# Deeptech

The latest news and analysis on Europe’s deeptech startups, including artificial intelligence, biotech, blockchain, quantum and SaaS.

Exclusive: Defence tech Project Q lands €15m Series A 11 months after last raise
Pro
Exclusive
July 14, 2026
Exclusive: Defence tech Project Q lands €15m Series A 11 months after last raise
Expeditions led the round, which also included German defence specialist Hensoldt and VC Heliad
Tom Nugent
Exclusive: Peec rival Promptwatch raises €6m seed round
News
July 14, 2026
Exclusive: Peec rival Promptwatch raises €6m seed round
The Amsterdam startup, which helps companies get noticed by AI chatbots, is expanding to the US
Éanna Kelly
‘When we see an opportunity, we’ll go for it’: Harvey’s VP of EMEA on M&A, hiring, and pushing beyond law
Pro
Interview
July 14, 2026
‘When we see an opportunity, we’ll go for it’: Harvey’s VP of EMEA on M&A, hiring, and pushing beyond law
The US unicorn has launched in new European markets this year with plans to double its headcount in the region by the end of 2026
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Anthropic recruits Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield for AI compute team
News
July 13, 2026
Anthropic recruits Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield for AI compute team
Challenger bank founder to take leave of absence from Y Combinator to join AI giant
Martin Coulter
Helsing raises $1.8bn backed by Goldman and Lightspeed
News
July 13, 2026
Helsing raises $1.8bn backed by Goldman and Lightspeed
Munich-based defence startup valuation ticks up to $18bn with latest round
Martin Coulter
Exclusive: Yann LeCun’s newly-launched fund shuts as exclusivity relationships emerge
Pro
Exclusive
July 10, 2026
Exclusive: Yann LeCun’s newly-launched fund shuts as exclusivity relationships emerge
According to documents seen by Sifted, the fund was planning to invest in early-stage startups across Asia, Europe and North America
Maya Dharampal-Hornby
‘Physical AI is Europe’s last chance to be useful to the world’
Pro
Analysis
July 10, 2026
‘Physical AI is Europe’s last chance to be useful to the world’
At Paris's Machina conference, European robot makers jostle for attention — and for an answer to the question: can the continent keep up?
Éanna Kelly
Over $500m in fresh funding, risks of “French state influence” and a 100x valuation: What Pasqal’s SPAC filings reveal
Pro
Analysis
July 10, 2026
Over $500m in fresh funding, risks of “French state influence” and a 100x valuation: What Pasqal’s SPAC filings reveal
The French scaleup is set to float on Nasdaq later this year thanks to a SPAC merger
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
‘We are at a systematic disadvantage in Europe’: Pasqal CEO on listing in the US
Pro
Interview
July 10, 2026
‘We are at a systematic disadvantage in Europe’: Pasqal CEO on listing in the US
The French quantum computing company is set to list on Nasdaq later this year via SPAC
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Not all ARR is created equal
Pro
Analysis
July 10, 2026
Not all ARR is created equal
ARR treats a euro from an individual consumer as identical to that from an enterprise
Maya Dharampal-Hornby
Europe’s newest defence unicorn raises $175m Series B
News
July 9, 2026
Europe’s newest defence unicorn raises $175m Series B
Kraken Technology Group designs and manufactures maritime technologies and vehicles for coastal security
Tom Nugent
World Fund, IQ Capital among backers of €91m QuantumDiamonds round
News
July 9, 2026
World Fund, IQ Capital among backers of €91m QuantumDiamonds round
The Munich-based company builds semiconductor-inspection equipment to improve yield production for global chipmakers
Tom Nugent
Nvidia backs voice AI startup Gradium, bringing seed round to over $100m
News
July 8, 2026
Nvidia backs voice AI startup Gradium, bringing seed round to over $100m
The Paris-based startup spun out of non-profit AI research lab Kyutai seven months ago
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Exclusive: Lovable in talks to raise $300m at $13.2bn valuation
Pro
Exclusive
July 8, 2026
Exclusive: Lovable in talks to raise $300m at $13.2bn valuation
Sifted understands US-based Menlo Ventures is set to lead the round
Maya Dharampal-Hornby and Freya Pratty
Liz Kendall: ‘I’d love to stay as UK tech secretary’
Podcast
July 7, 2026
Liz Kendall: ‘I’d love to stay as UK tech secretary’
Liz Kendall sits down with John Thornhill on the latest episode of the Sifted podcast
John Thornhill and Maya Dharampal-Hornby
Meet 2026’s award-winning women building deeptech startups
Sponsored by
July 7, 2026
Meet 2026’s award-winning women building deeptech startups
Last month in Brussels, three founders were announced as winners of the European Prize for Women Innovators
Sponsored by: EIT
IQM investors applaud ‘very good’ debut on public markets
Pro
Analysis
July 7, 2026
IQM investors applaud ‘very good’ debut on public markets
The Finnish quantum scaleup became Europe’s first publicly traded quantum company when it floated last week
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Hive raises $15m for ‘silicon brain’ that cuts hourly cost of running machines by 80%
News
July 7, 2026
Hive raises $15m for ‘silicon brain’ that cuts hourly cost of running machines by 80%
The Norway-founded startup is now looking to take its ‘Silicon brain’ to the UK and US
Mimi Billing
ElevenLabs targets $22bn valuation with fresh share sale, reports say
News
July 3, 2026
ElevenLabs targets $22bn valuation with fresh share sale, reports say
AI voice startup said to be in early talks with investors for tender offer more than doubling its price tag
Martin Coulter
Mapped: the AI labs taking over King’s Cross
Pro
List
July 3, 2026
Mapped: the AI labs taking over King’s Cross
The area is home to a fast-growing cohort of buzzy labs
Freya Pratty and Tom Nugent
Bending Spoons CEO on $18bn IPO: ‘We’re building a legendary institution’
Pro
Interview
July 3, 2026
Bending Spoons CEO on $18bn IPO: ‘We’re building a legendary institution’
Sifted sat down with founder Luca Ferrari and investor Baillie Gifford as the Italian scaleup debuted on the public markets
Martin Coulter and Freya Pratty
The two bets founders are taking in physical AI
Opinion
July 2, 2026
The two bets founders are taking in physical AI
Neither approach is obviously right or wrong, and there are strong teams and real capital behind both
Enzo Wälchli
Drone maker Quantum Systems raises $1.2bn, eyes humanoids
News
July 2, 2026
Drone maker Quantum Systems raises $1.2bn, eyes humanoids
The scaleup has hit an $8bn valuation
Anne Sraders
Anthropic release puts science startups on the defensive
Pro
Analysis
July 2, 2026
Anthropic release puts science startups on the defensive
The US AI giant has unveiled a new set of tools designed to automate scientific research
Freya Pratty, Éanna Kelly, Martin Coulter and Tom Nugent

# Deeptech

Exclusive: Defence tech Project Q lands €15m Series A 11 months after last raise

Exclusive: Peec rival Promptwatch raises €6m seed round

‘When we see an opportunity, we’ll go for it’: Harvey’s VP of EMEA on M&A, hiring, and pushing beyond law

Anthropic recruits Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield for AI compute team

Helsing raises $1.8bn backed by Goldman and Lightspeed

Exclusive: Yann LeCun’s newly-launched fund shuts as exclusivity relationships emerge

‘Physical AI is Europe’s last chance to be useful to the world’

Over $500m in fresh funding, risks of “French state influence” and a 100x valuation: What Pasqal’s SPAC filings reveal

‘We are at a systematic disadvantage in Europe’: Pasqal CEO on listing in the US

Not all ARR is created equal

Europe’s newest defence unicorn raises $175m Series B

World Fund, IQ Capital among backers of €91m QuantumDiamonds round

Nvidia backs voice AI startup Gradium, bringing seed round to over $100m

Exclusive: Lovable in talks to raise $300m at $13.2bn valuation

Liz Kendall: ‘I’d love to stay as UK tech secretary’

Meet 2026’s award-winning women building deeptech startups

IQM investors applaud ‘very good’ debut on public markets

Hive raises $15m for ‘silicon brain’ that cuts hourly cost of running machines by 80%

ElevenLabs targets $22bn valuation with fresh share sale, reports say

Mapped: the AI labs taking over King’s Cross

Bending Spoons CEO on $18bn IPO: ‘We’re building a legendary institution’

The two bets founders are taking in physical AI

Drone maker Quantum Systems raises $1.2bn, eyes humanoids

Anthropic release puts science startups on the defensive