Avatar photoMarco Bianchi

Marco covers Southern Europe's vibrant and fast-growing startup landscape. Based in Milan, he reports on funding rounds, product launches and ecosystem developments across Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, with a keen eye for foodtech, mobility and consumer innovation.

Grupo RTP Enters Pod_Scope Rankings as Portugal’s Fifth-Largest Audited Podcast Publisher

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Grupo RTP debuted in Pod_Scope, Marktest’s technical and independent podcast measurement service for Portugal, with 1.09 million downloads in April 2025. The group ranked fifth among audited publishers. By brand, RTP Antena 1 entered the rankings at seventh place with 531,000 monthly downloads, while RTP Antena 3 achieved 49,500 weekly listeners in seventh position. The podcast ‘Portugalex’ from RTP Antena 1 directly entered the individual format rankings at position 22.

Lake Como Venture Lab Opens Applications for Free Deeptech Accelerator in Italy

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Lake Como Venture Lab is a new accelerator program launched in Lecco, Italy, focused on deeptech startups in mechatronics and medtech. The program is coordinated by Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio in partnership with Politecnico di Milano and supported by the Chamber of Commerce Como-Lecco. The program is free and equity-free, offering 12 months of housing, laboratory access, scientific mentorship, business training, and direct access to the industrial ecosystem. Applications are open until June 30.

Grupo Brisa Reports Strong 2025 Growth With €1.23 Billion in Revenue Following Strategic Merger

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Grupo Brisa, Portugal’s highway concessions operator, reported 2025 revenues of 1,231.6 million euros, a 13% increase from 2024. The group completed a merger with Rubicone BidCo effective January 1, 2025, strengthening its financial capacity. Net income was 173.4 million euros (down 44% from 2024 due to accounting effects of the merger). EBITDA increased 5.3% to 860.9 million euros. The group invested 109 million euros in infrastructure maintenance and improvements, a 25.9% increase from the previous year.

Portugal Positions Itself as Europe’s Space Gateway at eRadar Conference

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At the eRadar Annual Conference in Lisbon, Geosat CEO Francisco Cunha participated in a panel discussing Portugal’s unique position as a gateway for European space access and return. The discussion highlighted Portugal’s strategic Atlantic location, the importance of public-private partnerships in the aerospace sector, and the role of institutions like IPN in supporting space companies. Open Cosmos, a British company, is producing satellites at IPN facilities at a rate of approximately 10 satellites per year as part of the Atlantic Constellation project.

Dutch Defence Tech Startup Destinus Targets €200m Pre-IPO Raise Ahead of Public Markets Debut

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Destinus, a Dutch defence tech startup founded in 2021, is in talks to raise approximately €200m in a pre-IPO funding round, seeking a valuation above €5bn based on forecast annual revenues of €500m. The company, which develops drones and cruise missiles, recently acquired Swiss autonomous pilot startup Daedalean for $225m to strengthen its AI and autonomous flight capabilities.

EDP’s CFO Charts Course Through Energy Transformation, Receives Industry Recognition

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Rui Teixeira, CFO of EDP, discusses the challenges of managing a capital-intensive energy business amid volatile geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions. He emphasizes the need for CFOs to be active agents of change in the digital transformation era, particularly regarding AI adoption and employee empowerment. EDP has announced a 12 billion euro investment plan through 2028 and maintains 80% of debt with fixed interest rates.

Italian Startup TackPay Builds Digital Infrastructure for Hospitality Tipping

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TackPay is an Italian startup that has developed a digital platform for sending, receiving, and managing tips transparently and customizably. The platform allows customers to leave tips via QR codes, NFC tags, email links, or WhatsApp without downloading an app, while providing businesses with end-to-end tip management infrastructure including digital tip jars, transaction monitoring, feedback collection, and staff distribution management. The company has expanded beyond Italy to serve customers across Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Milan’s Gruppo Cap Approves €1 Billion Water Infrastructure Plan Through 2037

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Gruppo Cap, the integrated water utility serving the Milan metropolitan area, approved a major industrial plan update through 2037 with total investments reaching over 1 billion euros by 2033. The plan focuses on infrastructure modernization, climate resilience, emerging micropollutant management, digitalization and cybersecurity. The company reported 2025 revenues of 500.5 million euros with 36.4 million euros net profit.

ARCO Lisbon marks decade of growth with 9th edition featuring 84 galleries across 18 countries

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ARCO art fair celebrates its 10th anniversary in Lisbon with the 9th edition taking place from May 28-31, 2026 at Cordoaria Nacional. The fair has grown from 45 galleries in 2016 to 84 galleries from 18 countries in 2026. The director emphasizes maintaining a human scale and distinct Lisbon identity separate from ARCO Madrid. The edition features 470 artists, seven acquisition awards, and includes special sections like ‘Opening Lisboa’ for new galleries and ‘Arquipélago de História de Arte’ exploring contemporary creation techniques.

Ukrainian Startup Accelerator YEP Opens San Francisco Office to Support US Market Entry

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YEP Accelerator announced the opening of a new office in California and launched an international track for growth-stage Ukrainian startups seeking to scale into the US market. The five-week residency program includes coliving and coworking arrangements, access to major tech events, and connections with venture funds offering up to $1.8 million in potential investment. The program is supported by the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.