Startup Researcher - Europe: Week 22, 2024

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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

• 🚀 Startup of the Week

• 💼 Investor of the Week

• 🤑 Opportunities

📰 Important News

• EU Approves Aid for STMicroelectronics: The EU approved Italy's €2 billion aid for STMicroelectronics to build a €5 billion chip plant in Catania, Sicily, to reduce reliance on Asian imports and produce microchips for energy-efficient electric cars.

• Mastercard's European Cyber Resilience Centre: Mastercard opens European Cyber Resilience Centre in Belgium to enhance regional cybersecurity, combat cyber threats, and foster collaboration between public and private sectors.

• German-French Tech Alliance Proposed: The German Startup Association calls for a French-German tech alliance and dynamic capital markets ahead of Macron’s visit.

• Source.ag Expands to North America: Amsterdam's agtech startup Source.ag expands to North America, appointing a General Manager to lead the new team, following a €3.73M Series A extension round last year.

• Brightloops Files for Bankruptcy: Amsterdam-based Brightloops filed for bankruptcy due to COVID-19 impacts, technical issues, a lawsuit, and market decline.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

1. London's Zenobe secured €482M in debt funding to deploy 2,000 electric bus vehicles across the UK and Ireland by 2026

2. Milan-based Academo received €215M from EIB, InvestEU, and CDP to construct an academic campus in the Milano Innovation District (MIND).

3. German climate fintech Cloover raised €104.8M in a seed round led by Lowercarbon Capital.

4. Romanian FintechOS secured €55.4M in Series B+ funding to aid financial institutions with core business operations.

5. The world's first contraceptive app, Swedish-based birth Natural Cycles, raised $55M in a Series C financing round.

💰️ Notable Exits

• LumApps Sells Majority Stake: French startup LumApps, known as an "intranet super app," sold a majority stake to Bridgepoint in a $650M deal, marking a significant strategic investment for the company.

• Klayr Acquires Lisk: Utrecht-based Klayr acquired Swiss blockchain platform Lisk, expanding its capabilities in blockchain application development.

🏦 About Investors

• Ukrainian Venture Capital Association's Fund of Funds: The Ukrainian Venture Capital Association launched a $300M Fund of Funds to strengthen Ukraine's PE, VC, and tech ecosystem.

• Cambridge Future Tech's Investment: Cambridge Future Tech announced $5M for early-stage deeptech startups, specializing in supporting research-led ventures to optimize for market dynamics.

📈 Deep Dive Bites

Germany's startup scene is buzzing in 2024, with innovative companies like 1KOMMA5°, Blacklane, and Qdrant leading the charge in sectors ranging from sustainable mobility to AI and healthtech. Discover the top startups to watch this year and how they're shaping the future of innovation.

Read the full article to discover more about these groundbreaking startups and their impact.

🚀 Startup Of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

Zenobē

Zenobē, a UK-based EV fleet and battery storage specialist, recently secured €482 million in debt funding to deploy over 2,000 electric buses across the UK and Ireland by 2026. Founded in 2017, Zenobē manages battery risks for operators, including performance and replacement, supporting over 75 bus depots worldwide.

This latest funding round, supported by financial institutions like Aviva and Lloyds, brings Zenobē’s total debt to over £1 billion since 2019. The investment will expand Zenobē’s fleet of zero-emission buses and enhance its large-scale battery storage projects, advancing the UK's low-carbon transportation efforts.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

Ukrainian Venture Capital Association

The Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) has launched a $300 million Fund of Funds (FoF) to bolster Ukraine's PE, VC, and tech ecosystem. Designed in 2016, the FoF aims to strengthen local funds by serving as an institutional anchor investor, providing 30%+ of the first LP commitment to enhance fundraising prospects for General Partners (GPs).

Led by Ertan Can, a pioneer in venture capital funds of funds, the UVCA's FoF is set to support 16 Ukrainian funds actively raising money, including AVentures Capital, ICU Ventures, and Freedom One VC. This initiative marks a significant step in driving investment and innovation within Ukraine’s tech landscape.

 🤑 Opportunities

North Star Pitch Competition 2024

TechBBQ's North Star Pitch Competition is calling for European startups less than 5 years old with unique software or hardware solutions to apply for a chance to pitch at the TechBBQ 2024 Summit in Copenhagen. With mentorship provided and no cost for participation, this is an opportunity for early-stage startups to gain exposure and potential funding.

Application Deadline: June 10th, 2024

Startup Showcase 2024

TechBBQ's Startup Showcase offers Nordic and Baltic early-stage startups a unique opportunity to exhibit their software or hardware solutions at the TechBBQ 2024 Summit in Copenhagen. Selected startups will receive two tickets and a dedicated booth to demo their products to over 8000 attendees, including investors, corporates, and innovators, on September 11-12.

Application Deadline: June 10th, 2024