The European startup ecosystem is full of interesting and exciting news, twists and turns. At EU-Startups, our aim is to keep you informed on everything that’s going on and share the inspiring entrepreneurial spirit this continent has to offer. From big funding announcements, duocorns picking up pace, to new partnerships and conscious collaborations – there’s never a dull day!
This week, refurbed is helping more companies go circular, new foodtech developments for hybrid eating, and, the CEE nation that is soaring.
Launches and Expansions
- Quantware, a leading provider of large-scale superconducting quantum processors, launched Tenor. The device has more than twice the number of qubits than the previously available quantum processor and has very exciting implications for quantum computing.
- seamlessCARE, an Irish digital health startup, announced the launch of Empathic, a new app that uses artificial intelligence to interpret the emotions being expressed by non-verbal individuals.
- Rinkel has launched in Spain, offering free trials to small businesses in the country. The startup helps freelancers and SMEs to professionalize their contact with clients and build better work-life balance.
- refurbed, Ireland’s leading online marketplace for refurbished electronics has launched into the B2B market. Irish companies can now use refurbed to shop for their electronic devices. This new category allows businesses to tap into the circular economy while also staying up to date with the latest technology.
- Ubotica Technologies, an Irish provider of smart satellites, today announced CogniSAT-XE2 the next-generation hardware platform for delivering state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence in space.
- HighGround.io launched as a new security platform to help organisations with limited IT and security resources easily manage and understand cybersecurity. The platform sits above security tools and integrates with an organisation’s current deployments, providing a bird’s eye view of cybersecurity.
- limehome, a provider and operator of fully digitalised design apartments in Europe, is expanding to Belgium.
- Nokkel, a UK-based proptech startup, launched a new version of its app, marking a change in focus to become a key information tool for the UK residential property market. Nokkel aims to bring transparency to the market and provide a well-rounded view of value.
- Mind Foundry, an Oxford University spinout, has launched a new research lab in partnership with the global insurance brand Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (ANDI) and its European subsidiary Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe (AND-E).
- RoomRaccoon launched a new integration with point-of-sale (POS) system, Epos Now. The two-way integration will help hotels unify revenue streams in one central location and streamline payment processing.
- FoodTech start-up Mush Foods, Ltd. has unveiled its 50CUT mycelium protein ingredient solution which cuts the animal protein content in meat products by 50%. 50CUT is tailored specifically for hybrid meat products to satisfy flexitarians and carnivores with the unique sensation they crave while easing the impact of global meat consumption.
Acquisitions and Partnerships
- Turkish micro and shared mobility provider BinBin announced the takeover of Dutch GO Sharing. By joining forces, BinBin is expanding to West Europe. GO Sharing will continue to operate in The Netherlands, Italy and Turkey with their offering of electric mopeds and e-bikes.
- Crowdway, a leader in the Polish crowd-investing market, joins Eurocrowd, an international organization of the largest ECF platforms across Europe.
- kodehyve has teamed up with KLEYR GRASSO to form a unique collaboration and address critical legal challenges facing the built industry. The collaboration brings together the legal expertise of a well-established law firm and the innovative technology of a cutting-edge tech company.
- iDenfy announced a new collaboration with AMLYZE (a suite of SaaS solutions designed for combating financial crime). This move will help small and medium-sized businesses fight financial crime.
- Coincover, the UK-based digital asset protection technology company, has partnered up with Cobo, the largest digital asset custodian and blockchain infrastructure provider in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
- COMPREDICT has partnered with Palantir Technologies. The company will use Palantir’s Foundry software to provide virtual sensors and other services to partners around the world. The goal is to fulfil the need for better cloud-based solutions for connected vehicles
- London-based fintech Unlimint announced it is further expanding its alternative payment methods portfolio with the addition of one of Brazil’s leading online payment solutions, Mercado Pago. The collaboration will allow Unlimint’s merchants from across the globe to expand to Brazil and offer local customers one of the country’s most popular payment options.
Milestones and Insights
- TA-DAAN’s equity crowdfunding campaign closed, securing more than the planned €800k wth over 140 investors.
- CEMEX, one of the world’s leading building materials multinationals, signed an agreement with the green fuels producer ETFuels to transform 450,000 tons of CO2 from CEMEX’s Alicante cement plant in Spain into green fuels.
- Spotify’s 600 job layoffs rank as the largest in media industry history
- A new analysis of startup funding in the IoT sector in 2022 has revealed that the average amount of investment in Internet of Things companies is at an all-time high in Europe: $16.7million
- Dealroom has published a new report on the Lithuanian startup ecosystem, looking at 2022. The report found Lithuania to be the second fastest-growing CEE ecosystem in 2017-2022, growing 4.2x the average for the region. Croatia was the fastest growing, and Ukraine was in third place (8.8x growth Ukraine being one of the bigger ecosystems). Romania grew 7.8x in that period.