eYou a new European social media platform designed to combat online misinformation and rebuild trust in digital conversations, has secured €300,000 in pre-seed funding from Fil Rouge Capital, ahead of its public launch in May. eYou integrates real-time fact-checking tools directly into the social media experience, allowing users to verify the accuracy of claims — an approach its founders believe will help restore trust in online debate.  I spoke to CCO Grégoire Vigroux to learn more.  eYou has been built on European privacy and data protection standards at its core, ensuring that user data is safeguarded from the outset. The startup was founded by Grégoire Vigroux (CCO) and Jasseem Allybokus (CEO), two French entrepreneurs who have been based in Romania for more than a decade and chose Bucharest as the launchpad for the European-scale social media initiative, but it is open to users globally. Grégoire Vigroux is a long-time entrepreneur and investor active in the Central and Eastern European startup ecosystem. He has four successful exits under his belt, including CallPoint, which sold to global customer experience platform TELUS Digital and became TELUS Digital Europe, and mobile food waste app Bonapp. From Twitter frustration to a new platform The idea behind Vigroux’s project was sparked by his own experience using today’s dominant platforms. “I actually loved Twitter in the early days,” he explains. “But last year I logged in and my feed was dominated by posts from Elon Musk — even though I had never followed him.” For Vigroux, the moment illustrated how easily social platforms can be shaped by the priorities or influence of their owners. “That made me realise how easily platforms can be influenced by the people who control them,” he says. Another incident reinforced his concerns. Shortly before the Romanian presidential election, Telegram founder Pavel Durov sent a message directly to all Romanian users, accusing France of interfering in the vote, on the very morning people were heading to the polls. “When something like that happens just before people vote, you realise how powerful these platforms have become in shaping public opinion,” Vigroux says. Those experiences convinced him that social media platforms now play a growing role in politics and democratic processes — and that entrepreneurs have a responsibility to address the risks. “As entrepreneurs, our job is to identify problems and build solutions,” he explains. “Social media is increasingly influencing elections and public debate. At the same time, discussions around digital sovereignty were gaining traction across Europe. That’s when I started thinking the timing might be right to build a European alternative. “ Unlike traditional social networks that amplify engagement at any cost, eYou has been built to prioritise trust,” said Vigroux. “Social media was originally meant to connect people and democratise information. But over time, it has also become a powerful engine for polarisation and misinformation. We believe there is a real need, and urgent demand, for a new type of platform built around transparency, accountability and trust.”  Fighting misinformation and fake news with real-time AI fact-checking  One of the biggest problems in social media is that fake news spreads much faster than real news — some studies suggest up to six times faster. To tackle this, the eYou platform includes a fact-checking button under every post. When someone clicks it, the system analyses the post and evaluates the factual accuracy of its claims.  Posts can be up to 3,000 characters, so there might be 20 or 30 individual claims in a single post. Each claim receives an accuracy score — for example, 2 per cent, 55 per cent, or 100 per cent — along with an explanation. By clicking the post, the user will get an AI-generated pop-up assessment based on credible, neutral sources that summarises the veracity of each claim. This enables users to challenge misinformation in real time while maintaining the flow of discussion.  According to Vigroux, there’s also an educational element to it. Over time, users develop a reputation score based on the accuracy of the content they share.  He explained that people who consistently post reliable information will appear more often in feeds and recommendations.  “Users spreading misinformation will simply not be promoted by the algorithm.” Using multiple AI models to reduce bias However, determining what counts as fake news or fact can be subjective. For example, satirical sites like The Onion, Beoota Advocate, and The Daily Mash are technically news sites but could be misconstrued as fact.  In response, eYou decided not to rely on a single LLM. Vigroux explained: “Instead, we use several models simultaneously. Four LLMs compete in real time to provide the most accurate fact-checking response. Because each model has its own biases, having multiple models helps reduce the risk of relying on a single perspective.” And in terms of satire, which has been classified as factual news in the past, the founders tested a publication on the day of the interview, and the system correctly recognised the content as satire. The fact-checking flagged it as satirical content created for humour. The eYou interface is intentionally simple. At the centre of every post is the fact-checking button, which is our core feature. On the left side, there are two reactions: a thumbs-up labelled “Agree”, and a thumbs-down labelled “Disagree.” If a user disagrees with a post, they must leave a comment explaining why. The goal is to encourage debate rather than passive reactions. On the right side, there’s a comment button and an emoji reaction feature.  “Initially we debated whether to include emojis, " explained Vigroux, but our focus groups told us the platform shouldn’t feel too serious. People still want some sense of enjoyment.” Making algorithms transparent The platform also introduces a transparency feature that allows users to see and edit the profile the algorithm builds about them. Rather than operating as a hidden “black box” as other platforms do, eYou’s recommendation system allows users to modify the signals that shape their feed - giving them the option to broaden their content exposure  to a wider diversity of viewpoints and step outside algorithm-driven echo chambers.  Given the growing complexity of moderating online platforms — from deepfakes and harassment to the spread of harmful content — I asked eYou how it plans to address the challenge. Vigroux acknowledges that the company is still actively working through the issue. “This is something we’re still thinking about very carefully,” he says. “For example, with content related to conspiracy theories, homophobia, or misogyny, we’re considering different approaches. One option is to ban it outright. Another is to allow it to exist but heavily penalise it through the algorithm so it never gains visibility.” According to Vigroux, the central challenge lies in balancing open expression with responsible moderation. “Finding the right balance between freedom of expression and moderation is difficult,” he says. “We’re still defining exactly where that line should be.” And, in terms of identity verification, Vigroux says the priority in the early stages is to make onboarding as frictionless as possible. “In the beginning we want the onboarding process to be extremely fast — ideally under a minute,” he explains. “If signing up becomes complicated, many people will simply abandon the platform.” Instead, users will initially self-declare that they are over 16 years old, with the possibility of stronger verification mechanisms introduced later as the platform evolves. Bot detection, he says, will rely primarily on technical safeguards built into the system. “My technical co-founder has developed systems to detect suspicious activity and remove bots quickly,” says Vigroux. Building a social network with a “tiny team” Vigroux explains that the technology behind the platform has been built entirely in-house by his co-founder, Allybokus. Rather than scaling a large internal organisation, the founders have deliberately chosen to keep the team extremely small and work with specialised external partners. “We intentionally run a very small team — just the two of us — and rely on external partners instead of hiring large numbers of employees.” For areas such as user acquisition, the company works with entrepreneurial agencies rather than building large internal departments. “For example, our user acquisition campaigns on TikTok and Meta are managed by a marketing agency we trust,” he says. “If something doesn’t work, we can simply change partners.” Vigroux describes the approach as a deliberate operating model. “We follow what I call the ‘tiny team’ philosophy — working with specialised entrepreneurs instead of building large internal teams,” he says. The company is also preparing to reveal more about the platform’s identity. “We’ll soon unveil the platform’s full branding and design.” Lessons from failed European social media platforms There is a long history of entrepreneurs attempting to create alternative platforms to the US heavyweights. Historically, many have failed to gain traction. Vigroux studied previous European social media attempts and spoke with some founders whose platforms failed. He contends: “One of the biggest challenges they mentioned was moderation. For example, one founder told me a user began posting illegal images and they didn’t remove them quickly enough, which caused users to abandon the platform. So moderation is extremely important for us. We combine AI moderation with a small team of human moderators. We didn’t want to replicate anything. In business, simply saying “we’re European” isn’t enough to convince people to use a platform. Our differentiator is the built-in AI fact-checking system.” Targeting opinion-driven users leaving X eYou arrives at a time when policymakers, regulators and citizens across Europe are increasingly concerned about disinformation, algorithmic echo chambers and the dominance of non-European tech platforms in shaping public discourse. Last year, the founders ran a survey with 400 respondents across 35 questions, which revealed a growing appetite for platforms that go beyond photo sharing or superficial content. According to Vigroux, many users are looking for spaces where ideas and current events can be discussed more seriously. “Based on our focus groups and survey, we believe Europe needs an opinion-driven social platform built with European values — fighting misinformation, prioritising data privacy, and storing user data within the European Union,” he says.  The platform is targeting people who were previously heavy Twitter users but are now leaving the platform, as well as users who spend time on Medium reading longer-form content. Vigroux describes their ideal users as: “People interested in discussing ideas and current events — journalists, professionals, urban and educated audiences who want something more substantive than typical social media content. We believe respected journalists with strong reputations could become early influencers on the platform.” To spread the word, the startup is focusing on partnerships with influencers who support democracy, European identity, and data privacy, as well as running advertising campaigns on TikTok and Meta platforms to attract users. Growth first, monetisation later With Vigroux’s background in sales and business development, he initially had many monetisation ideas. “But my investor and business partner told me to stop thinking about that for now — and they were right. In social media, the priority is user growth and retention. Once you have scale, monetisation becomes possible.” eYou aims to reach 10 million users by 2030.  Jasseem Allybokus, cofounder and CEO, is a serial exited entrepreneur and former CTO of digital marketing company Visiperf. “Most social platforms today are designed to show users more of what they already agree with,” said Allybokus. “That reinforces echo chambers and allows misinformation to spread faster than facts. eYou introduces a radically different approach to online discussion - one built around European principles of transparency, accountability, and exposure to diverse viewpoints. By combining a feed that encourages diverse perspectives with instant fact-checking tools, eYou users can verify claims in real time, understand the sources behind those claims, and engage in more informed conversations.” The early investment will support eYou’s product development and early community growth ahead of public launch. “Our motto is ‘capital for the bold,’ and eYou embodies exactly that,” said Matei Dumitrescu, partner at Fil Rouge Capital. “The founders bring strong entrepreneurial experience, a clear vision, and they are tackling one of the most important challenges facing digital platforms today: trust. eYou has the potential to become the leading European social media player.” As part of its pre-launch phase, eYou has opened a public waitlist ahead of its official release planned for May 2026. Users can register on the platform’s landing page to gain early access, secure their preferred username, and receive updates as the platform prepares for launch. 

The UK government has pledged a £1bn investment to buy large-scale quantum computers from British startups and companies, as it looks to stay in the race in innovating in the technology which some believe could rival AI. Technology secretary Liz Kendall said: ”I am determined this country grasps the benefits quantum computing will bring. It is only by keeping pace with technological progress that we can deliver the high-paid jobs, cutting-edge public services, and innovations which change lives. "Today’s announcements are an investment in our future - unlocking better health, wealth, and more opportunities for communities across the country. This government is ushering in a quantum leap - making the choice today to back UK scientists, companies, and innovators so we can deliver a future that works for all.” The commitment from the government to buy the next generation of quantum computers is seen as a way to ensure startups and companies stay in the UK, according to reports. In total, the government announced £2bn in quantum computing investment, but £1bn has previously been announced.  The new £1bn is a commitment from the government to buy a new generation of quantum computers for use by scientists, the public sector and businesses, while another £1bn, previously announced, will help firms and researchers in deploying quantum tech in areas like finance and energy over the next four years. Some experts see quantum computing as the next big breakthrough in tech, rivalling AI and being crucial to UK economic growth. The government said the UK will become the first country to benefit from "revolutionary" quantum computers, sensors and networks, and support the emergence of the next generation of leading British companies who will help shape the curve of progress. It said its quantum plans will help deliver personalised treatments, potential cures for diseases, safeguard our national security and deliver high-paid jobs. Commenting on the investment, the boss of one of the UK's leading quantum firms said it said it was "critical" for the UK to maintain its leadership. Ashley Montanaro, CEO and co-founder of Phasecraft, said:  The investments announced today are critical to Britain's continued leadership in the quantum race. The scope of today's announcement shows the level of ambition and conviction required for the UK to maintain our advantage. It's essential that the procurement programme includes a significant quantum software element - the full potential of quantum computing can only be unlocked when quantum algorithms development is prioritised alongside hardware development. Thanks to the UK's rich academic heritage, and world class R&D ecosystem, Britain is primed to lead the world in quantum algorithms and software. That's why we're particularly proud to be growing our global quantum algorithms company from our British headquarters.

Wikifarmer, a B2B marketplace that uses artificial intelligence to connect food businesses with producers, has raised $7.7 million in funding. The round was co-led by Brighteye Ventures and Piraeus Bank, with participation from existing investors Point Nine Capital and Metavallon VC, bringing the company’s total funding to approximately $18 million. The company is expanding beyond its origins as the “Wikipedia of Farming,” a free agricultural knowledge platform used by more than 12 million visitors in 17 languages. It is now developing a platform to support the full lifecycle of agricultural trade, from pricing and negotiations to logistics, payments, and financing. Through its “from learning to earning” model, farmers who use the knowledge platform can also participate in the marketplace. As part of this shift, Wikifarmer aims to create what it describes as an operating system for agricultural trade, a platform combining data, analytics, and transaction tools for global agricultural commerce. Rather than focusing solely on digital marketplaces, the company is working to digitise multiple stages of the trading process, including pricing, negotiations, quality assurance, logistics, payments, and financing, with artificial intelligence supporting many of these functions. We are not just matching buyers and sellers - we are using AI to restructure the supply chain and unlock value that is currently lost to inefficiency, opacity, and outdated processes. This round allows us to take our model global, said Ilias Sousis, co-founder and CEO of Wikifarmer. AI capabilities are being integrated across several areas of the platform. These include price intelligence and market forecasting based on commodity data and seasonal trends, automated matching between buyers and verified suppliers based on product specifications and certifications, and transaction management tools that support processes such as requests for quotes, offer comparisons, documentation, credit risk assessment, and trade execution. Artificial intelligence is going to transform agricultural supply chains faster than most people expect. We're building a world where AI removes the friction, opacity, and inefficiency that have defined agricultural trade for centuries - and both sides of every transaction benefit. We intend to lead that transformation, Sousis added. Piraeus Bank’s involvement represents a strategic partnership rather than a typical venture investment. Together with Wikifarmer, it has launched FarmClick, a digital marketplace for agricultural inputs and services in Greece aimed at helping farmers access financial and operational resources. The funding will support the expansion of Wikifarmer’s AI-powered trading platform, growth of its producer network in regions such as Latin America and Africa, and the launch of FarmClick in Greece in partnership with Piraeus Bank. 

Nscale, the UK AI infrastructure startup backed by Nvidia, has snapped up a major AI data centre site in the US and inked an AI compute deal with Microsoft at the site. The deal underscores the ambitions of Nscale, which only came out of stealth in 2024, in the US, as it acquires one of its largest data centre sites. The data centre site deal will see Nscale buy American Intelligence & Power Corporation, which owns the Monarch Compute Campus in West Virginia. The 2,250-acre data centre site expects to have two gigawatts of power by the first half of 2028, expanded to eight gigawatts by 2031. Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale, said: “Nscale is a global company, and the US is the world's largest AI infrastructure market. AI infrastructure needs to be built where demand is, and right now a significant share of that demand is in the United States. Monarch allows us to meet that demand. The acquisition builds on our existing US footprint and reflects the pace at which we are scaling to serve customers around the world." According to The Information, which first reported the story, Amazon and Meta were also interested in acquiring the site, which it says will require billions of dollars of financing to develop AI data centre faciilities at the site. Nscale was not available when asked about this.  The report also says that Nscale told investors that acquiring the data centre campus would triple its projections for near-term revenue. It is not known what Nscale’s current revenue is. Nscale, which recently raised $2bn in a funding round, has also announced a deal with Microsoft, which will rent 1.35 gigawatts of servers underpinned by Nvidia Vera Rubin chips, beginning in 2027 at the site. Last year, Nscale bagged a contract valued up to $14bn with Microsoft to build AI data centres in Texas. It has also announced plans to operate data centres in the UK and Norway. The startup is providing AI infrastructure for OpenAI’s AI data centre in Norway, called Stargate Norway, and its UK equivalent, Stargate UK.

Paris-based startup Blify, which turns workplace communication tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams into learning platforms, has announced a $2.1 million pre-seed funding round to accelerate the development of its AI-native Learning Operating System. The round was led by AFI Ventures (Ventech’s impact fund), with participation from Kima Ventures, Better Angle, and Fair Equity. More than 50 business angels also joined the round, including founders and executives from companies such as Maki People, Alan, Doctolib, JobTeaser, and ABB. Companies invest significant resources in employee training each year, yet traditional learning management systems (LMS) and learning experience platforms (LXP) often struggle to drive consistent engagement. According to Blify, many systems see limited monthly participation, with employees frequently forgetting what they learned shortly after completing training. Blify aims to address this challenge by embedding training directly into the tools employees already use in their daily work. Instead of requiring users to access a separate learning platform, the system integrates training into communication environments such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and WhatsApp. The solution uses a multi-agent AI infrastructure that analyses contextual information about employees and their roles to deliver relevant knowledge at the right moment within existing workflows. According to the company, this approach helps increase participation and improve knowledge retention compared with traditional learning systems. Blify was founded by HR tech operators Clément Lhommeau, Tristan Vié, and Minh-Tu Hua, whose combined experience in European SaaS shaped the company’s approach to workplace-integrated learning. As trainers, we've seen it firsthand: people learn and improve, then forget everything within weeks. LMS and LXP platforms barely reach 10% monthly engagement. The reason is simple - people don’t want to log into yet another platform to sit through a generic course disconnected from their daily work, said Tristan Vié, co-CEO and co-founder of Blify. Clément Lhommeau, co-CEO and co-founder of Blify, added that the main challenge lies not in the content but in the model behind it: In a world where skills become obsolete quickly and hiring is increasingly difficult, continuous learning is no longer optional - it is essential. The new funding will be used to accelerate product development and expand the engineering team. After spending 2025 developing and testing its first use case focused on manager training, the company plans to launch a broader platform in 2026 for creating, distributing, and managing company-wide training supported by AI.

Upvest, a European investment infrastructure provider, has announced a $125 million financing round to support the modernisation of legacy banking systems across Europe and the UK. The $90 million equity round was led by Sapphire Ventures and Tencent, with participation from existing investors including Bessemer Venture Partners and BlackRock, while the company is also finalising a $35 million debt facility to strengthen its capital base. Founded in Berlin in 2017, Upvest is a technology company and regulated securities institution in Europe and the UK. It provides banks, brokers, and wealth managers with API-based infrastructure for their securities businesses, covering trading, custody, and back-office operations. The platform is designed to help firms modernise legacy systems, improve operational efficiency, and scale their investment offerings. Its clients include digital banks such as DKB and Santander’s Openbank, as well as fintech companies including Revolut, N26, Webull, and Raisin. As a result, financial institutions are facing increasing pressure to modernise legacy systems and expand retail investment offerings, driving demand for Upvest’s modular, API-first infrastructure. The company has scaled significantly, now processing over 100 million annual client orders for more than 30 financial institutions, with continued growth supporting its path toward profitability. Upvest plans to use the new capital to enhance its platform for banking, wealth, and brokerage clients, including managing the complexity of local tax wrappers and enabling faster deployment of pension products with improved user experience and cost efficiency. The company is also introducing AI-supported investment capabilities, using real-time, programmable execution APIs to enable automated and personalised investment services for retail investors at scale.

Spanish startup Webel, a digital marketplace for home services, has closed a €4.3 million pre-Series A funding round to support its growth, strengthen its technology, and expand its presence across the European market. The round was led by existing investor Trind Ventures, with participation from Decelera Ventures, Tiburon, and other investors. Mantas Mikuckas, co-founder and former COO of Vinted, also joined the round as a new investor. Founded in 2018, Webel was created to simplify everyday life by making it easier for people to book home services while creating job opportunities for professionals who manage their work through the platform. The company currently has more than 2 million users and around 350,000 registered professionals, with nearly one million service listings available on its marketplace. The platform operates in 31 Spanish cities and has recently begun its international expansion in the United Kingdom. Among the most requested services are home cleaning, ironing, and handyman work. In recent months, demand has also grown in additional categories such as small home renovations, moving services, manicure services, appliance repair, private tutoring, and childcare. We are evolving from being perceived as a cleaning app to becoming a broader home services platform, with categories such as electricians, plumbers, renovations, moving services, tutoring, childcare, and elderly care among the more than 30 services currently available, said Nacho Tejero, CEO and co-founder of Webel. A key aspect of Webel’s model is its cost structure. The platform allows customers to access services at prices that are typically 30–40% lower than those offered by competitors. At the same time, professionals benefit from lower commissions than the industry average while maintaining full control over their pricing, schedules, and clients. The newly raised funding will be primarily allocated to marketing and product development to support the platform’s growth and increase visibility for the newer service categories. In the short term, the company plans to strengthen its presence in Spain while continuing to expand its offering.

Steward, an AI-first AML platform purpose-built for complex investor onboarding and ongoing monitoring, has raised $5 million to advance automation in compliance operations. The round was led by Motive Partners, with participation from Outward VC, Cooley, and a group of founders and operators. The oversubscribed round also included angel investors such as Shai Wininger, Mark Ransford, Tom Keiser, Remy Astié, Ulric Musset, Mushegh Tovmasyan, and Keith Grose. As investor structures become more sophisticated, onboarding has grown increasingly complex. Compliance processes often break down across layered ownership chains, leading to manual reviews, fragmented communication, and delays across the financial industry. Steward addresses this by automating AML and KYC workflows for complex investor profiles. Its platform integrates document collection, screening, risk assessment, and ongoing reviews into a single system, using AI to interpret multi-layered and cross-border ownership structures. It also enables secure, shareable Investor Profiles, allowing firms to exchange compliance data more efficiently. Founded by Arik Oslerne (CEO), former COO of Vauban, and Moshe Lieberman (CTO), an early employee at Lemonade and Fiverr, Steward draws on deep experience in financial infrastructure and software-driven transformation to address longstanding inefficiencies in investor onboarding. Commenting on the challenges in compliance, Arik Oslerne said it has long scaled in a linear way: Firms can’t keep up with growing workloads using existing resources, leading to repeated remediation cycles and increasing regulatory pressure. AI offers a path to address these challenges, which is what Steward is designed to do. The company reports that its system enables same-day onboarding in 80 per cent of cases, regardless of investor complexity. Its clients include Connect Ventures, Unruly Capital, IAB Group, as well as Motive Partners and Outward VC, alongside several Tier 1 institutional allocators. Dual-headquartered in New York and London, Steward plans to use the new funding to expand its product capabilities and scale its team.

Global investment firm Partech announces the final closing of its inaugural Partech Impact Fund, securing €300 million in total commitments to scale European B2B tech transforming global value chains. Partech Impact Fund was created to fill a structural gap in the European market: providing scale‑up capital and operational expertise to commercially mature companies, often exceeding €10 million in revenue, who need a partner to institutionalise operations and scale across international markets. Launched by a first-time team, the fund’s closing marks one of the largest debut impact franchise launches in Europe in recent years. I spoke to Rémi Said, General Partner at Partech Impact, to learn all about it. Why impact startups face an even bigger funding gap Said argues that Europe has historically lacked capital at the scaling stage of development for two key reasons.  First, more generally, in tech, Europe has historically fallen short because US buyout funds entered the European market very early.  He contends: “They opened offices and raised funds locally, which meant that instead of the ecosystem developing organically from venture through to growth stages, the buyout players were already present at the top end of the market.” At the same time, venture capital was already well established in both the US and Europe. As a result, the ecosystem developed strong VC funding in the early stages and large buyout funds in the later stages, but the middle — the scale-up stage — remained relatively underdeveloped. The imbalance becomes even more pronounced in impact investing, which remains a relatively young market. “Many innovations linked to climate, health, or education only became priorities for governments, corporates, and large institutions about a decade ago.” This triggered the typical innovation cycle: a wave of startups emerging that required venture capital funding. As a result, most of the capital in impact over the past ten years has gone into early-stage VC investments. Large US private equity firms have also moved into the impact investing space, launching billion-euro buyout funds and dedicated strategies. However, these funds have often struggled to find sufficiently large, impact-native companies to back. “Firms like KKR or Apax launched dedicated impact strategies,” explains Said. “But in many cases, they struggled to find companies that were both large enough and truly impact-native.” As a result, much of their activity has focused on co-investing alongside their main funds in companies undergoing ESG transitions, rather than supporting businesses that were built around impact from the outset. “What we often saw instead were investments in companies transitioning toward ESG practices, rather than companies that were impact-native from the beginning,” Said adds. This dynamic has created a structural imbalance in the market. Early-stage impact innovation has largely been supported by venture capital, while large buyout funds have targeted ESG transition plays. “In between those two ends of the spectrum, there has been a very clear gap,” says Said. “Growth-stage capital for impact-native companies has simply been missing.” This is exactly the segment which Partech Impact Fund aims to cover. Said contends that Partech has always liked to be a pioneer in launching new investment strategies. “We believe this positioning is quite unique today, though in ten years I’m sure we’ll see more funds emerging in this space.” Backing impact-native companies ready to scale Partech Impact Fund is designed to back impact-native companies that have already reached commercial maturity, typically generating more than €10 million in revenue and preparing to scale internationally. It invests across several impact themes, including decarbonisation, agriculture, mobility, health, education, and the circular economy. Beyond capital, the Partech Impact team integrates deep-rooted private equity discipline with hands-on operational scaling, drawing on experience from Bain Capital, McKinsey, Bridgepoint, and Goldman Sachs. The team supports portfolio leaders on establishing operating systems, driving commercial acceleration and inorganic growth. A private-equity approach to scaling impact startups According to Said, the first point of differentiation is Partech Impact’s positioning.  “When an impact-native technology company reaches €7–10 million in revenue and is growing well, it may need €15–25 million of capital to move to the next stage.  In Europe, there are not many funds able to provide that level of funding for companies at this stage. That creates a very specific positioning where we can invest meaningful tickets into commercially proven businesses.” The second element is the team background.  “Many investors in this space come from venture capital, whereas our DNA is closer to the buyout world. That experience gives us strong operational expertise.” When a company reaches €10 million in revenue, it enters a different phase. The company begins to transition from a founder-led organisation to a management-led organisation. Teams grow larger, coordination becomes more complex, and companies start thinking about topics like governance, organisational structure, and even their first acquisitions. These are areas where the Partech Impact team has significant experience.  “My partner, I, and several members of the team have worked extensively on operational scaling in our previous roles,” shared Said. “We believe this operational support is extremely valuable for companies at this stage of maturity, and it resonates strongly with founders.” Building a portfolio across Europe’s impact economy The fund is already 40 per cent deployed, with investments across several sectors shaping the transition to more sustainable value chains and includes:  Gireve — supporting the transition to electric mobility through EV charging interoperability infrastructure. xFarm — a digital agriculture platform helping farmers adopt more sustainable and data-driven practices. Makersite — enabling manufacturers to design more sustainable products using AI-powered lifecycle intelligence. FYLD — providing AI-powered field management software for infrastructure and industrial operations. The importance of investing in “must-have” impact solutions Impact investing has experienced several hype cycles — from ESG reporting platforms to sustainable mobility and even nuclear technologies — with many companies reaching Series B or later before ultimately failing. I wanted to understand how Partech Impact evaluates risk when constructing its portfolio. According to Said, there are two levels to consider. At the macro level, there are clear structural trends: the shift toward electric vehicles, the growth of renewable energy, and the push toward decarbonisation. These trends provide strong tailwinds across multiple sectors. But the real differentiation comes at a much more granular level.  “When we analyse companies, we look very closely at their specific value proposition.” For example, Makersite focuses on analysing the carbon footprint of manufactured products at the design level. That allows engineers to reduce emissions during the product development phase rather than simply reporting emissions at the company level later.  More broadly, Partech Impact believes that many companies that failed in the past were offering “nice-to-have” solutions rather than “must-have” ones.  “For example, ESG reporting tools or carbon reporting platforms are often perceived by companies as a cost rather than a source of value,” shared Said.  "Our investment philosophy focuses on businesses that generate a direct return on investment for their customers. Take xFarm as an example. The platform helps farmers reduce CO₂ emissions while improving yields, reducing water use, and lowering the need for chemical fertilisers. That creates a clear economic benefit for the farmer. In that sense, impact and financial value go hand in hand. When a product delivers immediate operational value, it becomes much more resilient as a business.”  Said contends that impact and financial performance reinforce each other. In other words, generating impact and generating returns are not contradictory goals. “To reflect that philosophy, we structured our incentives so that both dimensions are equally important. Our internal incentives are aligned 50-50 between financial returns and impact outcomes. For us, that’s a way to demonstrate that the two can — and should — be pursued together.” Backed by a diversified and global base of institutional investors across Europe, the US, Asia, and Australia, the Partech Impact Fund attracted numerous existing limited partners, including Allianz, Bpifrance and the MC4 fund operated by Bpifrance on behalf of the State as part of France 2030, British Business Bank, EIF, as well as new limited partners to the Partech platform, including COFIDES, via the Social Impact Fund, Neuberger Berman, KBC, Legrand, QIC, SETT, and Visa Foundation among others. “Impact‑native companies reaching commercial maturity need investors who bring more than capital”, adds Arnaud Minvielle, General Partner, at Partech. “They need strategic, operational, and scaling capabilities typically found in private equity. Our Fund was built precisely for this transition phase.” EIF’s CEO Marjut Falkstedt shared that the EIF is thrilled to support the Partech Impact Fund’s successful final closing, which reinforces our commitment to scaling European tech solutions that generate measurable social progress — from inclusion and education to health and sustainability — and to backing innovators who deliver meaningful impact for communities across Europe.” “Building a first‑time team and a first‑time fund in this environment was a real test of conviction,” shared Said. “We are proud to have attracted a world‑class, global LP base and to be backing companies that are shaping more sustainable value chains across Europe, with tangible ROI for their customers; demonstrating that impact and strong economic performance are mutually reinforcing.”   Lead image: Freepik.

Italian startup Alomana has raised €4 million to accelerate the development of Alo, the AI operating layer for enterprise. Enterprises need more than AI that can answer when prompted; they need AI that can run and execute their workflows. Legacy systems were not built for AI. Organisations spend months testing and stitching together tools, integrations, and prototypes, only to end up with expensive, fragile experiments that don’t deliver at scale. Alo introduces a new paradigm: personalised AI at enterprise scale with a universal intelligence that works across any application, delivers business outcomes, and transforms AI from assistance into repeatable execution. Over the past year, Alo Autonomous Engine has been deployed across finance, manufacturing, and pharma, powering mission-critical tasks such as risk and security flows, financial controls, operational automation, and advanced data analysis workflows, translating AI adoption into real EBITDA gains.   According to Giuseppe Ettorre, co-founder and CEO of Alomana:  “Enterprises waste enormous energy on prototypes instead of outcomes.“We abstract away the integration and customisation complexity. Companies can run personalised AI across their systems and deliver production-level value immediately. Alo is building a future where autonomous AI won’t be a tool that companies use. It will be something they run on.” Alo works across data, documents, applications, and code: from performing advanced data analysis on millions of database tables, to generating full-stack applications and custom AI agents for enterprise teams in minutes. It brings the power of entire AI teams into a single operational layer for organisations. The company’s team brings experience from Bloomberg, the European Central Bank, BCG, and NASA, combining deep technical expertise with the rigour required in highly regulated environments. The financing round, led by CDP Venture Capital through its Corporate Partners I – ServiceTech fund, will fund the expansion of Alo’s enterprise AI, strengthen its autonomy capabilities, and support large-scale enterprise deployments worldwide. Other investors in this round include Italia Venture II – Fondo Imprese Sud, Founders Factory, Kairos Ventures ESG One, Gresilent Holdings, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), and Club degli Investitori. According to Alessandro Scortecci, Director of Direct Investments at CDP Venture Capital, Alomana is redefining the future of Enterprise AI agents.  “The team’s talent, ambition, and ability to execute are simply exceptional. Its technology is a perfect fit for the Service sector – our fund’s core focus - delivering real value in a fraction of the time compared to its competitors.  Our verticalisation in the service industry and particular focus on financial services make us particularly pleased to support Alomana in the ongoing innovation and transformation of the financial service sector in Italy and Europe.”      

London-based startup First Concepts, an AI-powered workspace for early-stage creative work, has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding less than nine months after its founding. The round was led by Arāya Ventures alongside Antler. Additional participants included industry leaders such as Jez Jowett (former Managing Partner at Havas), Nathan McDonald (founder of We Are Social), Sean Williams and Sam Winward (partners at UNKNOWN), and Hugo Rodger Brown (founder of YunoJuno). Creative agencies often work on multiple pitches each month, investing significant time and resources in the process. However, much of this time is spent rebuilding context across fragmented tools and systems. First Concepts aims to address this challenge by introducing an AI layer that sits above existing tools and coordinates leading AI models through a shared context and “taste” framework. This approach helps creative teams maintain consistency in ideas, brand identity, and decision-making throughout the pitching process. Founded by Conor Hoey, Polina Sali, and Marin Godechot, who bring experience in design, AI, and product development, First Concepts has developed a system that brings context and creative judgment to the development of pitches. The product is built around three core components: a Creative DNA engine that learns individual and brand preferences, a unified interface that treats context as the central source of information, and a tool-agnostic infrastructure that connects creative tools while maintaining coherence across outputs. Explaining the company’s vision, Conor Hoey, co-founder and CEO of First Concepts, said: First Concepts has a simple mission to transform creative context from something fragile and ephemeral into a structured, compounding asset. We are building an operating system that understands the value of creative thinking and taste. This will transform creative workflows for teams around the world. The new funding will be used to further develop the company’s AI-native workspace for creative work.

Tracebit, a cloud-native cybersecurity company focused on threat detection, has raised a $20 million Series A round led by FirstMark, with participation from Accel. MMC Ventures, Tapestry VC, and CCL also joined the round. The funding follows the company’s $5 million seed round in 2024, led by Accel, bringing Tracebit’s total funding to $25 million. Founded in 2023 by former Tessian employees Andy Smith (CEO) and Sam Cox (CTO), Tracebit develops cloud-native deception technology designed for modern infrastructure. The system enables organisations to deploy decoy assets, known as canaries, across their environments to detect threats early and support an “assume breach” approach to security. The solution is designed to scale threat detection across cloud environments through a cloud-native deployment that generates tailored canaries across enterprise networks to identify malicious activity and reduce detection times. The platform currently supports thousands of accounts, monitors around five billion events each week, and generates millions of canaries daily for customers, including Riot Games, Snyk, Synthesia, Docker, and Admiral Insurance. To address the growing complexity of cloud environments, Tracebit has expanded its capabilities beyond AWS. The system now supports canary deployment across Azure, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, developer workstations, and identity providers. Alongside the Series A funding, the company is introducing new products, including Perimeter Canaries, Deceptive Artefacts, and support for Google Cloud Platform. Traditionally, decoys have been placed deeper within systems to detect intrusions. Perimeter Canaries extend this concept by placing decoys at the edge of SaaS and cloud environments, creating an additional layer of defence and enabling faster detection. This approach is increasingly important as organisations face evolving threats, including AI-driven attacks that can rapidly scan systems for vulnerabilities. The company plans to use the Series A funding to support the rollout of these new products, expand its customer base, and grow its go-to-market and engineering teams.

Choice, a Prague-founded all-in-one SaaS and QR ordering platform for restaurants, has raised $7.1 million in Series A funding. To date, the company has raised a total of $11.6 million. Founded five years ago, Choice began as a platform enabling restaurants to communicate with customers online. Since then, it has evolved into a comprehensive operating system for independent and multi-location restaurants.  Choice positions itself as an alternative to standalone restaurant tech solutions, which often are focused on separate features like QR payments, marketplace, reservations, or online ordering. Unlike single-function providers, Choice offers a fully integrated platform: Website builder with a custom domain connection Commission-free takeaway and delivery ordering QR menus, QR payments, and QR ordering Reservation management integrated with Google Marketplace integrations (Wolt, Bolt Food, Foodora, Glovo, Uber Eats, Just Eat Takeaway) Loyalty programs across all channels POS/EPOS integrations without requiring system replacement Everything operates from one admin panel, under one subscription, consolidating fragmented customer data into a single system. Today, Choice serves more than 30,000 registered restaurants, including over 7,000 paying customers across nine active markets in Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and Romania). The company currently generates over 1.5 million monthly orders — representing approximately €35 million in monthly gross merchandise value (GMV). Choice has doubled year-over-year and is targeting €500 million in monthly turnover within the next three to four years. With fresh capital, Choice plans to expand rapidly across Europe. The next markets include Portugal — where Alea Capital will support scaling efforts across Southern Europe — followed by Spain and Italy. France, Germany, and the Netherlands are planned for subsequent phases. “We understand the fragmentation of the European restaurant market and the need for localisation,” said Alex Ilyash, Founder and CEO of Choice. “But we see this as a competitive advantage. We know how to scale in Europe. By combining strong local sales teams, efficient capital deployment from our CEE base, and AI-driven product innovation, we are confident we can win market by market.” Alea Capital Partners led the funding, with participation from Reflex Capital, Smartlink, and J&T Ventures.  According to  Rui Escaleira, Co-Founder of Alea Capital Partners, the  Choice app is addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing restaurants today: operating efficiently in a highly dynamic market with structurally tight margins.  “By giving restaurants greater control over digital ordering, additional revenue generation, and a more balanced relationship with delivery platforms, Choice App helps operators protect profitability while improving the end-customer experience.”  The new investment will primarily fund product development — particularly AI-integrated modules — as well as sales and marketing expansion in target countries. Choice plans to hire local sales and support teams in each new market to ensure a strong on-the-ground presence and customer success.

Italian startup Alomana has raised €4 million to accelerate the development of Alo, the AI operating layer for enterprise. Enterprises need more than AI that can answer when prompted; they need AI that can run and execute their workflows. Legacy systems were not built for AI. Organisations spend months testing and stitching together tools, integrations, and prototypes, only to end up with expensive, fragile experiments that don’t deliver at scale. Alo introduces a new paradigm: personalised AI at enterprise scale with a universal intelligence that works across any application, delivers business outcomes, and transforms AI from assistance into repeatable execution. Over the past year, Alo Autonomous Engine has been deployed across finance, manufacturing, and pharma, powering mission-critical tasks such as risk and security flows, financial controls, operational automation, and advanced data analysis workflows, translating AI adoption into real EBITDA gains.   According to Giuseppe Ettorre, co-founder and CEO of Alomana:  “Enterprises waste enormous energy on prototypes instead of outcomes.“We abstract away the integration and customisation complexity. Companies can run personalised AI across their systems and deliver production-level value immediately. Alo is building a future where autonomous AI won’t be a tool that companies use. It will be something they run on.” Alo works across data, documents, applications, and code: from performing advanced data analysis on millions of database tables, to generating full-stack applications and custom AI agents for enterprise teams in minutes. It brings the power of entire AI teams into a single operational layer for organisations. The company’s team brings experience from Bloomberg, the European Central Bank, BCG, and NASA, combining deep technical expertise with the rigour required in highly regulated environments. The financing round, led by CDP Venture Capital through its Corporate Partners I – ServiceTech fund, will fund the expansion of Alo’s enterprise AI, strengthen its autonomy capabilities, and support large-scale enterprise deployments worldwide. Other investors in this round include Italia Venture II – Fondo Imprese Sud, Founders Factory, Kairos Ventures ESG One, Gresilent Holdings, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), and Club degli Investitori. According to Alessandro Scortecci, Director of Direct Investments at CDP Venture Capital, Alomana is redefining the future of Enterprise AI agents.  “The team’s talent, ambition, and ability to execute are simply exceptional. Its technology is a perfect fit for the Service sector – our fund’s core focus - delivering real value in a fraction of the time compared to its competitors.  Our verticalisation in the service industry and particular focus on financial services make us particularly pleased to support Alomana in the ongoing innovation and transformation of the financial service sector in Italy and Europe.”      

WhiteBridge AI, a team developing an AI-powered people search and research engine, has raised a $3M seed round. The round was led by FIRSTPICK VC, with participation from First Degree, NGL.VC, Scalewolf.VC, BADideas.fund, Nectolabs, Plug and Play, and several angel investors. Founded in 2024 by Tomas Martūnas, Irmantas Motiejūnas, Justinas Barauskas, and Paulius Taraškevičius, WhiteBridge was built around a simple observation: while large amounts of information about people already exist online, it is often fragmented, inconsistent, and difficult to verify. As digital content becomes easier to manipulate, determining what is accurate and trustworthy is becoming increasingly challenging. WhiteBridge addresses this challenge by turning scattered public signals into clear, decision-ready insights, helping teams move from “trust me” to “verify it.” The platform aims to strengthen professional and personal relationships through actionable insights while enabling individuals to maintain greater visibility and control over their digital footprint. The company initially launched as a platform for digital footprint audits and reputation monitoring, aggregating, verifying, and organising publicly available data across dozens of sources. This monitoring capability helps individuals stay informed about what appears online about them and respond early when changes occur. Building on this foundation, WhiteBridge is now expanding its broader mission by developing a people search and research engine designed to help users quickly validate information about others with reliable context rather than guesswork. Commenting on the growing visibility of personal data online, Tomas Martūnas, co-founder of WhiteBridge AI, noted that many people are unaware of how much information about them already circulates online, and even fewer understand how it can influence their personal and professional opportunities. WhiteBridge, we’re here to bring clarity and control to that chaos. Our platform gives people and businesses a reliable way to understand and manage online identity signals - so they can act with confidence, Martūnas said. The platform supports several practical use cases. For businesses, it enables teams to prepare for sales and partnership meetings with deeper, verified context that goes beyond surface-level online profiles. It also helps organisations validate potential partners and vendors, reducing risk and strengthening trust in professional relationships. In addition, the platform supports third-party screening for digitally active adults, where the ability to quickly access reliable information is often critical. With the new investment, the company plans to advance product development, connect to additional data providers, and strengthen the reliability and transparency of its insights.

The Tech.eu Summit London 2026 will take place on 21–22 April at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, bringing together leading founders, investors and technology professionals from across Europe and beyond for two days of in-depth discussions, practical insights and meaningful connections. There are only two days remaining to secure tickets for the Tech.eu Summit London 2026 at the current rate. This tier is nearing its deadline, after which prices will move to the next level. Ticket pricing will be updated on 18 March 2026 Ticket pricing for the Tech.eu Summit London 2026 will be revised on 18 March 2026. From that date, the Early Bird ticket will be priced at £550 + VAT. Thinking of joining with colleagues or friends? A discounted group rate is available for purchases of three or more tickets, with Early Bird (3+ People) passes priced at £500 + VAT per person. The Tech.eu Summit London 2026 will gather founders, investors and technology professionals from across Europe and beyond. Sessions will cover artificial intelligence, fintech, deeptech, climate tech and other fast-evolving sectors, with speakers confirmed from organisations including OpenAI, Wise, Notion Capital, PolyAI, Oxa, NATO Innovation Fund, Upvest and 2150. Make the most of your summit experience with the Tech.eu Events App Attendees can download the Tech.eu Events App via the App Store and Google Play to begin connecting ahead of the summit. Through the app, participants can browse attendee profiles, schedule meetings, explore the agenda and organise their personal timetable in advance. The app will also be used for on-site access via QR code check-in. Get your tickets today Secure your ticket for the Tech.eu Summit London 2026 before prices increase on 18 March. Join us at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre on 21–22 April for two days of insights, networking and collaboration with some of the most influential figures in technology and investment. We look forward to welcoming you in London. Partners Pavilion Partner Gold Partner Silver Partners   Supporting Partner Community Partners           

Last week, we tracked more than 85 tech funding deals worth over €4 billion, and over 5 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 85 tech funding deals worth over €4 billion and over 5 exits, M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe. Alongside the week’s top funding rounds, we’ve highlighted key industry developments, as well as notable trends in European venture activity, investor moves and emerging sectors shaping the current funding landscape. 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 ?? Nvidia-backed Nscale raises $2B, appoints Sheryl Sandberg, Nick Clegg to board ??  Yann LeCun’s AI world model startup Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) raises more than $1B ??  Legaltech Legora raises $550M Series D at $5.55B valuation to accelerate US expansion ??‍?? Noteworthy acquisitions and mergers ??  Legora makes first acquisition, as it expands North America presence ??  Energy Aspects to buy Paris-based Kayrros to add satellite and geospatial analytics capabilities ?? ŌURA acquires Helsinki-based gesture-tech startup Doublepoint to expand wearable AI capabilities ??  Expense management startup Ramp takes on rival Brex with European acquisition ? Interesting moves from investors ? Deep Science Ventures launches new doctoral cohort to turn science into startups ?. Elaia closes €134M fund DTS3 to back Europe’s next generation of breakthrough startups ?.Samaipata launches €110M Fund III to back Europe’s next generation of AI-native startups ?️ In other (important) news ? Here is what to expect at the Tech.eu Summit London 2026 ??. EU–INC campaign warns: Without a pan-European standard, founders will keep choosing Delaware ?? February 2026's top 10 European tech deals you need to know about ??. Ukraine launches world-first programme giving startups access to real war data for AI training ?? Hosel raises £500,000 pre-seed to create the 'Vinted for golf' ??. Vasuqi received €500,000 in convertible loan funding from BioInnovation Institute through Venture Lab programme ??. Defencetech Black Forest Systems raises $400,000 to scale infantry drone platform ??  SignaCor Therapeutics lands €288,000 investment as pat of €1.1M seed round ??  Mental health startup Bliss raises $270,000 to build culturally intelligent AI for therapy

US expense management startup Ramp today signified its European ambitions, acquiring a London and Stockholm-based payment outfit, as it takes on US rival Brex which is also making a play in Europe. Ramp, valued at $32bn, has snapped up fintech Billhop, a deal that will see Ramp open its first international offices, in London and Stockholm. Billhop, which employs around 15 people, is a payment infrastructure fintech operating across the EEA and UK. Billhop, founded in 2012, is headquartered in Stockholm. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Its tech allows the speedy payment of business invoices, even where suppliers do not accept cards Billhop holds a Payment Institution licence from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen), which gives it passporting rights across the EEA. Ramp offers an all-in-one solution combining payments, corporate cards, vendor management, procurement, travel booking, and automated bookkeeping. Nearly half of Ramp customers transact internationally across more than 180 countries every week. By acquiring Billhop, Ramp says it’s strengthening its ability to support businesses across the UK and EU. New York-headquartered Ramp, which has over 50,000 business customers, says it will begin onboarding businesses headquartered in the UK and EU directly this summer. Eric Glyman, co-founder and CEO of Ramp, said: “We’ve spent years building Ramp into something the most ambitious US companies rely on. This summer, for the first time, companies headquartered in the UK and EU will be able to use Ramp directly. In their first year, the median Ramp customer saves 5% and grows revenue 16%. Europe is home to extraordinary companies. We can't wait to get to work." Niklas Bothén, CEO of Billhop, said: "Our mission at Billhop has always been to remove friction from B2B payments and make it easier for businesses to manage their spend. Joining Ramp allows us to realise that vision at a much larger scale. Together, we can help companies move money across countries and currencies faster, more intelligently, and with less complexity." Ramp is pitching itself up against Brex, which was recently acquired by US financial services giant Capital One for $5.15bn. Prior to being acquired by Capital One, Brex announced it was expanding into Europe, having bagged a licence that allows it to serve European-headquartered businesses and is planning to roll out its services across the EU and the UK.

Europe’s startup community is urging the European Commission to ensure that its upcoming proposal for a new pan-European company framework delivers on its promise of a true “28th regime”. Today, EU–INC, Allied for Startups, and the European Startup Network released a joint statement on behalf of the European startup ecosystem calling for a genuine European corporate standard designed specifically for startups. The initiative stems from EU–INC, which began as a grassroots proposal from founders, investors and operators across the continent. The European Commission is expected to publish its proposal on March 18, as part of a broader effort to make Europe “the best place in the world to build a company”. However, according to the statement, documents leaked this week suggest that the current proposal may fall short of that ambition and goes entirely against the intention of the 28th regime. The error of creating of "27 different variations of EU–INC," According to the organisations behind the statement, the leaked proposal appears to stop short of establishing a truly independent European company form. Instead of creating a centralised system, the draft reportedly defers legal interpretation to national courts and company registration to national registries. Such an approach would effectively produce 27 different variations of EU–INC, depending on national legal systems and administrative practices. By routing disputes through national courts and filings through local registries, the framework risks entrenching the fragmentation it was meant to eliminate. This approach may represent a political compromise designed to avoid the unanimity vote required among EU member states to establish a fully independent European regime. The Delaware benchmark For the startup ecosystem, the benchmark for success is straightforward: whether the new structure can provide the same level of legal certainty as a Delaware Inc, which has become the global default for venture-backed startups. “The test was always simple: does it provide as much legal certainty as the Delaware Inc?” the statement notes. “If not, founders and investors will continue to use Delaware Inc as a global investment standard. Europe needs a pan-European alternative to stay competitive in a world of giants.” Today, many European startups choose to incorporate in the United States to access a widely recognised corporate framework familiar to global investors. A pan-European structure could help keep more companies — and their economic value — within the European ecosystem. More than 24,000 members of the startup ecosystem have signed on to support the idea of a single, autonomous corporate structure that would allow European companies to incorporate and scale across the EU without navigating a patchwork of national systems. What a true EU–INC should look like The letter urges the Commission to bring forward a real EU–INC that is a true, central, independentEuropean company form, with: A common EU registry and real-time database, rather than legacy software (BRIS)that duct-tapes together 27 nationally diverging systems. A central court for dispute resolution, rather than leaving dispute resolution to 27Member States and their different business practices. A true, new blank-sheet-of-paper solution for the future of Europe’s innovation An economy that can act as a standalone jurisdiction. The document concludes: "A true 28th regime would send an unmistakable signal to founders and investors everywhere:Europe is serious and understands the power of pan-European standards. We remain ready and willing to engage directly with the Commission to help shape a proposalthat delivers on that promise." The statement is signed by EU–INC, Allied for Startups and the European Startup Network on behalf of the European startup ecosystem. Stay tuned for more coverage next week.