1,000 customers, reports close to €9 million in ARR, and employs more than 60 people across offices in Stockholm, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Mads Wedderkopp, CEO of Dreaminfluence, added: Over the past year, several buyers expressed interest in Dreaminfluence, but Flowbox quickly stood out as the best match. Creators and influencer marketing are central to Flowbox’s vision and growth strategy, and I couldn’t imagine a better home for our team and product. Our cultures share many similarities, and the synergies between our platforms are immense. Wedderkopp will step into the role of Chief Revenue Officer at Flowbox. In addition to its founders, Dreaminfluence’s largest shareholder is Danish brand incubator Blazar Capital, while Flowbox’s largest shareholders post-acquisition are founder Marcus Carloni and Norwegian growth equity firm Viking Growth. Eivind Bergsmyr, chairman of the board of Flowbox and partner at Viking Growth, shared: The acquisition of Dreaminfluence solidifies Flowbox’s ambition to serve our customers with a broader product portfolio in line with our growth strategy. The acquisition increases our size and power to execute. The combined company will be a strong supplier and partner to our customers across Europe and Latin America. Flowbox is an award-winning SaaS platform that helps brands harness and showcase authentic user-generated content (UGC) across their digital channels, from social media to e-commerce, to drive engagement, social proof, and sales. Trusted by leading brands such as G-STAR, Desigual, Decathlon, and Intersport, Flowbox combines AI-powered automation, enterprise-grade features, flexible integrations, real-time analytics, and multi-platform support. The acquisition was financed entirely through Flowbox shares.

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Europe’s fintech market attracted strong capital inflows in H1 2025, reaching €5.2 billion. The UK stood out as the clear magnet for investors, securing €2.5 billion (48 per cent of the total) and leading both in deal count (74 deals, 34 per cent of the market) and in scale, with six of the ten largest transactions. A notable aspect is the role of debt financing, accounting for 4 of the 10 largest fintech deals, indicating a growing appetite for structured, asset-backed capital, particularly in lending, payroll, and consumer finance. Beyond the UK’s dominance, Germany and Sweden also played pivotal roles, contributing major rounds in areas such as climate-fintech, SME lending, and banking infrastructure. This broader continental strength underscores Europe’s resilience and adaptability as fintech continues to expand its footprint. The sector’s diversity is equally notable: from climate-fintech and embedded finance to wealth management, payments, and consumer lending. Together, these deals demonstrate how fintech innovation is permeating every corner of financial services. Here are the 10 biggest fintech deals in H1 2025. Amount raised in H1 2025: €500M Bees & Bears is a Berlin-based climate fintech company dedicated to accelerating the adoption of renewable energy solutions. Bees & Bears offers a digital platform that integrates directly into producers’ sales processes, managing workflows and data while bundling assets. Instead of paying high upfront costs, end clients can access solutions through affordable monthly leasing or contracting rates. By combining fintech innovation with climate impact, Bees & Bears helps drive the transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy future. In January 2025, Bees & Bears secured €500 million in funding from an undisclosed bank in the DACH region. Amount raised in H1 2025: £300M Carmoola is a London-based fintech transforming car finance with a fast, transparent, and digital-first approach. Founded in 2021, it lets drivers check borrowing power in 60 seconds, use a virtual card to pay instantly, and choose flexible finance options like HP or PCP. With no hidden fees, smart budgeting tools, and green incentives for EVs, Carmoola puts customers in control of their car-buying journey. In June, Carmoola secured a £300 million ABS facility with NatWest and Chenavari, bringing total funding to over £540 million. Amount raised in H1 2025: £300M Wagestream is a B‑Corp fintech on a mission to improve everyday workers’ financial wellbeing. Through employer partnerships, its app provides a research-backed toolkit (early access to pay, budgeting, saving, loans, coaching, and pension tools) designed to boost resilience and long-term security. Guided by a social charter and an Impact Advisory Board, Wagestream delivers fair, measurable financial benefits. In May, Wagestream secured a £300 million debt financing facility provided by Citi. Amount raised in H1 2025: £250M Abound is a London-based fintech redefining consumer lending by looking beyond traditional credit scores. Powered by AI and Open Banking, its platform reviews real income and spending data to assess affordability more accurately. This approach enables Abound to offer fairer, more flexible, and accessible loans, helping customers borrow responsibly while avoiding the pitfalls of high-cost credit. In March, Abound secured £250 million in financing from Deutsche Bank. Amount raised in H1 2025: £150M 365 Finance is a London‑based alternative finance provider offering flexible, revenue‑based funding to UK SMEs. Its flagship “Rev&U™” merchant cash advance allows quick access to finance, often within 24 hours, repaying via a small share of daily card sales. With no hidden fees, no fixed terms, and high approval rates, 365 Finance supports growing businesses across various sectors. In February, 365 Finance secured a £150 million debt facility with Pollen Street Capital. Amount raised in H1 2025: $190M Dojo, built on the Paymentsense platform, is a UK-founded payments fintech launched in 2009. With over 1,200 team members, it supports 126,000+ businesses through tech that transforms transactions into meaningful relationships within the experience economy. Dojo prides itself on simplifying payments and enriching customer interactions. In May, Dojo secured its first equity raise of $190 million from Vitruvian Partners. Amount raised in H1 2025: €155M Scalable Capital is a Munich-based digital investment platform founded in 2014. It offers scalable tools for investing and trading: Scalable Wealth, a low-cost, automated digital asset management service, and Scalable Broker, enabling independent trading in stocks, ETFs, funds, crypto, and derivatives. With smart tech, intuitive design, and minimal fees, it empowers people across Europe to build their financial future. Scalable Capital closed a financing round in June, raising €155 million. Amount raised in H1 2025: €150M Froda is a Stockholm‑based fintech, founded in 2015, that delivers fast, transparent business loans for SMEs across Europe. Offering tailored financing, up to 5 million SEK, with no hidden fees, instant decisions, and BankID access, Froda also provides savings accounts and embedded lending solutions, empowering small businesses with accessible, fair financial support. In February, Froda received €150 million (SEK 1.7 billion), aimed at expanding lending capabilities for small and micro-enterprises with improved terms and broader reach. Amount raised in H1 2025: $165 Zepz is a leading digital payments platform enabling fast, secure, and affordable money transfers across 130+ countries. Operating in 50+ markets and supporting over 5,000 corridors, Zepz helps millions of customers send $10B+ annually, empowering global communities with greater choice and financial freedom. In April, the company secured a $165 million debt finance package. Amount raised in H1 2025: €140M Solaris is a Berlin-based, fully licensed Banking-as-a-Service platform founded in 2016. It enables businesses across Europe to effortlessly embed digital banking, such as accounts, cards, payments, lending, and KYC, into their offerings via APIs while handling all regulatory and infrastructure complexities. Solaris secured a €140 million Series G funding round in February.