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Manchester-based PEAK:AIO raises €5.7 million to scale high-performance AI infrastructure
Manchester-based PEAK:AIO has secured €5.7 million in funding to accelerate the global rollout of its high-performance storage platform for artificial intelligence. The round was led by Pembroke VCT, which invested €4.2 million, alongside NPIF II – Praetura Equity Finance and a Silicon Valley investor.
Founded by data infrastructure Mark Klarzynski in 2021, PEAK:AIO develops ultra-fast, energy-efficient storage software designed to solve AI’s critical bottleneck: the slow movement of data. Its systems deliver faster performance while using less energy and space than traditional solutions, helping organisations scale AI more sustainably and cost-effectively.
The fresh capital will fuel international expansion, team growth, and product development. The company has already quadrupled revenue and its partner network in the past year, with deployments at institutions including the NHS, King’s College London, the Zoological Society of London, and Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US.
Mark Klarzynski, Co-founder and CSO of PEAK:AIO said: “AI has created demands that traditional IT was never designed to handle. From the start, we built PEAK:AIO to answer those challenges, and our success in the UK quickly led to adoption in the US. This investment is about more than growth; it is about backing a UK company that is setting new standards in AI infrastructure worldwide.”
Fred Ursell, Head of Investments at Pembroke Investment Managers, said: “Every major technology wave exposes bottlenecks that hold back progress. In AI, that bottleneck is storage – GPUs sit idle while data crawls in. PEAK:AIO has built a solution from first principles that flips this equation, unlocking the full potential of AI infrastructure.”
Louise Chapman, NPIF II Fund Principal at Praetura Ventures, noted: “Our NPIF II investment into PEAK:AIO comes at a very opportune time for the AI sector, with Google, Microsoft and Nvidia all announcing plans to invest tens of billions into the UK. Going forward, this news will create even bigger opportunities for companies such as PEAK:AIO.”
Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said: “It’s exciting to see a Northern business at the forefront of the AI sector, developing innovative solutions that advance the technology. This latest round of funding will help create new jobs and scale the business for a successful future.”
Natalia Shahmetova, CEO of Woofz joins as speaker at the EU-Startups Summit 2026!
We are excited to kick off with our first speaker announcement for the EU-Startups Summit 2026, which will take place for the third time in sunny Malta on May 7-8! Natalia Shahmetova, CEO and Co-founder of nove8 and Woofz, will be joining us on stage to share her entrepreneurial journey and insights into building one of the most successful pet tech apps in the world.
Natalia started her career in the creative world of advertising before moving into mobile marketing, where she worked with apps in music, lifestyle, and entertainment, driving millions in revenue. In 2022, she co-founded Woofz, a dog training app that has since become a market leader in the booming pet tech sector. Bootstrapped from day one, Woofz has achieved more than 21 million downloads, reached $20 million ARR and recorded an impressive 400% year-on-year growth, cementing its place as a must-have app for dog owners worldwide.
In 2024, Natalia co-founded nove8 to continue scaling Woofz and launch new innovative products. At the EU-Startups Summit, she will discuss her path from marketing to entrepreneurship, how she identified a gap in the pet tech industry, and the growth strategies that have propelled Woofz into a global success story.
Don’t miss the chance to hear from one of Europe’s most dynamic founders in the pet tech space. Secure your ticket today and stay tuned for more exciting announcements on our event page!
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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 prosperity 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.
EIT Governing Board approves €978 million to strengthen innovation and skills across Europe
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), the EU’s largest innovation ecosystem, has approved a record €978 million package to support innovation, entrepreneurship and skills development across Europe between 2026 and 2028.
As part of Horizon Europe, the EIT integrates business, education and research through its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), which address challenges ranging from climate change and sustainable energy to health, digitalisation and food systems. Through these partnerships, the EIT provides entrepreneurial education, business creation and acceleration services, and innovation-driven projects designed to create jobs, foster growth and strengthen Europe’s global competitiveness.
The new funding round is the largest in the EIT’s history and will channel resources into six KICs, cross-KIC activities, and the EIT Higher Education Initiative. The allocations reflect both performance and alignment with EU priorities such as the Union of Skills and the Clean Industrial Deal, while also supporting the Startup and Scaleup Strategy.
The allocations for 2026–2028 are as follows:
- EIT Health: €67.3 million
- EIT Raw Materials: €74.8 million
- EIT Food: €125.3 million
- EIT Urban Mobility: €206.9 million
- EIT Manufacturing: €163.2 million
- EIT Culture & Creativity: €131.6 million
An additional €79.3 million will fund cross-KIC activities, bringing together financially autonomous KICs such as EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Digital and EIT InnoEnergy. These joint efforts aim to maximise European impact in areas such as AI, women’s entrepreneurship, STEM skills, business creation and international cooperation.
The package also includes €130 million for the EIT Higher Education Initiative. Since its launch, this programme has involved more than 600 universities and supported thousands of students, researchers and staff in building entrepreneurial capacity. It complements Erasmus and supports the EU’s STEM education plan, with the goal of equipping European universities to become stronger innovation engines.
Stefan Dobrev, Chair of the EIT Governing Board, said: “As a board, we are confident this decision steers resources to the best-performing innovation ecosystems that effectively integrate the triangle of research, industry and entrepreneurship. It is a substantial catalyst for the engagement of the public and private sector to deploy the skills, technology and businesses we urgently need for a competitive Europe, able to defend its prosperity and its values.”
By linking education, research and business, the EIT aims to deliver impact across Europe through innovation-driven projects, entrepreneurial education and business creation support. The new allocation underlines its role as the EU’s largest innovation ecosystem and a key player in implementing European policy priorities such as the Union of Skills and the Clean Industrial Deal.
How smart policies can strengthen Europe’s startup ecosystem and boost economic growth
From OpenAI to Deepseek to Perplexity, a new wave of AI companies have become household names in the past year. These innovators have become synonymous with the fast-moving technological revolution in the U.S. and China. In contrast, Europe often appears to be a third wheel.
The continent is burdened by innovation-dampening high taxes, bureaucracy, and sluggish growth of just 0.2% in Q2. Against a backdrop of macroeconomic headwinds, the PitchBook Q2 2025 European Venture Report showed that fundraising hit a record low in the first half of the year, even as select sectors like AI and defence saw investment.
Yet there is huge potential for European startups to push the barriers of technology if the right policies are in place. After all, Europe has a strong foundation of top universities, financial hubs, innovation centres, and a massive combined market of 500 million consumers.
To put the continent back in the race for future technology leadership, there needs to be a proactive and coordinated policy response to reduce friction and boost early-stage growth. Several key steps should be taken to address this.
1. Simplify access to grant funding
Grant funding is vital for startups, offering non-dilutive capital that extends runway and de-risks initial development. It also lends credibility to support future funding rounds. In a recent investor survey we conducted, it was named as the number one change governments could make to support innovation.
Yet the grant application process is often confusing and time-consuming. Startups struggle to identify which grants they are eligible for amidst a mountain of complex paperwork.
To address this, governments across the EU should learn from rising startup hubs like Singapore. It’s national champion, Singapore’s Startup SG, has successfully streamlined access to grant funding, improving awareness and simplifying the application process. By adopting this model, European governments can offer a similar lifeline for startups.
2. Enhance the R&D tax credit system
R&D tax credits are critical for de-risking innovation, yet the process in Europe is too often lengthy, opaque, and requires costly third-party advisors. This diverts money away from the very innovation the policy is meant to support.
While European R&D spending is growing, its R&D intensity is still below that of its key competitors. In 2023, the EU’s R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP was 2.22% while the UK’s was 2.77%. This is well below the ratios recorded in the United States (3.59%) and South Korea (4.85%).
As a start across Europe, there should be a commitment to raising investment in R&D to match the best performers in the world. This would send out a strong signal to businesses that Europe backs innovation.
Secondly, national treasuries could simplify the process, so startups can file claims directly rather than using third-party advisors. This would reduce the burden on startups, ensuring 100% of the rebate is reinvested into product development and growth.
3. Promote national startup tax incentive schemes across Europe
The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) have been cornerstones of the UK’s vibrant startup ecosystem for decades. These schemes significantly mitigate the high risk of early-stage investment through generous tax reliefs. Our regular interactions with UK investors show this relief is often the primary reason they back startups.
Similar government-backed initiatives exist across Europe. For example, Ireland offers the Employment & Investment Incentive (EII) scheme, which functions similarly to the UK’s EIS. In France, “JEI, JEIC and JEIR” (differentiated by innovation type and investment limits) are all tailored to reward early-stage and deeptech investment. Germany’s “INVEST” scheme offers a grant programme for business angels and is available to permanent residents in any EEA country, encouraging cross-border angel investing.
Despite their success, these schemes remain an under-utilised tool for expanding the pool of angel investors, and governments have a significant opportunity to do more. By launching national awareness campaigns, they could help educate a wider audience of potential investors about the financial benefits.
This would encourage more aspiring investors to take their first step into angel investing, supporting a broader and more resilient funding ecosystem.
4. Introduce startup-specific tax relief
One of the biggest struggles for new startups, and a leading cause of their failure, is cash flow. However, as discussed, many current support mechanisms, such as grants and R&D tax credits, are often complex and slow to deliver. This means that startups under financial pressure need to wait a long time to benefit from them.
Governments should consider providing targeted tax breaks to ease financial pressure during a startup’s crucial early stages. By delivering support when it is needed most, such policies can help these promising ventures survive and, ultimately, thrive.
5. Invest in founders’ education and skills
While many startup founders are brilliant innovators, they often lack the practical skills needed to scale a business successfully. This is a critical gap, especially given that a recent Eurobarometer survey found a remarkable 46% of young Europeans aged 15-30 would consider starting their own business. The desire to innovate is there, but the “playbooks” for entrepreneurial success are not widely available.
Existing support structures like accelerators, incubators, and mentoring programmes play a massive role, but a more systemic change is needed. Our current education systems are largely designed for the Industrial Revolution, but to thrive in the coming AI revolution, we need to overhaul them entirely.
This should involve equipping the next generation with the skills needed to build dynamic companies. Not only teaching an understanding of the fundraising process, but also the mental resilience required to run a business, plus crucial business skills like marketing and HR. By embedding entrepreneurial education from an early age, we can build a stronger, more innovative Europe from the ground up.
6. Make talent acquisition easier
Every startup needs great people to grow. But when demand outstrips domestic supply, especially in technical roles, startups cannot compete with big companies on hiring power. In the UK, there has been a familiar exodus of value-generating companies moving to the USA, Dubai and Singapore, where a wider talent pool and more favourable startup setups exist. Great European businesses like Revolut, Spotify and Dyson have had to move, meaning the value has been realised in other countries rather than in Europe.
Governments could help tackle some of these issues by simplifying visa routes for talent outside the continent or creating a fast-track system for critical startup hires. This could help to create a more level playing field, ensuring companies can bring in top global talent when they need it most.
I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I hope this article gets people thinking about how we can shake things up and cement Europe’s position as a global startup leader.
Gotcha! French cybersecurity startup MokN tricks attackers into surrendering stolen credentials, raises €2.6 million to expand to the U.S.
MokN, a Paris-based cybersecurity startup launched in 2024, has raised €2.6 million in Seed funding to expand its deception-based identity protection technology and initiate its commercial rollout in the United States.
The round was led by Moonfire, with participation from OVNI Capital, Kima Ventures, and several notable business angels.
“The project was born out of a cyber crisis I experienced in a previous role, which highlighted that a seemingly obvious approach was still missing from the market. In less than a year, fully bootstrapped, we proved the value of our solution with major enterprises. Our technical DNA allows us to speak expert to expert, which has accelerated our growth. Today, with proven technology, strong traction, and no direct competition in the U.S., we see a unique opportunity ahead,” said Gautier Bugeon, Co-founder and CEO of MokN.
The MokN funding round fits into a broader trend of early-stage investment across the European cybersecurity, identity, and fraud prevention space in 2025.
Startups are tackling overlapping challenges such as autonomous cyber defense (€2.1 million for WiseBee), synthetic threat intelligence and AI fraud detection (€3.7 million for Innerworks), misuse detection (€936k for Egregious), biometric authentication (€1.9 million for Keyless), fraud prevention (€6 million for Trustfull), business identity verification (€10 million for Duna), and digital anonymity (€1.8 million for Dold Adress).
MokN’s focus on deceiving attackers to neutralise stolen credentials represents a distinct approach compared to these peers, which are more often centred on reactive detection, identity verification, or fraud analytics.
The startup has developed a proactive method to tackle the increasing problem of stolen credentials by turning the tables on attackers: instead of blocking them, MokN lures cybercriminals into revealing the very data they’ve just stolen. Already adopted by over 20 enterprises – the solution has propelled the bootstrapped company to more than €1 million ARR in under a year.
“Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing and most damaging cyber threats, yet it’s almost impossible to recover stolen credentials before they’re abused. MokN is tackling this head-on with ingenious deception technology that turns attackers’ own tactics against them. Their rapid progress highlights both the urgency of the problem and the strength of their product. We’re proud to back their U.S. expansion“, said Akshat Goenka, Partner at Moonfire.
Founded in 2023 by Gautier Bugeon, MokN was born out of firsthand experience during a cyber crisis, which exposed a blind spot in traditional defence strategies.
The startup’s innovation lies in its “phish-back” technology: hyper-realistic decoy portals (for example, fake VPN or email login pages) are set up within a company’s network. When an attacker uses stolen credentials on one of these decoys, they unwittingly alert the security team – often before the credentials are sold or used elsewhere.
As per the company, the timing couldn’t be more relevant. According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, compromised credentials remain the leading cause of data breaches. Nearly 65% of cyberattacks result in financial harm, and traditional defensive measures struggle to keep pace with evolving threat vectors.
MokN’s trap-based strategy aims to give security teams a chance to intervene at the earliest possible stage – when the attacker first attempts to test the stolen credentials.
MokN’s early traction is especially notable considering the company remained self-funded until now. In just over 12 months, it has attracted a roster of enterprise clients, and protected more than 500,000 users.
“We knew attackers were targeting us, but never had direct proof. Within days of deploying MokN, we intercepted credentials that had just been stolen, before any public exposure. These insights now help us reinforce our detection strategy and communicate risk clearly to the board,” said a security leader at a French multinational.
With this Seed round secured, the French startup now sets its sights on the United States – an under-served market for deception-based credential protection. Part of MokN’s leadership team will relocate stateside to be closer to its future customers.
The company also plans to scale its team in France, recruiting across product, sales, and marketing to support its dual-continent growth.
“MokN’s approach redefines the early detection of credential-based threats. Their fast deployment, signal quality, and seamless SOC integration make them a compelling new layer in the modern identity-first security stack,” added Augustin Sayer, Managing Partner at OVNI Capital.
With no direct competitors currently offering a similar proactive deception strategy in the U.S., MokN appears well positioned to make a mark on the global cybersecurity landscape – and stay one step ahead of the hackers.
Amsterdam’s Saga raises over €1.5 million to expand its lawyer-centric AI platform across Europe and Latin America
Dutch LegalTech startup Saga has raised over €1.5 million in a Seed round for its AI platform, backed by Dutch and Norwegian investors in order to expand internationally.
Saga is planning a Series A investment round in early 2026 to support continued product development and accelerate international expansion.
“Because many mid-sized firms and local champions lack the internal talent to lead GenAI adoption programs, our Amplify department provides training that enables legal professionals to convert traditional processes into AI-enabled workflows,” says Remco Visser, Co-founder of Saga.
Saga’s Seed raise positions it within the broader wave of European LegalTech funding in 2025. Other Seed-stage rounds include Pandektes (Denmark, €2.9 million), which is developing AI tools for legislation and case law navigation, and Augmetec (UK, over €2.4 million), focused on expanding its flagship legal-AI platform.
At a later stage, Lexroom (Italy, €16 million Series A) illustrates how capital is also flowing into scaling GenAI solutions for the legal sector.
Together, these rounds suggest that investor appetite for AI-driven legal platforms spans both early-stage innovation and growth-stage expansion.
“We are proud to have successfully launched a robust AI platform for legal professionals and won law firm clients in ten European countries without relying on outside funding. The funds raised in this Seed round will support product innovation and international expansion,” adds Bosse Langaas, Co-founder and CEO of Saga.
Founded in 2024 by a team of executives with law firm and legal tech experience in Norway and the Netherlands, Saga successfully launched commercially in Q4 last year.
Saga is a lawyer-centric AI platform designed to orchestrate the full lifecycle of legal work. It offers transparent AI assistants, legal databases, and agentic workflows, enabling legal professionals to deliver faster and higher-quality work. In addition to a web application, the Saga Word add-in launches this month.
Saga says they stand out by being lawyer-centric, providing AI training and adoption programs that build familiarity with AI, facilitate smooth integration into practice, and deliver a rapid return on investment.
The company introduced Saga Enterprise for medium-sized and large law firms and Saga Solo, tailored for individual lawyers and small practices.
“The beauty of bootstrapping and building a company stone by stone is the ability to prioritize a solid foundation and product quality. We consistently operated with just a one-month runway because our rapid growth required continuous investment in people and technology. This also drove us to pursue sales with intense focus and effort,” says Visser.
In less than 12 months, Saga has secured over 150 customers – mostly law firms – across the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. The company has also recently won its first clients in Brazil and South Africa.
Since the company originates from Norway and the Netherlands, Saga has operated internationally from day one, with employees and representatives in Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, South Africa, and Peru.
“Some industry peers are obviously bigger and slightly more mature than us, but we are already winning head-to-head competitive pitches. Putting my Norwegian modesty aside for a moment, I genuinely believe we have a superior concept for medium-sized law firms and local champions,” concludes Langaas.
London-based Simple Life raises over €33 million in a Series B round backed by Kevin Hart to scale its AI health coach
London-based AI health coaching app Simple Life has raised 33 million in a Series B round led by Hartbeat Ventures, founded by actor and entrepreneur Kevin Hart, with participation from Liquidity, an AI-driven private credit firm.
The new funding comes after a year of rapid growth for the startup. In 2024, Simple generated $100 million in revenue, marking a 64% year-over-year increase, and reached operating profitability. The app has now been downloaded more than 20 million times, with users collectively losing over 17.5 million pounds.
“I’m hyped to back Simple through my fund HartBeat Ventures. Simple is truly changing the game in health, and HBV wants to be front row for that,” said Kevin Hart.
Simple uses its AI-powered health coach, “Avo,” to deliver personalised plans, real-time nutritional analyses, and on-demand coaching. Recognised as MedTech Breakthrough’s 2025 “Best Virtual Health Coach,” Avo sent 19 million coaching messages in January alone. A peer-reviewed study of 50,000 users found that 42% achieved at least 5% weight loss at one year.
“Most weight-loss solutions fixate on the end goal. We focus on the journey, making it adaptive, rewarding, and sustainable. With our data and approach, there’s no need for obsessive calorie counting or extreme restrictions,” said Mike Prytkov, founder and CEO of Simple.
The company plans to use the Series B funding to expand its AI capabilities in hyper-personalisation, multimodal coaching, gamification, and AI-assisted content creation. A gamified companion app, currently in testing, has already shown positive results for retention and weight-loss outcomes.
Paul Brodie, Managing Director at Liquidity, added: “This financing reinforces our commitment to empowering growth-stage industry innovators with fast, flexible capital tailored to scale with their ambitions.”
Yuri Gurski, founder of Flo Health and Palta, an early investor in Simple, noted: “Simple brings the formula of scientific credibility paired with user experience to weight loss, with speed, scale, and results the market has never seen before.”
Founded in London, Simple Life now serves more than 800,000 active subscribers. Its approach combines evidence-based health strategies with scalable AI coaching, positioning it as one of the leading players in digital wellness.
Copenhagen-based 55 North announces €134 million first close for record €300 million quantum technology fund
Copenhagen-based venture capital firm 55 North has announced the first close of its €300 million inaugural fund, raising €134 million with backing from anchor investors Novo Holdings and EIFO (Export and Investment Fund of Denmark). Positioned as the world’s largest dedicated quantum technology fund, it will target investments across quantum computing, sensing, and communications.
Founded in 2025, 55 North takes a stage-agnostic approach, backing both enabling technologies and full-stack solutions. The firm has already completed two investments: participating in European quantum leader IQM’s €275 million Series B and co-leading Kiutra’s €13 million Series A-2.
“Quantum is no longer a science experiment, it’s a strategic imperative,” said Dr. Owen Lozman, Managing Partner of 55 North. “As classical computing nears its physical and computational limits in applications like drug discovery and AI, quantum is well positioned to accelerate these workloads. Europe must push its quantum agenda to remain a producer, not just a buyer of quantum technologies. With our first close and early investments, we’re laying the foundation for the world’s quantum future.”
The launch of 55 North comes at a time of growing international focus on quantum. Governments across Europe and the G7 have made quantum a strategic priority, with over $40 billion committed in global public funding. Denmark introduced its National Strategy for Quantum Technology in 2023, mandating EIFO to help create a leading quantum investment fund.
Peder Lundquist, CEO of EIFO, commented: “We are thrilled to see 55 North launch. Quantum will shape industries, economies, and security frameworks worldwide. That is why Europe must act decisively to secure a leading position. With an outstanding team and solid backing from us, Novo Holdings, and further investors to come, 55 North is set to play a defining role.”
The 55 North team is led by Managing Partner Dr. Owen Lozman (ex M Ventures), alongside General Partners Dr. Helmut Katzgraber (ex Amazon, ex Microsoft) and Dr. Kai Hudek (ex IonQ). The group combines deep scientific expertise with venture capital experience, supported by European VC Vsquared Ventures and US-based Cambium Capital.
Søren Møller, Managing Partner at Novo Holdings, noted: “We see quantum technologies as a transformative enabler of life science solutions that can ultimately improve the health of people and the planet worldwide.”
Denmark’s Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, Morten Bødskov, added: “In Denmark, we proudly carry on Niels Bohr’s legacy as we inaugurate the world’s largest quantum fund today. With it, we can invest in the major quantum breakthroughs of the future and more quickly get ideas out of the labs and into our society.”
55 North will invest globally in quantum technologies, focusing on computing, sensing, and communication. The firm aims to accelerate the transition of quantum innovation from research labs to commercial applications, with Denmark as its base for scaling internationally.
London-based Lupa raises over €17 million aiming to transform the Petcare Market
London-based petcare technology company Lupa has over €17 million ($20 million) to accelerate the adoption of its AI-native veterinary software across Europe and launch a dedicated Veterinary AI Lab.
Founded in 2023 by Nicolò Frisiani, Matei, and Raul, Lupa brings together talent from leading global tech firms, including Meta, Google, Amazon, Palantir, PayPal, DeepMind, and C3.ai, alongside strategic backgrounds from BCG, McKinsey, Bain, Doctolib, and Rocket Internet. The team also includes veterinary operators from ezyVet, PetsApp, IVC, Medivet, and Mars Veterinary Health.
This mix of engineering, transformation, and veterinary expertise has driven rapid adoption across both independent practices and large veterinary groups. Lupa has already signed multi-year agreements in the UK and Europe, enabling deployment across hundreds of clinics.
The company reports measurable results from rollouts:
- 50x revenue growth since its seed round
- 60 minutes saved per vet per day within the first week
- 2x ROI compared to clinics using multiple legacy systems
- Onboarding in under one day, compared to an industry average of two weeks
“Lupa saves me at least an hour per day. It absolutely changed my day-to-day veterinary life, ensuring I have far more time to spend treating my patients rather than working at my computer,” said London-based vet, Dr. Rebecca Castle.
Alongside scaling its software, Lupa has launched the Veterinary AI Lab, a research and product hub focused on developing clinically robust AI tools for veterinary care. Led by Mr. Guler, formerly of C3.ai, and supported by engineers from DeepMind, Meta AI, and Palantir, the lab will work on AI agents to support all stages of veterinary care, publish peer-reviewed research, and collaborate with regulators and universities to help set global standards for ethical AI in petcare.
“Our vision is to build the world’s petcare platform. And it is resonating: with clients, investors, and above all, talent. If there is a team that can achieve this bold vision, it is ours,” said Nicolò Frisiani, Co-founder and CEO of Lupa.
“Lupa is helping veterinary clinics enter a modern era and expand the services they can offer. With world-class engineers from DeepMind, Meta and Palantir working hand-in-hand with veterinary professionals, Lupa combines the best of tech and petcare expertise to re-imagine the entire veterinary experience for patients and clinicians. The case is clear and the ROI is strong the instant the platform is live,” said Raffi Kamber, Co-founder and GP at Singular.
Lorcan Delaney, Principal at firstminute capital, added: “Backing exceptional founders is at the heart of what we do at firstminute, and Lupa exemplifies this. Nicolò, Matei, and Raul combine deep strategic insight with world-class technical execution, assembling a team capable of redefining veterinary care worldwide. In just a few short months, they have executed with extraordinary speed and precision, demonstrating that their AI-first approach delivers measurable impact for clinics and vets alike. This Series A is a testament to the remarkable progress they’ve made since our seed investment, and we’re thrilled to continue supporting them as they scale globally and set a new standard for the $350B petcare market.”
Netherlands-based OpusFlow raises €3.8 million to expand automation platform for renewable energy installers
Deventer-based startup OpusFlow has secured €3.8 million in growth funding to accelerate the expansion of its automation platform for renewable energy installers. The round was led by Move Energy, with participation from Rise PropTech and existing investor Peak.
Founded in late 2022 by Diego Smits and Joey Teunissen, integrates key processes for solar, heat pump, EV charger, and solar water heater installers, including quotations, team scheduling, inventory management, sales operations, and invoicing. By automating workflows, OpusFlow reduces administrative project time from an average of 7.5 hours to 1.5 hours.
“With OpusFlow, we are building the platform that enables installers to fully automate their operations. The new funding will help us support installers across Europe in expanding their services and accelerating the energy transition together,” said Co-founder and CEO Diego Smits.
OpusFlow’s modular design allows businesses to connect processes through plugins and modules, while its flat-fee pricing model provides full platform access without additional costs.
The fresh capital will be used to further integrate AI, expand modules for HVAC, wind energy, and EV charging, and strengthen the company’s presence in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and the UK, with further European expansion planned.
Frederik de Hosson, Partner at Move Energy, said: “The team’s drive and deep sector expertise, combined with a product-first approach, give us great confidence in the company’s international growth trajectory.”
Gaëtan Baudelet, Partner at Rise PropTech, added: “The energy transition requires not just new technology, but scalable software that makes installers’ operations drastically more efficient. OpusFlow is uniquely positioned to become the European platform of choice for mid-market renewable energy installers. We’re proud to support the team in their international expansion and AI-driven roadmap.”
Thijs Dijkman, Partner at Peak, noted: “OpusFlow has quickly proven to be the operational software backbone for renewable energy installers. By integrating AI they are raising the industry standard, making them the ideal partner for installers looking to work faster, more efficiently, and with higher customer satisfaction.”
EU-Startups Podcast | Episode 138: Rocío Alcocer Magirena, Managing Director of Norrsken Barcelona
This week on the EU-Startups Podcast, we sit down with Rocío Alcocer Magirena, Managing Director of Norrsken Barcelona, one of Europe’s largest hubs for tech and impact startups.
Founded in Sweden in 2016 by Niklas Adalberth, Norrsken is expanding across the continent with a mission to support entrepreneurs tackling the world’s most pressing challenges. The Barcelona hub opened in 2022 in a renovated historic building and has quickly become a focal point for founders, investors, and changemakers in Southern Europe.
In this episode, Rocío shares how Norrsken is building what it calls “infrastructure for hope”, combining community, capital, and space to enable impact-driven innovation. We also dive into the newly released Impact/100 2025 list, where AI companies lead the ranking of future impact unicorns, and explore why Spain’s startup economy is surging with €3.8 billion raised last year. Rocío discusses the momentum she sees in healthcare, biotech, biodiversity, and home care, while also outlining what Barcelona needs next to compete globally: more talent and more patient capital.
Video version of episode 138:
Video version of episode 138:
Key Takeaways:
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AI is shaping the next wave of impact unicorns, solving real problems rather than hyping demos.
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Spain’s startup ecosystem is breaking out, with €3.8 billion and rising, attracting global attention.
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Impact thrives when capital meets purpose, as patient, aligned money solves hard problems.
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People move markets, and founder stamina beats paperwork.
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Community is the multiplier; the best hubs are designed, not accidental.
Grenoble-based TiHive raises €8 million to expand Terahertz-AI quality control solutions
Grenoble-based industrial deeptech startup TiHive has raised €8 million in funding to accelerate the global rollout of its terahertz and AI-powered inspection technology. The round was backed by Karista, Wind, and the EIC Fund.
Founded in 2017 by Hani Sherry and Carlos Prada, TiHive develops real-time, non-destructive inspection systems that integrate directly into production lines. Its technology relies on proprietary terahertz-on-silicon chips, optics, and AI software to detect internal defects, thickness variations, and material distribution issues that traditional quality control methods often miss.
“With this funding, we’ll bring TiHive’s technology to more hygiene production lines worldwide and expand into new markets. Our goal is clear: qualify billions of products annually, helping manufacturers deliver best quality to their customers, reduce costs and save resources at scale,” said Hani Sherry, Founder and CEO of TiHive.
The company has already deployed its multi-camera inspection systems across several industrial groups, with adoption in sectors such as hygiene, textiles, recycling, agriculture, and aerospace. In the hygiene industry, TiHive’s systems have been used to cut overdosing of raw materials, saving up to 300 tons of super-absorbent polymers per line each year, equivalent to 1,500 tons of CO₂ emissions avoided.
TiHive’s subscription model bundles access to its equipment with AI analytics, monitoring services, and operational support. The company has also built the world’s largest database on baby and adult diaper quality, analysing millions of products weekly and approaching the milestone of one billion items inspected.
The new capital will fund international expansion, particularly in Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, as well as further R&D to develop next-generation terahertz chips with extended frequencies and advanced AI features.
“The EIC Fund is glad to continue our journey with TiHive. They combine deep tech expertise in terahertz-on-silicon, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and Europe’s strategic autonomy,” said Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board.
Emmanuel Daugeras, Partner at Karista, noted: “TiHive is a prime example of the deep tech projects Karista aims to support through Cosmi Capital: a truly disruptive technology delivering compelling benefits across a wide range of applications, in Space and beyond.”
Aurélie Nicolas, General Partner at Wind, added: “By miniaturising terahertz imaging on CMOS chips and coupling it with AI, TiHive has the potential to revolutionise industrial quality control, delivering significant productivity gains and unlocking entirely new applications and markets where inspections were previously impossible.”
Irish BioTech Aerska launches with €17 million to develop RNAi medicines for diseases of the brain
Aerska, a Dublin-based BioTech company aiming to redefine the treatment of neurological diseases, today announced it has raised €17 million in Seed financing to develop systemically administered RNA interference (RNAi) medicines designed to silence genes that drive brain diseases.
The round was co-led by Age1, Backed VC and Speedinvest, with participation from Blueyard, Lingotto (Exor), Norrsken VC, Kerna, PsyMed and Ada Ventures.
“Neurological diseases remain one of the greatest challenges in medicine, with limited options to alter the course of disease,” said Jack O’Meara, CEO & Co-founder, Aerska. “By integrating brain shuttles with RNA therapeutics, we aim to enable precise, durable gene silencing in the CNS; supported by technology to ensure patients get the right intervention for their stage of disease.”
Aerska was founded in 2025 by Jack O’Meara, Stuart Milstein and David Hardwicke and is launching with a leadership team with deep expertise in RNA medicines, CNS drug discovery, and clinical product development.
Aerska, named after a Gaelic proverb about “interdependence”, is headquartered in Dublin with research operations in London.
It is a BioTech company pioneering RNA medicines to treat, delay, and prevent diseases of the brain. The company is leveraging advances in ‘brain shuttles’ to enable targeted delivery of next-generation RNAi therapeutics to the CNS.
By silencing the genes that cause harm, Aerska aims to preserve the minds, protect the memories, and enable our loved ones to live longer, healthier lives.
“Delivery across the blood-brain barrier remains the bottleneck for genetic medicines in neurology,” said Alex Brunicki, Partner at Backed VC and Aerska board member. “Aerska’s platform integrates advanced RNAi chemistry with receptor-mediated shuttling and precision medicine, positioning the company at the forefront of CNS therapeutics.”
The company explains that delivering genetic medicines to the brain has long been hindered by the blood-brain barrier. While RNAi has proven effective in the liver, its potential impact in the CNS has been limited by delivery.
Through external partnerships and internal innovation, Aerska’s antibody-oligo conjugate (AOC) platform uses “brain shuttles” to enable systemic RNAi delivery, neuronal uptake, and durable gene knockdown in the brain. In addition, the company is making targeted investments in data science capabilities to advance a precision medicine strategy for neurology, starting with programmes in genetic forms of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
“GalNAc proved what RNAi can do when delivered to a specific tissue and we’re now on the cusp of a similar leap forward in CNS medicine,” said Stu Milstein, who leads platform strategy at Aerska. “The velocity and ambition of this team is electric.”
London’s fan3 raises €4.2 million to address ticket reselling and scalpers
fan3, a British entertainment technology company building a fan-first access platform for live events, today announced it has raised €4.2 million in funding from Improbable – with existing partnerships with artists like Zayn and Pitbull.
“Real fans don’t usually sell their tickets immediately, and we make sure they get them first,” said Ross Taylor, CEO of fan3. “We appreciate some fans at a later date may have plans change and need to resell for unforeseen circumstances. Most non-fan resales happen instantly and we will see which key resells immediately and remove them from the system for good. Improbable’s investment allows us to scale our technology and deepen integrations across the industry, so that artists can own their audiences directly and fans can finally get fair access to the shows they love.”
The live entertainment industry faces mounting challenges. Around half of all ticket inventory is estimated to end up on secondary markets, bot activity is expanding each year, and detection tools that once caught most fraudulent purchases now detect only a fraction. For fans, this results in sell-outs and inflated resale prices. For artists, it means losing visibility of their true audiences.
fan3 looks to address these issues by acting as a gateway – a lock-and-key layer that integrates seamlessly with existing ticketing systems, invisible to buyers yet transformative for fans, artists, and promoters. At the core of the platform is a digital pass that lives in a fan’s phone wallet, claimable in seconds, giving priority access to presales through Ticketmaster, AXS, Eventim, and Etix.
The passes also act as a defence against bots and scalpers, authenticating fans at entry and reducing secondary market leakage.
fan3 uses blockchain technology behind the scenes to securely record fan identity and access data, ensuring authenticity and permanence without adding complexity for users. NFC-enabled wristbands extend the platform into live events, enabling fans to verify attendance, unlock exclusive access, and claim digital rewards.
Together, passes and wristbands create a seamless bridge between live events and ongoing fan engagement. The physical activity recorded in geo locations is also recorded on-chain and increases the verification of real fans as an ongoing process.
“fan3 is directly addressing one of the most pressing challenges in the entertainment sector: ensuring trust between fans, artists, and platforms,” said Herman Narula, CEO of Improbable. “At Improbable, we back ventures that can reshape entire sectors, and fan3’s model for loyalty and access has the potential to set a new global standard in live entertainment. It’s also one of the clearest examples of how crypto can deliver real value by powering fairer and more transparent relationships.”
fan3 was founded in 2021 by music industry veterans Steve Finan, Paul Rose, and Ross Taylor, who have collectively managed global artists with social media followings exceeding 150 million. The company’s technical platform is led by multi-award-winning CTO Richard Rauser.
With a team of seven, fan3 empowers artists with secure, fraud-resistant ticketing, ownership of their fan data, and tools for direct engagement. Its platform integrates smartphone wallet passes, NFT-enabled memorabilia, and smart event tools to cut out scalping and deepen direct connections between artists and genuine fans.
The platform has already proven effective. Their fraud prevention heuristics have reportedly reduced tickets reaching secondary platforms to under 5% – an 8.4-fold improvement on the industry average. Current partnerships with global music icons Zayn and Pitbull see a digital fan pass providing presale access, exclusive content, and event privileges.
The funding will be used to expand technical capabilities, grow the team, and extend integrations with ticketing platforms and artist partners, strengthening fan3’s position as a trusted, loyalty-driven gateway for live entertainment.
fan3 has previously secured backing from Republic, Comma Capital, Sera Fund, Alchemy Ventures, Dream Ventures, and Avalanche.
French BioTech developer SeaBeLife raises €2 million to tackle dry AMD and severe acute hepatitis
Roscoff-based SeaBeLife, a BioTech company developing innovative drug candidates intended to block cellular necrosis, today announces a pre-Series A funding round worth €2 million.
The financing was led by historical investor iXLife, alongside other longstanding shareholders Breizh Angels, WeLikeStartup, Angels Santé and the Business Angels des Grandes Ecoles. This round welcomes new investors, including INEXT and Femmes Business Angels, the first women-only business angels’ network in Europe.
“The renewed backing from our longstanding investors, together with the addition of new partners, is a clear signal of confidence in our vision and development strategy, and I am extremely grateful for their support,” said Morgane Rousselot, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of SeaBeLife. “This fundraising is a decisive step towards clinical trials and reinforces our ambition to create a new generation of cutting-edge treatments capable of blocking two major pathways for programmed cell death. We are now actively preparing for a Series A funding round to sustain this momentum.”
Founded in 2019, SeaBeLife focuses on developing novel small molecules that simultaneously target two major regulated cell death pathways, necroptosis and ferroptosis, to meet key medical needs in acute, rare or chronic indications where there is no therapeutic alternative.
This first-in-class approach is reportedly unique, as there is currently no dual inhibitor targeting these pathways available on the market. At the start of 2025, the company delivered promising preclinical efficacy results for its SBL03 drug candidate in geographic atrophy, a severe form of dry AMD.
The company is focusing its efforts on two flagship programmes: SBL03 for dry AMD, and SBL01 for severe acute hepatitis, two high medical need indications for which the potential market is worth several billion euros.
“We have backed SeaBeLife for several years and the latest in vivo data validates the value and potential of the company’s dual-targeted approach. By simultaneously blocking two forms of regulated cell death, SeaBeLife uniquely shields organs from damage, highlighting its transformative potential to provide patients with rare or chronic diseases with a new therapeutic option,” said Jean-Pierre Kinet, chairman of iXLife.
This funding marks a key milestone for SeaBeLife by supporting the development of two of the company’s drug candidates – one aimed at dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the other for severe acute hepatitis. The first clinical trial is set to start in 2026.
Further to this financing round, Marie-Pierre Sbardella, general secretary of Femmes Business Angels, joins the SeaBeLife Strategic Committee.
“We at INEXT are impressed by SeaBeLife’s disruptive technology, which concurrently blocks two regulated cell death pathways, protecting the organs from serious diseases. Its first-in-class approach, which is supported by promising preclinical results, positions SeaBeLife as a key player in the future of biotech. We are proud to have contributed to this fundraising and to support the company’s growth,” said Eric Valat, chairman of INEXT.
Since inception, SeaBeLife has raised €9 million in capital and public financing. It is led by CEO and Co-founder Morgane Rousselot, who holds a PhD in biochemistry from Sorbonne University/French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS)/Roscoff Marine Station.
The company is based on the research work of Stéphane Bach, PhD (CNRS), Marie-Thérèse Dimanche-Boitrel (Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health — IRSET) and Claire Delehouzé, PhD, scientific director and partner.
Vienna-based Optimuse raises €4 million seed round to scale AI-driven building engineering
Vienna-based deep tech startup Optimuse has raised €4 million in seed funding to expand its AI platform for the engineering, renovation, and operation of buildings. The round was led by seed + speed Ventures and Blum Ventures, with participation from existing investors Matterwave Ventures and aws Gründungsfonds.
Founded in 2021 by Dominik Pezzei, Fabian Pitscheider, and Felix Maximilian Hofer, Optimuse employs AI-based simulations to recommend the most economical and climate-friendly technical solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, and building envelopes. By analysing existing plans, the platform generates a digital building model, compares thousands of design variants, and provides clear recommendations for action.
The company claims its software can make preliminary engineering 70% faster, cut construction costs by 10% through better sizing of systems, and deliver 20% additional emissions savings. Its solutions are applied across residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
“Buildings are becoming increasingly complex, both technically and in terms of regulations. Our AI solution provides clarity: it compares variants in a very short time and recommends the most sustainable and economical solution. This enables our customers to plan, transform, and operate buildings in a future-proof and cost-efficient manner,” said Dominik Pezzei, Managing Director and Co-founder of Optimuse.
The fresh capital will support international expansion and distribution of the platform. Optimuse is already being used in renovation projects to model modernisation paths, such as heating replacement or conversions from gas to heat pumps, and in new construction projects to optimise system sizing and reduce investment and operating costs.
Alexander Kölpin, Managing Director at seed + speed Ventures, said: “What convinces me about Optimuse is the combination of sound technology and practical application: using digital simulations, the team shows early on in the engineering phase which renovation measures are technically feasible and also economically viable. In a market with enormous renovation needs and strict efficiency requirements, this is a real game changer.”
André Hammerer, Managing Director at Blum Ventures, added: “Optimuse addresses one of the biggest issues of our time: the sustainable transformation of the building stock. With its combination of AI, building physics, and practical simulation, the team creates real added value for builders, planners, and operators. We are delighted to support Optimuse on its path to internationalisation.”
The startup currently employs around 20 people, combining expertise in construction, building physics, building technology, and AI. Its mission is to make construction and renovation projects faster, more cost-effective, and more sustainable.
Zurich-based viboo closes €3.3 million to scale AI-driven building management in Germany
Zurich-based Climate and PropTech startup viboo, founded in 2022, has closed its second financing round at €3.3 million. The round was led by Realyze Ventures, with participation from Zürcher Kantonalbank, existing investors HTGF and Swisscom, and new backers. The capital will fund market entry in Germany and product expansion from an energy management tool to a holistic building management system.
viboo has developed a cloud-based building management system that can be retrofitted and wirelessly connects with common IoT devices such as smart thermostats in commercial buildings. Its AI learns heating behaviour and controls it proactively, targeting savings without compromising comfort and with minimal upfront investment. The platform is deployed in more than 100 buildings and has delivered average energy savings of 27%. Customer contract volumes multiplied eightfold from winter 2023/24 to winter 2024/25.
The company’s approach avoids proprietary hardware, instead integrating with products from leading building technology manufacturers through open software interfaces. An installer app enables rapid deployment by any qualified installer. viboo sells directly to municipalities and real estate owners and partners with installation and facility management providers.
Fresh funding will support the German rollout, where demand is being propelled by the Building Energy Act, and will extend the platform with modules such as individual heating cost billing. With its LP network in German real estate, Realyze Ventures will support go-to-market efforts. First LPs have already contracted viboo for building implementations.
Felix Bünning, Co-Founder of viboo, said: “We have built a strong foundation in Switzerland – with more than 40 satisfied customers, some already rolling out across portfolios, and significant energy savings in existing buildings. Our solution convinces because it is easy to implement, delivers fast results, and generates immediate savings. Now we are taking the next big step with our entry into our first EU market, where a combination of energy prices and regulation creates a strong pull. Realyze Ventures was our preferred partner from the start, thanks to their deep industry expertise and excellent network. With Zürcher Kantonalbank, we are also adding one of Switzerland’s most renowned early-stage investors.”
Marnix Roes, Investment Manager at Realyze Ventures, said: “With viboo, we are investing in an innovative software solution that drives the decarbonization of existing buildings and addresses a huge market. The easy and fast implementation, combined with rapid ROI leads to high satisfaction among customers and users. Through our broad Realyze Ventures ecosystem, we will actively accelerate viboo’s go-to-market in Germany.”
Nicola Leuenberger, Investment Manager at Zürcher Kantonalbank, added: “viboo clearly demonstrates how economic and ecological goals go hand in hand. With a plug-and-play solution delivering 20–40% energy savings annually, viboo should be on every real estate asset manager’s roadmap. We look forward to supporting viboo in the upcoming scaling phase.”