Latest Startups & Entrepreneurship News
Gradium Raises €60M to Commercialize Multilingual Conversational AI
Gradium secured one of Europe's largest seed rounds at €60M to launch Kyutai's speech-to-speech AI models, competing with OpenAI and ElevenLabs with low-latency multilingual voice interaction. Supported by tech leaders Niel, Saadé, Schmidt, and LeCun, it aims to transform real-time AI communication.
Bitstack Raises €15M to Expand Crypto Visa Debit Card Across Europe
Bitstack raised €15M to grow its footprint in 10 European countries and launch a Visa debit card offering 1% Bitcoin cashback to early users. MiCA regulatory approval was obtained in June, facilitating European expansion and team growth with 20 new hires planned in France.
Minitap Raises €3.5M Seed to Accelerate AI-driven Mobile Development
Paris-based Minitap raised €3.5M to develop AI infrastructure automating mobile feature creation, testing, and iteration. The platform's open-source framework leads the Google DeepMind AndroidWorld benchmark, highlighting rapid development capabilities across real devices.
ChemLex Launches Self-Driving Lab in Singapore with $45M Funding
AI-for-science startup ChemLex closed a $45M round led by Granite Asia to establish global HQ and a self-driving drug discovery lab in Singapore. The platform accelerates molecule design, shortening pharma timelines, servicing 70+ customers including six top global pharma companies.
Airwallex Raises $330M Series G at $8 Billion Valuation
Financial infrastructure startup Airwallex raised $330M to expand US operations by investing over $1 billion and launch AI agents to automate financial workflows, establishing dual headquarters including San Francisco to challenge Stripe and Adyen.
MENA Startup Funding Drops to $228M in November Reflecting Market Consolidation
MENA's investment slowed with 35 startups raising $228M, down from $784.9M in October. Funding concentrated in Saudi Arabia with $176.3M over 14 deals, fintech rebounded with $142.9M led by debt-backed rounds, while later-stage rounds halted amidst valuation resets.
Swedish Biotech Melt&Marble Raises €7.3M to Scale Designer Fats Production
Melt&Marble secured €7.3M Series A to scale precision fermentation for designer fats in beauty and food sectors, aiming to advance sustainable biotech innovations in Europe.
Upstage Becomes Korea’s First Public-Sector Generative AI Provider
Korean startup Upstage has been selected as the first generative AI provider for government digital transformation projects, driving AI adoption in the public sector to enhance services and efficiency.
Quantum Systems Raises $200M Series C as European Defense Tech Gains Traction
Quantum Systems secured $200M in Series C funding, advancing military satellite and defense technologies amid increased European investment in strategic tech sectors.
La Fraise Raises $3.5M Seed Round for Healthtech SaaS Expansion
Paris-based La Fraise raised $3.5M in seed funding led by 20VC and Seedcamp to develop its healthtech SaaS solutions, supported also by dentists and Bpifrance, aiming for accelerated innovation in medical services.