Happy Friday!
This week, our research team tracked over 80 tech funding deals worth about €1.2 billion, and more than 25 M&A transactions, rumours, and related news stories across Europe, including Russia, Israel, and Turkey.
As always, we are putting all of them together for you in a handy list sent in our roundup newsletter (note: the full list is for paying customers only).
Recently, we also started publishing 'Today in European Tech', a daily roundup of deals and news stories that caught our attention. Keeping you updated on all things EU tech is our priority!
Today, instead of a daily roundup we give you an overview of the 10 biggest European tech news items for the past week (subscribe to our free newsletter to get this roundup in your inbox every Monday morning).
1) Renesas to acquire Dialog for nearly €5 billion in cash
Japanese company Renesas has agreed to buy the Anglo-German chipmaker Dialog Semiconductor for €4.9 billion in cash, boosting its position in low-power technology and connectivity across smart devices, cars and industry.
Renesas is trying to buy Dialog for $6 bln less than two years after taking over IDT. Booming demand for chips used in cars makes another acquisition strategically appealing, but the financial logic looks less impressive. @mak_robyn https://t.co/pmCMjusxlp pic.twitter.com/pF7Mz565sQ
— ReutersBreakingviews (@Breakingviews) February 8, 2021
2) Rocket Internet is storming ahead with its SPAC plans
Rocket Internet Growth Opportunities, a blank-check 'SPAC' company whose management team includes members of Rocket Internet’s leadership, plans to go public on the New York Stock Exchange in a $250 million deal, according to a Form S-1 filing.
Rocket Internet is doing a SPAC? Of course it is. https://t.co/1i6sIVn395
— hussein kanji (@hkanji) February 10, 2021
3) Straight outta Switzerland, Nexthink is Europe's latest unicorn
Nexthink, a Swiss enterprise software firm founded 17 years ago, has reached unicorn status in a fresh funding round as the coronavirus pandemic significantly increased demand for its products. The company, which specialises in digital employee experience (or ‘DEX’) management software, has secured $180 million in a Series D financing round at an enterprise valuation of $1.1 billion.
Way to go! 🚀🚀🇨🇭 EPFL spin-off Nexthink becomes the new Swiss unicorn https://t.co/vmWAd2rnYR via @EPFL_en #Swisstech #VDtech cc @NexthinkNews pic.twitter.com/75e8kPqwM5
— EPFL Innovation Park (@EPFL_Park) February 9, 2021
4) Branded exits stealth mode with $150 million in funding
European Amazon FBA business Branded Group has come out of stealth with $150 million in funding, saying that since quietly opening for business in mid-2020 it has already acquired 20 startups in categories like home, leisure and lifestyle across Europe, United States, and Asia.
Branded, one of the many startups focused on rolling up smaller e-commerce businesses, has picked up $150m in funding. The fundraise adds to the pool of “e-commerce consolidators”, which includes the likes of @Berlinbrands & @thrasio.
via @TechCrunch https://t.co/8JCzleITh4— Hampleton Partners - Tech Dealmakers (@TeamHampleton) February 10, 2021
5) Israeli cybersecurity firm CYE gets $120 million from EQT, others
Israeli cybersecurity firm CYE has completed a $120 million series A funding round led by EQT Private Equity. This is the first time the giant European PE firm, which in 2018 secured $13.3 billion for its eighth fund, has invested in an Israeli company.
Congrats to @CyesecLtd who announced today a $100M funding round! Check it out on @TechCrunch :https://t.co/myK6XvTlzc
— GK (@GK_PR) February 10, 2021
6) ECB not so keen on Big Tech firms dabbling with crypto-currency
The European Central Bank (ECB) has issued a stark warning on the involvement of Big Tech firms in cryptocurrency projects, cautioning that such moves could jeopardise privacy, create further risks to competition and even “endanger monetary sovereignty”.
Very well @Lagarde and @ecb keep an eye 👁 on those big tech
Difficult to trust them #platforms
Bottom line: big tech want to make always more cash 💰 for their shareholders and not act for common good or common interest..
illusion to think that #cryptocurrency #CryptoNews 😊 https://t.co/FDDUrITQcl— Umberto GAMBINI 🇪🇺🏴🇪🇺🇮🇹🇪🇺 (@UGambini) February 11, 2021
7) Swedish last-mile delivery startup Instabox scores $90 million
Instabox, a Stockholm-based company providing last-mile deliveries for e-commerce brands, has closed a $90 million Series B round led by EQT Ventures to fuel continued expansion within and outside of the Nordics.
Last-mile logistics startup Instabox has raised $90m in a Series B funding round led by EQT Ventures. https://t.co/ZUGKSAzv1w
— Verdict (@VerdictUK) February 10, 2021
8) Europe plans massive semiconductor factory to maintain independence
The EU is considering building an advanced semiconductor factory in Europe in an attempt to avoid relying on the US and Asia for technology at the heart of some of its major industries.
The European Union is considering building an advanced semiconductor factory in Europe in an attempt to avoid relying on the U.S. and Asia for technology at the heart of some of its major industries. https://t.co/Sof0XsYwwE
— Francesca Bria (@francesca_bria) February 11, 2021
9) More powder for European startups as Finch closes €150 million fund
Finch Capital, a VC based in Amsterdam and London, has announced the first close of its €150 million fund, Europe III, which will go to fintech and AI companies shaping the future of finance.
🚨 New fund from 🇳🇱 Netherlands
Finch Capital (.@FinchCapital) announced a new €85M fund 'III' backed by undisclosed LPs.
Focus: Fintech,AI at Series A,Series B-C stage.https://t.co/QNGFcYAWJr— euroVC bot 🇪🇺🚀 (@Euro_VC) February 9, 2021
10) European Commission keen to catch up with US, China tech ecosystems
The European Commission wants to tap the bloc's multibillion-euro coronavirus recovery fund to support a series of technology projects in areas where European firms have fallen behind competitors in the United States and Asia.
European officials hope pandemic recovery funding will help key tech companies catch up with global competitors. On the wishlist: Chips, secure comms, supercomputers and more. https://t.co/SH34csbnVb
— Laurens Cerulus (@laurenscerulus) February 9, 2021
Podcast:
tech.eu Podcast #206: Alex Kayyal of Salesforce Ventures, money for Nothing, SPAC news, and more
It's time to get out of Clubhouse and tune in for https://t.co/4YiMRBC5gw Podcast!
In today's episode:
🎙 @robinwauters talks to @alexkayyal from @SalesforceVC
International;
❓ that's a lot of money spent on @nothing;
…and of course some SPAC news.https://t.co/IsefpjJ8Pr— tech.eu (@tech_eu) February 12, 2021
Bonus link(s):
- Examining the impact of COVID-19 on the European fintech industry
- Five innovation hubs in CEE you may never have heard of, but ones to watch next
- A single pitfall the early stage VCs should not fall into in 2021
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