Marco Bianchi 
Wero, a European payment platform, is expanding its network as payment providers from several Southern and Northern European countries will connect via a new joint venture based in Madrid. The initiative will allow seamless cross‑border payments for consumers, such as sending a Tikkie abroad or paying online without a credit card, and aims to increase Wero’s reach despite challenges in markets like Germany.
Italian deep‑tech startup Generative Bionics has entered into an agreement with energy giant Eni to jointly develop and industrialise its humanoid robot Gene.01. The collaboration will focus on use‑case identification, material and component innovation, lightweight foot systems, sensorised footwear, industrialisation, testing facilities, battery recycling, and provision of high‑performance computing resources. The deal follows Eni’s earlier venture‑capital investment in the company.
Portuguese insurtech FRANK secured €2.9 million in a round led by Armilar and Start Ventures to scale its AI Operator platform that automates back‑office tasks for insurance brokers, aiming to expand beyond Portugal in 2027.
Lyft, the US ride‑hailing company, announced the European rollout of its existing app, enabling travelers from North America to book rides in Europe without downloading a new app. The expansion begins with Barcelona and Hamburg and will cover several major European cities by the end of October 2024, with plans to support local currency payments.
Scoutyn, the market‑intelligence platform focused on tech startups, scale‑ups and SMEs in Spain and Portugal, unveiled a new website and introduced additional features to enhance ecosystem analysis, company identification and connections among tech companies, investors, corporations and institutions.
Italian startup Billding, founded in 2022, offers a platform that analyses utility bills for households and small businesses. In 2024 the company raised €530,000 from a group of Italian angel investors, including co‑founders of Satispay and other tech entrepreneurs, to enhance its technology and grow its team of 35 employees across Milan and Catania.
The IAB highlighted measurement challenges in the podcast advertising market and cited a new Dutch knowledge platform, Podcastportal.nl, launched by media researcher Peter Wiegman. The platform aims to provide clearer metrics on podcast consumption and advertising effectiveness. It recently welcomed its fourth partner, market research company Markteffect, which will conduct annual comprehensive podcast consumption studies in the Netherlands.
Datablocks secured the top position at the MERGE Startup Contest 2026, held on 21 September in Digitaliza Madrid, beating other international Web3 and crypto projects such as Shellment and Orion Finance.
Italian deep‑tech spin‑off Qsensato announced a €1 million SAFE round, led by Quantonation and Deep Ocean Capital, to finance its first in‑house fab and further develop quantum atomic sensors. The funding follows a 2025 pre‑seed round and comes alongside awards and research partnerships, positioning the company for industrial scale‑up.
Cohere’s chief AI officer warned that without developing AI capabilities locally in Europe, the company could be squeezed by US and Chinese pressures, underscoring the strategic importance of European AI infrastructure for the startup.