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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Europe, your essential digest delivering the latest news and premium insights on startups and venture capital across the region 🌍

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Let's delve into the core sections of our weekly newsletter:

• 📰 Important News

• 💸 Top Funding Rounds

• 💰️ Notable Exits

• 🏦 About Investors

• 📈 Deep Dive Bites

• 🚀 Startup of the Week

• 💼 Investor of the Week

• 🤑 Opportunity Radar

📰 Important News

• A CrowdStrike Falcon update caused a massive global IT outage last week, affecting millions of Windows users and organizations, including airlines and critical infrastructure.

• The European Union re-elected Ursula von der Leyen as president for another five years, signaling continued focus on enforcing digital regulations and boosting Europe’s tech competitiveness.

• According to Sifted, French investor Alexandre Dewez is leaving Eurazeo to join Harry Stebbings' new fund in London, which is raising $400 million.

• UK startup Meatly has become the first company in Europe to gain regulatory approval for lab-grown pet food, specifically cultivated chicken, with plans to launch by the end of 2024.

• The European Innovation Council has selected 68 companies for a total of €411 million ($447.68M) in funding, combining €165 million ($179.72M) in grants and €245 million ($266.86M) in equity.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Dutch Nearfield Instruments has raised €135 million ($147.05M) in Series C funding, marking it as the second-largest semiconductor funding round in Europe and the US in the past five years.

• Lausanne-based biotech Asceneuron has raised $100 million in Series C funding to advance its lead asset ASN51, an oral small-molecule drug for Alzheimer's disease, into Phase 2 clinical trials.

• UK digital health startup Huma has raised $80 million in a Series D round, led by existing investors AstraZeneca, Hitachi Ventures, and Leaps by Bayer, amid significant restructuring to achieve break-even by the end of 2024

• Berlin-based tech subscription platform Grover has raised €50 million ($54.46M) in bridge financing to expand its tech rental services and advance its circular economy goals.

• London-based Carwow Group has raised €47.7 million ($51.96M) in funding from Bessemer Venture Partners, Accel, and others, to support growth in the UK, Germany, and Spain, and expand its “Sell My Car” service.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Munich-based Ryte, a Website User Experience platform, has been acquired by US-based Semrush to enhance their combined digital marketing and SEO solutions.

• Meridien Holdings, a US holding company specialized in the financial sector is set to acquire a 27% stake in London-based fintech DKK Partners, which will support DKK's global expansion.

• Samsung is set to acquire UK-based Oxford Semantic Technologies to enhance its AI capabilities with advanced knowledge graphs and semantic reasoning.

• Milan-based Bending Spoons has acquired digital publishing platform Issuu to expand its global reach and impact.

• WP Engine has acquired Sofia-based NitroPack, a SaaS provider specializing in site speed and performance optimization, to enhance its website performance capabilities.

🏦 About Investors

• London-based 13books Capital has raised €144 million ($156.85M) for its new fund, backed by British Patient Capital, KfW, Isomer Capital, and IPGL, to support late Seed and Series A fintech startups with investments ranging from €1M to €7M.

• Amsterdam’s Marktlink Capital has closed its second VC fund-of-funds at €80 million ($87.14M), attracting around 150 private investors and building on the success of its first fund launched in 2022.

• Czech family office ZAKA is transitioning to a VC model with a €15 million ($16.34M) fund, targeting pre-seed and seed-stage startups in CEE, the UK, and the US, focusing on B2B software, AI applications, biotech, and healthtech.

• British Business Investments has launched a new co-investment fund with Claret Capital Partners to support high-growth technology-enabled smaller businesses across the UK.

• EIT InnoEnergy, the Eindhoven-based innovation engine for sustainable energy, has added three new investors—OMV, OMV Petrom, and ACB Participaties B.V.—to its cap table, expanding its €140 million ($152.49M) private placement from 2023.

📈 Deep Dive Bites

Portugal's startup ecosystem is thriving, driven by visionary venture capital firms shaping the future of innovation. From Lisbon to Porto, over 20 leading Portuguese VCs are propelling startups from seed to Series B and beyond, with diverse portfolios in fintech, AI, and cleantech. Their strategies, investments, and success stories are catalyzing notable global exits and positioning Portugal as Europe’s next major tech hub. For more details on each investor, check out the full list.

🚀 Startup Of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Nearfield Instruments

Nearfield Instruments, a Rotterdam-based company founded in 2016, develops advanced metrology and inspection solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The company has recently secured a significant €135 million ($147.05M) in Series C funding, marking it as the second-largest semiconductor funding round in Europe and the US in the past five years. This oversubscribed round attracted new investors like Walden Catalyst and Temasek, alongside existing backers, positioning Nearfield Instruments to further innovate and expand its offerings in the rapidly advancing semiconductor industry.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

13books Capital

13books Capital, formerly known as Element Ventures, is a London-based venture capital firm founded in 2019 that focuses on late Seed and Series A investments in the fintech sector. The firm has recently raised €144 million ($156.85M) for a new fund, backed by notable investors including British Patient Capital, KfW, Isomer Capital, and IPGL. With this new fund, 13books Capital plans to support next-generation fintech disruptors across Europe, offering investments ranging from €1 million ($1.09M) to €7 million ($7.62M), along with strategic guidance to help startups accelerate growth and expand their market presence.

 🤑 Opportunity Radar

Entrepreneur First Core Program in Paris 2024

Apply to the EF Core Program in Paris by July 31st, 2024, to kickstart your startup journey. Access a world-class ecosystem, resources, and networking opportunities in the heart of Paris. The Core Program is designed for early career professionals, academics, and PhD graduates with two or more years of experience wanting to launch a startup. Begin your application process today and join the vibrant startup community at STATION F, starting in September 2024.