Startup News for the Weekend, Week 32/26

Funding

Dental AI Startup Relu Secures $1.75 Million for U.S. Expansion

The Belgian-American dental tech startup Relu has received $1.75 million in strategic funding from the Dental Innovation Alliance (DIA). The investor had previously participated in the seed round of the company, which was founded in 2019. With “Relu Automate,” Relu is developing an AI platform that automates design and management processes in dental labs, including for dental prosthetics, bite splints, and dental models. According to the company, the platform now processes more than one million cases per year for dental labs in 82 countries. Relu plans to use the additional capital primarily to expand its presence in the U.S. market. Founded by Holger Willems, Adriaan Van Gerven, Antoine Coppens, and Thomas Beznik, the company has offices in Leuven, Belgium, and Boston.

SeeTrue Technologies Raises 2.2 Million Euros for Eye-Tracking Technology

The Finnish deep tech startup SeeTrue Technologies has closed a funding round of 2.2 million euros. The round was led by ZEISS Ventures, with participation from Superhero Capital, the North Karelia Growth Fund, Luminate, as well as existing and new investors. SeeTrue develops particularly compact and energy-efficient eye-tracking technologies for smart glasses, medical optics, and industrial applications. Founded in 2018, the company plans to use the capital to accelerate the commercialization of its technology, expand its team at its Joensuu location, and drive international expansion.

ABB Invests in Clean Energy Startup LevelTen Energy

ABB has acquired a minority stake in the U.S.-based clean-energy company LevelTen Energy and entered into a strategic partnership. LevelTen operates an international marketplace for clean energy and power purchase agreements and has already facilitated transactions totaling more than 20 gigawatts across over 35 markets. ABB plans to integrate the platform with its own electrification and energy management solutions in the future, thereby expanding its offerings for procuring renewable energy. The investment is being made through ABB Electrification Ventures. Financial details were not disclosed.

ConTech Startup flinq Receives EXIST Startup Grant

The Stuttgart-based ConTech startup flinq will receive funding for one year starting in August through the EXIST startup grant from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and the European Union. The team led by Laura Valentina Mayer-Steudte, Matthias Hornung, and Lukas Simon is developing a cross-modal embedding model for the construction industry, which will be trained using European infrastructure and European data. During the funding period, flinq plans to further develop the technology and test it in collaboration with early adopters from the construction industry. The startup is supported in this effort by the Institute for Construction Management at the University of Stuttgart, as well as by the TTI Technology Transfer Initiative and the TRACES Transfer Center. According to the company, it is focusing on European data sovereignty and the development of a specialized AI solution for the construction industry.

Awards & Events

Application Period for the WAVEMAKER Marine Conservation Startup Award Has Begun

The WAVEMAKER Marine Conservation Startup Award is seeking European startups and spin-offs with innovative solutions for the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems. Five finalists will have the opportunity to present their business ideas on September 16, 2026, in Berlin to a panel of experts and representatives from business, academia, and the public sector. The top three teams will win a one-year membership in EIT Water, granting them access to funding opportunities, partner networks, and support services. The winning startup will also qualify for the European final on October 15, 2026, in Málaga, where a cash prize of 5,000 euros will be awarded. Applications are open until August 20, 2026. The finalists will be announced by the end of August and will receive mentoring as well as a travel grant to cover their trip to Berlin prior to the competition.

Mergers & Acquisitions

rebuy Acquires Zeercle and Expands Recommerce Business to Include Brick-and-Mortar Retail

The Berlin-based recommerce provider rebuy has acquired Zeercle, thereby expanding its purchasing infrastructure to include brick-and-mortar retail. Zeercle offers a digital buyback solution for bookstores and already collaborates with retail chains such as Hugendubel, as well as other partners in Italy, France, and the Netherlands. Initially, the model will be used for media products such as books, movies, music, and console games; plans are in place to expand to additional product categories in the future. With this acquisition, rebuy is also strengthening its international presence and tapping into additional sources of merchandise outside of its online business. The company expects the acquisition to generate an annual revenue increase in the low double-digit millions and plans to expand the buyback model in collaboration with additional retail partners.

Pipedrive Acquires Marketing Automation Startup Outfunnel

CRM provider Pipedrive has acquired the Estonian startup Outfunnel, which specializes in synchronizing sales and marketing data. Outfunnel is considered the highest-rated application on the Pipedrive Marketplace and enables the automatic integration of CRM data with marketing platforms such as Mailchimp or Klaviyo. With this acquisition, Pipedrive aims to integrate the technology directly into its platform in the future, thereby eliminating the need for additional applications. The goal is to simplify collaboration between sales and marketing and reduce administrative burdens, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. During a transition period, Outfunnel will initially remain an independent entity before its key features are gradually integrated into Pipedrive.

Boerse Stuttgart Digital and tradias Complete Merger

Boerse Stuttgart Digital and the crypto trading firm tradias have completed their merger following the conclusion of the ownership verification process. Under the umbrella of the Boerse Stuttgart Group, this creates a fully regulated infrastructure provider for cryptocurrencies and digital assets that bundles services ranging from trading, custody, and staking to tokenization. The new business unit employs approximately 300 people across several European and international locations and will be led by co-CEOs Dr. Ulli Spankowski and Christopher Beck. While “Boerse Stuttgart Digital” will remain the company name, “tradias” will continue as the brand for the trading division. By combining their offerings, the two companies aim to further expand their position in the European market for digital assets and offer financial institutions an integrated infrastructure for accessing cryptocurrencies and digital assets.

More Exciting News

Everdrone Successfully Deploys Drone in Cardiac Emergency in Sweden

The Swedish company Everdrone has, for the first time as part of regular emergency medical services, successfully delivered an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the scene of a cardiac arrest in Borås via drone. The drone was dispatched at the same time as the ambulance and delivered the defibrillator to the first responders before the ambulance arrived. After resuscitation and the use of the AED, the patient’s heartbeat was restored on-site, and the patient was subsequently treated at the hospital. The operation took place as part of the joint drone program between Everdrone and the Västra Götaland Region, which has been serving more than 300,000 people since 2026 with six drone bases. According to the company, the system is designed to reduce the time it takes to provide life-saving first aid and is already in use in Sweden and France. An expansion to the Stockholm region is planned for fall 2026.

ARX Robotics Tests Unmanned Ground Systems During Major U.S. Army Exercise

The Munich-based DefenseTech company ARX Robotics tested its GEREON unmanned ground vehicles during the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence-Capstone 6 military exercise in California. As part of the U.S. Armed Forces’ largest field technology experiment to date, the systems were deployed in various scenarios, including reconnaissance, electronic warfare, drone defense, casualty evacuation, and logistics. According to the company, the vehicles were able to operate reliably even under demanding desert conditions and integrate their data into the command and information systems of multinational forces. Military forces from the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand participated in the exercise. The insights gained will be incorporated into the further development of the GEREON platform and the AI-powered operating system Mithra OS.

marqed agency designs “The District” at gamescom 2026

For the first time at gamescom 2026, Berlin-based marqed agency will be responsible for “The District by marqed agency.” Spanning approximately 3,000 square meters in Hall 8 and the outdoor area, the space will be specifically designed for competitive gaming and aims to bring together brands, creators, partners, and communities. The focus will be on brand activations, community formats, networking opportunities, and esports experiences for target audiences with a strong affinity for gaming. Participating companies include SK Gaming, as well as brands such as Deutsche Telekom, REWE, Subway, KitKat, Nongshim, and Techniker Krankenkasse. In addition, numerous other companies from the hardware, entertainment, and technology sectors are using the platform to showcase themselves within the competitive gaming ecosystem. With this new concept, marqed agency aims to position brands at gamescom within a thematically appropriate and target-audience-specific environment.

Facts, Figures & Data

German Economy Sends Mixed Signals in June

The German economy presented a mixed picture in June 2026. According to the Federal Statistical Office, production in the manufacturing sector rose slightly by 0.2 percent compared to the previous month, with the automotive industry in particular providing support with a 3.6 percent increase. At the same time, orders received in the manufacturing sector rose by 3.1 percent, though this was primarily due to large orders—excluding these, orders declined by 0.5 percent. Foreign trade showed a positive trend: Exports reached a new seasonally and calendar-adjusted monthly record of 139.3 billion euros, up 0.9 percent from May. Imports, however, rose much more sharply, by 4.4 percent. While individual indicators thus point to a recovery, stagnating industrial production, a 1.8 percent decline in energy-intensive sectors, and a 1.3 percent drop in industrial sales continue to signal a subdued trend.

One in twelve companies sees its survival threatened

According to the ifo Business Climate Survey, 8.1 percent of companies in Germany see their continued existence as being at risk. The situation is particularly tense in the retail sector, at 17.4 percent, and in the hospitality industry, at just under 20 percent. The main challenges cited are weak demand, a lack of orders, high operating and energy costs, and bureaucracy. In the industrial sector, the share of companies whose survival is threatened stands at 7.5 percent, and in the main construction sector at 7.3 percent. The ifo Institute expects insolvency figures to remain at a high level for the time being.

Sentiment in the German VC market continues to deteriorate

The business climate in the German venture capital market deteriorated in the second quarter of 2026. According to the German Venture Capital Barometer from KfW Research, the sentiment indicator fell by 10.2 points to -35.8 points, placing it well below its long-term average. This is primarily due to an increasingly negative assessment of the current business situation by early-stage investors. Expectations for the coming six months, however, remained largely unchanged, so no significant improvement in sentiment is expected for the time being.