Deeptech

Manchester Biotech Imperagen Raises €5.7 Million to Scale AI-Powered Enzyme Engineering Platform

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Imperagen, a Manchester-based biotech company using AI and quantum physics to engineer enzymes, raised €5.7 million in Seed funding led by PXN Ventures. The company combines quantum physics simulation, AI model training, and automated robotics in a closed-loop system to improve enzyme designs. It brings total funding to €9.8 million and announced Guy Levy-Yurista as new CEO. The company plans to expand R&D, scale wet lab capabilities, and grow its go-to-market function.

Swedish Robotics Startup Staer to Host Autonomy Conference in Malmö Next Year

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Staer, a Swedish robotics startup, is organizing Autonomy, a one-day conference on September 14, 2026 in Malmö that brings together researchers, innovators, investors, and industry players in robotics and physical AI. The event is positioned between ECCV 2026 and The Drop conference, creating a convergence of key stakeholders in the Öresund region’s deeptech ecosystem.

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.

Dunia Innovations Unveils €280 Million Berlin GigaLab for AI-Driven Materials Discovery

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Dunia Innovations unveiled plans for Berlin GigaLab, a €280 million facility to industrialize AI-driven materials discovery. The 6,000 m² facility will integrate autonomous experimentation, AI-guided design, and industrial-grade characterization. Backed by an industrial consortium including Siemens, ABB Robotics, NVIDIA, AWS, and ILS, the facility is expected to create over 200 jobs and begin operations in 2028.

CircuitHub Secures $28 Million Series B to Expand Automated Electronics Manufacturing Across US and Europe

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CircuitHub, a UK-based electronics manufacturing company with R&D roots in Cambridge and operations in London, raised $28 million led by Plural to expand its automated manufacturing facilities across the US and Europe. The company operates the Grid, an automated 5,000-square-foot factory that uses robotics, computer vision, and AI to produce circuit boards from design files in days rather than months. CircuitHub has delivered 2 million+ boards to 20,000 engineers and is positioned as the fastest-growing electronics manufacturer in the US.

Mistral Acquires Austrian AI Startup Emmi AI to Strengthen Industrial Applications Portfolio

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Paris-based Mistral has acquired Austrian startup Emmi AI, which develops foundational AI models trained with physics laws to simulate complex engineering processes. This is Mistral’s second acquisition in three months, following the February acquisition of French startup Koyeb. Emmi, created a year ago, raised a €15m seed round and has over 30 employees who will join Mistral. The acquisition demonstrates Mistral’s shift toward vertical specialization in industrial AI.

European Commission Selects EQT to Manage €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund for Deeptech Innovation

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The European Commission selected Swedish investment firm EQT to manage its new €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund focused on European deeptech startups. EQT won the mandate over finalists Atomico and other competitors. Around €2.5bn has been committed as of year-end, with €1bn from the EIC and €1.5bn from private limited partners including Novo Holdings, CriteriaCaixa, Santander/Mouro Capital, APG Asset Management, and the Wallenberg family.

Munich Defense Startup Helsing Raises $1.2 Billion, Becoming Most Valuable German Startup Ever

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Helsing, a Munich-based defense startup founded in 2021, is reportedly raising 1.2 billion US dollars, which would value the company at 18 billion dollars. This would make it the most valuable German startup, surpassing previous record holders Trade Republic and Celonis. The company develops AI-powered autonomous combat drones, with the HX-2 model already in operation. The funding round is led by US investors Dragoneer and Lightspeed Venture Partners.