The European Commission’s NGI TrustChain initiative has allocated an additional €1.8 million in grants to top European startups to combat online misinformation and identity fraud using blockchain technology. This latest funding round, dubbed ‘democracy grants,’ will support 15 startups from 10 different countries, each receiving up to €117,000. The selection process was highly competitive, with 162 startups vying for the grants.
Definely, a LegalTech firm based in the UK, recently secured a £585,000 grant from Innovate UK to propel its AI-driven solutions for the legal sector.
Flo Health, one of the most downloaded women’s health apps globally, has secured over $200M in a Series C funding round from General Atlantic. This investment boosts Flo’s valuation beyond $1 billion, making it the first digital women’s health app to achieve unicorn status.
The latest Global Entrepreneurship Team (GEM) UK National Report has revealed significant trends in early-stage entrepreneurial activity, particularly among women, immigrant, and non-white ethnic populations, who remain the most entrepreneurial groups in the UK.
Litera, a company in legal technology solutions, has acquired FileTrail, a renowned name in information governance and records management.
In March, the European Parliament made history by adopting the Artificial Intelligence Act, establishing the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for AI.
Milton Keynes City Council is expanding an electric car charging scheme following a successful trial, providing home charging solutions for motorists without driveways. In collaboration with Kerbo Charge, the council initially tested ‘through-pavement channels’ with six families lacking off-street parking.
osapiens, an ESG platform offering compliance and sustainability reporting solutions, has secured $120 million in a Series B funding round led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives.
Small Business Britain’s ‘Small and Mighty Enterprise Programme’ is set to return this autumn to aid Britain’s smallest firms as the economy begins to recover.
Achieving unicorn status as a founder in Europe is more challenging than winning an Olympic medal. According to a study by Antler, a leading early-stage VC firm in Europe, there are four times more European Olympians than European unicorn founders.
Melt&Marble, a startup in sustainable designer fats, has secured a significant €2.5 million grant, along with the potential for future equity investment, from the European Innovation Council (EIC).
Green Angel Ventures is a UK-based investor specialising in early-stage climate innovation and focused on reducing or removing carbon emissions.
The UK’s premier electric vehicle (EV) event, the London EV Show, is set for an exciting comeback, focusing on startups and entrepreneurial innovation in the EV sector.
Transatlantic growth equity investor Kennet has successfully raised €266 million for its largest fund to date, Kennet VI. This new fund is already being deployed into capital-efficient B2B SaaS companies across Europe, including Screendragon in Ireland and the UK, and Fluid Topics in France.
Prosemino, a venture builder dedicated to developing startups that address the net-zero challenge, has announced the opening of a 2,500 sq ft lab at British Land and AustralianSuper’s Canada Water campus. Supported by a developer and in partnership with Energy Revolution Ventures, Prosemino is pioneering a new approach to creating net-zero technologies.
LYNEports has emerged as the victor of the Aerospace Xelerated (AX) Startup Pitch Competition at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow.
Waste textiles from sailing boats could soon find a new purpose, thanks to a research initiative that upcycles plastic fibres from sails into valuable chemicals, including vanillin – a compound commonly used in cosmetics and food for its vanilla flavour and scent.
Rent2Cash, the Italian startup offering “rental advance” services, has secured €3 million in a pre-seed round and officially launched its operations in Italy.
Pearl, a figure in dental AI, has announced securing $58 million in Series B funding to advance its mission of improving patient care in dentistry. The funding round, led by Left Lane Capital with participation from Smash Capital, Alpha Partners, Craft Ventures, and Neotribe Ventures, represents the largest investment ever in dental AI.
According to recent research from Google, 61% of jobs in the UK could undergo significant changes due to the integration of AI, with only a minimal number facing complete elimination.
