Tech Weekly

• MIT spinoff Apollo Atomics has raised $31 million in seed funding to develop compact nuclear reactors that are smaller and faster to manufacture. • Founded in 2025 by Assil Halimi and Drew Walker, the Cambridge-based startup secured $26 million in equity and $5 million in debt. • The funding round was led by FCVC with additional backing from Y Combinator, Robinhood Ventures, Telesoft Partners, Alumni Ventures, and Nucleation Capital.

• Over €763 million was invested across more than 35 tech funding deals in Europe last week, alongside 10+ exits and M&A transactions. • Software led the funding surge with €355.3 million, followed by security at €265.7 million and transportation at €88.2 million. • The UK emerged as the top destination for capital with €393.5 million, followed closely by Sweden with €349.4 million and Denmark with €9.5 million.

• Uber is expanding its partnership with autonomous-driving firm Pony.ai to accelerate the deployment of its robotaxi ambitions. • The collaboration allows Uber to scale driverless mobility services by leveraging Pony.ai's specialized technology rather than developing all components internally. • This move signals a strategic shift for autonomous taxis, transitioning them from experimental pilot projects into viable, real-world transportation services.

• European tech funding saw a surge last week, with over 35 deals totaling more than €1 billion and five exits or M&A transactions. • Key highlights include Bending Spoons' $1.3 billion acquisition of Airtable, marking the company's first major post-IPO deal. • Smaller seed rounds and grants were distributed across the region, including $500,000 for Turkey's kayIQ.ai, €270,000 for Bulgaria's Estel Technologies, and £75,000 grants for UK startups PetPact and Souuthe.

• Data center operator Switch has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, according to a report from Bloomberg News. • Separately, OpenAI has identified a serious risk regarding the ability of advanced AI models to perform complex technical tasks related to cybersecurity. • While these capabilities can aid in strengthening digital infrastructure, OpenAI warns they could be misused to discover or exploit critical system vulnerabilities.

• AI defense startup Hadrian raised $1.4 billion in a funding round, bringing its total valuation to $7.9 billion to modernize US defense and aerospace manufacturing. • AI chip startup Olix secured $312 million in new funding, reaching a valuation of $3.3 billion. • These investments highlight a surge in capital for AI-driven hardware and industrial infrastructure aimed at challenging market leaders like Nvidia.

• ThreatLocker CEO Danny Jenkins highlighted the company's zero trust security platform in the latest STACKUP weekly tech wrap. • The report provides a comprehensive overview of recent funding rounds and operational milestones for several startups, including Simile and Eliyan. • These updates track the growth and financial health of emerging tech companies, offering insights into current investment trends within the security and technology sectors.