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, Female Invest partners with the UN Refugee Initiative, an impact-driven firm launches a new tool to tackle the digital skills gap, and, new funds open up to shape the future of food.
Launches and Expansions
- talent lifecycle management startup, Beamery, launched ‘TalentGPT’, a generative aI tool for HR tech. The solution delivers personalized experiences for managers, recruiters, candidates and employees.
- Social impact company WithYouWithMe launched a new product to help businesses overcome the digital skills gap. The tools empower businesses to accurately assess their workforce’s potential and identify opportunities for internal upskilling and workforce optimisation.
- INOP launched as an impact-driven networking platform that creates opportunities based on what you truly care about. It allows instant access to insights to support the professional community in creating job opportunities and meaningful connections, based on their core beliefs, values, and interests.
- Biotech company ThirtyFiveBio emerged from stealth with its treatment for gastrointestinal disease, using small molecule inhibitors of G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35).
- Munich-based Holidu expanded through its subsidiary Bookiply, opening more offices in France.
- VC firm No Label Ventures launched to back immigrant founders at pre-seed and seed levels. It is the only VC firm in Europe to fund immigrant entrepreneurs and supports them in the process of securing visas, including the ability to sponsor visas so that the entrepreneurs can build companies in Europe.
- Radia Accelerator launched as a dedicated 8-week programme for UK-based female operators with a focus on turning big ideas into new companies within the next 12 months. Spearheaded by Speedinvest and AlbionVC, Radia participants get the access, network, and knowledge needed at the ideation phase of company formation, with a know-how curriculum delivered online and offline by leading SaaS operators, entrepreneurs, and investors from major VC funds and angel communities across Europe.
Acquisitions and Partnerships
- Deel, the all-in-one HR platform for global teams, has announced a strategic partnership with talent acquisition platform RAMP Global to provide its customers with access to global talent so that they can scale their teams
- Regtech company Salv partnered with identity verification provider Veriff to strengthen the fight against financial crime. Having Salv’s modular crime-fighting platform available for Veriff’s customers gives them a comprehensive compliance toolset and access to the world’s first real-time financial crime-fighting network, Salv Bridge.
- EQT Growth Fund agreed to acquire the majority stake in GotPhoto Company. GotPhoto’s management team, including its CEO, Benedikt Greifenhofer, will continue to lead the Company, building on its strong track record of growth. As part of the transaction, EQT Growth will also invest additional primary capital into the business to further accelerate the company’s organic growth.
- Crowdcube and Octopus Investments launched a partnership to lower the barriers to entry facing retail investors wishing to invest in VCTs.
- Cactos, a producer of smart energy storage systems, signed a deal with Finnish third-party logistics giant Logitri to install 20 Cactos One smart energy storage units at their logistics centre in Tuusula, Finland. The storage system will provide 2.5 MWh of energy storage capacity, securing the electricity supply of Logitri’s logistics centre.
- Echobot, a provider of European sales intelligence and Leadfeeder, a web visitor intelligence tool, have joined forces and will now operate under a new brand and platform: Dealfront. Dealfront is built to empower sales and marketing teams to win leads and close deals in Europe.
- Female Invest has partnered with the UN Refugee Initiative and will give all the royalties from its book this month towards helping refugee women gain a higher education.
Milestones and Insights
- EQT Life Sciences closed its inaugural LSP Dementia Fund, raising about €260 million in fee-generating assets under management. The fund is dedicated to investing in companies that are developing breakthrough drug therapies and medical technologies across the spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases.
- HBAN (Halo Business Angel Network) revealed that its angles invested a record-breaking €33 million in Ireland in 2022
- Future Food Fund closed its second fund at €20 million, with an expected final close at €50 million this summer.
- A new report by vC fund A/O PropTech reveals that startups harnessing AI for the Built World are growing at a rapid pace with investment reaching $4.2 billion in 2022.
- GoIT, a Ukrainian edtech platform, which helps people to get their first job in IT after 8-10 months online course marks its x2.8 revenue growth. Over this period, the company expanded into Poland, Romania, USA, and LATAM and its team grew to 500 employees worldwide.
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