From a record-breaking AI seed in Paris to Croatian drones and Lithuanian food tech, Europe’s startup ecosystem had a busy week. The week of 9-15 March was exceptional for European venture capital. Two deals, in London and Paris, accounted for nearly three billion dollars. Beyond the headline figures, the week highlighted where European investor confidence now sits: AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, health tech, defense, and cross-border commerce all secured meaningful rounds. The geography spanned from Vilnius to Zagreb to the Swiss Alps, but the themes felt distinctly contemporary.
Here are the ten most significant funding rounds in Europe this week.
1. **Nscale – €1.7 billion Series C | London, UK**
€1.7 billion, or $2 billion, is the largest European funding round of the week and the largest equity round ever raised by a European startup. Investors include Nvidia, Citadel, Dell, Nokia, Jane Street, and Point72, alongside lead backers Aker ASA and 8090 Industries. Founded in 2024, Nscale builds vertically integrated AI infrastructure. The Series C values the company at $14.6 billion. This round follows a €1.1 billion debt facility signed in February.
2. **AMI Labs – $1.03 billion seed | Paris, France**
Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) announced its $1.03 billion raise on 10 March, four months after founding. Chaired by Yann LeCun, the founding team includes former Meta AI researchers. Investors include Nvidia, Samsung, Toyota Ventures, Jeff Bezos, and Eric Schmidt. AMI has no product or revenue yet, with the first year devoted entirely to research.
3. **Isembard – £37.5 million Series A | London, UK**
Less than a year post-seed round, Isembard raised £37.5 million ($50 million) to expand its AI-powered factories network, focusing on aerospace and defense sectors. The round was led by Union Square Ventures, with participation from Tamarack Global and others. Isembard owns and operates its facilities and runs franchise-operated sites based on its proprietary MasonOS.
4. **Waiv – $33 million | Paris, France**
Waiv, a spinout from biotech company Owkin, launched independently along with a $33 million funding round. It develops AI-powered precision testing tools for oncology. Waiv focuses on enhancing existing clinical workflow tests, and its products include various cancer prediction tools.
5. **Qevlar AI – $30 million Series A | Paris, France**
Qevlar AI’s platform manages security alerts at speed, reducing investigation time significantly. Founded in 2022, it raised $30 million in a round co-led by Partech and Forgepoint Capital International. The new funds will support geographic expansion and product development.
6. **Saltz – €20 million Series A | Vilnius, Lithuania**
Saltz aims to modernize the fragmented European food distribution sector. It connects restaurants and professional kitchens with food suppliers via a single platform. Saltz raised €20 million in Series A funding and plans to hire over 100 people by the end of 2026.
7. **Outpost – $17.5 million Series A | London, UK**
Outpost, built by former Revolut executives, raised $17.5 million to simplify cross-border commerce. Led by Ribbit Capital, the platform handles payments and tax compliance, minimizing merchants’ liability.
8. **Orqa – €12.7 million Series A | Osijek, Croatia**
Orqa, a drone maker, raised €12.7 million in Series A to enhance its first-person-view drone systems. The company designs and manufactures its components in-house, producing NDAA-compliant drones.
9. **Seprify – €13.4 million Series A | Fribourg, Switzerland**
Seprify develops cellulose-based ingredients for industrial use. Its €13.4 million Series A includes Inter IKEA Group as a backer. The funds will support production expansion and customer development.
10. **Lemrock – €6 million seed | Paris, France**
Lemrock integrates commerce within conversational AI environments. Founded in 2025, it raised a €6 million seed round led by Galion.exe. The company works with over 60 brands across Europe and the US.