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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

• Pavel Durov has been officially charged in France with facilitating CSAM, drug trafficking, and money laundering due to Telegram's lack of moderation and refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.

• Klarna reported a 27% revenue increase in H1 2024, reaching €1.13 billion ($1.25B) driven by AI integration and U.S. growth while eyeing a potential U.S. IPO next year.

• Octopus Electroverse has become Europe’s largest consumer EV charging platform, integrating nearly 850,000 chargers across 40 countries.

• Palico has become the first company approved by FINRA to facilitate LP-led secondary deals online, providing a transparent marketplace for smaller LPs to sell stakes at lower costs.

• BlockDAG has partnered with Borussia Dortmund in a $10 million three-year deal, marking the largest crypto-related sponsorship in German football.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Uber invested in UK startup Wayve, extending the latter's $1.05 billion Series C round and aiming to integrate Wayve's AI technology into consumer vehicles and Uber's platform in the future.

• Estonia-based Sunly has secured €300 million ($331M) in debt financing to develop 1.3 GW of solar, wind, and hybrid energy projects in the Baltics and Poland.

• Attio, a UK-based CRM provider, has raised €29.7 million ($32.84M) led by Redpoint Ventures, Balderton Capital, and Point Nine to innovate CRM with AI-driven features.

• UK-based cleantech startup Sunswap has raised over €20 million ($22.12M) to expand its zero-emission refrigeration units across the UK and Europe.

• Zurich-based Swiss-Mile has raised €19.8 million ($21.89M) in seed funding, co-led by Jeff Bezos and HongShan, to advance AI-driven autonomous robots.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Health Cloud Initiative acquired Dutch startup SpotOnMedics, a provider of EHR software for physical therapists, to enhance its healthcare solutions.

• Seenons acquired Waste Group Denmark to expand its European operations and enhance its circular waste management platform.

• Naplasol acquired Swedish mycoprotein company Mycorena to enhance its mycelium and alternative protein offerings, following Mycorena's bankruptcy and cessation of its large-scale factory project.

• Carguru.lv acquired OX Drive to become the leading electric car-sharing service in Latvia, adding over 200 new electric cars to its fleet.

• Urban Sports Club acquired myClubs, expanding its fitness offerings to Austria and Switzerland, and creating a comprehensive fitness network across the DACH region.

🏦 About Investors

• G Squared has raised $1.1 billion for its sixth fund, G Squared VI, targeting growth capital and secondary market opportunities for tech companies.

• Redalpine closed its seventh $200 million fund, its largest to date, and opened a London office to invest in early-stage startups across Europe, focusing on sectors like AI, biotech, and healthcare.

• London-based Arāya Ventures has closed its $10.9 million Super Angel Fund to invest in up to 60 pre-seed and seed startups, with notable investors including Charithra Chandran and Phil Cutts.

• Dutch Operator Fund I has launched with €2 million ($2.21M) raised, targeting pre-seed and seed-stage Dutch startups in sectors such as technology, software, SaaS, and the circular economy.

• Sunfish Partners has launched its second fund, Sunfish CEE II, with a focus on investing in pre-seed and seed-stage startups across Central Eastern Europe, expanding its reach beyond Poland.

📈 Deep Dive Bites

Dive into Luxembourg's dynamic venture capital scene with our comprehensive guide to the most active VC firms in the country. For a deeper look at their leadership, investment portfolios, and significant contributions, explore the full article.

🚀 Startup Of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Wayve

Founded in 2017 by Alex Kendall and Amar Shah, Wayve is a UK-based startup developing a fully autonomous driving system leveraging end-to-end deep learning to create artificial intelligence capable of complex driving, which can scale across diverse urban environments. The company has secured an extension to its $1.05 billion Series C funding round from Uber. With the new funding and support from Uber, Wayve plans to speed up its collaboration with global OEMs to improve consumer vehicles with Level 2+ advanced driver assistance and Level 3 automated driving features and to work on developing globally scalable Level 4 autonomous vehicles for future use on Uber.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

G Squared

Founded in 2011, G Squared is a global venture capital firm based in Chicago, with offices in San Francisco, Zurich, and Miami. The firm invests in both primary and secondary markets, leading and structuring employee tenders while supporting portfolio companies throughout their lifecycle with a unique approach distinct from traditional VC firms. With over 130 investments in companies like Airbnb, Bolt, Coursera, Instacart, Lyft, Spotify, Toast, and Turo, G Squared recently raised $1.1 billion for its sixth flagship fund, G Squared VI. This fund will focus on providing growth capital and secondary market opportunities, delivering crucial liquidity and investment to emerging technology leaders and their stakeholders.

 🤑 Opportunity Radar

500 Global - Flagship Accelerator

Apply to 500 Global’s Flagship Accelerator in Silicon Valley by October 11, 2024, to propel your startup to new heights. This renowned program offers seed investment of $150,000 and access to a comprehensive four-month curriculum designed to accelerate growth and scaling. Hosted at 500 Global’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California, the accelerator provides invaluable resources, including guidance from over 4,000 founders and 400 mentors, hands-on support with business strategy, and connections to a vast global network. Don’t miss the chance to be part of a program that has shaped successful startups for over a decade. Apply today and elevate your startup with 500 Global.