Financiación, unicornios y venture capital.
According to Crunchbase data, the second quarter of 2026 has brought the highest number of exits of startups valued at over $1 billion since the 2021 boom. SpaceX's IPO and the acquisition of Cursor for $60 billion mark a historic milestone.
The British Business Bank (BBB) will allocate £400 million annually to UK scaleups through a new co-investment program with private investors. The initiative aims to close the growth-stage funding gap, strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem and competing with global hubs like Silicon Valley.
The British Business Bank (BBB) has announced a £90 million investment in 10 European venture capital funds, and is also considering joining the EU's Scaleup Fund, a €5 billion vehicle. This dual bet aims to strengthen the British entrepreneurial ecosystem after Brexit, but also raises questions about alignment with European policies.
Base Power, an a16z-backed startup, is bypassing the congested grid interconnection queue by placing batteries in customers' homes. In exchange for storing energy and returning it to the grid when most needed, it offers free backup and lower rates. A decentralized solution that promises to alleviate energy infrastructure bottlenecks.
Vishal Sikka, former CEO of Infosys, has launched a startup backed by Mayfield and Aramco Ventures that aims to revolutionize traditional IT services through intensive use of artificial intelligence and automation. The company brings together veterans from SAP, Infosys, and VianAI, posing a direct challenge to established business models.
The startup Acumino, selected by DeepMind for its robotics accelerator, has closed an $11.7 million seed round. This move reflects the growing interest of tech giants in AI-driven robotics, with potential to transform industrial and service automation.
A TestGorilla study reveals that 95% of hiring leaders prioritize 'AI fluency,' but 59% have already made a hiring mistake. Startups, which should leverage their agility, are repeating bad corporate practices and paying a high price.
Meta has started developing Arena, a smartphone app focused on prediction betting, directly competing with Polymarket and Kalshi. The project, led by Mark Zuckerberg, aims to leverage Meta's user base to popularize prediction markets, though initially it will use a points system with no monetary value.
EU Inc. proposes a single corporate status for startups in the EU, with incorporation in 48 hours and a maximum cost of 100 euros. While it promises to reduce regulatory friction, experts warn it doesn't solve all problems and its implementation will require prioritizing key areas such as the tax treatment of stock options.
At VivaTech 2025, startup leaders, investors, and European politicians have sent a clear message: cooperation between countries is essential to compete with the United States and China. Initiatives like the pan-European co-investment fund and the shared talent network mark a paradigm shift.
Although non-AI venture capital contracted by 40% in Europe in Q1 2026, the cost of launching a startup has dropped dramatically thanks to low-code tools, ecommerce platforms, and AI agents. This makes the current moment one of the most favorable in history to start a business.
France has announced a third phase of the Tibi program, channeling €13 billion from institutional investors into tech startups. The model, which does not use public money directly, aims to strengthen the country's technological sovereignty and serve as a benchmark for Europe.