News - For Business
Daily digest of all European digital development news
Bunq bags US broker-dealer licence in Stateside push
Bunq, the Dutch challenger bank, enters the US market with a broker-dealer license, expanding its services to tech-savvy customers. The move allows Bunq, already serving 20 million users in Europe, to offer US stock trading, including ETFs, to American users.
European tech weekly recap: More than 70 tech funding deals worth over €1.3B
European tech funding saw over €1. 3 billion invested in 70+ deals last week, led by Germany, the UK, and Sweden....
AI literacy: AU calls on organizations to take action
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) urges organizations to act on AI literacy, publishing an updated guide. The guide details legal obligations and offers a practical action plan for organizations deploying AI systems.
EC finds Meta and TikTok breached transparency rules under DSA
Brussels finds Meta and TikTok breached DSA transparency rules by failing to provide researchers with sufficient data access. This preliminary ruling indicates both platforms may face significant fines for non-compliance with the new regulations.
Aunoa raises €1.5M to scale its conversational AI agents across Europe
Aunoa, a Spanish AI company, secures €1. 5 million to scale its conversational AI agents across Europe....
The great dilemma of Spanish telecoms: either they become giants or China swallows them up
Orange can simultaneously purchase 50% of Masorange and its share of Altice assets in France without affecting dividends. This marks a shift, as the market now accepts sector consolidation after years of regulatory taboo.
Sweden’s Cytely raises €3 million as labs report 75% faster analysis using its smart microscopy platform
Cytely, a Swedish DeepTech startup, secured €3 million to expand its smart microscopy platform, transforming microscopes into real-time data engines. The platform dramatically cuts analysis time, as labs report 75% faster analysis using the innovative platform.
Lithuania’s tech ecosystem: Founders and executives discuss its evolution
Lithuania's tech ecosystem is booming, with startups raising almost €600 million in 2024, despite the small population. The ecosystem's valuation has surged to over €16 billion, positioning Vilnius as the EU's fastest-growing tech city in 2025.
UK quantum startup QFX raises €2.2 million funding to expand its hardware platform
Oxford-based QFX secured €2. 2 million in seed funding to develop modular hardware for quantum technologies....
Astut, an Oxford University spin-out, lands €1.8 million round for transparent reasoning-based AI
Oxford University spin-out Astut secured €1. 8 million in seed funding to commercialize its AI technology for high-stakes decision-making....
While OpenAI takes all the media glory with ChatGPT, Alibaba is already taking important clients away from it with Qwen. The latest: Airbnb
Airbnb shifts its customer service AI focus from OpenAI's ChatGPT to Alibaba's Qwen model, signaling a win for the Chinese tech giant. The decision, cited by Airbnb's CEO, highlights Qwen's speed and cost-effectiveness over ChatGPT.
Google nukes 3,000 YouTube videos that sowed malware disguised as cracked software
Google removed 3,000 YouTube videos that spread malware disguised as pirated software. This action followed a spike in malicious activity targeting users seeking illegal downloads.
Paris-based Kotcha raises €3.5 million to make elite running coaching accessible to everyone
Paris-based Kotcha secured €3. 5 million to bring elite running coaching to everyone using AI....
Kotcha powers up with €3.5M to scale AI coaching for runners
Kotcha, an AI-powered running coaching app, secures €3. 5 million to expand access to personalized training for runners....
Mondra raises £10M to accelerate European expansion
Mondra, an AI-powered platform for supply chain resilience, secures £10 million in Series A funding. The London-based company plans to expand into key European markets like Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
Lakestar calls time on generalist venture funds
Lakestar, a major European VC firm, shifts its strategy, halting new generalist fundraisings to focus on existing portfolio companies. The firm, which backed Revolut and Spotify, aims to maximize returns, with over €2B raised in the past 12 years.
Every Health raises €1.1M to build Europe’s first LGBTQ+ virtual clinic
Every Health, Europe's pioneering virtual clinic for LGBTQ+ healthcare, secures €1. 1 million in seed funding....
Oslo-based Riff raises €14 million to scale its enterprise-ready vibe coding platform
Riff, the Oslo-based vibe coding platform, secured €14 million in Series A funding to scale its enterprise-ready applications. The platform, used by over 150,000 users, helps non-technical professionals build AI applications without code, including integrations with core SaaS tools.
1st Apply AI webinar - Fireside Chat on the Apply AI Strategy
Brussels launches a new webinar series to boost its Apply AI Strategy, aiming to accelerate AI adoption in key sectors. The strategy seeks to connect infrastructure with the needs of industrial and public sectors.
Paygentic nets $2M pre-seed to power payments for AI-native firms
Paygentic, a billing and payments platform for AI-native products, secured a $2 million pre-seed round to help AI companies handle variable compute costs. The platform provides tooling for hybrid pricing models, unifying billing and payments in a single stack.