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Today in European Tech: Klarna and Hopin said to near monster rounds, EU Commission launches 'gig economy' consultation, and more

Robin Wauters 24 February 2021
Today in European Tech: Klarna and Hopin said to near monster rounds, EU Commission launches 'gig economy' consultation, and more
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Hello!

Here's what happened today in European Tech.

Deals

- Swedish fintech scale-up Klarna is looking to raise up $1 billion at a $31 billion valuation.

- UK-based virtual events platform Hopin is reportedly nearing the end of a Series C fundraise in which it is looking to raise roughly $400 million at a pre-money valuation of $5 billion.

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.

- Israeli storage processor and database acceleration company Pliops announced today that it has completed a $65 million financing round led by Koch Disruptive Technologies.

- NIL Technology, a Danish specialist in advanced optical solutions has carried out a financing round of €26 million. The financing was co-led by Jolt Capital, NGP Capital and Vaekstfonden, with EIC Fund as a new significant investor.

- Israeli online car buying company Gettacar today announced the closing of a $25 million financing round, bringing the amount raised by the company to $48 million.

- Munich-based startup Everdrop has raised an €18 million Series A funding round led by Felix Capital, with participation from HV Capital and Vorwerk Ventures, for its dissolvable cleaning tablet.

- Founda Health, an Amsterdam startup that says it’s bringing fintech-style ‘platformization’ to healthcare, has raised a $15 million seed funding round from an undisclosed group of healthcare and fintech entrepreneurs.

- We also tracked a large number of (other) European tech funding rounds and M&A transactions, all of which we are putting in a handy list for you on Friday afternoon in our weekly roundup newsletter (note: the full list is for paying customers only). Also check out our European tech news section for ongoing coverage.

Worth Reading/Knowing

- Today, the European Commission launched the first-stage consultation of social partners on how to improve the working conditions for people working through digital labour platforms.

- Spain is preparing to push forward with pro-startup legislation, having recently unveiled a big and bold transformation plan with the headline goal, by 2030, of turning the country into ‘Spain Entrepreneurial Nation’.

- The EU Commission proposed today a new Roaming Regulation, which will prolong the current rules that are due to expire in 2022, for another 10 years.

- The European Payments Initiative, a bank-backed joint venture that aims to build a rival to Mastercard and Visa, has put out a Request for Information for 'qualified technical partners' to help build its central infrastructure.

- Some of the best known tech companies in Ireland have teamed up with the University of Limerick (UL) for a new and radically different computer science course. More than a dozen tech companies, including Stripe, Intercom and Workday, are partnering with the university for its new immersive software engineering programme.

- German micromobility company Tier has teamed up with Northvolt, a Swedish supplier of battery cells and systems, to improve the sustainability of e-scooter batteries, reduce raw material needs and lower associated emissions.

- Wildberries is Russia’s dominant web store, and now its billionaire founder is targeting western Europe.

- Buy now, pay later schemes are expected to account for 10 percent of all UK e-commerce sales by 2024, according to data compiled by Worldpay.

- Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing plans to make its debut in Western Europe, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, as the company seeks new growth markets ahead of a long-awaited initial public offering.

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Today in European Tech: Klarna and Hopin said to near monster rounds, EU Commission launches 'gig economy' consultation, and more
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