Buildroid AI, an AI robotics startup, has emerged from stealth with $2 million in pre-seed funding led by Tim Draper, known for backing Tesla, SpaceX, Skype, and Robinhood. The startup has also announced the launch of its first block-laying robot, built using BIM-to-BUILD simulation.

Social Links has secured $3 million to accelerate the development of next-generation defence tools designed to secure companies' brand, assets, and people in the AI-Driven Era against modern risks.

Rosberg Ventures, the venture capital firm of Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg, is reportedly launching a new $100 million venture fund-of-funds, PitchBook reports.

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.

The Royal College of Art (RCA) announces that the RCA Design & Innovation S/EIS Investment Fund I, managed by Infinity Asset Management LLP, has successfully closed.

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.

Dost, an AI-powered financial automation platform, has announced its official UK market launch following a £6 million Series A funding round led by Octopus Ventures.

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.  

Voltrac has announced it has secured a €7 million seed round. The round was led by Extantia, with participation from FoodLabs, Antler, PUSH, and Prototype Capital. This new round quickly follows its €2 million pre-seed, and enables Voltrac to scale production to 100 units per year in 2026.

Cellbyte, the AI-native platform that helps pharmaceutical companies accelerate drug launches, has announced that it has raised $2.75 million in seed funding. The round was led by Frontline Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Pace Ventures, Saras Capital, and Springboard Health Angels.

TMT ID, the mobile data and identity intelligence company, has secured a £30 million investment from BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active growth capital investor, to support its expansion and help global firms combat cybercrime, prevent fraud and build digital trust. 

Condukt, the next-generation compliance platform for financial services, has announced $10 million in funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and MMC Ventures, with participation from Cocoa Ventures.

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.

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.

Danish fintech Flatplay has become the latest company to reach unicorn status, after it secured $170 million in fresh capital. Co-founder Rasmus Busk said Flatpay became the fastest firm in Denmark to reach the milestone, achieving it within three years.

Exwayz, pioneer in 3D positioning and navigation software, has announced a €1 million fundraising round led by CentraleSupélec Venture. This includes a grant awarded by the prestigious i-Lab Innovation Competition under the France 2030 plan.

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.

AKA Foods has announced the completion of a $17.2 million seed funding round led by renowned AI experts and entrepreneurs Alex and Michael Bronstein. The funding marks the official launch of AKA Studio, a secure AI system and proprietary platform that enables food companies to create, optimise, and launch products much faster, smarter, and more affordably than ever before.

1nhaler, a Scotland-based drug delivery device developer, has secured £1.5 million in seed funding to drive development of its novel pop-up cardboard dry powder inhaler (DPI).

The UK can build great startups. But unless our venture ecosystem learns to move faster and back conviction earlier, we’ll keep losing the companies that could define Britain’s next industrial era.