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.
CEE deals
Vilnius-based AI orchestration startup nexos.ai has raised €30 million in a Series A round to accelerate secure enterprise adoption of artificial intelligence. The round was co-led by Evantic Capital and returning investor Index Ventures, with additional backing from earlier investors and prominent angel investors.
DeepTech company .lumen, known for its AI-powered glasses designed for the visually impaired, has received an €11 million grant for its new project, “PABLO – Autonomous Robots for Urban Delivery.” The funding comes through the Intelligent Growth, Digitalization, and Financial Instruments Programme 2021–2027.
Czech Boost.space closes seed round at €6.17 million, further fueling its “Agentic Database”. The newest funding is the second round of their Seed series first announced at the beginning of October. Boost.space provides a central data layer that connects over 2,500 company tools with large language models (like Gemini or ChatGPT), enabling employees to use natural language to execute tasks and controls.
Estonian Yaga raises €4 million to redefine fashion across Africa and the Middle East. Yaga provides a secure online marketplace with escrow-based payments, localized logistics, and a platform optimized for affordability and sustainability. Items are typically priced 50–80% below new retail, improving accessibility while supporting sustainable consumption.
From Hollywood film sets to defense innovation
In a Series A round led by international early-stage VC Draper Associates, Rockaway Ventures announced today that it has co-invested in the U.S.-Ukrainian startup Vermeer, specializing in Visual Positioning Systems (VPS), a crucial innovation for drone navigation and other unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, and airplanes operating without GPS. The investment, amounting to $10 (€8 611) million, will support product development and expand manufacturing capacity.
The story of Vermeer began with American entrepreneur Brian Streem, who started his career in the film industry in New York. In 2014, he founded Aerocine Ventures (later renamed Aerobo), a company specializing in drone cinematography for productions with Netflix, HBO, and Hollywood studios. Tools originally developed for film production to visualize complex drone shots soon caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2018, Streem and his team founded Vermeer, pivoting to defense and autonomy applications. Since then, the company has secured contracts with the defense sector and expanded into industrial and space applications.
Diaspora stories
The investment platform Kilde, built in Singapore by Czech entrepreneur Radek Jezbera, has surpassed €120 million in assets under management (AUM). The fast-growing and profitable fintech company has now received a second investment from Purple Ventures. The fund first invested from its initial private vehicle; this time it is committing about €490,000 from its qualified investor fund, Purple Ventures 2. Another €700,000 was added by seven investors in the fund through a special SPV. The total investment thus amounts to nearly €1.2 million.
