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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Asia, 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 European Commission launched EU Inc, a unified company structure to simplify cross-border scaling for startups and attract global investment.
- The UK government is offering visa fee reimbursements and new scholarships to attract AI, clean energy, and life sciences talent and boost startup growth.
- Mercuryo partnered with Visa to expand Visa Direct crypto-to-fiat off-ramping, enabling faster, cheaper payouts to Visa cards globally.
- Bolt launched a new in-house designed e-bike focused on accessibility and safety, aiming to make shared micromobility more inclusive across cities.
- Ukrainian healthtech Liki24 relaunched in Poland after four years, rolling out a refined European expansion strategy built on past lessons and platform scale.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- Clooverraised $1.2 billion in funding to accelerate Europe's energy transition, expanding its integrated software and financing platform.
- Mewssuccessfully closed a $300 million Series D round led by EQT Growth, reaching a $2.5 billion valuation to accelerate AI development.
- Pennylane secured $200 million in Series E funding led by TCV and Blackstone Growth to accelerate European expansion.
- Preply raised $150 million in Series D led by WestCap, reaching a $1.2 billion valuation, to advance its AI-powered human-led language learning platform.
- SWISSto12 landed over $117 million, with $85.4 million from the European Space Agency, to advance its HummingSat satellite platform development.
💰️ IPO and M&A Watch
- AB Tasty is merging with Indian rival VWO to form a new global entity aiming for $120 million in revenue and over 4,000 clients worldwide.
- ClearScore acquired Acre to enter the mortgage market, integrating its platform across 16 million UK users and eyeing global expansion.
- PRC-Saltillo acquired Therapy Box, adding award-winning AAC apps to expand global communication solutions and support complex user needs.
- Tourmanagement.com acquired Beatswitch to unify live event, artist, and festival management software and streamline production workflows.
- IN4 Group acquired Approved Training Ltd to expand apprenticeship and workforce upskilling offerings across the UK through levy-funded programs.
🏦 About Investors
- Swiss VC Vi Partners announced a first close of its $189 million fund to back early-stage tech and healthcare startups across Europe.
- Ananda Impact Ventures secured an $84 million first close for its fifth Core Impact Fund, beating targets despite cautious markets.
- Demium rebranded to Mission and launched a $40 million pre-seed fund targeting 80 Spanish startups with initial and follow-on checks.
- Andreas Klinger launched the $23 million Prototype fund, raising $17 million to back pre-founding European robotics and automation startups.
- Metavallon VC launched a $5.8 million Brain Gain Fund to back Greek deep-tech and life sciences startups and reverse brain drain.
📈 Deep Dive Bites
This article examines EU Inc (the 28th regime), a Europe-wide company law initiative in January 2026 aimed at easing cross-border scaling for startups across the EU. The European Commission advances EU Inc under Ursula von der Leyen, the European Parliament backs a unified digital framework, the European Investment Bank tracks the scale-up gap, ESNA benchmarks startup standards, and EU registries would enable faster incorporation and mobility while investors gain clearer governance signals. Dive into the full article to understand what EU Inc could change in practice, where it falls short, and how founders and investors should prepare.
🚀 Startup of the Week
Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆
Cloover
Berlin-based climate fintech Cloover, founded in 2023, is emerging as a key infrastructure player in Europe’s decentralized energy transition. The company builds an end-to-end software and financing platform that helps installers sell and deploy solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps with integrated point-of-sale financing and AI-driven underwriting. Cloover has secured over $1.22 billion in capital commitments, including a $22 million Series A co-led by MMC Ventures and QED Investors, alongside a $1.2 billion debt facility backed by the European Investment Fund. Founded by Jodok Betschart, Peder Broms, and Valentin Gönczy, the company is now expanding into France, Italy, the UK, and Austria, aiming to remove financial and operational friction from Europe’s clean energy rollout.
💼 Investor of the Week
Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆
Vi Partners
Swiss venture capital firm Vi Partners, founded in 2001 and rooted in Switzerland, marks its 25th anniversary with the first close of a new fund targeting $189 million for early-stage technology and healthcare startups across Europe. As a long-standing VC, the firm focuses on Series A and early investments spanning enterprise software, AI, fintech, industrial tech, biotech, medtech, and digital health. The new fund builds on landmark successes including Nexthink, SumUp, AMAL Therapeutics, Kuros Biosciences, and Oculis. Led by managing partners Diego Braguglia, Olivier Laplace, and Gaetano Zanon, Vi Partners differentiates through deep sector expertise, hands-on collaboration, and privileged access to Switzerland’s research-driven innovation ecosystem, backing founders with capital and long-term strategic support.
🤑 Opportunities Expiring Soon
Alliance: The Leading Crypto Accelerator and Founder Community
- 📢 Organizer: Alliance
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator, Funding
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Finance & Insurance, Web3 & Blockchain, AI & Data
- 📅 Application Deadline: January 28, 2026
Riga Startup Ecosystem Support Program 2026
- 📢 Organizer: Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA)
- 🗂️ Category: Funding, Competition/Challenge
- 🪜 Target Stages: Stage Agnostic
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Finance & Insurance, Manufacturing & Materials, Real Estate & PropTech, Media & Entertainment, Connectivity & Networks
- 📅 Application Deadline: January 30, 2026
Accelerate Your Pre-Seed Vision with SE Ventures
- 📢 Organizer: SE Ventures
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Energy & Environment, Manufacturing & Materials, AI & Data
- 📅 Application Deadline: January 30, 2026
CREDIT4CE Startup Accelerator: Decarbonization Program 2026
- 📢 Organizer: CREDIT4CE project
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Pre-seed, Seed
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: DeepTech,Energy & Environment, Manufacturing & Materials
- 📅 Application Deadline: January 31, 2026
Tech4Regen 2026 Call for Applications
- 📢 Organizer: EPFL Innovation Park
- 🗂️ Category: Accelerator
- 🪜 Target Stages: Seed, Series A
- 🏭 Focus Sectors: Energy & Environment, Manufacturing & Materials, Infrastructure & Smart Cities, Agriculture & Food
- 📅 Application Deadline: January 31, 2026
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