Hotels have more technology options than ever, but choosing the right solutions remains a challenge. ExploreTECH co-founder Ralph Melis discusses how hotels evaluate vendors, what makes technology adoption difficult, and how the way hotels discover, buy, and manage technology is evolving.
The Recursive’s weekly roundup aims to cover key tech developments across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the growing impact of CEE-born founders on the global stage. Take a look at the latest news in funding, startup milestones, and emerging trends tied to the region’s innovation potential.
G42 and five of its portfolio companies have signed MoUs with Greek government and partners, as Greece and the UAE mark 50 years of diplomatic relations.
A year after its Greek launch, investing app Wealthyhood has released data on more than 35,000 users. The typical new investor is 34 and starts with €100, one in five already holds Greek shares, and women are earning higher returns than men.
The Warsaw-based startup, which trains employees to spot AI-powered scams, was bought to build Aikido’s new Noon platform, with Poland set as one of its development hubs.
AI is transforming how companies operate, make decisions, and interact with customers. But as businesses rush to adopt new tools and increasingly autonomous AI agents, a critical question emerges: Are they moving faster than their security and governance can keep up?
In this episode of The Recursive's Roundtable, we explore the growing tension between innovation and control, and what it takes to adopt AI responsibly without slowing down progress.
The discussion brings together three experts from the AI, technology, and telecommunications sectors:
Plamen Nakov, Founder & CEO, DSS & alDentix
Tsvetina Lungarova, Data Protection Officer, Vivacom
Botty Dimanov, Co-founder & CEO, Tenyks
The conversation explores the risks of shadow AI, the differences in risk appetite between startups and large enterprises, and the challenges of protecting sensitive corporate and personal information. The speakers also discuss the role of trust, employee education, and human oversight, as well as AI's potential to strengthen cybersecurity by identifying vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them.
Key topics discussed:
☑️ Innovation vs. regulation: Is Europe's approach to AI governance slowing down innovation and putting European companies at a competitive disadvantage?
☑️ Data privacy and shadow AI: What happens to sensitive corporate and personal data shared with AI tools, and how can companies manage the risks?
☑️ AI agents and human oversight: How much autonomy should businesses give AI systems, and when should humans remain in control?
☑️ Trust, risk, and cybersecurity: How can companies balance AI adoption with security, and can AI itself become a tool for identifying and preventing cyber threats?
Three guests, three very different jobs, one thing in common: they're all in their twenties and already taking on a level of responsibility that usually comes later in a career.
In this episode of The Recursive Roundtable, we talk with Viktoriya Markileva (Head of Space Services at EnduroSat), Georgi Nichev (Marketing Specialist at Helios Marine, Co-Founder of Scylla), and Maria Nikolova (Strategic Partnerships Development Manager at BESCO) about what it's actually like to be trusted with real responsibility this early — what makes someone trust you with it, how they handle it, and whether a career needs to follow a clear path at all.
In this episode, we explore:
🟣 How Gen Zs think about failure,
🟣 what hustle culture looks like from the inside,
🟣 what progress actually means to them,
🟣 and whether they'd be willing to wait years for the next step in their career.
💡 This conversation is essential for entrepreneurs looking to hire young talent, and for any Gen Z professionals wondering if they are ready to take the leap into a leadership role.
In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Rakuten Viber CEO Ofir Eyal to discuss how the company is evolving beyond messaging through its partnership with OpenAI, the rise of AI-powered communication, and the long-term vision behind building a "super app."
The conversation explores how the company approaches privacy and responsible AI adoption, and why Europe has yet to embrace the super app model seen across Asia.
Ofir also reflects on his own journey from product manager to CEO, the leadership lessons he learned while navigating one of Viber's most challenging periods after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
In this episode:
☑️ Why Viber partnered with OpenAI
☑️ The future of AI inside messaging apps
☑️ Can Europe build a successful super app?
☑️ Privacy, security, and responsible AI adoption
☑️ How Viber makes money beyond messaging
☑️ Leadership lessons from scaling a global platform
☑️ Rebuilding after losing 40% of the business overnight
🎙️ Subscribe to The Recursive Podcast for conversations with the founders, investors, and technology leaders shaping the future of innovation across Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.
Mika Games, the Cyprus gaming investment company founded by Wargaming co-founder Nick Katselapov, raised $10M (€8.92M) led by Flint Capital to help mobile studios bridge the gap between soft launch and large-scale paid marketing.
What it takes to bridge Europe's 20-year angel divide? Veteran investor Luigi Amati, TechAngels' Cosmin Curticapean and ESIL's Sara Anselmo unpack the cultural walls, tax traps and diversity debt, stalling business angels activity from West to East.
Founders often ask me whether to pursue a grant or raise venture capital. After 16 years advising European technology companies on innovation funding and helping them translate R&D ambitions into fundable, investable growth plans, I think the question is framed incorrectly.
Croatian-American startup Daytona has secured a $60 million Series B funding round, pushing its valuation to $1 billion. With this milestone, the company officially cements its status as Croatia's third unicorn as it builds the infrastructure for an impending wave of AI agents.
Most banks can’t run quantum hardware yet, but finQbit found a shortcut. The Polish startup's hybrid risk engine supercharges classical hardware today while building an insurance policy for tomorrow's quantum shift.
Osavul’s AI predicted a sabotage attack on a European railway before it happened. After raising €8.5M, the Ukrainian-founded startup wants to help companies in energy, transport and finance to see such threats in advance.
FRESH 32, the Slovenian oral-care startup replacing nylon toothbrush bristles with flexible TPU, raised €1.2M led by AYMO Ventures to scale production and enter the UK; a rare CEE win for a physical consumer product in a region fixated on AI and SaaS.
From venture capital and fintech to defense technology, international expansion, and startup pitching, Prague is preparing for five days of events bringing together the Czech and international innovation ecosystems.
The Recursive’s weekly roundup aims to cover key tech developments across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the growing impact of CEE-born founders on the global stage. Take a look at the latest news in funding, startup milestones, and emerging trends tied to the region’s innovation potential.
Gliwice-based space tech firm KP Labs has secured 19.4 million PLN (€4.44M) in growth equity from Momentum Capital Partners. By processing data directly in orbit, their smart tech cuts downlink delays for giants like ESA and NASA, and now they’re set to scale production worldwide.
Vilnius-based AI marketing startup Holo has raised €5M in seed funding led by Market One Capital. The company aims to make autonomous marketing accessible to small businesses.
Ahead of Engaged Investments 2026 (21–22 October, Prague), Petr Šíma, General Partner at DEPO Ventures, spoke with Ben Kolada, Director and Head of US Tech Investment Banking at ICON Corporate Finance.
