News - For Business

Revolut secures French banking licence from ACPR and European Central Bank to bolster regulatory standing. The fintech giant will invest over €1bn in Western Europe, expanding services and localising offerings for its 30m customers.

Revolut secures a full French banking licence, establishing its second EU banking hub. This move accelerates its expansion across the European Union.

The EU AI Act entered into force this week, hailed by commentators as an underestimated regulatory advantage — even as NIS2 registration numbers and the ongoing Chat Control fight showed how far implementation lags behind ambition. Meanwhile Apple's DMA-driven interoperability move and a wave of funding into chips, drones and data-centre robotics revealed where Europe's sovereignty push is actually landing capital and code.

Over €1 billion was invested across Europe in 35 tech funding deals this week. UK chip startup Olix secured $312M, while Volta raised $300M, and HappyRobot landed $150M for its AI operations.

UK tech funding reached €18. 7 billion in H1 2026, with cloud and AI sectors leading investments....

Belgian AI dental startup Relu lands €1. 51 million to accelerate US expansion....

Berlin's Moss secures €30M Series C, hitting unicorn status to expand its Finance AI suite for European SMEs. The FinTech platform offers spend management, invoice processing, and is regulated under PSD2 and DORA.

FuVeX secures €3M to scale dual-use drone tech across Europe, bolstering strategic autonomy. The Spanish company's AI-powered platform automates infrastructure inspection for civil and defence uses.

Apple enables iPhone-to-Windows copy-paste following an EU interoperability request under the Digital Markets Act. This move opens Universal Clipboard to third-party services, impacting connected devices.

Zürich-based Exclaim Robotics exits stealth with €4. 29M to deploy robots for AI data centre maintenance....

AceON Accelerator opens applications for its 6th program, offering €40K investment and investor know-how. ZAKA VC, investing in US and European markets, and Accace lead the sector-agnostic initiative.

The EU's €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund is now backing companies, including Germany's The Exploration Company and Paris-based Mistral AI. This initiative aims to accelerate growth for promising European tech ventures.

Europe's landmark AI Act officially enters into force, establishing the world's most comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. The legislation sets new standards for AI development and deployment across the European Union.

Italy’s Aflabox secures €1. 35 million to scale AI-powered aflatoxin detection....

The European Commission began enforcing the AI Act's transparency rules while reportedly preparing to pull ChatGPT and Roblox into the Digital Services Act's strictest tier, and Brussels put real money behind digital sovereignty with a tender for seven AI gigafactories. Consumers, meanwhile, got a new European payment option, a right to repair, and a reminder from watchdogs that rules on paper still outpace rules in practice.

European tech news highlights over €878M in funding and 10+ exits this week. iwoca secured a £250M debt facility, Legora acquired its fifth startup, and insights into H1 2026 European tech trends were discussed.

The European Commission launched a €10. 5B tender for seven AI gigafactories....

The European Commission greenlights the €55 billion Saudi-led takeover of Electronic Arts, clearing a major hurdle under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation. This approval removes one of the final obstacles for the largest leveraged buyout deal on record.

Paris-based Apolownia secures €1 million for coastal restoration projects. The company utilizes AI, satellite data, and geospatial analysis for high-integrity blue carbon initiatives.

New European rules effective August 2, 2026, will require clear labeling for AI-generated content. These regulations aim to help consumers distinguish between real and AI-created media.