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.

Limenet and Fassa Bortolo Launch 5 Million Euro Partnership to Develop Electric Kiln for Low-Emission Lime Production

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Limenet, a startup developing decarbonization technologies for hard-to-abate industries, partnered with Italian building materials group Fassa Bortolo on a 5 million euro co-development project for an electric kiln that reduces lime production emissions by approximately 22% compared to traditional fossil fuel methods. The deal follows a 7 million euro equity investment in Limenet by CDP Venture Capital and Fassa Bortolo in December 2025.

Portugal Authorizes €410.68 Million Railway Modernization Project for Alentejo Line

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The Portuguese government authorized Infraestruturas de Portugal to implement a phased payment schedule for the modernization of the Alentejo Railway Line. The project involves a 410.68 million euro investment to replace and electrify 63 kilometers of track between Casa Branca and Beja, enabling speeds of up to 200 km/h for passenger trains and 120 km/h for freight. Disbursements will run from 2027 to 2033, with the government seeking additional European funding through Portugal 2030 and other EU financing instruments.

Overwatch AI Secures 1.3 Million Euros in Pre-Seed Funding to Combat Flight Disruptions

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Overwatch AI, a platform that helps pilots, cabin crew and operations managers working on the front lines of aviation find critical information quickly and make fast and efficient operational decisions, has closed a pre-seed round of 1.3 million euros with participation from United Airlines Ventures.

BlueCrow Capital backs Portuguese acoustic solutions startup Offcoustic in combined investment and financing round

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J+Legal advised BlueCrow Capital in a financing operation for Offcoustic, a Portuguese startup developing acoustic cabin solutions for work environments and co-working spaces. The transaction involved a combined investment and financing structure to support the company’s growth and productive capacity expansion.

Portugal Consolidates AI Gigafactory Plans in Sines, Scraps Secondary Pego Hub

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Portugal’s Iberian candidacy for a European Commission AI gigafactory project will concentrate all operations in Sines rather than establishing a secondary hub in Pego. The €8 billion investment from public and private funds will create an AI infrastructure facility with 150 MW computing capacity, expected to be fully operational by 2028. Spain’s location is Tarragona in Catalonia.

Portuguese Festive Lighting Company Launches Ice Show Expansion Into Spain

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AM Experience by MK Illumination, a Portuguese company based in Braga specializing in festive illuminations and ice shows, reported 8 million euros in revenue for 2025, up from 6.8 million in 2024. The festive lighting division generated 5 million euros with 2.6 million from Spain operations. The company is expanding its ice show concept to Spain, launching in PuertoVenecia shopping center in Zaragoza in November with plans to expand to Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Corunha and Bilbao. The ice show is expected to attract 60,000 spectators and generate 1 million euros in revenue over seven weeks.

HelloPrint Reports Nearly 80 Million Euro Revenue as Dutch Print Platform Doubles Down on AI Transformation

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HelloPrint, a Rotterdam-based online print platform, reported revenue growth to approximately 80 million euros in 2025 with 21% operational profit increase. The company bought back shares from early investors and continues its AI-first transformation across 14 countries and 160 employees serving 700,000 customers.

Milan’s Hotiday Claims Top Spot on Sifted 100 with Extraordinary 1330% Revenue Growth

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Hotiday, a Milan-based startup founded in 2022 by a trio of students, sublets hotel rooms and rents them to travelers. It topped the third annual Sifted 100 ranking of the 100 fastest-growing companies in Southern Europe, achieving a remarkable 1330.95% two-year revenue CAGR between 2023 and 2025. The company uses an innovative business model based on subletting rather than purchasing buildings or franchising.

RemotePass Secures $17.4 Million Series B to Expand Global Employment Platform Across Europe and US

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RemotePass, a global employment, payroll, and spend platform founded in 2021, raised $17.4 million in Series B funding. The company provides solutions for hiring, paying, and supporting workers across borders, covering EOR, contractor management, payroll, compliance, and fintech services. The platform recently launched SpendCards for corporate expenses and AI agents for workflow automation. RemotePass reached profitability in early 2025 and serves major clients including Logitech, Tata Group, InDrive, and Careem.

Portuguese pulp mill developer pushes energy self-sufficiency argument to revive €1 billion Galicia project

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Greenfiber, a subsidiary of Portuguese multinational Altri, presented new arguments to unblock its €1 billion industrial pulp mill project in Palas de Rei, Galicia. The company claims the future factory is energy self-sufficient and proposes alternative power supply solutions including cogeneration systems. This move contests the Galician authorities’ decision from February to archive the project due to lack of guaranteed electrical supply.