Plural

Exciting news! 💥 Thrilled to share that we’ve raised a fresh €400M fund to continue backing the most ambitious founders on consequential missions to change the world through technology. This new fund signals a strong belief in the quality of founders and companies emerging from Europe by some of the most sophisticated LPs on both sides of the Atlantic. In our first 18 months, we’ve invested in 26 transformative companies across 6 countries, including Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and US. These exceptional teams are making important progress across a range of sectors, including AI (e.g. Robin AI or Unitary) frontier tech (e.g. Proxima Fusion or VSPARTICLE ), climate & energy (e.g. Field or Isometric)) and health & tech bio (e.g. Sano Genetics or Teton), and we’re honoured that they’ve chosen Plural to join them on their transformative journeys. We’ve now raised €660M in total to back important missions and have a GDP-level impact in Europe, address systemic risks and reduce the opportunity gap worldwide through the companies we back. Thanks to everyone who has been part of the Plural journey so far. We’re just getting started! https://lnkd.in/epxdmQAG

As leaders prepare to meet in Munich for MSC 2025, Europe stands at a historic turning point.    China is growing more assertive, challenging our economies and our freedom. Russia wages war on Ukraine and on the principles that define us: democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Iran continues to finance and spread terror around the world – and even rogue states like North Korea gain new strength as the world order shifts.    The United States remains a vital centre of the Western world, a nation with whom Europe shares essential bonds of history, culture, and values. But the stance of the new administration towards Europe has irreversibly shifted – from providing protection to demanding self-reliance.    The world has changed drastically within the past twelve months. Europe's security and prosperity can no longer be outsourced. They must be built, defended, and sustained by us. We must steel ourselves to meet the realities of a changing world order.    It is time for a strong Europe.    We must learn to use our existing strengths in trade, global telecommunications, pharma, and semiconductor technology. These strengths are geopolitical levers. A continent with over 500 million people must not be bullied around.    We must systematically invest in new strengths, including nuclear fusion, AI, and semiconductors. This means applying private and public funds. But it especially means that experienced founders must put their minds to those problems that give Europe the most leverage.    We have to take our defence seriously. European governments need to stop investing in weapon systems of the past and finally start committing to new technologies like drones, AI, and advanced autonomous systems. These are not R&D efforts. These capabilities exist now. Deterrence is a race we cannot afford to lose.    In the coming months, Helsing will announce a number of large strategic projects, aimed at securing European sovereignty. We want to give Europe its spine back. We are sick of Europeans being bullied. And we are sick of the learned helplessness that is starting to creep in.    We are proud to be Europeans. The world has benefitted greatly from our continent, the culture, unity, history, and prosperity which define it.     As European governments are still grappling with the new reality, you will see Helsing take substantial risks. We want Europe to be ready. And we will make it happen.    Niklas Köhler  Torsten Reil  Dr. Gundbert Scherf For a strong Europe.

🎉 Happy 10th birthday to Starship Technologies and congrats on building the global leader in autonomous delivery. The exceptional team, led by co-founders Ahti Heinla & Janus Friis, have revolutionised last-mile delivery, making it affordable and sustainable on a global scale. A few milestones to put the first decade of Starship’s innovation and autonomous robots into context: 💥 More than 10 million miles driven  💥 More than 7 million deliveries completed (groceries, hot food, industrial supplies) 💥 More than 150,000 daily crossings (3 crossings per second) 💥 Operating in over 150 global service areas, including cities, campuses and industrial sites

Thanks to Accel's Sonali De Rycker for a great conversation with Taavet on stage at Visionaries Club #VisionariesUnplugged in Paris for a deep dive into Europe’s core strengths (talent, ambition + exceptional founders) and how we level the playing field to build the world's next tech powerhouse.

Introducing Resilience Factories, Helsing's high-throughput manufacturing plants designed to give nation states local and sovereign production. The first plant, RF-1, has been completed in Southern Germany and currently has a production capacity of 1,000 HX-2s per month. We are also proud to announce the additional production of 6,000 HX-2s for Ukraine. This is on top of the 4,000 strike drones currently being delivered and in operational use. The new HX-2 batch will be produced at the RF-1 Resilience Factory. Europe needs precise mass and Helsing will deliver it together with our partner nations across the continent. Press release: https://lnkd.in/et2Yzx_F Website: https://lnkd.in/eVu2sFP9

So great to see two of Europe’s most innovative companies coming together to strengthen our technological leadership in AI and to ensure the security of our democracies.

“There’s real appetite for change in this space. One billion people are affected by brain disease, so the stakes are very high… It’s not like other organs where access isn’t an issue. You can’t just take an extra slice, or you might take away a patient’s ability to speak, to walk, to recognise their loved ones. Precision is a key element and micorobots will be able to do just that.” Joana Cartocci, Co-founder and COO of Robeauté, on how the neurosurgical microrobots Robeauté is building will transform brain interaction and intervention through minimally invasive treatment. Full interview by Bloomberg News’s Tom Mackenzie below. https://lnkd.in/esd2FZ_n

Yesterday evening, I had the honour of being invited to 10 Downing Street by the Prime Minister to celebrate the UK’s AI ecosystem alongside fellow entrepreneurs, operators, and investors. It was my first time at Downing Street, and I won’t lie—I had butterflies walking through the door and up the stairs. I even wore a suit and tie for the first time in a while! It was inspiring to see the UK government actively engaging with startups and industry leaders to ensure we’re harnessing the enormous potential of AI. As the founder of a global business, I’m deeply committed to supporting AI ecosystems worldwide—because AI isn’t just transforming industries, it’s reshaping economies, and we all have a role to play in getting it right. But as exciting as the evening was, one thing stood out to me: Looking around the room, I think I was the only Black guest at the event. I’m sure others were invited and may not have been able to attend, but it’s a reminder that if we’re serious about the UK leading in AI, we need to tap into the full breadth of talent we have. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and Britain has so many brilliant Black professionals (far more talented than me) - I really hope that as the AI ecosystem continues to grow in the U.K., more of them are able to participate and lead. I left Downing Street feeling both grateful and motivated. Grateful to have had even a brief audience with the Prime Minister, his team, and the UK’s tech community. And motivated to continue building world-class AI products—because I want the UK and the US (my new adopted home) to win in AI, and I’m going to give everything I’ve got to help make that happen. 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

We're proud to announce the open-source release of VMEC++, a modern version of the Variational Moments Equilibrium Code (VMEC) rewritten in C++ by Proxima Co-Founder Jonathan Schilling and Enrico Guiraud, with thanks to Matt Landreman and Alan Goodman for their initial tests and feedback. VMEC++ is an important new tool, ready for the next generation of stellarators, and it’s our first major contribution to the open-source software community. It is also our encouragement to other members of the fusion community to share source code for physics software that can accelerate the entire field. Read all about it and access the source code and documentation:

For a few times last year I was on stage in front of hundreds of European founders, suggesting they should read the Draghi Report, because it is important and worth their time. Frankly, I don’t get to say that about EU publications too often. Today it is great to see Ursula von der Leyen outline the European Commission’s roadmap for putting innovation at the heart of European renewal. This is basically an execution plan for that same Draghi Report. There are already extraordinarily capable, driven and ambitious founders in Europe absolutely going for it at companies like The Exploration Company, Helsing, Monumental and Proxima Fusion, VSPARTICLE to name just a few. There’s no question that we have the talent, audacity and ideas that can win. These are the founders who transform our world, literally. And have a visible boost to European GDP while at it. If Europe can build and scale more startups like these, which will also enhance our technological sovereignty and competitiveness, they will be a critical engine for growth and prosperity across the continent - for every European, not just those of us in tech. Even the AI developments in just the last few days have shown that the technological lead of major US companies is not insurmountable. We easily compete on new company creation, but putting Europe in the same league for scaling outcomes as our American friends have shown possible will require significant work. Founders build business, not governments. Yet, regulation is still a piece of the puzzle when it comes to European growth, and measures like the 28th regime for a pan-European legal entity will make this a significantly simpler market to build from. Lowering hurdles and removing friction for our most potent businesses will be critical, as will unlocking access to risk capital at scale. We do not have the luxury to wait long for these changes to happen, so the measures and urgency outlined by Von der Leyen are a very strong starting point and show real ambition. As a friend of mine often says (quoting in turn his friend Dizzee): Europe, stand up tall. https://lnkd.in/dQeyjrZw