Funding rounds are getting crowded

VCs are crowding each other to get cheques into hot startups

15 defence startups to watch in 2026, according to VCs

From hypersonic missiles to micro ocean robots, a host of defence startups are catching VCs’ eyes

Iran war puts Europe’s air defence startups in the spotlight: ‘The gap is impossible to ignore’

A number of European startups like Tytan Technologies, Cambridge Aerospace and Frankenburg Technologies are aiming to build cheaper air defence systems

Europe’s growth fund push

A number of recent growth fund announcements aim to fill the homegrown late stage funding gap

Inside the booming secondaries market in Europe: 'Who isn’t selling?’

Secondaries investors report premiums for the most in-demand names

Vinted, ElevenLabs, Iceye: Inside Europe’s hottest secondary sales

'Some people are asking, who is selling secondaries? It's the wrong question. Who is not selling?'

UVC Partners raises €77m first close of new growth fund in ‘move into multi-stage investing’

The VC is planning to launch more, and larger, funds in the future

9 Bulgarian startups to watch in 2026, according to VCs

VCs from Bek Ventures, Eleven Ventures and BrightCap share the startups they’re eyeing

Yann LeCun's AI startup raises $1bn seed round backed by Nvidia and Temasek

The announcement confirms Sifted reporting of the chip titan and Singaporean firm’s involvement

Middle East investors will remain ‘important’ source of capital, says top European LP

EU faces scrutiny as €5bn Scaleup fund shortlist nears

Much of the speculation around who will steer the fund has centred around Swedish investment firm EQT

Iran war underscores the ‘urgency’ for Europe to build its defence capabilities, VCs say

“Iran, Israel and the US are using military technology that are still R&D-ing Series A startups in Europe,” says one VC

NATO tech accelerator's search for new chief drags on, sparking complaints

The accelerator has had three different managing directors in the last year

Air defence startups Frankenburg and Tytan raise €30m each from Plural, NATO Innovation Fund

Anti-drone startups announce funding rounds on fourth anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine

Can European VC portfolios weather a SaaSpocalypse?

If older SaaS companies fail to compete with AI-native startups, it could leave VCs sitting on portfolios that aren’t growing at the pace LPs like to see

Quantum Systems founder sold stake in ARX Robotics prior to launch of similar product

The incident reveals a tangled web of investors and rivals in the new defence tech ecosystem

Insiders report ‘very anti-US vibe’ at Europe’s top defence conference

VC attendees say the Munich Security Conference ‘felt like Slush’

Are world models Europe’s chance to win in AI?

Europe has lagged big US language model developers, but some believe it has a chance to get ahead with world models

The climate VCs due a fundraise in 2026

Not all LPs have cooled off the climate tech sector

Defence ‘top of the agenda’ for Denmark’s sovereign LP fund

Denmark’s sovereign fund EIFO is one of Europe’s most active LPs

Mining startup Hades raises €15m as demand for critical minerals heats up: ‘Europe is incredibly vulnerable’

The startup, which aims to mine critical minerals and sell geothermal energy, is valued at €67.5m

The VCs that could run the EU’s €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund

The European Innovation Council is looking for investors who’ve managed at least €500m and two funds

UK defence prime BAE Systems launches incubator, ‘actively looking’ into VC fund investing

The company says it welcomes competition with Europe’s new defence startups and is eyeing VC fund investing

Salaries soar ‘astronomically’ as defence techs fight for talent

Defence startups are under pressure to woo talent amid a supply-constrained market