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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

• Former TechCrunch reporter Steve O’Hear passed away at 49 after a short illness, leaving behind a legacy of impactful coverage of tech companies.

• Over 500 UK tech founders have signed a letter urging the government to avoid increasing capital gains tax, warning it could harm the tech sector.

• 650 founders and investors have urged the German government to provide a €100 million loan guarantee for struggling air taxi startup Lilium.

• 58 former employees of Monzo have petitioned the board to participate in an upcoming share sale while the sale currently only includes current staff.

• Engie plans to wind down Amsterdam's EVBox group after significant losses since its acquisition, with a recent proposal from Financière de Pessac to take over some operations.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Biotech firm Nuclera has raised $75 million in a Series C round to advance its eProtein Discovery system.

• Stockholm-based Aira has raised $68.44 million in equity funding to enhance its clean energy heating solutions.

• London-based Hometree has secured a $65.19 million mezzanine facility to finance the installation of up to 35,000 residential renewable energy systems.

• German startup Vay has secured a $37 million loan from the European Investment Bank to expand its teledriven car service in Europe.

• Amsterdam-based startup Tebi has raised $21.73 million in a Series A round led to enhance its platform designed for retail and hospitality businesses.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Kaspi.kz has acquired a 65.4% majority stake in Turkish e-commerce platform Hepsiburada for $1.1 billion.

• DataSnipper, the Amsterdam-based audit automation platform, has acquired UpLink, a cloud-based document request service.

• Shiftmove has acquired French digital fleet management platform Optimum Automotive to expand its operations in France.

• Dialpad, an AI-powered communications platform, has acquired UK-based workforce management company Surfboard.

• Polish technology group Digital Media Technology has acquired ApiHawk’s Billia.cloud enhancing its expansion strategy in hosting and telecom.

🏦 About Investors

• Dutch life sciences VC firm Forbion has raised over $2.17 billion for two new funds, Forbion Growth Opportunities III and Forbion Ventures VII.

• Podcaster-turned-VC Harry Stebbings has launched his third fund with a total of $400 million for Seed and Series A funding.

• The Dutch Ministry of Defence has launched a $108.64 million SecFund to support local startups and SMEs focused on innovative security solutions.

• Stockholm-based Node.vc has closed a $77.14 million fund to enhance support for early-stage startups in the Nordic region.

• Banco Português de Fomento (BPF) increased its investment in Indico VC Fund II from $38 million to $54.32 million after surpassing performance targets.

📈 Deep Dive Bites

Explore the driving forces behind Iceland’s flourishing startup ecosystem, where venture capital firms play a pivotal role in fueling growth across sectors like fintech, biotech, and sustainability. From Brunnur Ventures to Crowberry Capital, Iceland’s top VCs are investing in groundbreaking startups and fostering innovation. Discover the key players shaping Reykjavik’s entrepreneurial landscape and their impact on the country’s global expansion efforts. For a closer look at these firms and their standout portfolio companies, delve into the full article and uncover the future of Iceland's venture capital scene.

🚀 Startup Of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Nuclera

Nuclera, a biotechnology company founded in 2013 with operations in Cambridge, UK and Boston, US, has successfully raised $75 million in a Series C funding round. The investment was led by Elevage Medical Technologies, with participation from various investors including Patient Square Capital, British Patient Capital, and Cambridge Innovation Capital. Nuclera plans to use this funding to accelerate the commercialization of its innovative eProtein Discovery platform, which aims to optimize protein expression and purification workflows in research laboratories. The company's technology is designed to reduce the time and costs associated with drug discovery and protein design. Dr. Michael Chen, CEO and co-founder, emphasized that this investment reflects confidence in Nuclera's vision to revolutionize protein production methods.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

Forbion

Forbion, a leading European life sciences venture capital firm founded in 2006, has successfully raised over €2 billion across two new funds. The fundraising includes €1.2 billion for the Forbion Growth Opportunities Fund III and €890 million for the Forbion Ventures Fund VII, bringing the firm's total assets under management to €5 billion. This record-breaking fundraiser follows a strong performance period, with Forbion achieving six successful exits exceeding $1 billion in the past year. The firm plans to invest these new funds in approximately 15 innovative biotech companies across Europe and North America, further solidifying its position as a key player in the life sciences investment landscape.

 🤑 Opportunity Radar

Action for Women’s Health

Apply for the Action for Women's Health open call and secure funding to enhance women's mental and physical health globally. With a total fund of $250 million, selected organizations will receive flexible funding ranging from $1 million to $5 million. This initiative is designed for organizations focused on serving women and improving health outcomes while centering equity in their approach. To participate, complete the Organizational Readiness Tool and familiarize yourself with the Open Call Rules. Don't miss the chance to scale your impact and contribute to women's health—submit your application by January 10, 2025.