European startup news, funding rounds and events
Fundraising intelligence, founder interviews and the events that actually move the ecosystem.
Agenda – next 30 days
See the full agenda →From the backstage
Creative tech in Europe runs on grants. San Sebastián’s finalists prove it
Ten startups pitched at the San Sebastián Film Festival on 24 September. I went through every one of them afterward and couldn’t find a single disclosed…
Ben Costantini
AI replaced 3D printing in composites pitches
In 2019, 3D printing was the loudest thing in composites. Across that year’s JEC Composites Startup Booster applications it ran at 24.7 mentions per 10,000 words…
Ben Costantini
IFA 2026: the twenty startups who pitched, and the one who won
A company that prints implantable human tissue won a pitch competition at a consumer electronics fair. Cellbricks Therapeutics took the IFA Pitch Battle 2026 on the…
Ben CostantiniThe Selected podcast
Tips & advice
Pick the LP first, then the 2027 conference
A communications director at a German VC firm sent me a two-line question recently. Her investor relations team wants conferences in 2027 with exposure to LPs,…
Ben Costantini
The empty startup area: why tradeshows fail at startup sales
Picture this. A strategy director at a major exhibition calls with six weeks to go before the show. The brand new startup area has sold exactly…
Ben Costantini
Why events are lying about their metrics
This week I read about a hackathon claiming 6,000 attendees over a single weekend. The venues hosting it can’t accommodate more than 1,000 people. Nobody in…
Ben CostantiniSpotlight
Mothium
Ultra-reliable electric cargo bikes and light electric vehicles for last-mile urban logistics.
Latest
Pick the LP first, then the 2027 conference
A communications director at a German VC firm sent me a two-line question recently. Her investor relations team wants conferences in 2027 with exposure to LPs, other GPs and good…
Sava raises $36M Series B to retire the fingerstick
London's Sava landed a $36M Series B and a distribution deal in one move: lead investor Ascensia will sell its glucose microsensor across Europe once the CE mark lands.
Yazen raises €50M to scale digital obesity care across Europe
Lund-based Yazen raised €50M led by Verdane to scale medical weight management across Europe – 50,000 patients in active treatment and revenue that nearly doubled to €29.4M in 2025.
Konsileo raises £5M to grow broking without acquisitions
Konsileo has closed a £5 million round led by its own long-term shareholders. The bet: brokers with autonomy and proper software beat the acquisition maths rolling up UK commercial insurance.
VoltR raises €22M to industrialise second life lithium batteries
Angers-based VoltR has secured €22M from Bpifrance's SPI 2 fund, Decathlon PULSE and Première Usine grants to double its factory and take second life lithium batteries to industrial scale.
Latest funding
| Company | Round | Lead | Sector | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mothium Unclassified · Spain | – | Unclassified | €1M | |
| Besso Unclassified · Switzerland | Undisclosed European family office (named anonymous by the company) | Unclassified | €4.3M | |
| Klarent Unclassified · Switzerland | Seed | Mosaic Ventures | Unclassified | €7.2M |
| Sava Unclassified · United Kingdom | Series B | Ascensia | Unclassified | €32.2M |
| Autentic AI Unclassified · Spain | Pre-seed | – | Unclassified | €1.5M |
| OllyGarden Unclassified · Germany | Next Frontier Capital, Grand Ventures, ACTAI Ventures | Unclassified | €3.6M |
Browse the ecosystem
Investor corner
Call for startups
Google for Startups Immersion EMEA 2026
Google for Startups Immersion is a hands-on technical programme for active founders, CTOs and technical leads who already have a live product and demonstrable…
JEC Composites Startup Booster 2027
The JEC Composites Startup Booster is a pitch contest for startups, entrepreneurs and academic spin-offs working in composites and advanced materials, covering raw materials,…
JEC Composites Innovation Awards 2027
Advanced materials and composites work is judged here, with a trophy and a showcase at JEC World in Paris for the winners. Notably it…
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