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| 50,841 | 03/11/2025 11:34 AM | Swiss startup mimic lands €13.8 million to deliver “robots that can finally do what people do” | swiss-startup-mimic-lands-euro138-million-to-deliver-robots-that-can-finally-do-what-people-do | 03/11/2025 | mimic, a Zurich-based robotics company, has raised €13.8 million in Seed funding to deploy its frontier physical AI across industries, enabling robots to handle complex, dexterous tasks that conventional machines cannot. The round was led by Elaia, alongside Speedinvest, with participation from Founderful, 1st kind, 10X Founders, 2100 Ventures and Sequoia Scout Fund, bringing mimic’s total funding to over €17 million. “Humanoids are exciting, but there aren’t many industrial scenarios where the full-body form factor truly adds value,” says Stephan-Daniel Gravert, Co-founder and CPO at mimic. “Our approach pairs AI-driven dexterous robotic hands with proven, off-the-shelf robot arms to deliver the same capabilities in a way that is much simpler, more reliable and rapidly deployable.” Across the continent, startups are attracting significant backing for intelligent and flexible robotic systems: Greece’s Progressive Robotics raised €1.55 million to expand its no-code automation tools for SMEs; Slovenia’s Sunrise Robotics secured €7.3 million for simulation-trained industrial robots; and the UK’s BOW obtained €4.7 million to simplify robot programming. Larger rounds, such as Energy Robotics in Germany (€11.5 million for AI-driven inspection) and General Intuition in Switzerland (€114 million at the intersection of robotics and gaming), highlight how capital is flowing toward both software-led orchestration and hardware-AI integration. Within this context, mimic’s Swiss base strengthens the country’s growing robotics cluster and places it among Europe’s more technically ambitious ventures – linking dexterous manipulation and AI foundation-model research with industrial automation needs. “Our general purpose AI models allow us to automate manual labour in a way that simply was not possible before,” says Elvis Nava, Co-founder and CTO at mimic. “Thanks to our unique focus on human-like dexterity and human data, we are competitive at the robot foundation model layer as well as the application layer.” Founded in 2024 by Stefan Weirich (CEO), Stephan-Daniel Gravert (CPO), Elvis Nava (CTO), Benedek Forrai (Founding Engineer) and Robert Katzschmann (Scientific Advisor) as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, mimic brings together a multidisciplinary team of 25 engineers, researchers, and operators. The company enables robots to handle complex, dexterous tasks autonomously. The core focus is developing an AI foundation model and humanoid robotic hands which make human-level dexterity deployable across industries. By combining advanced AI, scalable hardware, and a unique solution to the data scarcity in robotics, the company aims to build a foundation for the next generation of intelligent automation – robots that can finally do what people do, at the scale industry demands. “We’re at an inflection point in robotics where learning-based systems meet real industrial needs,” says Stefan Weirich, Co-founder and CEO at mimic. “We make dexterity deployable at scale, closing the gap between what AI can do in the lab and what factories actually need. Europe has the talent, the infrastructure, and the demand, and we’re building the company that brings all of this together.” On factory floors around the world, millions of intricate manual tasks still depend on human skill. These tasks remain out of reach for traditional automation across industries including manufacturing, assembly and logistics. With labour shortages growing and industries reshoring production amid global uncertainty, the need for versatile and intelligent robots has never been clearer. Traditional robots excel at repetitive, pre-programmed motions in controlled environments, but require costly setup and custom coding for each task. At the same time, the race to build humanoid robots has drawn billions in investment, led largely by companies in the US and China, but adoption remains very limited. Safety and regulatory concerns, high costs and limited dexterity have all slowed real-world deployment. According to data provided by the company, the global humanoid and dexterous robotics market alone could reach $38 billion by 2035, within a broader robotics market estimated between $200 billion and $1 trillion by 2040. mimic looks to tackle this by building frontier physical AI models trained on real-world human demonstrations, using innovative methods to overcome the data scarcity problem in robotics. Clément Vanden Driessche, Partner at Elaia,says “Elaia is thrilled to lead the Seed round in mimic. The world-class team at mimic is addressing one of the most challenging problems in physical AI: dexterous manipulation. mimic’s breakthrough approach integrates a proprietary robotic hand, state-of-the-art foundation models for robotics, and novel data acquisition and training methods.” Skilled operators wear mimic’s proprietary data collection devices while performing their daily work on factory floors, capturing detailed movement data from live production settings without disrupting operations. These demonstrations are then used to train AI models via imitation learning, enabling mimic’s humanoid robotic hands to reliably reproduce human technique. The company’s physical AI models ensure that robots autonomously react to changing positions and orientations of objects, handle disturbances and self-correct their actions, seamlessly operating in environments designed for humans. Vincent Faber, Investment Manager at Elaia adds “This enables autonomous, versatile manipulation and unlocks a previously untapped segment of the automation market, where the demand for flexible solutions continues to grow.” mimic’s technology is already being piloted with top-tier manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies and global automotive brands. mimic is also partnering with leading multinational logistics providers and seeing strong customer demand across many other labour-intensive sectors. Andreas Schwarzenbrunner, General Partner at Speedinvest, says, “At Speedinvest, we’ve always believed that Europe’s strength lies in marrying world-class engineering with foundational research. With mimic, we see exactly that: a platform that unlocks human-level dexterity with frontier AI and solves billion-dollar problems on factory floors today. This is the moment Europe steps forward to compete and lead in the new era of AI and robotics.” The post Swiss startup mimic lands €13.8 million to deliver “robots that can finally do what people do” appeared first on EU-Startups. |
03/11/2025 12:10 PM | 6 | |
| 50,839 | 03/11/2025 10:49 AM | Meet ReLUGG: The winner of the FutureTravel Summit 2025 Pitch Competition! | meet-relugg-the-winner-of-the-futuretravel-summit-2025-pitch-competition | 03/11/2025 | The FutureTravel Summit 2025 returned to Barcelona on 30 October, bringing together almost 500 of the brightest innovators in the travel industry at the iconic Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm. With a packed agenda of panels, keynotes, and networking, the highlight of the day was once again the FutureTravel Pitch Competition. Ten early-stage TravelTech startups took the stage to compete for a game-changing €350k prize package. After one of the closest votes the jury has ever faced (and we mean close!), ReLUGG, a German startup that provides instant luggage compensation, was crowned the winner. The pitch finalistsThe competition featured ten ambitious startups from across Europe and beyond, tackling real-world challenges in travel with cutting-edge tech and creative business models. And while ReLUGG eventually took home the grand prize, each of the other nine startups brought something unique and worthwhile to the fifth edition of the FutureTravel Summit:
The jury and the prizeThis year’s judging panel included top-tier VCs and TravelTech experts: Michael Morvan (ROCH Ventures), Andrea Oliver (Nauta Capital), Jose Gaytan de Ayala (Kinnevik), and Elena Ruiz Requena (Amadeus Ventures). The vote was exceptionally close, underlining just how competitive the field was this year. The winner received a prize package valued at €350k, including:
About the winner
Founded in 2024 and based in Germany, ReLUGG is tackling a well-known travel headache: delayed or missing luggage. The platform partners with airlines to provide instant compensation and deliver luggage essentials to affected passengers within 30 minutes of landing. Their business model charges airlines per passenger served – no upfront costs or long-term commitments. The tech integrates directly with airline systems and passenger communications, making activation, eligibility checks, and reporting as seamless as the service itself. “Winning the Pitching Competition for ReLUGG at FutureTravel Summit 2025 is a pivotal milestone for us. The prize package will enable us to further develop our V.3 of our product. We are grateful to have shared the stage with some of the most exciting startups in TravelTech, and we look forward to building the industry with all our partners,” shared Melilizwe Gqobo, Founder and CEO. The impact of the FutureTravel SummitWith each passing year, the FutureTravel Summit continues to position itself as a cornerstone event for those shaping the next wave of travel innovation. The 2025 edition brought together nearly 500 startup Founders, investors, corporates, and travel executives to share insights and build connections. While ReLUGG walked away with the top prize, all finalists demonstrated the creativity, agility, and technical vision that define the future of travel. The Summit once again proved that startups are not merely supporting players in the travel industry – they’re setting the pace. Once again, congratulations to ReLUGG, the winner of this year’s pitch competition, and thank you to all the participants and attendees who made the summit a resounding success. Here’s to shaping the future of travel, one innovation at a time. Made possible by sponsors
The post Meet ReLUGG: The winner of the FutureTravel Summit 2025 Pitch Competition! appeared first on EU-Startups. |
03/11/2025 11:10 AM | 6 | |
| 50,838 | 03/11/2025 10:30 AM | Can SET University become Ukraine’s founder factory? | can-set-university-become-ukraines-founder-factory | 03/11/2025 | Ukraine has long been recognised for its world-class engineering talent, however, Russia's invasion of Ukraine — and the preceding years of COVID-19, which impacted most students globally — have made education even more challenging as infrastructure has been destroyed, thousands of specialists have been displaced, and the need to foster Ukraine's economy through innovation has never been more urgent. SET University is a Kyiv-based institution rethinking the traditional model of higher education by combining science, entrepreneurship, and technology. Founded in December of 2021 (two months before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine), it is built on the belief that education can rapidly scale impact and empower Ukrainians not only to develop strong technical skills but to turn those skills into products, companies, and solutions with global relevance. I spoke to Iryna Volnytska, President of SET University, to learn all about it. A dual track: tech + entrepreneurshipUnlike conventional universities, where students graduate with theoretical knowledge, SET focuses on real-world application. Master's students build a startup instead of writing a thesis, supported by international lecturers, founders, and industry mentors. Volnytska is not a traditional president, any more than SET University is a conventional higher education institute. Following a career in business, including a role as CEO of a large tech company, she decided to travel to Myanmar in search of meaning and lived in a Buddhist temple for a while. She revealed, "That's where I understood that only education can scale impact fast. Many terrible things in the world would never happen if people had stronger critical thinking skills." Breaking the Soviet education legacyOriginally from Ukraine, Volnytska wanted to create an impact at home. She asserts:
With SET University, her goal is to build not just a tech university, but a university that teaches how to turn technology into business, so value stays in Ukraine. The university was registered just two weeks before the full-scale invasion. At the time, Volnytska was travelling from Asia to Ecuador and got stuck at Miami Airport. She recounts that when she returned to Ukraine, she launched the university two months later.
Build a startup instead of a thesisSET University's Master's programmes run for 1.5 years and are built around a dual model that blends advanced technology education with entrepreneurship. On the technical side, students gain hands-on expertise in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, software engineering, and emerging technologies, taught by a mix of international lecturers, founders, and industry practitioners. The focus is on real-world application rather than theory, with case studies, practical labs, and exposure to current industry challenges. What makes the programme unique is that instead of writing a traditional thesis, students are required to build their own startup or product as their final project. The entrepreneurial track functions like an accelerator: students identify a problem, validate it with users, design an MVP, develop a business model, and pitch to external experts or investors. While not all graduates will become founders, they leave with strong product thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills — the capabilities needed to build or scale tech solutions. Although the format is innovative, the Master's is officially licensed and accredited by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education. SET also maintains academic standards comparable to those of European institutions, ensuring that graduates earn a recognised degree. Entrepreneurship under pressure: "We don't have a choice"Across all of its programmes, SET University has already launched dozens of student startups. Beyond the Master's, it also runs bootcamps, hackathons, and ideathons —" we spark entrepreneurship," asserts Volnytska.
I was curious how the university fosters entrepreneurs, given that, unfortunately, startup success rates – everywhere — are rather low. Volnytska asserts:
SET University's main audience is software engineers with around five years of experience — many already hold a Master's degree, and therefore the program effectively becomes a degree one. " They want to launch a product or develop a product mindset. Not all will become founders, but they'll learn problem-solving, communication, pitching, and product thinking — skills they can apply anywhere," shared Volnytska. Microcredentials and accelerators for wider impactSET University also offers microcredentials focused on specific tech skills, including solution architecture, AI, and more, as well as industry-specific entrepreneurial boot camps in Ukraine. Ukrainian science is struggling, so the university launched the "Science to Market Accelerator" with UC Berkeley to help professors across Ukraine monetise their research and turn it into startups, a novel approach for Ukrainian academia. The University is supported by a growing network of philanthropic, academic, corporate, and government partners who share its mission to strengthen Ukraine’s innovation ecosystem. The Tokarev Foundation plays a key role as an institutional partner, funding scholarships for veterans, women, and high-performing technologists, helping ensure access to education for those with the potential to drive change. The University also works closely with USAID’s Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine to foster tech-driven economic resilience. Volnytska explained that the University also co-founds startups with its lecturers:
Locally, SET benefits from Ukraine’s DIIA.The city's legal framework, which supports IP protection and an attractive tax model for startups, further enables its students and spinouts to build businesses that can scale within Ukraine. She admits that IP protection has always been a challenge — investors don't want Ukrainian-based IP due to corruption risks.
The challenge of building a University in war timeVolnytska admits that building a uiversity during a war is incredibly hard. Higher education is expensive, and students often struggle to afford it. Further, companies often donate to war efforts rather than education, and fundraising abroad is also challenging because they prioritise humanitarian aid.
How you can helpAccording to Volnytska, there are many ways that those of us living outside of Ukraine can help. She asserts,
Further, partnerships are crucial, and SET University welcomes lecturers, mentors, and partners who can support its curriculum or open doors. Or, companies can enrol in B2B microcredentials — especially in cybersecurity. "Honestly, I haven't seen a better cybersecurity course because ours is based on real attacks from the frontline. We can train companies using real-world attack scenarios, not textbook theory," shared Volnytska. In September last year, SET University partnered with a US-based startup, Hilltop Technologies, to launch SET Cyber Labs. The new cybersecurity startup provides 24/7 tailored solutions for businesses, non-profits, and academic institutions. |
03/11/2025 11:10 AM | 1 | |
| 50,840 | 03/11/2025 09:40 AM | Cologne-based octonomy raises €18.5 million to advance agentic AI for complex service workflows | cologne-based-octonomy-raises-euro185-million-to-advance-agentic-ai-for-complex-service-workflows | 03/11/2025 | octonomy, a Cologne-founded AI company developing agentic systems for complex enterprise support and service workflows, raised around €18.5 million ($20 million) led by Macquarie Capital Venture Capital, with participation from Capnamic, NRW.Bank, and the TechVision Fund. Bringing the company’s total funding to $25 million. Founded in 2024, Octonomy provides heavy equipment industries with AI systems capable of processing complex, multi-source information such as technical manuals, schematics, standard operating procedures (SOPs), live maintenance logs, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) data with a verified accuracy of 95%. The company’s technology aims to reduce unplanned downtime, accelerate service response, and improve scalability across enterprise environments. Whereas most AI assistants struggle with unstructured or intricate data, octonomy’s proprietary agentic architecture enables technical staff to interpret and act on a broad range of documentation in real time. “Eighty per cent of all AI projects fail as soon as things get complex. That’s exactly where we come in,” said Sushel Bijganath, founder and CEO of octonomy. “Our agents deliver verified 95+ per cent response quality, empowering teams often accustomed to 50 per cent accuracy rates with standard AI platforms. With Macquarie Capital Venture Capital at our side, we gain an international partner to make octonomy broadly available across Europe and the USA.” Beyond its accuracy and data capabilities, octonomy’s AI can be deployed in under 20 days, integrating directly into existing enterprise systems without the need for data migration. “octonomy has created an AI solution that automates complex knowledge work at expert level. It’s not just a chatbot evolution, but a genuine AI revolution, especially in technical support,” said Elmar Broscheit, Global Co-Head of Macquarie Capital Venture Capital. “octonomy demonstrates how complex enterprise processes can be automated precisely, securely, and at scale with proprietary intellectual property.” “Industry has not made use of the potential of modern AI technology.” This is according to Jörg Binnenbrücker, founding partner of Capnamic. “octonomy is developing an exceptional tool. They translate expert knowledge into scalable, operational intelligence and leverage experience for productivity. These are exactly the kinds of technologies that industry needs to transfer AI from the research stage to value creation.” octonomy’s AI is designed to handle complex technical support cases autonomously, operating as a “digital twin” of a company’s top technician. The system can interpret diagrams, schematics, manuals, and live system data with 95% hallucination-free accuracy, resolving customer and technician requests in real time. The company’s AI platform is GDPR and EU AI Act compliant, built in Germany with ISO 27001 certification, and integrates directly with enterprise systems such as Salesforce, SAP, SharePoint, and Zendesk without data migration. Its no-code configuration allows business analysts to automate workflows quickly, without extensive IT projects or consultants. At the core of its offering is a Supervisor Agent that coordinates a team of digital specialists to deliver end-to-end issue resolution. For example, when a customer reports an error, one AI agent analyses the wiring diagram, another checks ERP data for part availability, and a third verifies warranty coverage. Within seconds, the system produces a complete resolution — accurate, documented, and ready to be shared with the customer. The post Cologne-based octonomy raises €18.5 million to advance agentic AI for complex service workflows appeared first on EU-Startups. |
03/11/2025 11:10 AM | 6 | |
| 50,836 | 03/11/2025 09:00 AM | European tech weekly recap: Over €2.4B invested in the tech ecosystem in the last week of October | european-tech-weekly-recap-over-euro24b-invested-in-the-tech-ecosystem-in-the-last-week-of-october | 03/11/2025 | Last week, we tracked more than 60 tech funding deals worth over €2.4 billion, and over 10 exits, M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe. Click to read the rest of the news. |
03/11/2025 09:10 AM | 1 | |
| 50,837 | 03/11/2025 08:30 AM | Outsmart your inbox with SaneBox: The AI-powered secret to startup productivity (Sponsored) | outsmart-your-inbox-with-sanebox-the-ai-powered-secret-to-startup-productivity-sponsored | 03/11/2025 | For founders, investors, and professionals across the startup ecosystem, time is the most valuable resource. Yet, many spend hours every week buried in their inbox, sifting through newsletters, notifications, and low-priority updates. According to several productivity studies, email remains one of the biggest daily distractions in the modern workplace. This is where SaneBox steps in. An AI-powered email management platform designed to bring order to chaotic inboxes. Instead of manually sorting messages, users can automatically organise incoming emails into relevant folders. The tool identifies what is important and moves everything else out of sight, allowing users to focus on communication that matters. It requires no installation and works across all major email clients, including Gmail, Outlook and Hotmail. With positive reviews from TechCrunch, Forbes and The New York Times, SaneBox has built a reputation for simplicity and effectiveness, reportedly saving the average user around 2.5 hours per week. Designed for professionals who value efficiencyIf you are reading this, you operate in a fast-paced environment where every minute counts. SaneBox recognises this and offers a suite of features designed to help professionals reclaim their time. Its signature feature, SaneLater, moves unimportant emails into a separate folder, ensuring that only critical messages appear in the inbox. Additional tools include:
Each feature is designed to help users focus on meaningful work while reducing the mental load of constant notifications and digital clutter. Want to give it a try? They have a 14-day free trial, after which subscription plans start at $7 per month and go up to $36 per month, depending on the number of accounts and features selected A practical solution for startup teamsEmail overload is a universal problem, but it can be particularly disruptive in startup environments where multitasking and quick decision-making are part of daily life. Founders, early-stage employees, investors, etc, receive over a hundred emails per day, ranging from investor updates to partnership proposals. SaneBox enables them to prioritise effectively, ensuring that important communications from clients, colleagues or investors are never lost in the noise. It also adapts to individual workflows, allowing users to customise rules and folders according to their needs. The company even offers a one-to-one concierge service during the trial period, where users can consult with an email expert to configure SaneBox for their specific habits and objectives. The post Outsmart your inbox with SaneBox: The AI-powered secret to startup productivity (Sponsored) appeared first on EU-Startups. |
03/11/2025 10:10 AM | 6 | |
| 50,835 | 03/11/2025 08:00 AM | GitLaw launches AI and closes $3M pre-seed led by Jackson Square Ventures | gitlaw-launches-ai-and-closes-dollar3m-pre-seed-led-by-jackson-square-ventures | 03/11/2025 | GitLaw, an AI legal companion built for businesses, has raised a $3 million pre-seed round led by Jackson Square Ventures, with participation from Flex Capital, Background Capital, and several angel investors. Founded in 2025 by serial entrepreneur Nick Holzherr, GitLaw’s mission is to make legal documents radically more accessible through AI-driven automation. GitLaw’s agent enables startups to draft, redline, and review agreements, including NDAs, SaaS contracts, and investor terms, using a library of more than 1,000 lawyer-reviewed templates. It generates ready-to-use contracts in minutes and can review or compare incoming documents against trusted legal standards. Unlike generic AI tools, GitLaw’s agent combines community-built legal knowledge with multi-model AI reasoning that mirrors how lawyers work.
said Nick Holzherr, GitLaw’s founder and CEO. Over 80 per cent of US small businesses lack in-house legal support, and outsourcing can cost growth-stage startups more than $20,000 per year for contracts, compliance, and investor paperwork. GitLaw aims to automate 80–90 per cent of this work to reduce costs while maintaining high accuracy and security. While many founders turn to general-purpose AI tools to generate or review contracts, Holzherr warns that this approach can be risky:
GitLaw takes a structured approach. Its agent coordinates multiple AI models and workflows to handle tasks comprehensively and methodically. Drawing on an expanding set of lawyer-approved templates that cover NDAs, contractor agreements, shareholder terms, and SaaS licenses, it pairs professional-grade accuracy with AI speed. Built for businesses rather than law firms, GitLaw enables teams to prepare agreements efficiently with minimal oversight and legal expertise.
Holzherr added. The funding will support the launch of GitLaw’s AI agent, enabling businesses to draft, review, and negotiate contracts in minutes at no cost, while accelerating product development and expanding the platform across the US and UK. |
03/11/2025 08:10 AM | 1 | |
| 50,834 | 03/11/2025 05:58 AM | octonomy raises $20M to accelerate agentic AI for complex service workflows | octonomy-raises-dollar20m-to-accelerate-agentic-ai-for-complex-service-workflows | 03/11/2025 | octonomy, the German-founded AI company building agentic systems for complex enterprise support and service workflows, has completed a new seed round totalling $20 million. The round was led by Macquarie Capital Venture Capital, with participation from Capnamic, NRW.Bank, and the TechVision Fund. This brings octonomy’s total funding to $25 million since its founding 15 months ago. Octonomy provides agentic AI “digital coworkers” that handle complex, technical support tasks with human-like accuracy. The company develops AI systems for heavy-equipment industries that ingest and process diverse technical sources such as manuals, schematics, SOPs, live maintenance logs, and ERP data. These systems achieve around 95 per cent accuracy, helping reduce unplanned downtime, accelerate service response, and improve scalability. Unlike many assistants that struggle with complex or unstructured inputs and are limited to simple FAQs or text queries, octonomy’s proprietary agentic architecture is designed to let technical teams interpret and act on a wide range of documentation. Beyond its accuracy and data capabilities, octonomy can be deployed in under 20 days, integrating directly into existing enterprise systems without migration. According to Octonomy founder and CEO Sushel Bijganath, around 80 per cent of AI projects fail once they encounter real complexity, precisely the challenge the company aims to solve.
The new funding will be used to accelerate the development
and deployment of Octonomy’s agentic AI platform for complex service workflows. |
03/11/2025 06:10 AM | 1 | |
| 50,833 | 03/11/2025 04:00 AM | Toni Kroos’ The Icon League scores €15M to take five-a-side football global | toni-kroos-the-icon-league-scores-euro15m-to-take-five-a-side-football-global | 03/11/2025 | The Icon League, a five‑a‑side soccer competition co‑founded by Toni Kroos (German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder) and Elias Nerlich (German livestreamer, YouTuber, and former e-sports athlete), has raised €15 million in Series A financing. What is The Icon League?The 14‑team competition uses a US‑style franchise model. Players were drafted centrally in the inaugural season; teams now assemble rosters within defined transfer windows and can market themselves and their athletes independently. The top four playoff teams share €500,000 in prize money, including €300,000 for the champion. Several franchises have raised seven‑figure investments, and some have reported six‑figure profits since Season 1. League revenue streams include ticketing, sponsorships, media rights and merchandise. Icon League games are played indoors in a five‑on‑five format with two 12‑minute halves and “Rulebreaker” features designed to increase attacking play. Former Bundesliga professionals compete alongside top amateurs, aiming to deliver tight contests and reduce the odds of scoreless draws. Launched in 2024, Icon League has become one of the most‑followed sports formats in German‑speaking markets among younger audiences. Season one generated more than 1.3 billion social‑media impressions; current‑season. Matchdays draw up to 3 million viewers across platforms, with livestreams averaging around 1.4 million. Live events have sold out with as many as 20,000 spectators. Follower counts on Instagram and TikTok are on par with clubs such as Union Berlin 1. FC Köln, and Hamburger SV, and engagement rates exceed those of other leagues, according to Icon League. HV Capital led the funding, with former HV partner David Fischer appointed as group CEO to oversee the next phase of growth. Existing investors are staying on, including Jürgen Klopp (via his family office), entrepreneur Thomas Hagedorn and Luigi Berlusconi’s H14 S.p.A. David Fischer, who joins from HV Capital, will oversee the next phase of growth. Proceeds will be used to professionalise league operations, strengthen team rosters and support expansion across Europe. The long‑term goal is to build Icon League into an international sports company with strong competitive integrity and a fan‑first culture, according to the statement. Lead image: The Icon League. |
03/11/2025 04:10 AM | 1 | |
| 50,832 | 02/11/2025 05:15 PM | Sam Altman says ‘enough’ to questions about OpenAI’s revenue | sam-altman-says-enough-to-questions-about-openais-revenue | 02/11/2025 | 02/11/2025 06:10 PM | 7 | ||
| 50,831 | 31/10/2025 08:14 PM | Bluesky hits 40 million users, introduces ‘dislikes’ beta | bluesky-hits-40-million-users-introduces-dislikes-beta | 31/10/2025 | 31/10/2025 09:10 PM | 7 | ||
| 50,829 | 31/10/2025 06:34 PM | Meta Claims Downloaded Porn at Center of AI Lawsuit Was for ‘Personal Use’ | meta-claims-downloaded-porn-at-center-of-ai-lawsuit-was-for-personal-use | 31/10/2025 | In a motion to dismiss filed earlier this week, Meta denied claims that employees had downloaded pornography from Strike 3 Holdings to train its artificial intelligence models. | 31/10/2025 07:10 PM | 4 | |
| 50,830 | 31/10/2025 06:08 PM | The Man Who Invented AGI | the-man-who-invented-agi | 31/10/2025 | Everyone is obsessed with artificial general intelligence—the stage when AI can match all feats of human cognition. The guy who named it saw it as a threat. | 31/10/2025 07:10 PM | 4 | |
| 50,828 | 31/10/2025 05:32 PM | Tattd gave four TechCrunch writers tattoos at Startup Battlefield | tattd-gave-four-techcrunch-writers-tattoos-at-startup-battlefield | 31/10/2025 | 31/10/2025 06:10 PM | 7 | ||
| 50,826 | 31/10/2025 05:05 PM | Bending Spoons secures $710M, two new Sequoia funds and teen founders hustling hard | bending-spoons-secures-dollar710m-two-new-sequoia-funds-and-teen-founders-hustling-hard | 31/10/2025 | This week, we tracked more than 60 tech funding deals worth over €2.4 billion, and over 10 exits, M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe., 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 ?? Nvidia makes $1BN investment in Nokia ?? Bending Spoons raises $710M at $11BN, one day after buying AOL ?? Legaltech Legora raises $150M Series C ???? Noteworthy acquisitions and mergers ?? BMLL acquired by Nordic Capital ?? The Danish VC sourcing startup Evertrace is acquiring the Berlin-based deal sourcing startup Morphais ?? Amsterdam unicorn Mews continues acquisition spree with US-based AI company DataChat ? Interesting moves from investors ? Sequoia launches two early-stage funds, says Europe's founder pool “never been stronger” ? Earlybird Health promotes two new partners as firm deepens biotech and analytics focus ? VC-backed Antidote accelerator launches to fuel the UK’s next fintech and Bitcoin wave ?️ In other (important) news ? Ukrainian startups can raise external funding during “hard war”, says country’s newest unicorn ? Soft landing in Silicon Valley: how the European Startup Embassy helps CEE founders go global ☀️ Meet the 18-year-old founder behind three Top-100 AI powered Apps — and a 100-hour work week ? Recommended reads and listens ? Hyperdrives cracks the ‘holy grail’ of EV motor cooling with manufacturable direct-conductor tech ⏱ Beyond death: how Lyfeguard is building a platform for everyday life — and life after ? Intercom expands to Berlin with new AI R&D Hub and 100 jobs ? European tech startups to watch ?? Desktop Commander lands €1.1M pre-seed for AI desktop automation ?? ?? CityLegends raises €1.7M ?? ?? Scavenger AI lands €2.5M to bring company data to every employee ?? MoleSense secures €156,000 to pioneer molecular wearables in maternity care ?? SAGES receives £190,000 funding to scale sustainable dye made from food waste
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31/10/2025 05:10 PM | 1 | |
| 50,827 | 31/10/2025 05:04 PM | Equity Live: From $300M seed rounds to data center builds, AI is feeling bubbly | equity-live-from-dollar300m-seed-rounds-to-data-center-builds-ai-is-feeling-bubbly | 31/10/2025 | 31/10/2025 05:10 PM | 7 | ||
| 50,824 | 31/10/2025 03:01 PM | Paris-based Altrove raises $10M to accelerate AI-designed alternatives to critical materials | paris-based-altrove-raises-dollar10m-to-accelerate-ai-designed-alternatives-to-critical-materials | 31/10/2025 | Paris-based deeptech Altrove has raised $10 million in seed funding to scale production of AI-designed, sustainable alternatives to critical materials such as rare earths. The round was led by Alven, with participation from Bpifrance’s Digital Venture fund, Contrarian Ventures, and Emblem, bringing Altrove’s total funding to $14 million. Existing investors include Entrepreneurs First and notable angels such as Thomas Clozel (Owkin), Julien Chaumond (Hugging Face), Thomas Plantenga (Vinted), and Michal Valko (formerly at Meta). Founded in 2024 by Martin and Laulainen, Altrove plans to use the funding to expand its laboratories, grow its team, and scale production of AI-designed materials from grams to industrial volumes within two years. Altrove is developing AI-predicted materials that aim to reduce reliance on imported resources and strengthen industrial sovereignty in Europe. Its proprietary platform combines artificial intelligence, automated lab synthesis, and self-learning characterisation to accelerate material discovery from years to weeks. “Western nations cannot afford to be dependent on imports for the very materials that power electrification,” said Thibaud Martin, co-founder and CEO of Altrove. Altrove has already reached several technical milestones, including the development of rare-earth-free and cobalt-free magnetic materials for high-performance motors and non-toxic, lead-free compounds for sensors and actuators. The company has secured more than a dozen partnerships with major players in automotive, energy, and heavy industry, with the first products expected to launch within two years. “Our technology ensures that our AI-designed materials consume the resources we want them to consume, without dependence on other nations' resources,” said Dr Joonatan Laulainen, co-founder and CTO. Photo by Takemaru Hirai on Unsplash |
31/10/2025 03:10 PM | 1 | |
| 50,825 | 31/10/2025 01:03 PM | Weekly funding round-up! All of the European startup funding rounds we tracked this week (Oct. 27-31) | weekly-funding-round-up-all-of-the-european-startup-funding-rounds-we-tracked-this-week-oct-27-31 | 31/10/2025 | This article is visible for CLUB members only. If you are already a member but don’t see the content of this article, please login here. If you’re not a CLUB member yet, but you’d like to read members-only content like this one, have unrestricted access to the site and benefit from many additional perks, you can sign up here. The post Weekly funding round-up! All of the European startup funding rounds we tracked this week (Oct. 27-31) appeared first on EU-Startups. |
31/10/2025 03:10 PM | 6 | |
| 50,823 | 31/10/2025 10:00 AM | EU-Startups Podcast | Episode 142: Julio Martinez, Co-founder and CEO of Abacum | eu-startups-podcast-or-episode-142-julio-martinez-co-founder-and-ceo-of-abacum | 31/10/2025 | In this episode of the EU-Startups Podcast, we sit down with Julio Martinez, Co-founder and CEO of Abacum, a platform that helps CFOs and finance teams forecast revenue, plan headcount, and model financial scenarios to drive efficient growth. Founded in 2020, the company has raised a total of $105 million to date and now serves hundreds of mid-market companies across 31 countries. Julio is an experienced entrepreneur with a background in fintech and a passion for building tools that simplify complex financial operations. Under his leadership, Abacum has expanded globally, with a team of more than 100 employees across Barcelona, New York, and London. In our conversation, we talk about how Abacum transforms traditional spreadsheet-heavy workflows into real-time, collaborative planning, how finance teams adopt the platform in practice, Spain’s growing tech scene, and why the company is doubling down on U.S. expansion. We also dive into Julio’s personal operating system: Vipassana, Stoicism (Epictetus), journaling, family-first values, and even his near-career as a paella cook (though he hasn’t said his last word on that yet). Video version of episode 142:Audio version of episode 142: Key Takeaways:
The post EU-Startups Podcast | Episode 142: Julio Martinez, Co-founder and CEO of Abacum appeared first on EU-Startups. |
31/10/2025 11:10 AM | 6 | |
| 50,821 | 31/10/2025 09:00 AM | Meet the 18-year-old founder behind three Top-100 AI powered Apps — and a 100-hour work week | meet-the-18-year-old-founder-behind-three-top-100-ai-powered-apps-and-a-100-hour-work-week | 31/10/2025 | At just 18 years old, Robert Mukhametov has already built a mini app empire from his base in Cyprus. He’s founded RM Company, built a team, and created three AI-powered apps that have each climbed into the Top 100 of the App Store — spanning health, finance, and consumer transparency. What’s more, he’s done it all without a cent of investor funding. And, this is his first job. I spoke to him to find out how he did it. No funding, no problem
Mukhametov admits, “When I started at 16, nobody wanted to invest in a teenager,” he recalls.
He bootstrapped every project, reinvesting revenue from one app into the next. “When you bootstrap, you learn to spend wisely. You focus on what truly matters — improving user value — instead of wasting money on vanity ads like billboards in Times Square,” he says. His story shows that high-impact AI products can come from the most unexpected places — and that speed, experimentation, and an obsessive focus on user experience can sometimes rival the resources of much larger, well-funded te ams. After teaching himself to code and market apps, Mukhametov began experimenting with everyday problems he could solve using AI — starting with nutrition. “I tried another calorie-tracking app from the App Store and found it outdated and clunky,” he recalls.
That insight led to CalSnap, which lets users photograph their meals to get instant calorie and nutrition estimates powered by AI. 
It’s designed for those who want to lose weight or eat more mindfully without manual entry. The app provides progress tracking, visual meal logs, and daily summaries, making it a quick and user-friendly alternative to traditional calorie counters. It’s currently ranked around 76th in the Health category. 
The company’s second effort is Lumin, a shopping-companion app designed to help you decode the ingredient lists on food and beauty products. It also offers plain-English definitions of every ingredient, explains potential concerns, and suggests healthier alternatives when a product rates poorly. The makers emphasise their independence (no brand tie-ins), so the advice is intended to be unbiased. It’s currently ranked 36th out of 100 in the Apple App Store. 
The third app is TradeGenius, which focuses on stock trading and tracks explicit trades made by US politicians and shares that data with regular users. The app offers instant alerts when new filings are published, provides ranked lists of insider performance, and uses AI to simplify complex market data into bite-sized summaries. According to Mukhametov, “People love it. We’ve even had some conflicts with politicians trying to hide their trades. But it’s all publicly available data — it doesn’t violate any laws — and we comply with all sector policies. We’re not censoring anything.” It’s currently ranked 52nd in the Finance category. Beyond that, Mukhametov is particularly excited about expanding into the mental health space — a sector he believes is underrated and full of potential. The team’s first step is an AI psychologist app developed with input from a professional psychologist.
What makes a good app?
Mukhametov asserts that apps built solely for profit fail to impress. He believes the right path is to focus on what people actually need — and to maximise perceived value.
When launching new products, he believes in releasing them for free first to gauge user interest, noting that “if retention is low, adding subscriptions or premium features won’t help.” Like many developers, AI has provided a boost in productivity, as according to Mukhametov, “We use AI extensively. For example, we use OpenAI’s Codex models — one of the best on the LLM leaderboard. Every employee has access to ChatGPT. We follow an AI-first approach.” Mukhametov admits he’s been interested in AI long before ChatGPT “I used to train small models on my home computer just for fun — that’s actually how this company started,” he shared.
Crafting UX that keeps users coming back
From a UX perspective, several features appear across all of the company’s apps — for example, streaks, which have proven effective in helping users stay consistent and are frequently mentioned in reviews. However, each app is tailored to its specific sector. The team prefers to spend additional time perfecting the design for each product rather than applying a one-size-fits-all template. According to Mukhametov, app building is not all fun. Building an app that reaches the top 100 is hard — “there are endless bugs to fix and constant updates to make.” Until recently, all marketing and design were done by Mukhametov, with the team only hiring a marketing team this October. The company primarily markets on Meta and TikTok, using their ad platforms. “We test as many creatives as possible to see what resonates with users,” shared Mukhametov. Behind the screens: how to get and stay in the App Store’s Top 100
When asked how the team manages to get and keep its apps in the top 100, Mukhametov explained that it comes down to a mix of factors: strong product quality, high user retention, frequent weekly updates, and continuous AI model improvements across all apps. “We use AI in all our products and are constantly working to make it better,” he said, adding that keeping prices low is also a key part of their strategy to make the apps accessible to everyone. From here on, the company aims to elevate its top 100 apps to the top 10 in their respective categories, with the ultimate goal of having at least one app ranked in the top 10 of every primary App Store sector. It's also expanding into gaming, recently launching into the new territory of Roblox games, where it currently has a 99th percentile click-to-play rate and an average playtime of 50 minutes, which is well above industry averages.
He attributes his success to passion, asserting,“I try to encourage others — especially young people — to just build something. Whether it’s a website, an app, or a game, start small and learn by doing.” He also mentors young founders. Ultimately, Robert Mukhametov represents a new generation of founders who move fast, think globally, and build with purpose — often without waiting for permission or funding. Lead image: Robert Mukhametov. Photo: uncredited. |
31/10/2025 09:10 AM | 1 | |
| 50,822 | 31/10/2025 08:50 AM | VDS 2025: Valencia strengthens its position as Europe’s leading hub for innovation (Sponsored) | vds-2025-valencia-strengthens-its-position-as-europes-leading-hub-for-innovation-sponsored | 31/10/2025 | The eighth edition of VDS brought the global tech community together in the City of Arts and Sciences, turning Valencia into the focal point of European innovation. Over two days, the event gathered more than 12,000 founders, investors, and business leaders from 120 countries under the theme “Collaborate Today. Transform Tomorrow.” Organised by Startup Valencia, VDS 2025 showcased how collaboration, purpose, and technology can drive positive impact across industries and borders. A record-breaking gathering of global innovatorsThis year’s summit set a new milestone for international participation, with 45% of attendees coming from abroad, a 41% increase compared to 2024. More than 3,000 startups, 1,500 corporations, and 800 investors managing over €300 billion in assets joined a program that featured 600 speakers across seven themed stages. From DeepTech and AI to sustainability, health, and space innovation, the sessions explored how Europe can lead the next decade of technological progress.
Innovation with a human heartThe 2025 edition was inspired by the solidarity shown after Storm DANA, which hit Valencia in 2024. Reflecting on how the local tech community responded with initiatives such as DANA Help and Adopt a School, Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia, said the experience proved that innovation can be both resilient and compassionate. This human-first perspective was present throughout the event. Scientist and entrepreneur Pilar Mateo presented “Women Paint Too”, an initiative encouraging women to transform challenges into creativity. Diversity, inclusion, and sustainability were recurring themes, with more than one-third of speakers being women and many sessions dedicated to social and environmental progress. Global voices and bold ideasVDS 2025 hosted an extraordinary mix of global innovators and cultural figures. Actor and investor Kelly Rutherford spoke about aligning purpose and business, while former England captain Sol Campbell shared insights on leadership and resilience. Longevity researcher Aubrey de Grey discussed advances in rejuvenation science, and Minh Le, creator of Counter-Strike, reflected on the evolution of gaming and digital creativity. Unicorn founders from Creditas, Glovo, Remote, letgo, Mews, Exoticca, Qonto, and ElevenLabs joined leaders from Booking.com, Adyen, and Just Eat Takeaway.com to illustrate Europe’s capacity to build and scale globally relevant startups. Gillian Tans (Booking.com), Sacha Michaud (Glovo), and Enrique Linares (letgo, Plus Partners) offered practical insights into what it takes to grow from early stage to global scale. Ana Peleteiro (Preply) explored how artificial intelligence is transforming education through a “human first, AI-enabled” approach. AI, DeepTech and smarter scalingArtificial intelligence was one of the central themes of the summit. Christian Teichmann (Burda Principal Investments) and Iñaki Berenguer (LifeX Ventures, Coverwallet) examined how AI is reshaping investment, healthcare, and innovation infrastructure. Blockchain, cybersecurity, and defence were also in focus, highlighting Europe’s growing influence across emerging technologies. Scalability Day, organised by Adigital and EsTech with the support of ICEX, brought together international founders and investors to share lessons on sustainable growth. The event highlighted 22 European scaleups achieving annual growth above 20%, underlining the maturity and ambition of Europe’s tech ecosystem. Valencia’s growing tech momentumDuring the opening ceremony, Mayor Mª José Catalá announced that the City Council will continue supporting VDS for two more years, calling the summit a defining moment in Valencia’s rise as a European tech capital. The renewed partnership between Startup Valencia and Estonia’s e-Residency programme further deepened cross-border cooperation across Europe’s digital ecosystems. The Valencian Startup Observatory 2025 report confirmed this momentum. The region now counts 1,689 active startups, up 11.3% year on year, with €160 million raised in 2025, a 66% increase over 2024. More than 70% of Valencian startups secured investment this year, solidifying the city’s reputation as one of Europe’s fastest-growing entrepreneurial communities.
Celebrating excellence and impactInnovation and collaboration took centre stage at the VDS International Startup Competition, where Spacebackend from Luxembourg and Zibra AI from Ukraine were named winners in the Early and Growth Stage categories. Special recognition went to Marina de Empresas for its post-DANA recovery project “Alcem-se,” to Espai Aero CV for advancing aerospace innovation, and to Iñaki Berenguer, who received the VDS 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award for his global entrepreneurial impact. Institutional and corporate backingVDS 2025 was backed by Banco Santander as the main sponsor, Valencia Innovation Capital as the host partner, and the e-Residency of Estonia as the partnering country. A broad alliance of partners, including Wayra Telefónica, EY, Fundación LAB, CaixaBank DayOne, PowerCo, Volkswagen Group Services, IBM, OVHcloud, Mobile World Capital, Bit2Me, Adigital, EsTech, Opentop (Valenciaport), and MAPFRE, played a vital role in the event’s success. Key technology partners such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google for Startups, and HubSpot for Startups further amplified the summit’s international reach. Institutional supporters, including Spain’s Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the Generalitat Valenciana, ICEX, CDTI, ENISA, Renfe, and several leading universities, reinforced VDS’s standing as a European benchmark for innovation and technology. Europe’s collaborative spirit on displayClosing the summit, Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, highlighted how shared effort drives progress: “VDS shows what happens when Europe’s innovators work together: we accelerate ideas that make the world better.” From renewed partnerships and record participation to tangible progress in sustainability and inclusion, VDS 2025 once again demonstrated that Europe’s future of innovation is collaborative – and Valencia is leading the way. The post VDS 2025: Valencia strengthens its position as Europe’s leading hub for innovation (Sponsored) appeared first on EU-Startups. |
31/10/2025 10:10 AM | 6 | |
| 50,820 | 31/10/2025 07:47 AM | EnduroSat secures $104M to expand production of advanced small satellites | endurosat-secures-dollar104m-to-expand-production-of-advanced-small-satellites | 31/10/2025 | Sofia-based EnduroSat has closed a $104 million funding round. Riot Ventures, Google Ventures, Lux Capital, the European Innovation Council Fund, and Shrug Capital participated as the company advances its mission to streamline access to space data. EnduroSat is an aerospace company dedicated to making space more accessible. The team designs, builds, and operates advanced small satellites and satellite modules, enabling organisations to deploy and manage space missions more efficiently. The funding coincides with the official opening of EnduroSat’s state-of-the-art Space Center in Sofia, addressing accelerating global demand for small- to mid-sized satellite constellations. The new 188,340-square-foot facility gives EnduroSat the capability to manufacture up to two 200-500kg satellites daily and features advanced RF labs, hardware and mechanical labs, ISO-classified clean rooms, and comprehensive space qualification facilities, delivering speed, reliability, and cost efficiency in satellite manufacturing. Raycho Raychev, EnduroSat CEO and founder, said:
The new funding will enable EnduroSat to scale its production capacity for advanced constellation customers, accelerating time-to-orbit by supporting the manufacturing of up to two ESPA-class satellites per day. |
31/10/2025 08:10 AM | 1 | |
| 50,819 | 31/10/2025 04:02 AM | Scenes from TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 | scenes-from-techcrunch-disrupt-2025 | 31/10/2025 | 31/10/2025 07:10 AM | 7 | ||
| 50,817 | 30/10/2025 09:27 PM | WIRED Roundup: AI Psychosis, Missing FTC Files, and Google Bedbugs | wired-roundup-ai-psychosis-missing-ftc-files-and-google-bedbugs | 30/10/2025 | In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we run through the top stories of the week and look closely at complaints to the FTC alleging that ChatGPT led them or loved ones into AI psychosis. | 30/10/2025 10:10 PM | 4 | |
| 50,818 | 30/10/2025 09:10 PM | Nvidia is reportedly investing up to $1 billion in Poolside | nvidia-is-reportedly-investing-up-to-dollar1-billion-in-poolside | 30/10/2025 | 30/10/2025 10:10 PM | 7 |
Being Southern Europe’s fastest-growing omnichannel payments platform, 
