At Techsylvania 2026, Super Technologies founder Sacha Dragic recounted the bootstrapped origins of Superbet, its early €500k seed from personal networks, the path to profitability in 2012 and the landmark €1.3 billion refinancing by Blackstone and HPS Investment that pushed the company into unicorn status.
US AI infrastructure startup Modal Labs, founded in 2021, announced the opening of its first European office in London, expanding its transatlantic presence after a $355 million financing round led by Redpoint Ventures and General Catalyst.
Spanish AI‑agent startup HappyRobot secured $150 million in a Series C round led by Prysm Capital and Eurazeo, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The funding will be used to enhance AI features and scale the team, as the company expands beyond logistics into insurance, energy, telecom and airlines.
Italian software developer Bending Spoons announced a $2.25 billion acquisition of US workflow platform Airtable, marking its first deal after listing on Nasdaq and continuing its aggressive European software‑acquisition strategy.
UK‑based AI‑chip startup Olix secured a $312 million financing round led by Fundomo, boosting its valuation to $3.3 billion and positioning it to compete with Nvidia. The round will fund chip development and the company also hired former Wise CFO Matt Briers.
The article highlights a shift in European venture capital toward specialised AI solutions. It cites CuspAI, a British startup that uses artificial intelligence to discover new materials, which raised $450 million and reached a $2.6 billion valuation, exemplifying the move towards deep‑tech projects that combine software, scientific research and industrial applications.
UK‑based SME lender iwoca obtained a £250 million debt facility, strengthening its capacity to finance small and medium‑size enterprises across the region.
German‑French space startup The Exploration Company is poised to secure more than $300 million in funding, pushing its valuation to $2 billion and positioning it as a European rival to SpaceX.
Dwelly, a UK‑based proptech startup founded in 2023 by former Uber and Gett executives, raised $170 million (including a $75 million debt facility) led by EQT Growth and General Catalyst. The capital will be used to acquire more letting agencies and embed its proprietary AI software to automate property‑management tasks, expanding its portfolio of 17 agencies managing about 15,000 properties.
Debt‑intelligence unicorn 9fin, based in London, announced the completion of its first employee secondary share sale following a $170 million Series C funding round that pushed its valuation to $1.3 billion.