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.

Israeli Real Estate Group Youropa Establishes Porto Office, Targets 280 Units Across Multiple Projects

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Youropa, an Israeli real estate group, inaugurated a new office in Porto’s Boavista area. The company currently manages five projects under construction or delivery valued at 80 million euros, seven projects in commercialization, and over 100 units available for resale and rental. The group plans to complete six projects in 2026 with over 150 units and deliver eight additional projects by year-end, totaling over 280 units. Youropa also expects to secure over 30 million euros in financing by end of 2026.

Anthropic Raises $30 Billion at $900 Billion Valuation, Overtaking OpenAI’s Valuation

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Anthropic is raising $30 billion at a $900 billion valuation, surpassing OpenAI. The round is led by Dragoneer, Greenoaks, Sequoia Capital, and Altimeter Capital, each investing at least $2 billion. This comes three months after a previous $30 billion round at $350 billion valuation. Anthropic’s revenue is projected to reach $45 billion this year, five times higher than last year’s $9 billion, driven by the success of Claude and its new capabilities like Claude Cowork. The company continues to face scrutiny from European regulators regarding access to its latest Claude Mythos model.

Portuguese Investor António Moreira Proposes €17 Million Acquisition of Azores Airlines

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Portuguese investor António Moreira, through UK-based ALM Investment Holding, has made a proposal to acquire 85% of Azores Airlines for 17 million euros with a commitment to invest up to 500 million euros following debt restructuring. The privatization process has attracted 6-8 interested parties including Icelandair and Binter.

Portuguese AI Startup Anybrain Expands Anti-Cheat Platform Across Gaming Platforms With International Patent Portfolio

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Anybrain is a Portugal-based startup that uses AI and machine learning to detect cheating in multiplayer games and esports events through behavioral input analysis. The company analyzes how players interact with input devices (keyboard, mouse, gamepad, touchscreen) to identify abnormal or synthetic behavior patterns indicative of cheating. Founded in 2019 by André Pimenta Ribeiro, who has a PhD in AI, the company has secured patents in the US, Europe, and South Korea and is currently working with major AAA game studios.