These were the 10 biggest European tech stories this week

Happy Sunday!

Our research team tracked 53 tech funding deals worth more than €418 million, as well as 14 M&A transactions and 2 IPOs across Europe, including Russia, Israel, and Turkey.

We listed every single deal in our weekly newsletter (note: the full newsletter is now available to paying subscribers only). Here’s an extra overview of the 10 biggest European tech news items for last week:

1) German transportation booking platform GoEuro has landed a whopping $150 million funding round led by Kinnevik and Temasek, with participation from Hillhouse Capital. The current round nearly doubles the total amount raised by the company since its launch in 2012.

2) Apple CEO Tim Cook has upped the ante in the privacy conversation by calling for the US to adopt “comprehensive” privacy laws similar to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. In a speech in Brussels on Wednesday, Cook said that it is “time for the rest of the world” to follow a similar framework which protects the personal information of users.

3) German smart home startup tado°, known mostly by its wall-mounted and radiator thermostats, has secured $50 million in funding from Amazon, E.ON, Total Energy Ventures, Energy Innovation Capital, Inven Capital, the European Investment Bank, and others. This round brings the total amount raised by the company to $102 million.

4) On-demand transportation giant Lyft has acquired UK-based Blue Vision Labs to double down on its efforts for building self-driving vehicle technology. The size of the deal, which sees Lyft opening its first office in London, was not disclosed.

5) Berlin-based e-scooter startup TIER has secured a €25 million funding round led by Northzone, with participation from existing investors SpeedInvest and Point Nine. The company is planning to use the funds to fuel its expansion across Europe.

6) Nasdaq-listed network and cloud security provider Check Point Software Technologies has acquired Tel Aviv-based cloud cybersecurity company Dome9 Security, the company announced Wednesday. The company did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but one person familiar with the matter who spoke with Calcalist on condition of anonymity put the sum at $175 million to $200 million.

7) Uber will raise £200 million ($260 million) to help all of its drivers in London transition to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025. The company unveiled plans Tuesday to tackle air pollution in Britain's capital, including a 15 pence per mile charge on each trip booked in London and incentive payments to its drivers.

8) US-based cybersecurity company Fortinet has acquired ZoneFox, an insider threat detection and response company headquartered in Edinburgh. Founded in 2012, ZoneFox protects companies’ sensitive data and IP from bad actors within the organisation, as well as from accidental leaks.

9) Stockholm-based game development company Resolution Games that focuses on augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has raised $7.5 million in funding at a post-money valuation of $87.5 million. The round was led by MizMaa Ventures, with participation from GP Bullhound, Fly Forever, GV, Partech, Bonnier Ventures, Creandum, Sisu Game Ventures, and the founder of Unity David Helgason.

10) China’s Wingtech, the world’s largest smartphone contract manufacturer, is acquiring Dutch semiconductor firm Nexperia by buying a majority stake from its Chinese owners for 25.2 billion yuan ($3.63 billion).

Podcast: Listen to episode #92 - Google and the European Commission; Saudi money in European tech; interviews with TravelPerk’s Gidi Pridor and Readdle’s Igor Zhadanov; and much more

Bonus link: Inside Europe’s quest to build an unhackable quantum internet (Wired) - An ambitious project in the Netherlands aims to use quantum technology to foil hackers who try to spy on data flowing through the internet’s pipes.