Funding
Global Work AI, the AI-native job-search platform focused exclusively on job seekers, has secured a $2.4 million follow-on investment from existing backers Pre-Seed to Succeed, Yellow Rocks, Smart Partnership Capital, AltaIR Capital, and TMT Investments. The new round brings the company’s total funding to $3.7 million.
Only three months after its founding, NexDash has secured €5 million in seed funding to build Europe’s first Neo-Carrier for electric trucks. Founded by Michael Cassau – who previously built tech-rental unicorn Grover – the company aims to accelerate the electrification of Europe’s highly fragmented and under-digitalised road freight sector.
Rift, a deeptech company specialising in on-demand aerial intelligence, has announced a €4.6 million funding round led by AlleyCorp with participation from OVNI Capital. The investment will accelerate the development of Rift’s technology and the deployment of the first on-demand aerial intelligence network, operated from a single remote command centre in France.
Emm, the UK-based pioneer in biowearable technology, has raised £6.8 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round, to bring the world’s first smart menstrual cup and connected app to market. Creating a new category of “smart menstrual care”, Emm will equip users to understand their individual menstrual baseline and track key metrics for personalised, actionable insights into their menstrual health.
Planet Smart, a London-based biomaterials startup, has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding to launch its first product. The company is developing PlanetSorb, a naturally biodegradable superabsorbent polymer (SAP) designed to replace the fossil-based plastics used inside nappies and sanitary products.
Despite being home to some of the world’s most innovative startups, empowered by early-stage R&D, Europe’s startup ecosystem still trails behind its US counterpart in valuation and scale. Valued between 29% and 52% isn’t solely down to capital availability or investor appetite. European founders face critical barriers in the support they receive.
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) startup portfolio has successfully raised over $1 billion in investments, co-investing with a diverse network of local and global venture capital firms. This significant milestone underscores KAUST’s growing impact on the global deeptech landscape.












