Madrid-based cybersecurity startup 8Layers raised an additional €1 million in its pre-Seed round, bringing total funding to €2.5 million. Strategic investors Criteria Venture Tech and Bankinter joined to support the company’s digital identity security platform and regulatory compliance solutions.
Porelio, a Germany-based deeptech startup developing advanced materials for industrial separation and water treatment, raised €2.4 million in a pre-seed round led by Faber. The funding will scale its patented continuous-flow manufacturing process for Functionalized Ordered Mesoporous Silicas (FOMS), which capture pollutants like PFAS and recover precious metals more efficiently than existing methods.
UK fintech startup Stoa raised $2.4 million in a pre-seed round to grow its cash management platform, which offers upfront rewards on cash deposits. The platform connects financial institutions, brands, and customers through embedded banking and merchant partnerships.
Swiss photonics startup Aylight has raised €4.5 million in a pre-seed funding round to advance its chip-scale multiwavelength laser technology for AI data-center optical interconnects and high-precision sensing.
Swiss biotech startup ALP Bio has secured €161,000 from Venture Kick to develop a platform combining human immune tissue models and AI to predict immune-related risks in biologic drug development, improving safety and success rates.
Dawnguard, an Amsterdam-based startup securing cloud systems during design, launched its platform, raised $3.3 million in pre-seed funding, and opened a New York office. The funding includes participation from UK-based BNVT Capital, Dutch Curiosity VC, and German eCAPITAL.
Screen4Fans, a startup previously covered 10 years ago, was highlighted for its ambitious goals related to FC Barcelona, though its approach differed from the current success of Robert Lewandowski.
Belgian startup Visiblie, which helps businesses improve visibility in AI-powered search, raised €500,000 in convertible loan funding led by Seeder Fund and BeAngels. The platform uses industry-specific AI datasets to tailor visibility strategies for regulated sectors like finance and insurance. Funds will support SME market growth and international expansion, with plans for a future US-focused seed round.
BidScript, an AI-native tender management platform, has raised $800,000 in a funding round led by NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance and SFC Capital, bringing total pre-seed funding to over $1 million. The platform addresses inefficiencies in public and private sector tendering using AI, with early customers reporting up to 50% improvements in bid win rates.
Epitome Therapeutics, an Austrian BioTech startup focused on precision epigenome editing, secured €4 million in pre-seed funding led by XISTA Science Ventures and Caesar Ventures. The funding includes €2 million in equity and €2 million in non-dilutive grants. The company aims to develop its CADENCE platform for programmable gene expression and advance its first drug candidate.