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 60 tech funding deals worth more than €700 million, as well as over 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 (subscribe to our free newsletter to get this roundup in your inbox every Monday morning):

1) Contentsquare, a French startup that meshes AI with predictive analytics to give brands insights into how consumers are interacting with their websites and apps, has raised $190 million in a series D round of funding.

2) CarTrawler, a Dublin, Ireland-based provider of car rental and mobility solutions to the travel industry, has secured €100 million in a controlling equity investment from TowerBrook Capital Partners.

3) Future Fund, the UK government’s £500 million answer to startups’ need for cash to survive coronavirus, launched this week – but risks freezing out a swathe of British firms, entrepreneurs and investors have warned.

4) The valuation of Monday.com, an Israeli startup that makes software to help employees work remotely, has jumped to $2.7 billion, according to Bloomberg sources, managing a 42% increase since it last raised money even as many startups confront down rounds.

5) Fly Now Pay Later, a London-based payment provider for the travel sector, has raised £35 million in a Series A round led by Revenio Capital, with participation from Shawbrook Bank and BCI Finance, two institutional debt providers in specialist finance.

6) Ecwid, the Russia-born startup that sells e-commerce tools directly and via third parties like Square and Wix, letting businesses build e-commerce experiences on their own websites and apps, as well as via Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Google, and more, has raised $42 million from Morgan Stanley and PeakSpan Capital.

7) Helsinki-based Happeo, a social intranet platform, has raised $12 million in a Series A round led by INKEF Capital. Previous investors DN Capital, Maki.vc and Vendep Capital also joined the round. The funding will accelerate the Nordic startup’s product development and grow its teams in the Netherlands, Finland, Romania and the US.

8) More than five years after starting the company, Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield is stepping down as CEO of the UK challenger bank to take up the newly created role of president.

9) Israeli-born startup Aqua Security, which provides security solutions for app infrastructure, has landed $30 million in a funding round led by Greenspring Associates.

10) Arculus, the German modular production platform, has closed a €16 million Series A round led by Atomico with participation from Visionaries Club and previous investors La Famiglia. The company will use the investment to strengthen product development, broaden its customer base and prepare for a global rollout.

Podcast(s):

tech.eu Podcast #169: Matthew Goldstein of M12; crash course in RPA with TeRoCo + tech.eu Podcast Special: Let’s talk to startups in smart city and mobility

Bonus link: British tech startups have raised £1 billion since the lockdown, but only £52 million has gone to those trying to raise investment for the first time, according to new research released by Plexal and Beauhurst.