Startups
Jul 14, 2026
Promptwatch Raises €6M Seed for AI Search Visibility
Amsterdam-based Promptwatch has closed a €6M seed round to expand its AI search optimization platform, which helps brands appear in ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI chatbots. With nearly 2,000 users and €2M ARR just 12 months post-launch, the startup is now eyeing New York. The raise signals growing investor appetite for the emerging generative engine optimization (GEO) market.
AI Search
GEO
Seed Funding
Jul 13, 2026
TV Time Is Dead — Its Founder Is Building the Replacement
TV Time, one of the most popular TV-tracking apps, is shutting down. Its founder isn't walking away — he's building Bingers, a new app designed to preserve the community and watch histories that made TV Time a cult favorite.
apps
Community
Consumer Tech
Jul 13, 2026
fonio.ai's AI Phone Agents Scale to 7,000 Customers
Vienna-based fonio.ai has rapidly grown to 7,000 customers using its AI telephone assistants. Founder Daniel Keinrath opens up about competitive pressures, international expansion, and the company's ambitions for the years ahead.
AI
Voice AI
Startups
Jul 13, 2026
European Tech Roundup: 70+ Deals, €2.8B Raised
Europe's tech ecosystem recorded more than 70 funding deals totaling over €2.8 billion last week, led by cloud, fintech, and energy sectors. The UK dominated country-level rankings with €1.7B raised, followed by Germany and France. Here's everything that moved the needle.
European Tech
Funding Rounds
Venture Capital
Jul 11, 2026
Bluesky Makes Toni Schneider Its Permanent CEO
Toni Schneider has officially dropped the 'interim' from his title at Bluesky, committing full-time to the decentralized social platform. The former Automattic CEO and True Ventures partner says he's 'all in' on the company's unconventional approach to social media.
Bluesky
Social Media
Leadership
Jul 11, 2026
Fizz Expands Lawsuit, Accuses Maveron VC of a Leak
College social app Fizz has broadened its legal battle against competitor Sidechat, alleging that a Maveron venture capitalist shared confidential business information — obtained during a private fundraising meeting — directly with the rival startup. The case raises serious questions about investor confidentiality obligations in competitive markets.
college tech
Fundraising
legal
Jul 11, 2026
Two Billion-Dollar Deals Headline a Big Funding Week
AI infrastructure and cybersecurity led venture activity this week, with SambaNova and Keyfactor each landing $1 billion rounds. Quantum computing, clean energy, and crypto infrastructure also attracted significant capital, rounding out a packed week for startup funding.
Venture Capital
AI
Cybersecurity
Jul 10, 2026
Oratomic Raises $300M for a 20,000-Qubit Computer
Quantum startup Oratomic has closed a $300 million funding round to develop a fault-tolerant quantum computer with a dramatically lower qubit requirement than conventional approaches. The round was co-led by ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, and Khosla Ventures. The company's architecture claims to achieve viable quantum computation at just 20,000 qubits — a fraction of what most competing designs demand.
Quantum Computing
Funding
Oratomic
Jul 10, 2026
Gradium Lands $100M AI Voice Seed With Nvidia
Gradium, a Paris-based competitor to ElevenLabs in the AI voice space, has closed a massive $100M seed round with Nvidia among its backers. The raise signals surging investor appetite for European AI audio technology. Here's what we know.
AI Voice
Startups
Funding
Jul 10, 2026
Lyzr Used Its Own AI Agent to Run Its $100M Fundraise
AI agent startup Lyzr just closed a $100 million round — and let its own agent manage the process. It's a bold proof-of-concept that blurs the line between product demo and capital raise.
AI agents
Enterprise AI
Funding
Jul 9, 2026
Bezos-Backed Startup Bets Gaming Data Is the Key to AGI
General Intuition, a startup backed by Jeff Bezos, is betting that gaming data holds the secret to achieving artificial general intelligence. The company argues that LLMs like ChatGPT fall short on spatial and temporal reasoning — gaps that rich, interactive game environments could fill.
AGI
Gaming
AI Training Data
Jul 9, 2026
Lovable in Talks to Double Valuation to $13.2B
AI-powered app builder Lovable is reportedly in talks to raise $300 million at a $13.2 billion valuation — double its previous mark. The round is expected to be led by Menlo Ventures, signaling continued investor appetite for vibe-coding platforms.
Lovable
AI
Funding
Jul 8, 2026
Finto Raises $3.4M to Build AI Accounting Agents
German AI startup Finto has closed a $3.4M seed round backed by Y Combinator, Google's Gradient, and Lightspeed — and is doubling down on Munich over Silicon Valley. The company builds autonomous AI agents for core accounting tasks, targeting Europe's industrial mid-market.
AI
Fintech
Startups
Jul 8, 2026
Former OpenAI CPO Kevin Weil Joins Stoke Space Board
Kevin Weil, who recently departed OpenAI as Chief Product Officer, has joined the board of Stoke Space — a reusable rocket startup gaining serious Silicon Valley attention. The move signals growing tech-world appetite for next-generation launch companies beyond SpaceX.
Space
Startups
OpenAI
Jul 7, 2026
5 European Startups to Watch: bayshore, INXM, More
A fresh wave of European founders is making moves. Here's a quick rundown of five newly launched startups spanning AI, optics, and beyond that are worth keeping on your radar.
AI
Early-Stage
European tech
Jul 7, 2026
North American Startup Funding Hit $392B in H1 2026
Fueled by historic AI megarounds and a record-breaking SpaceX IPO, North American venture investment reached $392 billion in the first half of 2026 — a figure that dwarfs any prior period. Late-stage AI giants dominated capital flows, while early-stage funding also surged to a three-year high. Here's a full breakdown of what moved the needle in Q2.
Venture Capital
AI Funding
Startups
Jul 7, 2026
Display.dev Raises €470K to Build Drive for AI Agents
Tallinn-based Display.dev has closed a €470,000 pre-seed round to develop a document collaboration platform designed specifically for AI agents. The startup enables AI-generated content to be shared, reviewed, and updated through a human-in-the-loop workflow — without per-seat pricing.
AI agents
Document Collaboration
Enterprise AI
Jul 6, 2026
10 Startups to Watch at Cologne's Startup Summer Night
Ten early-stage companies are taking the stage at the Cologne Startup Summer Night, showcasing products and pitching innovative business models to visitors and potential investors. From AI tools to niche SaaS platforms, the event offers a firsthand look at Germany's emerging startup scene.
Startups
Germany
Cologne
Jul 3, 2026
Thiel Capital's Jack Selby Builds a $300M Arizona Fund
Jack Selby, a managing director at Thiel Capital, is quietly assembling stakes in high-profile AI startups like Etched through his Arizona-based venture firm Copper Sky Capital. The firm is currently raising a $300 million second fund, according to a new regulatory filing. Here's what we know about Selby's emerging investment thesis.
Venture Capital
AI
Startups
Jul 2, 2026
The 10 Biggest US Startup Funding Rounds This Week
U.S. startups closed a wave of major funding rounds during a shortened holiday week, led by a $1.75B strategic investment in energy infrastructure firm Joulent. AI infrastructure, compliance tech, and biotech also featured prominently across the top 10 deals.
Funding Rounds
AI
Energy