€55M for European battery recycling, Accel closes $650M fund, and Norwegian startups to watch

This week our research tracked more than 85 tech funding deals worth over €426 million, and 5 exits, M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe. In addition to this week’s top financials, we’ve also indexed the most important/industry-related news items you need to know about.

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💸 Notable and big funding rounds

🇩🇪 Cylib raises €55M in largest-ever funding for European battery recycling

🇬🇧 UK: PolyAI raises $50M for call centre voice assistants

🇦🇹 Enspired secures €25.5M for trading platform

🫱🏽‍🫲🏻 Noteworthy acquisitions and mergers

🇵🇱 The sporty Hamburg software company Sport Alliance is taking over the Polish company PerfectGym

🇩🇪 The Fürth-based Microsoft app company Solutions2Share is taking over the Cologne-based remote startup bNear

🇩🇪 Munich-based Holidu acquires the Spanish vacation rental portal Clubrural to expand in the tourism sector

🚀 Interesting moves from investors

💸 Accel’s eighth fund closes at $650M

💰 Norrsken unveils €320M for “impact entrepreneurs”

💰 Capital D closes Fund 2 with a further €156M to invest in innovative, fast-moving startups

🔨 VC and construction giants host construction sector’s biggest startup competition

🇵🇹 Shilling launches €50M opportunity fund for growth-stage startups

🤖 Amsterdam’s Innovation Industries launches new €500M fund to back deep-tech startups and scale-ups in Benelux and Germany

💸 Roundtable launches micro fund-as-a-service platform for easy VC fund creation

🗞️ In other (important) news

🤖 NVIDIA partners with ORCA and PNSC in quantum push

🖥️ UK firms gain access to European supercomputer funding

💰 Senior executive stands down from roles at card consolidator Curve

📡 Recommended reads and listens

🇨🇭 CUTISS skintech offers life changing hope for burn victims

🌎 Mobilising private capital to address the world’s greatest (climate) challenges’: Carbon Equity CEO Jacqueline van den Ende is on a mission

🇳🇴 10 Norwegian startups to watch in 2024

♻️ Binit slashes household waste with gamified AI trash tracking

🚲 Invest in the future: BeTriton is the electric amphibious RV redefining travel

🔭 European tech startups to watch

🇳🇱 Refreshworks raises €750,000 to boost AI transformation in Dutch businesses

🇬🇧 Eco-friendly nappy brand Peachies raises £1.4M

🇬🇧 Future By Insects received £120,000 from Carbon13

🇱🇹 Liledu’s eco-friendly toy subscription expands to UK with €500,000 investment

🇬🇧 AimHi Earth secures £1M to provide employee sustainability training