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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 🌍

If you haven't subscribed yet, now's the perfect time. Don't miss the opportunity to supercharge your understanding and stay ahead in this dynamic world.

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

• 📰 Important News

• 💸 Top Funding Rounds

• 💰️ Notable Exits

• 🏦 About Investors

• 📈 Deep Dive Bites

• 🤝 Diversity Spotlight

• 🚀 Startup of the Week

• 💼 Investor of the Week

• 🤑 Opportunity Radar

📰 Important News

• Innovate UK reversed its decision and will fund all 50 projects in its Women in Innovation awards after a campaign from female tech founders.

• Telegram updated its website to allow abuse reports following founder Pavel Durov’s arrest in France, clarifying that users can now flag illegal content in private chats.

• UK-based fintech unicorn Zilch surpassed $130 million in revenue and achieves its first month of operating profit, with plans to IPO within the next 12 to 24 months.

• Spotify’s Daniel Ek launched Neko Health's scanning technology in London, offering £299 scans for early detection and personalized consultations.

• Clearview AI was hit with a €30.5 million ($33.8M) GDPR fine by the Dutch regulator and faces potential additional penalties, with personal liability for executives under consideration.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Manchester's MirrorWeb secured £50 million ($65.67M) in growth equity from US firm Mainsail Partners, giving Mainsail a majority stake and enabling MirrorWeb to expand its compliance and preservation software for financial institutions

• UK-based health tech Doccla raised £35 million ($45.97M) in Series B funding led by Lakestar to expand its virtual ward technology to France and DACH regions.

• Paris-based Calyxia raised €31.5 million ($34.91M) in Series B to expand its biodegradable microcapsule technology for consumer goods and crop protection.

• Dutch startup Carbyon raised €15.3 million ($16.96M) in Series A funding to advance its Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology aiming for gigaton-scale operations by 2050.

• Reonic, a German climate tech SaaS startup, raised €13 million ($14.41M) in Series A funding led by Northzone to expand its software for renewable energy installers across Europe.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Samsung acquired French femtech Sonio for $92 Million following the latter's second round of FDA clearance in 2024.

• Kiteworks acquired 123FormBuilder, a Romanian provider of advanced data collection through web forms and form-driven private content workflows.

• US-based L2L acquired Amsterdam's SwipeGuide to enhance its frontline training solutions with SwipeGuide’s mobile app.

• Alerce acquired WeMob to enhance its logistics offerings, expanding its SaaS solutions for fleet management and telematics in Iberia.

• German fitness startup 7NXT acquired Buddyfit, expanding its European market reach and boosting its subscriber base to over 800,000.

🏦 About Investors

• SET Ventures closed a €200 million fund ($221.64M) for digital climate tech startups, focusing on renewable energy adoption and scalability.

• Singapore’s Leo Capital launched €25 million ($27.71M) Europe Fund I for later-stage Nordic B2B startups, marking its first European venture and expanding its Helsinki HQ.

• LUMO Labs has appointed Linn-Cecilie Linneman and Jorge Blasco to expand operations in Norway and Spain, following the launch of its €100 million ($110.82M) fund.

📈 Deep Dive Bites

Explore the innovative European startups making waves in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch. These startups are reshaping their industries from AI-driven video production with Argil to next-gen antibiotics by Evolvere BioSciences, and transformative tools like Glasskube for Kubernetes management. Check out the full article for a deeper look at these groundbreaking ventures and their potential impact.

🤝 Diversity Spotlight

Discover the dynamic female venture capital partners leading the charge in Portugal’s investment landscape. From technology to clean energy, these remarkable women drive impactful change and foster innovation across various sectors. Their leadership and vision are reshaping the future of Portugal’s startup ecosystem. Delve into the full article for an in-depth look at their backgrounds.

🚀 Startup Of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Doccla

UK-based health tech company Doccla has successfully raised £35 million in Series B funding, led by venture capital firm Lakestar. Established in 2019 by Martin, who experienced a personal health crisis, and Dag, a tech entrepreneur, Doccla specializes in virtual ward and remote monitoring technology. Initially serving the NHS, Doccla plans to use this new investment to expand its services into France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The company aims to enhance patient care and reduce healthcare costs across Europe by leveraging its innovative remote monitoring solutions.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

SET Ventures

Amsterdam-based venture capital firm SET Ventures has announced the closing of its fourth fund, SET Fund IV, with a total commitment of €200 million. Founded in 2007 by Wouter Jonk and René Savelsberg, SET Ventures focuses on digital climate tech startups that drive the transition to a carbon-free energy system. The new fund will support European companies innovating in energy generation, distribution, storage, and consumption, aiming to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy solutions across various sectors including infrastructure, mobility, and industry.

 🤑 Opportunity Radar

Microsoft GenAI Startup Studio (For French Startups)

Apply to the Microsoft GenAI Startup Studio by September 30th, 2024, to immerse your startup in a 3-month acceleration program at STATION F. This initiative, powered by Microsoft, GitHub, Mistral, Nvidia, and Cellenza, offers a comprehensive suite of resources including expert-led AI workshops, personalized mentoring, and up to $150,000 in Azure credits. Designed for post-MVP startups with early GenAI use cases, the program provides invaluable support such as business coaching, Go-To-Market strategies, and access to cutting-edge AI models. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your AI-driven solution and connect with industry leaders. Apply now to accelerate your growth from October 2024 to January 2025.