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.
M&As of CEE-rooted companies
Sustainability software company Plan A, with a Bulgarian founder at its helm, has been acquired by Diginex (NASDAQ: DGNX) in an $80 million cash-and-equity transaction, bringing together Plan A’s decarbonisation and ESG capabilities with Diginex’s RegTech and supply-chain expertise. Founder and CEO will remain in her role to lead the combined growth strategy.
Founded in 2017 by Lubomila Jordanova, Plan A was built around a clear mission to help businesses measure and manage their environmental footprint, a value proposition that gained strong traction during the peak of the ESG wave as companies rushed to comply with growing regulatory and investor demands.
Museum of Illusions, the world’s largest privately owned museum chain, has been acquired from Invera Capital Partners (based in Zagreb, Croatia), by an investor group led by Brightwood Capital Advisors, with Constitution Capital Partners serving as lead co-investor.
Founded in 2015, the brand has expanded rapidly to nearly 70 locations across 27 countries and plans to use the investment to accelerate its global growth.
Across Europe and the world
CES 2026, the annual consumer tech conference held in Las Vegas, took place this week, bringing together the biggest names and boldest ideas in technology. AI dominated the spotlight, from major announcements by Nvidia and AMD to Amazon and Google pushing AI deeper into the physical world.
Several CEE countries, including Romania, Ukraine, and Poland, were represented at CES 2026, showcasing companies such as Romania’s AROBS Transilvania Software and Dotlumen, Ukraine’s DOZOR AI and Lanka Robotics, and Poland’s CTHINGS.CO on the global stage.
OpenAI has started the year with another acqui-hire, bringing on the founding team of Convogo, a platform focused on automating leadership assessments and feedback for coaches, consultants, and HR teams. The deal, described as an all-stock transaction, does not include Convogo’s technology or IP, with co-founders Matt Cooper, Evan Cater, and Mike Gillett joining OpenAI to work on its AI cloud initiatives.
