Startup News for the Weekend, Week 34/26

Funding

Studyond Secures Two Million Swiss Francs

The Swiss startup Studyond has completed a funding round of two million Swiss francs. Founded as a spin-off from the University of St. Gallen and ETH Zurich, the company is developing a platform that connects businesses, universities, and students. In addition to facilitating thesis projects and research initiatives, Studyond plans to expand its offerings in the future to include internships, recruiting, guest lectures, and other practical projects. According to co-founder Alexandra Allgaier, the University of St. Gallen’s alumni organization also participated in the funding round, marking its first-ever investment in a startup. The fresh capital is intended to support the company’s continued growth.

Nanolope Receives 800,000 Euros for Thermal Energy Storage

The Berlin-based deep-tech startup Nanolope has closed a pre-seed funding round totaling 800,000 euros. Participants include IBB Ventures through its pre-seed fund B#, as well as several business angels and industry experts. Founded in 2025, the company develops thermal storage panels that allow the walls, ceilings, and floors of existing buildings to be used as passive heat and cold storage. This is intended to reduce heating and cooling loads as well as energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Nanolope plans to use the capital to scale up production, implement initial pilot projects, and expand its team. The company’s target audience includes, in particular, housing companies and commercial real estate operators.

Everleaf Secures Six-Figure Funding for Expansion

The Vienna-based indoor gardening startup Everleaf has closed a funding round in the mid-six-figure range. Founded in 2023, the company plans to use the capital primarily to pre-finance its products, as well as for product development and marketing. According to the company, the new investors include an unnamed founder with Silicon Valley experience. Everleaf develops indoor gardening systems that allow consumers to grow fresh vegetables in their own homes and has recently seen a significant increase in revenue. After establishing itself in the DACH region, the startup plans to expand into other international markets starting in 2027. At the same time, it aims to expand its product portfolio with new accessories.

Awards & Events

Futury Brings Startups and Potential Co-Founders Together

Futury is hosting its next Matching Day for startups, potential co-founders, and talent on September 21, 2026, in Frankfurt am Main. The event format is designed to specifically connect young companies with individuals who want to join a startup or become a co-founder. Instead of traditional pitches, the focus is on one-on-one conversations, with each participating startup assigned its own table. Based on the information provided during registration, Futury also creates personalized shortlists of suitable conversation partners. The English-language event begins at 5 p.m. and requires prior registration.

Mindspace Invites Startups to Pitch Night in Berlin

The coworking provider Mindspace is hosting a Pitch Night for founders and young companies on September 17, 2026, in Berlin. Selected participants will have the opportunity to present their business ideas to a jury of representatives from the startup, investment, and media industries. Applications are being accepted through September 4. Among other prizes, the winning team will receive a free private office for up to four people at Mindspace for one year, an all-access membership for its international locations, and personalized mentoring from UpXcale. With this event, Mindspace aims to offer startups a platform for visibility, new connections, and the further development of their business models.

EU Opens Registration for Fifth EUDIS Defense Hackathon

The European Commission has opened registration for the fifth edition of the EUDIS Defense Hackathon, which will take place simultaneously at eight European locations from October 15 to 17, 2026. Under the theme “Autonomy on the Battlefield,” startups, technology companies, engineers, and other professionals are invited to develop solutions for specific challenges in the defense and dual-use sectors. Key areas of focus include navigation without satellite signals, as well as autonomous systems for reconnaissance, logistics, and coordinated swarm operations. Venues are located in Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Successful teams will then gain access to a mentoring program designed to support the further development of the prototypes into operational solutions.

PartSpace Presents AI Solution for Technical Procurement at AMB

The Deggendorf-based software company PartSpace is presenting its AI-powered platform for technical procurement at AMB 2026 in Stuttgart. PartSpace AI analyzes technical drawings, CAD models, and purchasing and manufacturing data to identify cost-saving opportunities, support supplier decisions, and accelerate procurement processes. At the trade show, taking place September 15–19, the company will showcase, among other things, its AI procurement agent PartsAgent and a new feature for the automated analysis and cost evaluation of complete assemblies and modules. PartSpace is thus aimed in particular at companies in mechanical engineering, plant engineering, and other industries with complex engineering and procurement processes.

More News from the Ecosystem

Propstack Integrates AI Assistant Proppi into Its CRM

Berlin-based PropTech company Propstack is expanding its CRM platform with the AI assistant Proppi, which is designed to support real estate agents in their daily workflows and automate tasks that were previously done manually. The assistant can access information on contacts, properties, tasks, notes, and communications; link them together; and perform functions within the platform. These include, among other things, preparing client appointments, creating reports and marketing materials, and managing tasks, appointments, and emails. The user retains control over and approval authority for these work steps. Propstack aims to further develop its CRM into an AI-powered work platform for real estate agents. Proppi will be officially unveiled on September 2, 2026, at the IMMOBYTES real estate event in Cologne.

TradeLink Launches AI Assistant Emma for Logistics

The Munich-based logistics startup TradeLink is expanding its platform with the AI assistant Emma, which is designed to automate administrative tasks in transport and supply chain management. Among other things, the software processes emails, delivery notes, and shipping documents, converts unstructured information into logistics data, and identifies delays, changes, and urgent tasks. According to the company, Emma is integrated into the existing TradeLink network, which includes more than 10,000 companies, and is designed to relieve logistics teams, particularly when it comes to recurring coordination tasks. Important decisions remain with employees, while the level of automation can be gradually increased. According to TradeLink, the cloud-based assistant can be set up within 24 hours without additional IT integration.