Startup News for the Weekend, Week 31/26

Funding

Highland Europe Launches New Growth Fund Worth 1.1 Billion Euros

The venture capital firm Highland Europe has launched its sixth fund with a volume of 1.1 billion euros. With this new capital, the growth-stage investor intends to continue financing fast-growing European technology companies during their expansion phase. Since its founding in 2012, Highland Europe has, according to its own figures, raised a total of 3.75 billion euros, invested in more than 80 companies, and facilitated 30 exits. At the same time, the firm promoted long-time investors Helena Richardson and Jacob Bernstein to partners.

SUPASO Completes Funding Round for Sustainable Packaging Technology

The Austrian startup SUPASO has closed a funding round with a group of business angels led by Steve Jeitler, as well as Raiffeisen-Landesbank Steiermark and FMMS Holding. The new capital will be used to bring the company’s proprietary machine technology to series production and to fund initial pilot plants both domestically and abroad. With its Machine-as-a-Service (MUCH) model, SUPASO aims to enable partner companies to produce sustainable packaging materials directly from their own paper and cardboard waste on-site, thereby reducing transportation distances and packaging waste.

GS1 Investment Arm Takes a Stake in PropTech Startup Lichtwart

Butterfly & Elephant, the accelerator and investment arm of GS1 Germany, has invested in the PropTech startup Lichtwart. The company is developing an IoT platform for the centralized monitoring and control of technical systems in commercial real estate and retail chains. Together, the partners aim to integrate established GS1 standards such as GIAI, GLN, and EPCIS into digital building technology to ensure that technical systems and locations can be uniquely identified across all systems. The goal is to make the operation, maintenance, and data exchange of existing buildings more efficient and sustainable.

Callimacus Receives Investment from Salesforce for AI Platform

The Italian AI company Solomei AI has signed an investment agreement with Salesforce for its Callimacus platform. Callimacus is developing AI-powered technology that replaces traditional websites with dynamic, personalized user experiences and adapts content in real time to visitors’ needs. With this investment, the company aims to accelerate its research, product development, and international expansion in Europe and North America. Existing shareholders include the holding company of the Brunello Cucinelli family of entrepreneurs, whose luxury brand is already using the platform for e-commerce.

Celsio Raises 1.2 Million Euros for the Decarbonization of Industrial Process Heat

The Berlin-based ClimateTech startup Celsio has closed a pre-seed funding round of 1.2 million euros. The company is developing software that intelligently combines electric heating systems with existing gas-powered facilities and optimizes energy usage based on electricity market prices. This is intended to enable industrial companies to electrify their process heat more cost-effectively, reduce emissions, and continue to use existing infrastructure. Celsio plans to use the new capital to further develop its technology and expand its solution for energy-intensive industries such as chemicals, food, and paper.

Personnel

Incubator Village Beeskow Appoints New Director

Incubator Village Beeskow (IVB) has appointed Sebastian Adolphy as its new site and program director. In his new role, he will oversee the six-month accelerator program, support participating startups, and drive the further development of the startup center. Adolphy brings extensive experience in startup support, including his work as an entrepreneurship lecturer at Humboldt University in Berlin. Funded by the Investment Bank of the State of Brandenburg, the IVB supports up to 40 startups annually and aims to further expand its network and the range of events offered at the location in the future.

Qualitypool Strengthens Operational Leadership in Insurance Broker Pool

Qualitypool Versicherungsmakler Service GmbH has further expanded its operational management structure and appointed Thomas Bürgelin and Michael Weltin as authorized signatories. Both bring many years of experience from the former AMEXPool AG and will assume key responsibilities in the areas of property and casualty, IT, and finance. With this expanded management structure, Qualitypool is continuing the integration of Qualitypool Versicherung and AMEXPool and aims to position the insurance brokerage pool even more efficiently and with greater specialization in the future. The goal is to combine the expertise of both companies and further expand its market position in insurance sales.

mymuesli Co-Founder Max Wittrock Returns as CEO

Max Wittrock, co-founder of mymuesli, is once again taking over as CEO of the company, succeeding Tom Mayer. With his return, the muesli provider—founded in 2007—aims to usher in its next phase of growth and focus on brand communication, personalization, and fostering close ties with its community. At the same time, the company plans to further expand its digital customer acquisition, CRM, and data-driven capabilities. The supervisory board views the co-founder’s return as an important step toward reconnecting the brand more strongly with its entrepreneurial roots and innovative spirit.

Partnerships & Collaborations

Personio Becomes a Partner of FC Viktoria Berlin

The HR and payroll platform Personio is the new partner of the women’s soccer club FC Viktoria Berlin and will support the club as its official back-of-jersey sponsor during the 2026–27 season. Through this collaboration, Personio aims to promote the further professionalization of the ambitious second-division club, which is striving for promotion to the Bundesliga. In addition to supporting the team’s athletic development, the partnership is also intended to help expand the club’s organizational structures and community. FC Viktoria Berlin already relies on Personio’s HR software for its HR processes.

More exciting news

Inflation rises to 2.8 percent – German economy grows slightly (Destatis)

According to preliminary calculations, the inflation rate in Germany rose to 2.8 percent in July 2026. Energy prices were once again the main driver, rising by 8.3 percent compared to the previous year, while core inflation—excluding energy and food—stood at 2.4 percent. At the same time, the German economy continued its moderate recovery: Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the previous quarter, placing it 0.9 percent above the previous year’s figure. In addition, the Federal Statistical Office revised its calculations for 2024 upward; instead of an economic contraction, the figures now show stagnation

BW-Capital Launches as a New Venture Capital Firm in Baden-Württemberg

With the launch of BW-Capital GmbH, Baden-Württemberg has begun operations of its new state-owned venture capital firm. The goal is to support startups and high-growth companies in future-oriented industries with venture capital and to mobilize additional private investment. The first investment was approved at the very first meeting of the supervisory board: BW-Capital is taking a stake in the LEA Platform, a Karlsruhe-based private equity fund manager specializing in software, which is designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises in their AI-driven transformation. L-Bank will assume operational management.

Wedium Launches as a New European Social Network

Wedium, a new social network, will launch in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on July 31, 2026. Developed in Berlin, the platform relies on verified user accounts, human community management, and an age-appropriate youth protection concept to curb bot networks and anonymous mass accounts. In addition, creators and media outlets will share in the platform’s financial success, receiving 50 percent of the attributable net advertising revenue. Following the launch in the DACH region, a rollout to other European countries is planned for October 2026.

PrivacyBee Expands Data Protection Platform and Prepares for European Expansion

The Swiss startup PrivacyBee has closed a funding round and is further expanding its all-in-one platform for website data protection. By integrating a privacy policy, cookie banner, and legal notice, the company offers an automated solution that independently analyzes websites and updates legal content in response to changes or new regulatory requirements. According to the company, PrivacyBee already has over 11,000 active subscriptions and more than 500 partners in the DACH region. With the fresh capital and a solid management team in place, the startup aims to drive its expansion into other European markets.