Scaling Europe Daily
🗞️ AI was everywhere in today’s news, but not just in the usual app layer. CamGraPhIC secured €211m in public funding for optical technology tied to next-generation AI infrastructure, while Wayve added another $60m as it deepens its work with chipmakers. Elsewhere, startups are raising for AI products in a range of use cases, while new sovereign cloud efforts and SPRIND’s initiative show Europe is also putting more behind building its own AI capabilities.
💰 Funding rounds
Pisa-based startup CamGraPhIC secured €211m in public funding to build graphene-based optical technology for next-generation AI infrastructure. Read more here.
Cambridge-based startup Wayve raised an additional $60m to scale its AI Driver platform and deepen partnerships with chipmakers. Read more here.
London-based startup Gizmo raised $22m to scale its AI-powered learning platform globally. Read more here.
Rennes-based startup Agriodor raised €15m to scale its scent-based crop protection technology globally. Read more here.
Toulouse-based startup Donecle raised €10m to scale its AI-powered aircraft inspection platform internationally. Read more here.
Startup Brix raised $5.5m to bring emerging market financial assets on-chain through tokenisation. Read more here.
Oslo-based startup Stendr raised $5.4m to build its AI-native platform for drone defence and multi-sensor systems. Read more here.
London-based startup Mission Control Games raised $4m to build AI-driven casual puzzle games. Read more here.
Stockholm-based startup SolvaPay raised €2.4m to build payment infrastructure for AI agents and the emerging agentic economy. Read more here.
Italian startup Smartwage raised €2m to build its AI-powered corporate welfare platform. Read more here.
Dublin-based startup Vox Talk AI raised €1.35m to deploy AI operators for alarm monitoring and CCTV workflows. Read more here.
🌱 Startup news
Berlin-based bank Trade Republic is replacing AI chatbots with over 1,000 human customer service agents to improve support quality. Read more here.
UK-based Crowdcube reported full-year profitability, driven by growth in secondary share trading and cost reductions. Read more here.
💡 Other news
The UK–Ukraine TechBridge launched its 2026 Investment Accelerator to support Ukrainian startups expanding into the UK and connecting with investors. Read more here.
UK bank Allica Bank reported their third consecutive year of profitability in the UK. Read more here.
European companies Cubbit, SUSE, Elemento Cloud and StorPool Storage launched a sovereign disaster recovery solution to reduce reliance on non-European infrastructure. Read more here.
Germany’s SPRIND launched a €125m initiative to build new frontier AI labs across Europe. Read more here.
🎧 Podcasts
The Scaling Europe Podcast featured Constantin Schröder on how Arbio is acquiring holiday rental portfolios and scaling them with AI. Listen here.
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