From Entrepreneurial Failures to Great Startup Insights

Hi?there,

In total we received 1,536 applications for the EU-Startups Pitch Competition. Can you imagine?! :) We are currently evaluating the results, and the 15 finalists will eventually join us on stage at this year's EU-Startups Summit.

If you missed out on applying, no worries, it will still be more than worth it for you to join us on April 24-25 in sunny Malta for networking with investors and future partners, insightful talks on both stages, and much more. Don't miss out!

And here are some other opportunities, startup news and insights that might spark your interest:

?? Last Chance to Apply: Applications for the European Startup Prize for Mobility are closing on February 11! Gain visibility, top investors, mentoring from BCG & Via ID, and access to EU decision-makers. Winners pitch at the prestigious Award Ceremony, while all applicants benefit from matchmaking with leaders like Mastercard, Europcar Mobility Group & the European Investment Bank. Apply now!

?? Entrepreneurial F*ck Ups: It's OK to fail, and we actually learn the most from failures. We are therefore planning a F*ck Ups Story panel discussion during the EU-Startups Summit. You failed big and are brave enough to talk about it on stage? Apply here.

? Future Startup Stars to Watch: This week, we turn our focus to Hungary, Italy, and Ireland, with the goal to introduce you to 10 of the most promising startups from each nation. Enjoy the read!

?? European Biotech Funding:?

• The German startup Akribion Therapeutics just raised €8 million to develop programmable cell depletion
• Copenhagen-based Enduro Genetics recently scored €12 million in funding to unlock the future of scalable bioproduction
• Barcelona-based KOA Biotech just made a splash with €2 million to fight fish farm infections.

?? This Week's AI Funding Rounds:

• Oslo-based Tana just raised €13.6 million to develop a voice-powered workflow.
• London-based Semeris secured €4 million to meet demand for GenAI in FinTech.
• Zurich-based SAEKI bagged €6.4 million for autonomous factories to supercharge industry in Europe.
• Copenhagen-based LegalTech startup Pandektes raised €2.9 million to automate the European legal sector.
• Paderborn-based assemblean scored €1.8 million to revolutionise manufacturing automation.
• Tallinn-based DriveX raised €1.2 million for its AI windshield damage detection.
• Prior Labs just secured €9 million for foundation models for spreadsheets and databases

?? New Speaker Spotlight I: We’re excited to announce that we'll host a super insightful panel discussion on Cybersecurity at our upcoming EU-Startups Summit, where Madeline Lawrence (Aikido Security), Michal Tresner (ThreatMark), and Samuel Hassine (Filigran) will share their expertise on cyber resilience, fraud prevention, and threat intelligence. Don’t miss the chance to learn from these visionary leaders - secure your ticket today!

?? New Speaker Spotlight II: We’re happy to share that Amir Kaplan, Founder & CEO of ifeel, will speak at the EU-Startups Summit! He founded ifeel in 2017, a mental well-being solution designed to help enterprises integrate mental health into their corporate strategy. Under his leadership, ifeel has grown into a leading Series B startup with over 400 team members.

?? EU-Startups Podcast: Don't miss episode 103 where we catch up with Robert Gaal, Founder of Vesper, an Amsterdam-based growing library of unique narrative games created by some of your favourite storytellers.

?? Putting in the hours: Yesterday, we asked our 115k LinkedIn followers: "Founders, CEOs & Team Leaders: How many hours do you usually work per week?" The results might surprise you. :)

That's it for this week. Have a lovely weekend!

Best regards,

Thomas