Vcs

• European unicorn founders and venture capitalists sent an open letter to lawmakers urging them to create a robust, unified corporate status for companies operating across the European Union. • The signatories warn that the proposed "EU Inc" framework must not be watered down during current negotiations to ensure it provides a competitive legal structure. • A strong EU-wide corporate status would allow startups to scale across borders without navigating 27 different sets of national company laws.

• European venture capitalists identified 12 AI biotech startups to watch in 2026, focusing on areas like clinical trial automation and biological foundation models. • Isomorphic Labs raised $2.1 billion in its Series B financing, marking the largest investment ever for an AI drug discovery company. • This funding surge indicates a massive shift in capital toward AI-driven drug discovery, surpassing previous total venture investments in European biotech.

• Top European venture capitalists have identified 17 deeptech startups to watch across sectors including AI, quantum, defense, climate hardware, and industrial technology. • Among the highlighted firms is SiC Systems, a company founded at the Technical University of Denmark by Professor Mansouri and co-founder Savoie, a former architect of Siri's software. • SiC Systems successfully secured over $2.3 million in funding, with investment led by QDNL Participations and supported by Propagator Ventures, Plug and Play, and Wavepeak Ventures.

• Top venture capitalists have identified 10 UK fintech startups to watch, covering sectors such as AI payments, treasury, compliance, lending, and open banking. • The report highlights that UK and European fintechs currently hold the highest median pre-money valuations across all tech sectors, averaging approximately €12.4 million. • This valuation trend is most prominent in early-stage and Series A-B funding rounds, where investors are prioritizing experienced teams with proven track records.

• Global venture capital firms, including U.S.-based Sazze Partners and Singapore's Axiam Asia, are significantly increasing investments in South Korea's deep tech sectors, specifically AI, robotics, and semiconductors. • Key funding rounds include AI company Upstage securing 180 billion won (~$122.7 million) in a Series C round in April and video AI developer Twelve Labs completing a 150 billion won (~$102.2 million) Series B round this month. • This surge in foreign capital highlights the growing global competitiveness of South Korean deep tech startups and their ability to attract top-tier international investors like a16z.

• AegisAI has secured $36 million in Series A funding led by Battery Ventures to develop AI agents capable of detecting and blocking sophisticated spear-phishing attacks. • The investment addresses the growing threat of cybercriminals utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs) to automate and scale malicious activities. • This funding round highlights a broader 2026 trend of "AI mega-rounds" and a shifting focus on how venture capitalists assess revenue for AI-driven startups.

• South Korean venture capital firms are aggressively investing in local semiconductor material startups to capitalize on the escalating global AI chip race. • This surge in funding is driven by the intensifying competition for dominance in artificial intelligence hardware and the critical need for advanced materials. • The trend highlights South Korea's strategic effort to strengthen its domestic supply chain and reduce reliance on foreign semiconductor components.