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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 🌏️
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📰 Important News
- The UK government committed $53 million to a new Fundamental AI Research Lab, fostering "blue sky" research to solve core AI problems.
- Open Cosmos introduced ConnectedCosmos, a sovereign European satellite network combining secure communications and Earth observation.
- Brilliant Labs partnered with Neuphonic and TheStage AI to launch its Halo smart glasses, which will feature on-device conversational AI.
- Fourthline appointed Paul Stoddart as its new CEO to lead its expansion into new geographies and verticals, succeeding co-founder Krik Gunning.
- UK paytech TaluCard partnered with IDEX Biometrics to launch an accessible biometric payment card for visually impaired individuals.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- PLD Space raised $209 million, led by Mitsubishi Electric, to scale MIURA 5 rocket production for its 2026 maiden flight.
- Oxa secured $103 million in Series D funding to accelerate commercialization of its industrial autonomous driving technology.
- Flink landed $100 million in growth funding led by Prosus and Btomorrow Ventures to fuel its expansion in Germany and the Netherlands.
- Vertical Compute raised $66 million in seed funding to tackle AI’s memory bottleneck with its innovative 3D chip architecture.
- Cloud-native payment processor Silverflow closed a $40 million Series B round led by Picus Capital to accelerate its global expansion.
💰️ IPO and M&A Watch
- Pasqal is going public on Nasdaq via a $2 billion SPAC merger, securing over $600 million to accelerate technology development and expand globally.
- Rohde & Schwarz acquired Software Radio Systems to strengthen its position in the wireless communications market.
- RadNet acquired Gleamer for $272 million, integrating it into DeepHealth to become one of the largest global radiology AI entities.
- Smart ring leader Oura acquired Helsinki-based startup Doublepoint to integrate its AI-driven gesture recognition technology.
- Cargo.one acquired ocean rate platform Cargofive and raised nearly $20 million, launching an AI-native OS to unify air and ocean freight operations.
🏦 About Investors
- The European Investment Fund committed $58 million to Join Capital's third fund, marking its largest defense investment to date.
- GHARAGE Ventures launched its $46 million fund, anchored by Gebr. Heinemann, to accelerate technological innovation and digital resilience.
- FIRSTPICK, a Vilnius-based VC, launched a $29 million fund for early-stage AI-first software startups in the Baltic region.
- Dr. Ari Kristinn Jónsson was appointed President of the NATO Innovation Fund to lead operations, technology adoption, and capacity building.
- Wilbe launched a 20,000 sq ft flexible lab and office hub in London's White City, providing crucial infrastructure for life science startups.
🚀 Startup of the Week
Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆
PLD Space
Founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space develops reusable launch vehicles to provide affordable access to space for small satellites. The company builds the MIURA rocket family, including the MIURA 1 suborbital launcher and the upcoming MIURA 5 orbital rocket for commercial satellite deployment. Led by Executive President Ezequiel Sánchez, PLD Space recently closed a $209 million Series C round led by Mitsubishi Electric, with participation from CDTI, COFIDES, and Nazca Capital, bringing total funding to over $407 million. The investment will accelerate MIURA 5’s development ahead of its planned 2026 launch, positioning PLD Space as a key player in strengthening Europe’s independent access to space.
💼 Investor of the Week
Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆
Join Capital
Founded in 2015 in Berlin, Join Capital is a venture capital firm focused on deeptech, industrial tech, and dual-use innovation, backing early-stage startups across defence, space, security, and advanced manufacturing. The firm recently secured a $58 million commitment from the European Investment Fund (EIF) for its $273 million Fund III, marking EIF’s largest defence-focused investment to date and accelerating support for Europe’s emerging defense tech ecosystem. Led by Founding Partner Jan Borgstädt, Join Capital invests in companies building critical technologies, with portfolio startups including Optics11, Quadsat, and Quantum Optics Jena. By targeting dual-use technologies with both commercial and defence applications, Join Capital aims to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty and industrial resilience.
🤑 Opportunities Expiring Soon
C-Accelerate Summer Incubator 2026
- 📢 Organizer: C-Accelerate Plus
- 🗂️ Category: Incubator, Training & Learning
- 🪜 Target Stages: Ideation, Pre-seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Media & Entertainment
- 📅 Application Deadline: March 09, 2026
FoundersBoost 2026 SoCal B2B Accelerator
- 📢 Organizer: FoundersBoost
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Training & Learning
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Sector Agnostic
- 📅 Application Deadline: March 11, 2026
CISPA European Cybersecurity & AI Hackathon Championship
- 📢 Organizer: CISPA
- 🗂️ Category: Hackathon
- 🪜 Target Stages: Ideation
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Cybersecurity & Privacy, AI & Data
- 📅 Application Deadline: March 12, 2026
EIT Urban Mobility RAPTOR Programme 2026
- 📢 Organizer: EIT Urban Mobility
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Funding
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Mobility & Logistics, Infrastructure & Smart Cities
- 📅 Application Deadline: March 12, 2026
Accelerator and Incubator Support Program
- 📢 Organizer: Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA)
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Incubator, Competition/Challenge
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Finance & Insurance, Real Estate & PropTech, Manufacturing & Materials, Media & Entertainment, Connectivity & Networks
- 📅 Application Deadline: March 13, 2026
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