Summary: Meta is cutting approximately 8,000 employees (10% of its workforce) beginning 20 May, cancelling 6,000 open roles, and planning additional cuts for H2 2026. The layoffs, announced via an internal memo from HR head Janelle Gale, are structural rather than performance-based, reorganising teams into AI-focused “pods” while Meta spends $115-135 billion on AI infrastructure […]

Summary: US petrol prices passed $4/gallon for the first time in four years (+30% YoY), driven by the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruption. Tesla delivered 358,023 vehicles in Q1 2026, up 6% against a weak comparison quarter but missing estimates by 7,600 units. Consumer EV interest is rising (Edmunds: 23.8% consideration) but overall […]

Summary: SoftBank is seeking a $10 billion margin loan backed by its OpenAI shares at SOFR + 425 basis points (~7.88%), a two-year term with one-year extension. The loan sits atop a $40 billion bridge loan from March and brings SoftBank’s total OpenAI commitment to ~$64.6 billion for a ~13% stake. At OpenAI’s $852 billion […]

The McLean, Virginia startup’s Caspian platform sits as a command layer above existing security stacks, deploying pre-trained AI agents into air-gapped and compliance-restricted environments. One of its co-founders is Nick Pompeo, son of former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Rilian, a McLean, Virginia-based startup building agentic AI systems integration for defence and national security […]

Summary: The White House OSTP released a policy memo accusing China of “industrial-scale” distillation of US AI models, committing to share intelligence with US AI companies and explore accountability measures. OpenAI accused DeepSeek of distilling its models in February; Anthropic named DeepSeek, MiniMax, and Moonshot AI as having created 24,000 fraudulent accounts generating 16+ million […]

The oversubscribed financing, led by Triatomic Capital, caps a restructuring that addressed $18.7 million in debt, converted $10 million of that to equity, and preserved 60-plus patents. The company had been days away from liquidation in late 2024. Zapata Quantum announced on 23 April 2026 that it has completed an oversubscribed $15 million financing led […]

Summary: Microsoft is offering voluntary retirement to approximately 7% of its US workforce (~8,750 of 125,000 employees) in the first such programme in its 51-year history, using a “Rule of 70” formula (age + years of service). The offer, disclosed by CPO Amy Coleman, targets senior director level and below, with details arriving 7 May […]

The model, codenamed “Spud,” is designed to complete complex multi-step tasks with minimal human direction. It sets new benchmarks in agentic coding, computer use, and knowledge work, while matching GPT-5.4’s per-token latency. API access is delayed pending additional safety work. For months, the AI industry’s open secret has been that Anthropic’s Claude is winning the […]

Claim Clarity suggests that workers’ compensation represents a significant yet often less visible segment of the broader healthcare ecosystem. Founder and CEO Jamie LaPaglia says, “Its scale and impact continue to expand, but it’s sometimes approached as an extension of general healthcare, even though its regulatory and operational dynamics are different.” Within this context, the […]

Kostiantyn Gitko built his career in a very different environment. Before starting his own company, he worked inside large systems where reliability was expected every day. That experience still shapes how he approaches business. He began as a software engineer and gradually moved into leadership roles, managing infrastructure, teams, and operations. Today, he leads Devox […]

Summary: Genetic, medical, and lifestyle data from all 500,000 UK Biobank volunteers was listed for sale on Alibaba after three Chinese research institutions with legitimate access violated their data-sharing agreements. The data was de-identified but includes genome sequences, hospital diagnoses, and biological measures that experts say can be re-identified. Alibaba removed the listings before any […]

The European Commission is preparing to tell Google exactly how it must open Android to rival AI assistants, escalating a regulatory confrontation that will determine whether artificial intelligence becomes the next great platform lock-in or the first to be broken before it sets. EU watchdogs are poised to lay out what Alphabet must do to […]

Summary: The Pentagon has narrowed its Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) programme from eight companies to three, advancing microreactor deployment at Buckley Space Force Base (Colorado) and Malmstrom Air Force Base (Montana) by 2030. The original eight vendors included BWXT, Oklo, X-energy, Kairos Power, Radiant, General Atomics, Westinghouse, and Antares. The commercially owned reactor […]

On May 7-8, the EU-Startups Summit 2026 takes place in sunny Malta, bringing together around 2,400 founders, investors, and startup ecosystem leaders for two days of networking, inspiration, and knowledge-sharing.

We are excited to announce that Christoph Sollich, also known as “The Pitch Doctor”, will be joining the speaker lineup of the EU-Startups Summit 2026. He has spent years helping startups and corporate intrapreneurs craft better pitches by focusing on content, performance, and visual storytelling. With a background spanning startups, advertising, and accelerator programmes, he has worked with over 3000 startups across Europe and MENA. He is also the creator of Pitchlympics, a live pitch battle format that combines education with entertainment.

In his session titled “How a Mobility Unicorn (Ponycorn!) is beating AI with EI (Equine Intelligence)”, Christoph will take a humorous yet insightful approach to startup storytelling. Using his fictional “Pöny” concept, he will explore how founders can stand out, capture attention, and communicate their ideas more effectively in crowded markets, blending comedy with practical takeaways.

Christoph will also host an entertaining networking activity called Pitchlympics on May 8 from 9:45 to 10:30 in the Meeting Area.

If you are interested in international expansion, community-led growth, and the realities of scaling across culturally diverse markets, this session will offer valuable operator-led insights. Secure your ticket today and stay tuned for further updates on our event page.

OUR EVENT SPONSORS

Malta Enterprise is Malta’s economic development agency, facilitating economic growth, investment, and innovation by offering a range of support services for local and foreign enterprises setting up a productive presence in Malta. As a key player in Malta’s economic landscape, it contributes to the nation’s prosperiety by attracting investments, supporting businesses, and driving innovation, thereby reinforcing Malta’s position as an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Malta Enterprise actively cultivates a vibrant startup ecosystem, playing a pivotal role in fostering a conducive environment for startups and offering tailored support and incentives to empower emerging businesses.

M. Demajo Group is a leading business player in Malta, with a successful history spanning 115 years. The Group’s growth and diversification have resulted in a wide coverage of business sectors through a commitment to long-term results. M. Demajo Group’s workforce is 500 strong and their various activities have been developed through organic growth, acquisitions, partnerships, and startups. Its strong financial situation and ethical standards, its business reputation, and its renowned track record as a business partner are all key factors in its continued expansion.

The IONOS Cloud Start-up Program provides young companies with up to €100,000 in cloud credits for up to five years after their founding. Start-ups benefit from a sovereign IT infrastructure “Made in Germany,” offering 100% GDPR compliance and full legal certainty. IONOS Cloud guarantees technological freedom without vendor lock-in. Long-term support is also ensured: exclusive discounts after the first year enable a seamless transition into the IONOS Cloud ISV Partner Program. In this way, digital sovereignty becomes a strategic competitive advantage from founding to scaling.

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Kurma Partners, a French healthcare venture capital firm, announced the final closing of Biofund IV at €215 million to support the discovery and development of disruptive therapeutic solutions for severe or incurable diseases.

Building on the €160 million Biofund III, this fundraise has increased the new vehicle’s size by nearly 35%. Biofund IV is backed by three cornerstone investors – the Australian pharmaceutical company CSL, the European Investment Fund (EIF), and Bpifrance (which invests directly and through the Biotech Health Acceleration Fund, managed as part of the France 2030 initiative).

Thierry Laugel and Rémi Droller, Managing Partners at Kurma Partners, said: “This latest closing reflects our investors’ long-standing trust in the model we have built over the past fifteen years: an integrated ecosystem that bridges the gap between scientific discovery and venture capital financing.

“With Biofund IV and Argobio Studio, we now possess a unique capacity in Europe to identify world-class academic science, transform it into globally competitive biotechnology companies, and support them through to full maturity. It is this depth of commitment that sets us apart for researchers, entrepreneurs, and, ultimately, for patients.”

Kurma Partners’ final close of Biofund IV can be set alongside a broader run of BioTech and therapeutics financing across Europe.

Relevant examples include:

• France: ErVimmune in Lyon, which raised €17 million to advance cancer vaccines and cell therapies for hard-to-treat cancers; and Generare in Paris, which raised €20 million to expand its molecular data and drug discovery platform.
• Laigo Bio in Utrecht, which completed a €17 million Seed round to progress cancer and autoimmune therapies, with Kurma Partners named among the investors;
• iDEL Therapeutics in Dortmund, which secured €9 million to develop its cancer therapeutics platform
•  STORM Therapeutics in Cambridge, which raised €47.5 million to advance its RNA-modification oncology pipeline.

Together, these rounds amount to roughly €110 million, indicating continued capital deployment into European BioTech in 2026, particularly in oncology and adjacent therapeutic areas.

France appears nultiple times through ErVimmune and Generare, which is notable given Kurma Partners’ home territory. EU-Startups has additionally covered Kurma before with their Biofund IV first close.

Dr Steven Pitt, Global Head of External Innovation at CSL, adds: “Our partnership with Kurma Partners has enabled us to further build relationships across Europe, a region brimming with scientific innovation. By investing in a team with a proven track record of identifying and translating high‑quality European science, we are pleased to support the European biotech ecosystem and the progression of promising research toward therapies for patients with unmet medical needs.”

Founded in 2009, Kurma Partners, an Eurazeo group company, invests in companies from inception through to growth stages, covering the entire healthcare spectrum through its various dedicated franchises.

These have expanded alongside successive funds in early-stage BioTech (Biofunds I, II, and III), early-stage digital health and diagnostics (Kurma Diagnostics and Kurma Diagnostics 2), and most recently, growth capital (Kurma Growth Opportunities Fund).

With this final closing, Kurma Partners’ total AUM across all franchises reached €1 billion.

Biofund IV builds on the strategic success of its predecessor, Biofund III, which to date has completed three exits:

• Amolyt Pharma (rare endocrine diseases) sold to AstraZeneca
• Emergence Therapeutics (cancer-targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugates or ADCs) sold to Eli Lilly
• Corlieve Therapeutics (rare epilepsies) sold to uniQure.

More recently, there was the acquisition of ImCheck by Ipsen – a portfolio company of both Biofund II and Kurma Growth. ImCheck specializes in next-generation immunotherapy antibodies for cancer treatment.

EIF Chief Executive, Marjut Falkstedt, added: “We are thrilled to be renewing our cooperation with Kurma Partners as we pursue our common goal of supporting breakthrough innovation in Europe’s leading biotechnology sector. Apart from improving people’s lives, this has an important impact in strengthening European competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy.

“Through the EIB Group’s TechEU initiative, the EIF ultimately seeks to ensure that Europe’s brightest entrepreneurs get the support they need throughout the business lifecycle, and this transactions does exactly that.”

Kurma aims to make approximately twenty investments through Biofund IV, focusing on startups as well as the ex-nihilo creation of new BioTech companies.

To date, Biofund IV has completed 11 investments: SciRhom (Germany – autoimmune diseases), Memo Therapeutics (Switzerland – natural immunity), Avidicure (Netherlands – cancer immunotherapy), Elkedonia (France/Belgium –resistant depression), Nuevocor (Singapore/France/USA – genetic heart diseases), Evla Bio (Switzerland/Germany – cardiorenal diseases), Adcytherix (France – antibodies targeting solid tumors), Evidence Bio (France – respiratory diseases), Laigo Bio (Netherlands/UK – oncology and autoimmune diseases), Alveus (USA/Denmark – respiratory diseases), and Givax (USA/Europe – next-generation cancer vaccines).

Kurma also collaborates closely with Argobio Studio, a dedicated BioTech startup launchpad co-founded with Bpifrance. As a venture builder, Argobio has invested in eight companies to date, three of which have already completed their initial funding rounds: Elkedonia, Laigo Bio, and Enodia Therapeutics.

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