It’s been another busy week in the world of European startups. Here were the big stories you should know:
? SoftBank was at it again: The Bank of Japan has plowed $800m into UK supply chain finance business Greensil. What does Greensil really do? In short, it helps suppliers get paid early.
? The biggest beast is the Amazon. He led a $575 million funding round for food delivery giant Deliveroo. Read more about the new gig economy here.
? The lab-grown meat was sizzling; Israeli start-up Alef Farms, which produces steak from beef cells, 12 million.
+ International agricultural trader Cargill participated in the round; A sign that traditional meat suppliers are preparing for a major shift in consumer tastes.
+ Meanwhile, American plant-based burger company Impossible Foods raised 300 million this week.
+ But Aleph isn’t the only European startup in the sweat-shopped meat game: here are others. ?
? It’s official.Berlin-based travel business GetYourGuide has become the latest European startup to be funded by SoftBank, in a $484m round. Sifted entered the “Kraken” by looking at whether it would become a central part of the travel industry like Airbnb or Skyscanner.
? A Swedish team with experience in Klarna, Spotify and iZettle Raised €8M for their startup, which helps consumers refinance existing consumer loans.
?️ Dublin-based Glofox, which makes management software for fitness studios and gyms; €11.5m raised. The boutique fitness market is growing at 25 percent.
? Swiss cannabis pure start – which bills itself as Europe’s largest cannabis producer – has struck a lucrative deal with a Scottish CBD supplier to distribute its products in the UK.
More than fundraising???
? Another electric scooter arrived on the streets of Europe – This time thanks to the sprinter Usain Bolt
? Lily is airborne; The company has conducted the first test flight of its five-seater prototype flying taxi. The electric jet just took off and landed again, but this is a big step for the company. This now allows them to request permission to fly from the aviation authorities.
? Jenny Gillander, founder of the popular Tingtesting Instagram account; She left an investor-backed VC to turn her career into a business, evaluating startups’ products. Here’s how.
? The two Barcelona Innovation Conferences – Sonar + D and 4 years from now – launched a mini-accelerator program for startups in creative industries.
? The UK and Swedish standards attract the most funding in EuropeAccording to Tech Nation’s latest rush report. If you can guess that, do you know which measurement sectors employ the most people in the UK?
? Digital banks Tide, Monzo and Starling have escaped In the latest round of funding from the UK government to boost competition in the business banking sector. Instead, nationally, Investec and Co-op Bank took home the money. Klarna’s CEO has called on the Swedish government over stolen identities and customers spiraling into unsustainable debt. (Swedish)
? Data platform Beauhurst reckons that 70% of equity deals in the UK in 2018 went unreported. Unsurprisingly, smaller early-stage deals are less likely to be made public.
Web Summit, Europe’s largest technology conference; It is recruiting for a series of roles in its Dublin and Lisbon offices. The Lisbon team gets an unusual advantage: a garden.
