Leah Hodgson

Europe’s two-tier funding environment is leading to a crisis in its early-stage market, creating a bottleneck that could starve the next generation of founders. In its recent report on European founders, VC firm Antler noted that the number of startups launched in the region is accelerating, but fewer are receiving investor support. Mega-rounds are capturing an outsized share of VC dollars, leaving startups that aren’t on a hyper-growth trajectory strapped for cash. We spoke to Antler partner an

At HumanX Amsterdam, investors and founders made the case for choosing a few strategic layers rather than racing to replicate Silicon Valley.

Investors at HumanX say capital and consensus are choosing AI's leaders.

Image courtesy of Monzo The possible sale of UK neobank Monzo has revived fears that Europe is losing another homegrown success story to acquirers outside the region, as non-European investors account for an increasing share of VC-backed acquisitions. Over the weekend, reports emerged that Monzo was in discussions with New York-listed Nu Holdings, the parent company of Brazilian neobank Nubank, about a sale that could value the startup at up to £10 billion (about $13.3 billion). Last valued at £

Italian startups have raised a record €2.4 billion this year, but speakers at a tech event in Turin said a shortage of experienced operators and an aversion to failure are creating roadblocks to scaling.

Corporate and government buyers are the missing piece for startups’ growth.

Image courtesy of Iceye Momentum is building behind deep tech areas in European venture, with most of the fastest-growing verticals for VC investment falling into the category. According to PitchBook’s Q3 2026 European Venture Report, space tech and advanced manufacturing posted the biggest gains in terms of deal value this year. The former is currently pacing 273.8% above last year’s total, while the latter is on track to surpass 2025 by 188.7%. The verticals have benefitted from increasingly l

The UK is set to see a fresh wave of defence funding, with a new survey finding that 97% of companies in the space are likely to raise significant external funding over the next 12 months. According to a survey of 250 senior decision-makers, including primes and startups, by law firm White & Case, defence companies in the UK are ramping up capital expenditure to meet increased demand for new technologies. Of the surveyed businesses, 94% plan to invest more than £50 million (about $66.6 million)

Visionaries Club investor Isabella Yamamoto is joining Orbio AI, an AI-native HR startup focused on frontline workers, to lead its global expansion. Yamamoto will move full-time to the Spanish company and step down from its board, to be replaced by Johann Butting, a partner at Visionaries and former SVP of sales at Slack. She will remain a venture partner at Visionaries, which she joined in 2023, focusing on sourcing investment opportunities and talent. Sergi Bastardas, Isabella Yamamoto “Sergi

The UK government has revealed a raft of new measures, including changes to tax, visa and share schemes, designed to help grow the country's startup ecosystem.