Meet the 5 space tech firms vying to be Europe’s next launch provider

Jul09
by on July 9, 2025 at 3:28 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized


Five rocket companies will compete for contracts to provide Europe’s next launch services — and boost the continent’s troubled access to space. The European Space Agency (ESA) selected the quintet, who will now contend for two types of contracts: Providing launch services for ESA between 2026 and 2030. Demonstrating upgraded launch capabilities, including at least one flight test. The initiative — named the European Launcher Challenge (ELC) — aims to expand Europe’s pathways into the cosmos. In recent years, these routes have been painfully limited. When the Ariane 5 rocket was retired in July 2023, ESA was left with no independent…

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Funding focus: Biotech dominates Netherlands’ top 10 rounds in H1 2025

Jul09
by on July 9, 2025 at 7:00 am
Posted In: Uncategorized


Funding focus is a new series analysing cash flow into the European tech ecosystem. After debuting with a look at the biggest rounds so far this year, we now turn to the largest deals in the Netherlands for H1. Startups in the Netherlands raised just $503mn (€429mn) in the first quarter of this year — the lowest quarterly total since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dealroom data. But three months later, the outlook has improved. Total funding for the first half of 2025 hit $1.4bn (€1.2bn). That’s down from $1.8bn (€1.54bn) at the same point last…

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Exclusive: Finnish startup raises €25M to put a ‘Donut’ motor in EV wheels

Jul07
by on July 7, 2025 at 9:13 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized


Finnish startup Donut Lab has secured €25mn in seed funding to scale up its in-wheel hub motors for electric land, sea, and air vehicles.  Alongside the investment, Donut Lab is opening an R&D hub in Chippenham, UK. Risto Siilasmaa, serial tech investor and former Nokia chairman, has also joined the company’s board. Marko Lehtimaki, Donut Lab’s CEO and co-founder, said the investment signals a continued demand for the company’s technology. “It demonstrates to us [founders] what we have always believed, that our tech solution is truly groundbreaking,” he said.   Donut’s flagship innovation is a hollow hub motor dubbed, you guessed…

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Finland taps new AI satellite to track toxic algae from space

Jul03
by on July 3, 2025 at 11:49 am
Posted In: Uncategorized


Tech startup Kuva Space is working with the Finnish Environmental Institute (Skye) to analyse the health of the Nordic country’s waters with a specialised satellite.  The pilot test will harness Kuva’s hyperspectral sensors, which can analyse a wider light spectrum than traditional sensors. From space, the company’s probe can read the spectral signatures of almost any material on Earth — including toxic cyanobacteria. Also known as blue-green algae, these tiny organisms proliferate in Finland’s lakes and seas during summer. In high concentrations, they can be harmful and even fatal to humans and other animals.  However, cyanobacteria are visually indistinguishable from…

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French-Swiss software merger to mint Europe’s latest unicorn

Jul02
by on July 2, 2025 at 2:03 pm
Posted In: Insider


French software firm LumApps is set to merge with Swiss counterpart Beekeeper in a deal that will create a new business valued at over $1bn. LumApps, which calls itself an “intranet super app,” offers a platform that helps staff at large firms manage internal communications and workforce apps.  Meanwhile, Beekeeper provides a mobile platform that helps companies engage with their frontline workers via tools such as messaging, shift scheduling, and workflow automation.  Combined, the two firms plan to create an “employee hub” covering a broad spectrum of job roles, from doctors and truck drivers to customer service agents.  Once merged,…

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