These were the 10 biggest European tech stories this week

Happy Friday!

We sincerely hope you and yours are keeping healthy and safe. Please take care of yourself and others.

This week, our research team tracked more than 40 tech funding deals worth more than €1.2 billion (thanks to Just Eat Takeaway.com), as well as under 10 M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe, including Russia, Israel, and Turkey.

Meanwhile, here's an overview of the 10 biggest European tech news items for this week:

1) Just Eat Takeaway.com, the company created by the merger of the Dutch food delivery behemoth Takeaway.com and the UK-born Just Eat, has picked up an extra €700 million through issuing new shares and convertible bonds. Also, following an investigation the UK’s Competition Market Authority announced that it’s finally cleared the £6.2 billion merger deal itself.

2) In a sign of the robotic process automation market’s continued strength in the face of an economic downturn, UK-based Blue Prism has announced that it has raised £100 million in equity financing at a valuation of around £1 billion.

3) The UK Government has announced a £1.25 billion package to support startups with the current Covid-19 pandemic. On Monday, the Chancellor unveiled the support packages which includes a £500 million investment fund for high-growth companies impacted by the crisis, made up of funding from government and the private sector.

4) Vestiaire Collective, the French creator of a global clothing resale platform, has secured €59 million in financing to pursue its mission of “keeping clothes out of landfill”. Investments came from existing shareholders and new ones, such as Korelya Capital, a Paris-based VC backed by Korean technology conglomerate Naver, Vaultier7, Cuir Invest, and funds managed by Fidelity International.

5) France asked Apple to remove a technical obstacle that it says is delaying a government contact-tracing application designed to contain the coronavirus spread.

6) And related to the above: Concerns are growing over the privacy implications of a major scheme to develop COVID-19 contact-tracing apps in Europe and beyond.

7) Alan, a Paris-based digital health insurance provider, has closed a €50 million Series C round led by Singapore’s Temasek, with support from other investors such as Index Ventures. The funding brings the company’s total amount raised to €125 million.

8) ForgeRock, a Norway-born digital identity company now headquartered in San Francisco, has raised $93.5 million in a Series E round led by Riverwood Capital. Existing investors such as Accel, Meritech Capital, Foundation Capital and KKR Growth also participated.

9) Israeli VC firm S Capital has closed a $ 120 million venture capital fund. The fund, headed by managing partners Aya Peterburg and Haim Sadger, will invest in innovative deep technology companies.

10) Adverity, a Vienna-based marketing analysis platform, has raised $30 million in a Series C round led by existing investor Sapphire Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Other existing investors participated, too: aws Gründerfonds, Felix Capital, SAP.iO and Mangrove Capital.

Podcast:

tech.eu Podcast #165: Hectic week for Amazon in Europe; PEPP-PT and contact-tracing apps; Exeger and future of self-charging gadgets

Bonus link:

The PitchBook Q1 2020 European Venture Report is out: "Venture capital deal activity started the new decade admirably with the fourth-strongest quarter ever in terms of deal value". In addition to data on investment activity, the report includes analysis of fundraising, exits and healthcare deals.