Features/Profiles

This Week in European Tech: Klarna set for $31B valuation as business grows, idealista nabs €250 million, Lakestar's SPAC listing, and more

Robin Wauters 26 February 2021
This Week in European Tech: Klarna set for $31B valuation as business grows, idealista nabs €250 million, Lakestar's SPAC listing, and more
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Happy Friday!

This week, our research team tracked nearly 90 tech funding deals worth more than €1.6 billion, and about 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 round-up newsletter (note: the full list is for paying customers only).

Recently, we also started publishing 'Today in European Tech', a daily round-up 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 round-up 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 round-up in your inbox every Monday morning).

1) Klarna set to be valued at $31 billion as business grows

Swedish payments scale-up Klarna is close to finalizing a $1 billion funding round that would give it a valuation of $31 billion. The ‘buy now, pay later’ company this week reported a 40% increase in net operating income in 2020, helped by its expansion in the US and a couple of other markets, breaking the $1 billion income threshold for the first time.

2) Lakestar successfully listed its SPAC in Frankfurt

Star investor Lakestar's SPAC rose as it started trading in Frankfurt after raising €275 million in Europe’s largest-ever listing of a blank-check company focused on technology acquisitions.

3) Israel's MyHeritage acquired for $600 million+

US private equity giant Francisco Partners is acquiring Israel-based genealogy company MyHeritage. The companies didn't disclose the sum of the acquisition, but the deal is believed to be valued at $600 million and it may even increase further.

4) Well-known Euro entrepreneurs and investors filed for US SPAC listing

Filed! A couple of German entrepreneurs led by HelloFresh co-founder and CEO Dominik Richter are teaming up with a UK-based technology investor and dealmaker to list a $300 million SPAC in the US.

5) France's Serena bagged more than €300 million for its latest fund

French VC firm Serena has launched a new fund, Serena III, bringing the company’s available capital for early-stage and Series A startups to more than €300 million.

6) Shell takes over virtual power plant operator Next Kraftwerke

Subject to regulatory approval, Shell is to acquire all shares in German digital utility company Next Kraftwerke, buying from VC investors including High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Neuhaus Partners, as well as investors Dirk Freise and Martin Ostermayer. The deal reportedly values the company at €130 million.

7) Apax returns as an idealista investor with €250 million injection

Apax Partners, the majority owner of Spanish online real estate classifieds platform idealista until EQT acquired the company for €1.3 billion, has re-invested in the business, coughing up €250 million for a 17% stake.

8) Spain's Wallapop scored €157 million in fresh funding

Wallapop, a virtual marketplace based out of Barcelona, has raised €157 million at a valuation of €690 million. The funding was led by Korelya Capital, a French VC fund backed by Korea’s Naver, with Accel, Insight Partners, 14W, GP Bullhound and Northzone — all previous backers of Wallapop — also participating.

9) Brandwatch was acquired by Cision for $450 million

UK-based Online consumer intelligence and social media listening platform Brandwatch has been acquired by Cision, best known for its media monitoring and media contact database services, for $450 million, in a combined cash and shares deal.

10) Fastned nabbed €150 million in funding to boost growth of its EV charging network

Fastned, the Amsterdam-based company that’s been developing fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles across Europe since 2012, has raised €150 million though an accelerated bookbuild offering to boost its growth.

Podcast:

tech.eu Podcast #208: Bodyguard against toxicity, no SPACs for Klarna, gig economy in Europe, and more

Bonus link:

- Fintech innovation, open banking, fraud and bubbles: an interview with Maxpay CEO Artem Tymoshenko

- So you’ve got an idea for a startup, but no technical chops? Don’t let that stop you

This Week in European Tech: Klarna set for $31B valuation as business grows, idealista nabs €250 million, Lakestar's SPAC listing, and more
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