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Quantum Startups in Europe Set to Raise Record Funding in 2025 The quantum technology sector is on an upward trajectory, with global quantum startups raising $2.4bn in 2024 — a sharp increase from the $1.7bn in 2023. While European startups saw a more modest $669m this year (down from $793m in 2023), 2025 is projected to break all previous records. 🚀 Quantum computing, which has been studied for decades, is finally gaining momentum thanks to tech breakthroughs and significant government support across Europe and the US. As more resources are funneled into the sector, startups will face fierce talent battles with big tech players as they compete to attract and retain the best engineers and scientists. Read the full article from Sifted here: https://lnkd.in/etuCkHdw At A-Point Partners, we’re excited about the opportunities this quantum wave presents. 🌍 Our team is well-positioned to help startups in this space navigate the complexities of scaling their operations, securing funding, and building resilient talent acquisition strategies. With expertise in strategic advisory, financial modeling, and capital raising, we can support startups in achieving sustainable growth while remaining competitive in an increasingly crowded market. As European quantum startups prepare to raise record funding, APP is ready to align with their ambitions. Whether it’s guiding businesses through capital-raising processes or creating innovative operational solutions, we’re here to help startups unlock their full potential in this groundbreaking field. 💡 #QuantumComputing #TechStartups #Innovation #InvestmentStrategy #TalentAcquisition #StrategicAdvisory #CapitalRaising #FutureOfTech #ApointPartners #QuantumTechnology #VentureCapital #DeepTech #EmergingTechnologies #Startups #TechInvestments #EuropeanStartups #ScalingStartups #BreakthroughInnovation #QuantumGrowth

The Cambridge UK tech ecosystem has a value of $191 billion, more than the value of Spain and Italy’s tech ecosystems combined. Cambridge and Oxford have proven to be incredibly valuable contributors to UK and global innovation. This is why so many European governments want their leading universities to emulate Oxbridge. Meanwhile, Spain and Italy have done rather terrible jobs to date of enabling and nurturing tech success in their respective countries. https://lnkd.in/ebcNsqDN #vc #venturecapital #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #tech #technology #innovation #money #business

The European tech funding landscape just got more interesting, especially for startups focusing on deep tech! 🚀 1️⃣ The EIC ACCESS+ Community Hub has just opened a funding opportunity. Startups can secure up to €60,000 in co-funding. This is a crucial step to scale deep-tech innovations in Europe. Why isn’t everyone shouting about this? Check more on their official site. 2️⃣ The European Investment Fund sent seasonal greetings to its partners. They wish for a successful 2025 while committing to driving SME finance in Europe. Isn't it a great sign that collaboration is valued so highly? Take note as we navigate the funding terrain in tech. 3️⃣ Balancing holiday breaks and fundraising remains a struggle for European startups. Many entrepreneurs find it challenging to juggle festive downtime with crucial funding rounds. Are we acknowledging the stress that this cycle places on founders? Dive into the analysis on Tech.eu. 4️⃣ European AI startups have hit a milestone, attracting 25% of the region’s VC funding. That’s approximately $13.7 billion in 2024 compared to just 15% in 2020. Is AI becoming the golden child of European startups while others lag behind? Read more about the investment trends over at TechCrunch. 5️⃣ 360 Capital recently closed their new climate tech fund at €140 million. This fund will support innovation in renewable energy and climate-related technologies. Are we finally seeing the investment shift needed to face climate challenges head-on? Discover the details on Tech.eu. Are these developments paving the way for new opportunities in your startup journey? What are your thoughts on this evolving funding landscape? Share below! 👇 🫡 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://femaleswitch.app 🔈🔈🔈 🫵 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 #startups #femalentrepreneur #zerocode #ai

As we go into the quarter, great look back at how VC is faring in European markets. Unicorns? Yes. Europe birthed ~350 unicorns to date but currently has ~4,000 startups that show unicorn potential. @ noted in VCJ that we could see on the order of 10,000 -12,000 new tech startups out of Europe annually -- in the largest markets of UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Atomico's Tom Wehmeier provides some context around the state of startups for next decade citing "that in the first three quarters of last year, 65, 676 net new tech workers (for non-tech sectors) and 160,039 workers from inside the tech industry joined a climate or sustainability focused company in Europe; 48% and 178 percent, respectively." More details in Atomico's report with Crunchbase & Dealroom.co from end of 2023 here: https://lnkd.in/dzPjV5B Read Venture Capital Journal reporting from David Bogoslaw here: https://lnkd.in/eVc2tjD9 (Sign up for free subscription, he's worth the read.) #EU #VC #startup #deeptech #seed #nextup #unicorns #blackswans

We published our Q3 2024 in focus report this week, examining the key trends and data points from across European tech over the past three months. The H1 overachievers, climate tech and fintech, saw growth slow significantly in Q3. Climate startups grabbed €2.9bn in funding — enough for the sector to win the quarter but sharply down on a bumper Q1 (€15.6bn). Q3 was the worst quarter of the year for fintech after a Q2 resurgence, down 72% QoQ. Other key headlines: 💸 Total funding in Q3 summed to €11.5bn from 1,206 rounds, taking the total for the year to €59bn. Funding and deal count fell by 48% and 19% respectively compared to Q2. 📉 Equity financing summed to €10.3bn, 34% lower than Q2 and down on the same period last year. Debt financing raised in Q3 was €1.2bn from 30 deals, plummeting from €12.6bn in Q1 and €6.3bn in Q2. 👼 Pre-seed, seed and Series A deals accounted for 34% (€3.9bn) of total funding. The median pre-seed round size has jumped from €0.7m to €0.8m to €0.87m over the past three quarters — averaging growth of 11.7%. Late-stage investment fell by 70% on Q2 to €2.1bn. 🇬🇧 The UK (€3bn) led Germany (€2.4bn); France finished way back in third with €1.2bn raised. UK and French investment fell by 71% and 75% respectively but Germany’s grew by 12% on Q2. Munich (€1.2bn) received the second most capital by tech hub, only beaten by London (€1.9bn). 💉 Drug discovery (€980m), biotech (€703m) and electric vehicles (€562m) stole the show; while medtech (66), biotech (65) and foodtech (58) topped the deal count ranks. 🏅 Mercia Ventures was Europe’s most active private investor in Q3 with 22 investments, followed by Antler (20) and HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds (16). ➡️ Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eADhB_FS Thanks to all those who contributed! Éanna Kelly Federico Scolari Ruggero Di Spigna Hessa Alabbas Rebecca Lipman Amy Lewin Kai Nicol-Schwarz Sadia Nowshin Daphné Leprince-Ringuet Tom Matsuda Romy Schnelle #europeantech #q3 #startups

Calling all Oxford and Cambridge tech ecosystem stakeholders For our next UKTN report focusing on Oxford and Cambridge, we're collecting views, insights and experiences from as many people as possible to best represent the two tech ecosystems. So if you're involved in tech in Oxford or Cambridge in any capacity (founder, employee, investor, service provider, startup support etc), please complete the relevant survey below. ➡️ Oxford: https://lnkd.in/eSeAu5b8 ➡️ Cambridge: https://lnkd.in/ebuVZKuv Your responses will be anonymous by default, but you also have the option to: • Nominate 'key players' including ambitious startups, tech success stories, support organisations, investors • Put yourself forward to be named and quoted in the report itself • Share info about your own business for the opportunity to be included in the report Please share the survey with your networks and other relevant contacts. Please tag others in the comments for visibility Survey closes 14th August. #UKtech #Oxford #Cambridge #startups #V #journorequest

“There’s an urgent need for fundamental reform to remove the barriers inhibiting European tech and to create an environment in which startups can thrive.”   Writing for Maddyness, Thomas Rubens sets out a vision for the future of European tech – in which the innovation and potential of Europe’s startups is further unlocked through reforms to remove bureaucratic hurdles, harmonise markets and encourage growth capital.   Check out the full piece 👉 https://lnkd.in/edX5q6vn   #VC #Tech 

Northern Ireland's tech sector hit a record high in 2023, securing £143m in investment according to Catalyst research 🚀 This achievement stands out amidst a 54% downturn across the wider UK tech investment landscape. Steve Orr, Catalyst's chief executive, emphasized the remarkable evolution of Northern Ireland's tech ecosystem, which has transitioned from attracting a mere £5m in venture capital a decade ago to securing seven separate deals exceeding that figure in 2023 alone. Belfast emerged as a standout destination for tech investment, witnessing a remarkable 221% increase in VC funding between 2019 and 2023, surpassing any other UK city. Recent notable investments include £1.4m for AI molecule discovery firm AMPLY Discovery, £8.8m for software supply chain platform Cloudsmith, and £3.1m for wireless sensor startup Sensoteq. This positive momentum underscores Northern Ireland's potential to consistently produce innovative companies with high growth prospects, likely drawing even more investor interest in the future. --- Want to stay up to date with the DIA community? Sign up for the weekly DIA Dispatch through the link on our bio #NorthernIrelandTech #DigitalIrishAbroad #ireland #startups

Silicon Valley’s success can be attributed to a range of mutually reinforcing factors, many of which planted their seeds decades ago. These include lucrative government contracts, entrepreneurial universities nearby, and the accumulation of wealth and talent from tech giants such as Apple, Nvidia, and OpenAI. This kind of head start is difficult to replicate. US investors often plough millions of dollars into relatively early-stage companies, which are sums that other ecosystems simply cannot match. But startups typically first need to demonstrate traction with customers, usually in the form of sales revenue or user numbers. This is different from tech investment hubs such as Berlin and Scotland, where investors tend to only require a strong team with just an idea for the startup to be considered to have good potential for investment. The research suggests that this might be an underappreciated reason for Silicon Valley’s success. https://lnkd.in/gpK6QK-m #europe #emulating #siliconvalleys #tech #success #needing #change #startup #fundingmodel

**What bold moves can we make to empower Europe’s deeptech founders?** In the bustling world of innovation and technology, deeptech founders play a pivotal role in driving future advancements. However, as highlighted in a recent article, "Deeptech founders: Europe needs more courage," European startups are facing challenges that require not just innovation but also a bold mindset. While there’s no shortage of talent and groundbreaking ideas across the continent, many founders report feeling under-supported and hesitant to take the risks necessary for significant breakthroughs. The article argues that while Europe's tech ecosystem is thriving with potential, it lacks the courageous spirit that characterizes other global tech hubs. To cultivate a robust environment for deeptech entrepreneurs, we need to foster an atmosphere where risk-taking is encouraged and failures are viewed as stepping stones rather than setbacks. This shift in mindset can help European startups unlock their full potential. Investors are key players in this narrative; they need to step beyond traditional metrics of success and embrace a more patient approach when backing deeptech ventures. Technology often takes time to mature before yielding returns—understanding this could transform how funding flows into innovative startups. Additionally, collaboration between government entities and the private sector is crucial for creating support structures tailored specifically for deep tech development. With proactive policies that encourage investment at all stages—from seed funding through growth—the European Union has an opportunity to nurture its budding innovators effectively. Let’s open up this conversation! What strategies do you think would encourage deeper commitment from both investors and government officials? How can we collectively push for more ambitious goals within our innovation sectors? The urgency is clear; if Europe wishes to remain competitive on the global stage in technologies like quantum computing or AI-driven solutions, adapting quickly is vital. For those inspired by these discussions around corporate innovation tied with startup brilliance: Don’t miss out on connecting with pioneering startups taking big leaps forward! 🚀 Let’s collaborate! Book your meeting today 👉 https://lnkd.in/dFYwmbHq Join us as we explore these dynamics across Europe—your voice matters! #DeepTech #Innovation #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Investment #RiskTaking #CourageToInnovate #TechEcosystem #VentureCapital #FutureOfTechnology Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/dUWX7b7e