Startup news for the weekend week 12/26

Funding

EU funds nuclear technologies and fusion energy with 330 million euros

The European Commission has adopted the 2026-2027 work program of the Euratom research and training program and is providing a total of 330 million euros to promote nuclear technologies. A focus of €222 million is on accelerating fusion energy, including through the establishment of public-private partnerships, support for start-ups and the promotion of research and specialists with the aim of subsequent commercial use. A further 108 million euros will be invested in nuclear fission, for example in safety research, waste disposal and innovative materials. In addition, projects in nuclear medicine and measures for training and recruiting specialists will be supported. The program is intended to contribute to the EU's energy independence, competitiveness and carbon neutrality by 2050 and is in line with existing European strategies for the development of clean technologies.

Awards & Events

NRW 2026 Environmental Business Award launched. Applications open

The Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and NRW.BANK have opened the application phase for the Environmental Business Award.NRW 2026. Small and medium-sized companies from North Rhine-Westphalia can apply until June 30; a total of 60,000 euros in prize money will be awarded. The prize is awarded to market-ready products, services or processes that combine economic success with environmental and climate protection. The aim is to make innovative companies in the environmental economy more visible and to promote sustainable transformation. Conditions of participation at: https://www.nrwbank.de/de/umweltwirtschaftspreis-nrw/index.html

AXEL Startup Demo Day presents energy startups in Karlsruhe

At the "Startup Demo Day" of the energy accelerator AXEL - Der Energie-Accelerator des Netzwerks fokus.energie e.V., a total of 13 startups from Baden-Württemberg will present their technologies for the energy transition at the FZI House of Living Labs on March 31. The solutions range from intelligent energy storage and AI-supported optimization to hydrogen and battery storage to concepts for CO₂ storage and grid analysis. The event brings together founders, investors and representatives from business and research and provides insights into new technologies and business models for a sustainable and digitally networked energy industry.

Mergers & Acquisitions

ProSiebenSat.1 exit for kairion and esome

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE is selling its stakes in the digital companies esome and Kairion to Pivotum Capital in order to focus more strongly on its core entertainment business. While esome specializes in connected TV and digital campaign solutions and Kairion operates as a retail media platform, particularly in the healthcare sector, both companies are to continue their development under the new owner. The transaction is expected to be completed in April 2026.

cisbox and Millum form pan-European source-to-pay provider

Software companies cisbox and Millum have announced their strategic merger to create a pan-European provider of source-to-pay solutions. The combination expands their presence in the DACH region and the Nordics and combines their complementary strengths in procurement, invoice processing and payment processing into one integrated platform. Main Capital Partners remains the majority shareholder and is continuing to drive forward its buy-and-build strategy in the software market with this transaction. The aim is to build a comprehensive "Office-of-the-CFO" platform for medium-sized companies.

JUMA beverage brand to be transferred to Berentzen Group for scaling

As part of a strategic exit, food42morrow GmbH has sold the JUMA beverage brand it developed to Vivaris Getränke GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of the Berentzen Group, as part of a strategic exit. The aim of the transaction is to drive forward the further scaling of the functional lifestyle drink. JUMA was conceived as a tea-based hydration drink with electrolytes, vitamins and caffeine without added sugar and has achieved initial success in German retail since 2025. A special feature is the resealable aluminum bottle, which is considered an innovative packaging solution. With the integration into the structures of the Berentzen Group, the brand is to be continued under the name JUMA Recharge+ from May 2026 and established more broadly on the market while retaining the original concept.

Cooperations & partnerships

FINEXITY cooperates with Circus Group on capital market financing

Finexity AG has entered into a long-term financing partnership with the Circus Group. The aim is to establish a scalable, capital market-based financing path for the AI robotics company, with FINEXITY acting as lead manager for structuring, placement and digital processing. As a first step, a seven-digit, asset-backed financing was implemented via a sale-and-leaseback model. The partnership is expected to enable further bond financings in the future and expand access to private and institutional investors to accelerate the growth and rollout of Circus' robotics solutions.

Personnel

Avelios Medical appoints Remy Lazarovici as Chief Commercial Officer

Munich-based HIS provider Avelios Medical has appointed Remy Lazarovici as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). In this newly created position, he will be responsible for the entire customer journey, from business development and sales to implementation, project management and long-term customer support. Lazarovici previously worked at process mining company Celonis for more than twelve years, where he managed the DACH region and built up international go-to-market structures, among other things. With this appointment, Avelios Medical aims to further strengthen its sales and partner strategy.

Sophie Genty becomes CEO of PERBILITY

HR software provider PERBILITY GmbH has appointed Sophie Genty as CEO. She succeeds founder Andreas Meck, who is moving to the Supervisory Board. Genty brings many years of experience in the HR tech sector, most recently as CEO of compleet GmbH, and will drive the next phase of growth with a focus on AI integration, product innovation and expansion in regulated markets. In particular, PERBILITY aims to further strengthen its position as a provider of GDPR-compliant HR solutions for industries such as finance and public administration.

More exciting news

New program for knowledge transfer in the social sciences

With the "Catalyst GER" program, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and seven other universities are launching an initiative to promote knowledge transfer from the social sciences and humanities. The aim is to bring research results with social benefits more into practice, for example through spin-offs, consulting services or initiatives. The three-stage training program includes an online course on transfer opportunities, an in-depth workshop phase for selected project teams and intensive funding for the most convincing project. The background to this is that there are currently fewer established paths for the practical implementation of social science findings. The program aims to strengthen bridges between science, society and public institutions and achieve a sustainable impact.

Bayern Monitor: Bavaria and Munich lead the way for start-ups

The "Bavaria Startup and Scaleup Monitor 2026" shows that Bavaria is the leader in Germany with 4,406 active startups and 785 new startups in 2025. The center is Munich with 2,445 companies, which has established itself as the second German startup hotspot alongside Berlin and is ahead in terms of investment (2.7 billion euros vs. 2.4 billion euros). The region is particularly strong in DeepTech and DefenseTech, with over €1 billion in investments in 2025. At the same time, the study shows a need to catch up in terms of internationality: English is only the working language in 46% of Munich startups (Berlin: 67%). Overall, the report underlines Bavaria's role as an innovative location, but points to a need for further internationalization and financing.

Wasteer expands its AI portfolio for waste recycling

The Berlin-based company Wasteer has added two AI-based modules to its solution portfolio: composition analysis and bunker management. The modules complement existing camera systems and software for object recognition and provide thermal waste recyclers with data for calorific value analysis, plant control and throughput optimization. Customers such as EEW Energy from Waste GmbH, AEB Amsterdam Waste to Energy and Returkraft are already using the new modules to gain transparency about deliveries, implement variable price models and stabilize the bunker mix. The technology supports operators in making their operations more efficient and meeting regulatory requirements.

Sweden launches AI hub in Gothenburg

Sweden is pushing ahead with its AI strategy with the new AI Gothenburg hub in Gothenburg, which is due to open in 2026. The initiative is being implemented by private entrepreneurs together with partners such as Business Region Gothenburg, Business Sweden and NVIDIA. The aim is to create a central location for the development and scaling of AI start-ups, where founders can work closely with industry and technology partners. The focus is on rapid commercialization and practical implementation of AI applications, especially in sectors such as mobility, energy and industry. The initiative is part of the national AI strategy and aims to strengthen international competitiveness and attract talent and investment.