James O'Brien 
UK‑based AI‑chip startup Olix secured a $312 million financing round led by Fundomo, boosting its valuation to $3.3 billion and positioning it to compete with Nvidia. The round will fund chip development and the company also hired former Wise CFO Matt Briers.
Transfer Travel is positioning itself as the “Vinted of travel,” allowing travelers to sell their holiday reservations to other users at discounted prices. The platform, which operates free of charge, has seen a surge in listings and claims users can save between 40% and 70% on trips, with an average saving of 62% in the last month.
EU regulators raided Temu’s Dublin office, alleging the Chinese e‑commerce platform failed to cooperate with inspectors and may have received state subsidies that breach EU competition rules, exposing it to a potential fine of up to 1% of worldwide sales.
The article highlights a shift in European venture capital toward specialised AI solutions. It cites CuspAI, a British startup that uses artificial intelligence to discover new materials, which raised $450 million and reached a $2.6 billion valuation, exemplifying the move towards deep‑tech projects that combine software, scientific research and industrial applications.
UK‑based SME lender iwoca obtained a £250 million debt facility, strengthening its capacity to finance small and medium‑size enterprises across the region.
Nuggit, a UK‑based growth platform for creators, announced a £5 million Creator Support Fund aimed at high‑potential YouTubers who have reached an inflection point for professionalising their media businesses. The fund offers financing together with strategic and operational assistance, building on Nuggit’s existing Creator Operating System that has already helped more than 33 creators grow revenue by an average of 29 % in under a year.
UK‑based inforcer, a unified Microsoft security and AI management platform for managed service providers, secured $50 million in a Series C round led by Insight Partners, with participation from Meritech Capital and Dawn Capital, to accelerate product development and global expansion.
The article discusses a new trend in Europe where venture capitalists are assuming operational roles at the companies they back. It highlights examples such as Judith Dada becoming co‑CEO of AI startup Langdock and Carmen Alfonso Rico taking a VP of business operations role at British chip startup Fractile, while both continue their investor responsibilities.
British defence‑tech startup Agon, founded in 2026 by former British soldier Tristam Constant and entrepreneur Junaid Hussain, secured $30 million in seed funding from Lakestar, 201 Ventures, D3, XYZ Venture Capital, Lux Capital and Northzone. The money will be used to develop its AI‑powered virtual battlefield platform for training autonomous weapons systems and to grow its presence across Europe, with offices in London and Berlin.
Zonova Technologies, a UK healthtech startup, participated in a free five‑day entrepreneurship course for teenagers in London, where its CEO Georgia Fleet presented a pitch and noted she had just closed a seed‑stage funding round.