News
Daily digest of all European digital development news

Soverli raises $2.6M to develop sovereign smartphone architecture
Soverli secured $2. 6M to build a sovereign smartphone architecture designed to run alongside Android and iOS....

QuantumDiamonds invests over €150M for quantum chip inspection facility
QuantumDiamonds will invest over €150 million in a German facility, supported by the European Chips Act, to produce quantum-based chip metrology systems. The facility will produce advanced inspection tools for chip defects with initial deployments already completed in Europe.

There are people investigating if AIs are better hackers than human hackers. And we do not have very nice news
AI hackers are approaching, and may soon surpass, human hackers, according to a Stanford University study. Researchers pitted an AI hacking bot, Artemis, against professional ethical hackers, revealing the AI's potential in cybersecurity threats.

Elvy raises €500M for next-gen energy, Tekpon buys TNW, and €4.6B funding as fintech dominates November
Tekpon, a SaaS marketplace, acquired TNW, a media company, in a notable move for the European tech scene. This acquisition, along with other funding rounds, signals a vibrant month with over €1....

Backed by Nordic VCs, CYBRET AI bets on autonomous systems to redefine cyber defence
CYBRET AI, an autonomous cybersecurity lab, launches from stealth, aiming to redefine cyber defense with its AI-powered systems. The company is backed by Nordic venture funds and led by a young cybersecurity expert.

FinTech and data protection: PayPal collects the sexual preferences of customers
PayPal's foray into advertising is under fire for allegedly collecting and selling extensive personal data, including sensitive information, to advertisers. A legal analysis concludes that PayPal's practices violate data protection laws.

Fortnite only had one space left to conquer: the Android store. The law has ended up giving it the reason
Fortnite returns to the Android store in the US after a legal battle against Google's monopoly, marking a victory for Epic Games. The game's re-emergence follows a court order, though global expansion awaits final approval.

WhatsApp brings the big update of the season: the most important change is not on the mobile, but on the computer
WhatsApp rolls out significant updates, including a new voicemail feature, enhancing its calling capabilities for users. The new 'Missed Call Messages' feature enables users to leave video or audio messages when calls go unanswered, offering a more complete phone-like experience.

DMA: Google threatens high EU fine because of Play Store
Google faces a potential hefty fine from the EU due to the Play Store, unless it makes more adjustments. The penalty could be levied early next year.

New StepUp Startups report: Scaling Europe’s open-source AI landscape
A new report highlights how open-source AI can boost European competitiveness and strengthen digital sovereignty. More than half of developers regularly use open models, datasets, or tools, and the EU's Apply AI strategy aims to increase AI adoption across its firms.

Antwerp-based XFA raises €1.5 million to tackle this critical blind spot in modern workplace cybersecurity
Antwerp-based cybersecurity firm XFA secured €1. 5 million in seed funding to expand its platform....

Mollie buys GoCardless in €1.05bn deal
Dutch payments firm Mollie acquired UK fintech GoCardless in a €1. 05 billion deal, creating a "payments powerhouse" to serve 350,000+ businesses....

Expert opinion: Massive data protection violations at PayPal
PayPal faces criticism again after an audit revealed significant GDPR violations and data misuse for advertising purposes. The report details multiple shortcomings in the service's data protection practices.

As bird protection becomes a wind-industry priority, Spoor secures €8 million to meet rising demand
Spoor, an Oslo-based startup, secured an €8 million Series A round to support its AI-powered wildlife monitoring for wind farms. The funding will allow expansion of its bird and bat monitoring software, used by wind developers and operators, with a database of over 1 million bird observations.

Pre-seed funding fuels Lynk’s expansion of AI-driven contract control platform
Rotterdam-based Lynk secured pre-seed funding led by Curiosity VC to expand its AI-driven contract management platform. The platform automates audit tasks and identifies risks, aiming to reshape how organizations manage contractual obligations.

London-based Yonda Tax lands €12 million to scale operations and extend coverage across new tax jurisdictions
London-based Yonda Tax secured €12 million to expand its tax automation platform across new jurisdictions. This funding round will enhance platform features and functionality to simplify cross-border tax compliance for businesses.

Better than Excel? Proton Sheets attacks Microsoft and Google
Proton, the Swiss provider, launches Proton Sheets, a privacy-focused spreadsheet application. It offers end-to-end encryption and real-time collaboration, directly challenging Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

Belgian TMS startup Qargo secures €28 million to scale operations and product development
Belgian TMS startup Qargo secured €28 million in Series B funding to scale its operations and product development. The investment follows rapid expansion across European logistic hubs, bringing the total investment to €46 million.

Zilch bags payments licence
Zilch, the UK BNPL fintech, secured a payments services license from the FCA, reducing its reliance on third parties. This move allows Zilch to build more payment methods in-house and follows its strengthened ties with Visa, ahead of its Zilch Pay rollout next year.

FICUS secures €3M to expand its clinical documentation platform
Berlin-based AI healthtech startup FICUS secured €3M in seed funding to expand its clinical documentation platform. The platform automates processes for rehabilitation clinics, reducing administrative workload by up to 70% and is already used by around 1,000 professionals daily.
