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NEWS ROUND-UP
We found these to be the most interesting European news headlines from last week:
• Why Alphabet’s VC arm has doubled down on Europe
- A very decent interview with GP Tom Hulme
• UK announces £1bn funding to help design large-scale quantum computers for scientists, researchers, public sector and business
• Partech’s €300M Impact Fund - Focusing on growth-stage industrial and climate companies with more than €10M in revenue
• Tracebit raises $20M Series A to expand cloud-native deception tech
• UK drone interceptor start-up in funding talks at $1bn-plus valuation - Cambridge Aerospace is focused on developing cheaper air defence systems
• With Europe reliant on foreign critical raw materials, Germany’s WeSort.AI raises €10 million to recover them from waste
• Plans to let AI firms use music without permission abandoned by UK government
• Candela raises €30m to scale electric ferry production - The electric vessel maker has raised €30 million to expand production of its hydrofoiling ferries as it looks to meet growing demand for low-emission maritime transport across Europe.
• UK deepens ties with Ukraine space sector - An agreement between the nations' space agencies has been signed
• The Global Inclusive Founders Fund was launched at the Start Summit - focusing on high-potential founders who have navigated disability, neurodivergence, or chronic conditions.
• A round-up of tech funding deals in the UK
• Paris-based Parallel raises $20M from Index Ventures to cut hospital admin by 30% with AI
• Swarmer Becomes First Ukrainian Defense Company to Go Public on Nasdaq
• Ukrainian Defense Startup Buntar Aerospace Lands Almost €9M for AI-Powered Drone Intelligence
• Polish Montis VC Raises €50M Fund to Back Europe’s Energy and Industrial Tech Startups
• Croatian & Greek-Founded, Sequoia-backed Edra Exits Stealth, raising $30M Sequoia-Led Series A to turn enterprise data into self-improving AI agents
• Apple issues iPhone spyware alert and tells users to update iOS operating system - Hackers are using a "highly sophisticated" tool called DarkSword to take over devices, stealing data including emails, usernames, passwords, photos and even cryptocurrency wallets.
• Zopa reports third consecutive year of profit, says new current account topping expectations
• Parallel raises $20M to scale AI solutions for hospital administration
• Innovate UK targets deep tech growth with new strategy, offering tailored support and acting as a source of due diligence for investors
• eYou raises €300K to build a European social media platform focused on trust
- Another attempt to create a European social network.
The Latest on Pathfounders:
The EU Commission appears to be all-in on EU Inc, a 'Delaware-style' company for Europe. But the originators of the EU Inc movement are concerned that the Commission's execution will fall short. [Report includes Pathfounders Podcast].
By Mike Butcher
As clinical trials generate ever more data, the Zurich-based startup is building the infrastructure to organise, interpret and act on it — ultimately aiming to improve drug development outcomes
By Amelia Isaacs
Watch/listen on: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Can you leverage community into an early start startup funding platform? That’s the bet that UK-based OPUS plans to make with its international membership network of founders and operators.
Watch/listen on: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Where to find Pathfounders next:
06-05-2026 — 07-05-2026 — Turing Fest
11-05-2026 — 13-05-2026 — PODIM Maribor
27-05-2026 — 29-05-2026 — Panathēnea Festival, Athens
Op-Eds and Contributed Columns
Pitch us your contributed column at: [email protected]. Pitching us more generally? Here’s all you ned to know about that subject. Please send all tip-offs, suggestions, and news to [email protected]
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