SportAI, a B2B sports technology company that uses AI-powered video analysis to provide professional-grade performance insights, has raised an oversubscribed $3 million round from investors including Norwegian fund Altitude Capital and tennis player Casper Ruud. Endre Holen, former Head of McKinsey’s Global Tech & Media practice, has also invested and will serve as Chairman. Other participants include US professional soccer player Alejandro Bedoya and Trond Riiber Knudsen (TRK Group founder). SportAI provides AI-powered technique analysis, in-depth match statistics, tactical insights, and highlight videos using computer vision and machine learning. Traditionally, video analysis relied on manual tagging by coaches, which limited scale, long-term use, and accessibility—making it viable mainly for professional players with dedicated performance staff. As mounted court cameras, broadcast feeds, and mobile video recording become standard at sports venues, SportAI is leveraging this shift to meet growing demand for advanced, automated analysis. Through its SaaS platform and APIs, the company integrates with court camera systems to match the rapid global rollout of cameras and streaming services. The platform is camera-agnostic, allowing its AI technology to be deployed across thousands of sports facilities worldwide, where players and coaches can access real-time statistics and highlights. As a former NCAA player, I know how transformative good coaching and analysis can be—and how inaccessible it often is. That’s what we’re solving at SportAI, said Lauren Pedersen, CEO and co-founder of SportAI. By prioritising an API-first model, SportAI focuses on partnering with court camera and streaming providers that want to add AI-driven analysis to their existing hardware solutions, strengthening their product and go-to-market strategies. The funding round will be used to scale SportAI’s global rollout and expand technical development.

Talliin-based PowerUP Energy Technologies has closed a €10 million Series A funding round to accelerate the manufacturing and commercialisation of its hydrogen-powered electric generators. Co-led by Mercaton and ScaleWolf and joined by SmartCap’s Green Fund, the investment will enable further scaling of the technology, recognised for its dependable performance in extreme environments. PowerUP Energy Technologies, founded in 2016, develops and manufactures modular hydrogen fuel cell systems for defence, industrial, and off-grid applications. Its silent, emission-free generators are designed for use in sensitive military forward operating bases and critical civilian infrastructure, supporting customers that prioritise reliable, security-grade energy independence. At the core of PowerUP’s strategy is a dual-use approach: providing robust, resilient power solutions that meet the high demands of the defence sector while also serving critical commercial use cases such as security and telecommunications. The company’s technology has gained international recognition for its reliability in extreme environments, including deployment and validation in high-risk regions such as Ukraine. PowerUP was founded on a clear mission: to deliver clean, reliable energy solutions. While other technologies are still being tested in labs, ours has already been battle-tested on the front lines in Ukraine. This is the very definition of dual-use innovation: a cleantech solution that has been forged and validated by the urgent needs of defence, said Ivar Kruusenberg, founder and CEO of PowerUP Energy Technologies. The new investment will be used to meet growing demand across both commercial and defence markets. PowerUP plans to expand its sales and technical teams to enter new commercial segments, with a focus on backup power for critical infrastructure, while building strategic sales and support hubs in key regions such as Central Europe and North America to strengthen its international presence. In parallel, the company will accelerate R&D to develop higher-density fuel cell models tailored to a wider range of power requirements.

Leeds-based Uniphy, whose technology could replace car dashboard controls and change how people interact with appliances, has raised £3 million to prepare for mass production. The funding comes from existing investors NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance, managed by Mercia Ventures under the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, and Mercia’s own funds. Founded in 2015 by microelectronics specialists David Lomas and David Dean, Uniphy develops its BeyondTouch® smart-surface technology, which enables integrated user interfaces built into 3D plastic or glass panels. Uniphy’s smart surfaces allow controls to be embedded into 3D panels of almost any shape, enabling users to locate functions by feel alone. This offers a safer alternative to in-car touchscreens by allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road and provides a sleeker, more hygienic, and lower-cost option than traditional buttons. As manufacturers move away from touchscreens toward physical controls, driven by safety concerns in automotive and reliability issues in home appliances, Uniphy’s solution offers a compelling alternative. It works with standard plastic or glass surfaces, can incorporate haptic or voice feedback, uses conventional manufacturing methods to keep costs low, and is highly recyclable. It also functions reliably in the presence of liquids, making it suitable for marine cockpits, hobs, and washing machines. Jim Nicholas, CEO of Uniphy, explained: As humans, we spend much of our lives interacting with machines – on our mobiles, in our cars or our homes – but the limitations of current controls can make it a frustrating experience. Uniphy’s technology offers designers the freedom to create new, more intuitive interfaces and transform the way we engage with machines. The technology has already been successfully tested by Hyundai and Grupo Antolin, who are now exploring how to integrate it into their vehicles. The new investment will enable Uniphy to develop its own integrated chip ahead of mass production and to miniaturise the technology for mobile use cases.

Juo, a Warsaw-based startup building technology for physical product subscriptions, has raised €4 million in seed funding. The round was led by Market One Capital and Peak, with participation from SMOK Ventures, BADideas, FJ Labs, and Lakestar, bringing the company’s total funding to around €5 million. The subscription economy has transformed how consumers purchase and interact with products, with physical goods already accounting for around 40 per cent of a market projected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2030. Juo focuses on this fast-growing segment of physical and hybrid product subscriptions at the infrastructure layer. Its platform provides a full toolkit to design, launch, and manage subscription models for a wide range of physical products, from simple recurring orders, such as supplements, cosmetics, meal kits, and pet food, to complex, higher-value items like home appliances or medical equipment. With separated workspaces, operators and developers can collaborate in the same environment while using tools tailored to their roles, and Juo’s proprietary technology supports virtually any development stack, allowing business teams to manage operations without writing code. The platform includes the core logic layer, API, SDK, CLI, and a collaborative editor. Using its APIs and prebuilt components, merchants can integrate subscriptions in days rather than months. The toolkit works with modern e-commerce stacks such as Hydrogen (Shopify), Medusa, and commercetools, as well as established platforms like PrestaShop and Shopware. To support the full subscription lifecycle, Juo enables recurring payments via credit cards, SEPA Direct Debit, and regional methods like iDEAL and BLIK, through partners including Adyen, Mollie, PayU, and Tpay. Since launch, Juo has built strong traction in the subscription e-commerce market, supporting over 500,000 active subscriptions across hundreds of clients in Europe and North America. Customers include Pulse4all, Mother’s Earth, Meowbox, Impossibrew, Boerschappen, Guud, Yummygums, and Natulim. With the new funding, Juo plans to enter its next stage of growth, expanding the platform’s capabilities for developers, administrators, and AI agents across custom implementations and e-commerce platforms, including support for modern front-end technologies and Model Context Protocols (MCPs) that enable AI systems to interact directly with subscription infrastructure.

Today, Coinvest Capital, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), Depo Ventures, BSV Ventures, Balnord, and New North Ventures — six VC funds actively investing in dual-use and defence — together with market-intelligence platform Dealroom, unveil the inaugural Tough Tech by the Tough Ten report, The report is the first comprehensive mapping of tough-tech ecosystems spanning mission-critical defence, dual-use, and space innovation across Europe’s eastern frontier. It examines how these “Tough Ten” nations are mobilising talent, capital, and technology in response to shifting security realities.  It covers priority innovation domains identified by NATO, from AI and quantum technologies to hypersonics, energy, and next-generation communications.  The tough ten countries sit from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and include Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.   The report highlights the true dynamics of defence innovations in the region. Key findings include:  The Tough Ten nations are outpacing the rest of Europe in mission-critical innovation.  Between 2019 and 2022, tough-tech ventures made up 7 per cent of all startups in these countries, compared to 5 per cent across the rest of Europe.  By 2023–2025, this share more than doubled to 16 per cent, while the rest of Europe lags at 10 per cent.  By 2025, 53 per cent of all Deep Tech and 23 per cent of total VC investment will flow into Tough Tech, a dramatic shift from software convenience to hardware courage.   Futher, as part of defence efforts, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry; the European Union (EU) is building the European Drone Wall and Eastern Flank Watch; and the Baltic countries and Poland are creating the Eastern Shield and Baltic Defence Line.  Space and quantum dominate defence investment across the Tough Ten Across the Tough Ten, defence tech investment remains concentrated in a few deep-tech verticals: Quantum computing, cryptography, and sensing ($606 million) and Space and Satellite ($703 million) dominate, accounting for most funding since 2019.  Broader security segments, such as Energy Security ($253 million) and Health Crisis Preparedness ($166 million), highlight an expanded notion of defence, linking resilience and infrastructure.   Core military areas - C4IS — which stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance — ($22 million), UAVs/UGVs ($28 million), and Advanced Materials ($38 million) — show steady but limited venture traction, reflecting Europe’s ongoing shift from early-stage R&D to scalable dual-use commercialisation.   The rise of a defence-driven innovation economy Tough tech in the region has grown from a handful of early-stage experiments into a mature, multi-stage pipeline, with companies now progressing from pre-seed through to Series C. This acceleration is reinforced by national initiatives across Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and others, which have launched sovereign funds, defence-industry parks, DIANA hubs, and rapid-testing frameworks to support scalable dual-use innovation. At the European level, programmes such as SAFE, EDIP, and the European Defence Fund add more than €150 billion in stimulus, creating unprecedented momentum for defence and resilience technologies across the Tough Ten. What began as a necessity to deter and defend is fast becoming the region’s competitive identity. This surge underscores a decisive strategic shift: proximity to geopolitical pressure has translated into faster mobilisation, deeper investment in dual-use capabilities, and a sharper focus on technologies with defence and resilience applications.    The steady climb since 2020 signals ecosystem maturity, where early-stage experimentation is giving way to scalable, capital-intensive breakthroughs in defence, autonomy, and deep industrial tech - proof that the region no longer only invents, but begins to industrialise innovation.    According to Viktorija Trimbel, Managing Director at Coinvest Capital, who has initiated the report, with geopolitical tensions on the rise, this report, for the first time, provides summary insights into the defence innovation trends, key ecosystem players, funding instruments available, and most notable startups to be watched and partnered with: “Living at the borders of the European Union, having experienced in our own lifetime the Soviet Russian occupation, makes each of us very much aware of the price we all have to pay to protect our freedom and way of life. Currently, the highest price is being paid by the freedom fighters and people of Ukraine. Here in Europe, we must ensure that the time we still have is put to the best use, investing in deterrence, building resilience, and advancing innovation, capabilities, and competitiveness. Our region demonstrates just that by actions taken and changes initiated at increasing speed.” “Tough tech is Europe’s new competitive edge. Founders on the Eastern Flank are proving that innovation is the real deterrent. With unprecedented capital ready to deploy into resilient, dual-use, and industrial tech, Europe has never had a stronger moment—or greater responsibility—to build the technologies that will secure its future,” shared Jarek Pilarczyk, Operating Partner at Balnord.   Sandra Golbreich, General Partner at BSV Ventures, sees tough tech as more than a category: "We invest in people who take on the hard problems because they have to, because it's a mission for them, not because it’s fashionable. That’s where real value and real impact come from. As BSV we’re glad to contribute towards this report and the community in the ecosystem, choosing to build and back things that last — and to stand for something that does too." For Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky, Partner, NATO Innovation Fund, defending the Alliance’s Eastern Flank isn’t just about presence - it’s about preparedness. "Supporting and scaling local innovations is essential to that effort. Their technologies, which are informed by each nation's capability needs - across sensing, autonomy, and secure communications - are helping to ensure that our forward defences are smarter, faster, and more connected. The growth of these innovative companies strengthens not just the Eastern Flank, but the Alliance’s collective technological edge."

An AI automation platform for the financial services industry, founded by two brothers, has raised $75m in a Series A funding round.The funding round in London and New York-based Model ML was led by FT Partners with participation from Y Combinator, QED, 13Books, Latitude and LocalGlobe.The Series A follows six months after Model ML’s seed raise, led by LocalGlobe, and twelve months after its launch.Founded by brothers and repeat entrepreneurs Chaz and Arnie Englander, Model ML is leveraging AI so that financial services firms can work more efficiently..In particular, it says its tech enables financial teams to build AI workflows that automate repeat work, helping speed up compiling pitch decks and diligence reports as well as investment memos. The platform slots into existing workflows, only pulling and processing data from a company's bank of trusted sources. Model ML says its platform is akin to building a bespoke AI brain for each organisation, and each AI agentic system is custom-built for individual clients. The startup says its tech is used by several of the world's largest banks, asset managers and consultancies, including two of the Big Four accounting firms.The funding will be used to propel global expansion and beef up its AI capabilities across key financial hubs, it saidChaz Englander said: "High-stakes business runs on documents: pitch decks, diligence summaries, investment memos. But most firms still build them the hard way. "Analysts spend entire weekends cross-checking numbers and formatting slides. Despite all that effort, mistakes still slip through because no one can realistically verify every data point in a 100-page deliverable. "That's why we built Model ML. Our agents reason across data sources, write the code to extract and transform what's needed, and generate finished, branded outputs with verification built in. We're eliminating the grunt work so teams can focus on the analysis that actually matters."

Netherlands-based Social Links has secured $3 million in follow-on funding to advance the development of next-generation tools that help organisations protect their brands, assets, and personnel in an AI-driven risk environment. The investment is led by Yellow Rocks!, which has increased its total commitment sixfold since its initial funding. Drawing on a decade of experience in Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and digital investigations, Social Links has translated its expertise into AI agents that counter AI-driven crime and operate collaboratively as an autopilot system. The product marks a key step in the company’s approach to protecting against modern threats, complementing and extending beyond traditional infrastructure-focused cybersecurity solutions. The company provides comprehensive data intelligence to help organisations detect and address AI-enabled fraud and crime across social media, messaging services, and other digital platforms, with a focus on anticipating new AI-driven attack surfaces. Ivan Shkvarun, CEO of Social Links, noted that the misuse of AI by the criminal sector has introduced complex risks that current protection methods can no longer keep up with. Our responsibility is to provide clarity and actionable insight, turning fragmented and overwhelming data into effective defence. This is essential for securing trust in an AI-driven world. We deeply care about our investors and customers, and it is important for us to develop and grow together. Social Links’ flagship AI initiative, developed under the AI Defender Autopilot concept, is designed to address emerging AI-related digital risk challenges, such as detecting fraud and scam messages in employee communication channels and identifying misinformation or false content about a brand, with a focus on accuracy and scalability. The company also plans to accelerate its growth with the introduction of new products built on its AI Defender Autopilot concept.

Revolut has been valued at $75bn, following a secondary share sale, which saw Nvidia and US blue-chip VC firm Andreessen Horowitz invest in Europe’s most valuable private tech firm for the first time.The round was led by Coatue, Greenoaks, Dragoneer, and Fidelity Management & Research Company with participation from NVentures, Nvidia’s venture capital arm, and Andreessen Horowitz (A16z), Franklin Templeton, and T. Rowe Price.Revolut’s $75bn valuation marks a significant jump compared to its $45bn valuation through a secondary share sale last year, cementing its status as Europe's most valuable private tech firm and valued in the top 10 of the world's most valuable private companies, Revolut said.In the share sale, which was widely known about, employees were allowed to sell up to 20 per cent of their holding to new and existing investors.Nik Storonsky, CEO & co-founder of Revolut, commented: “This milestone reflects the remarkable progress we have made in the last twelve months towards our vision of building the first truly global bank, serving 100 million customers across 100 countries. "I’d like to thank our team for their determination and energy, and for believing that it is possible to build a global financial and technology leader from Europe.”Victor Stinga, CFO of Revolut, said: “The level of investor interest and our new valuation reflect the strength of our business model, which is delivering both rapid growth and strong profitability. We welcome onboard a series of world-class investors and look forward to working with them for the next stage in Revolut’s evolution.”The share sale is Revolut's fifth employee share sale to date.Revolut, which has over 65m customers, reported revenues of £3.1bn in 2024, a 72 per cent year-on-year increase and pre-tax profits of £1.1bn, more than double the previous year.

Onstage, an organiser of standalone demo events in Europe, announced the launch of its first venture fund, with an initial close of £10 million. The fund is intended to support European founders at the pre-seed and seed stages and will be led by founding partner Joel Hambly. Founded in 2020 by Episode 1 GP Hector Mason and dmg ventures Partner Taos Edmondson, and led operationally by co-founder Issie James, Onstage’s flagship demo day has attracted more than 2,000 startups and worked with over 330 venture funds from Europe and the US, including Sequoia, a16z, Balderton and LocalGlobe. Demo day finalists have collectively raised more than £500 million from venture capital firms, with companies such as Scan.com (£60 million) and Lawhive (£44 million) among those securing significant follow-on funding. Separately, Onstage has established a large GP–LP gathering, with its most recent event attracting 350 GP applicants, reflecting its role within the European venture ecosystem. A fund is the clear next step for Onstage and will enjoy a symbiotic relationship with our demo days. It further strengthens our proposition for founders and deepens our relationship with the top VCs in Europe. We can't wait to support Europe’s next wave of founders, who are ready to compete and win on a global stage, said Joel Hambly. Fund I includes Peter Simon, President of US investment firm Simon Sports, who joins Onstage as a Partner and investor. Other LPs include a number of European founders and investors, such as Alex Chesterman, as well as GPs from Concept Ventures, Creator Ventures, Chapter One and Episode 1. To strengthen links with the European VC landscape, Emma Phillips (LocalGlobe), Laura McGinnis (Balderton) and Jamesin Seidel (Chapter One) will join as external members of Onstage’s investment committee, working with the Onstage team on sourcing and selection. The Fund Incubator, Blears and Bunch Capital have supported the establishment of the fund. Onstage plans to make around 80 investments over the next three years, with a focus on early-stage backing and network building. It will use its platform to connect founders and investors across Europe.

Last week, we tracked more than 70 tech funding deals worth over €2.3 billion, and over 10 exits, M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe.Click to read the rest of the news.