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CEE Startup & Tech Weekly: Europe’s First M&A Deal Led by an AI-Native Advisory

by The Recursive 10 April 2026 3 mins read CEE

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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 news & deals

Czech startup Edmund raised €2.5 million to expand its AI-powered industrial troubleshooting platform across Europe and the US, helping manufacturers reduce downtime and address engineering talent shortages. The round was led by FORWARD.one (lead), University2Ventures, Tensor Ventures.

Czech fintech startup Patron GO has raised more than €2 million (around CZK 50 million) in a funding round that blends venture capital with public support. The investment will help fast-track development of its AI-driven financial platform and fuel expansion into Western Europe. About €800,000 of the total comes from a grant by the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade through the Applications II programme, while the rest was jointly invested by Slovakia-based Venture to Future Fund and angel investor Josef Novotný.

Bulgarian nFuse raised a €1.7 million round from Eleven Ventures and LAUNCHub Ventures to bring AI-powered FMCG ordering to retailers via WhatsApp and Viber. nFuse enables retailers to order via WhatsApp, Viber, or SMS using text, voice, or images — removing the need for new apps and aligning with existing behavior.

Slovak startup TrollWall AI, a startup specializing in AI-driven moderation of toxic and hateful content, has secured €800,000 in funding to speed up product development and support its international expansion. The investment round included Seed Starter from Slovenská sporiteľňa, Slovak Investment Holding (SIH), and angel investor Miroslav Fedor.

Strategic moves

A team of researchers from Bulgaria-based INSAIT, in collaboration with Netflix, has co-developed a new open-source AI model capable of transforming how video editing and visual effects are performed. The model, called VOID (Video Object and Interaction Deletion), was released on April 3 under an Apache 2.0 license. It introduces a significant leap in AI-driven video editing by not only removing objects from footage, but also reconstructing scenes in a physically consistent way. The project was led by researcher Saman Motamed. This release marks Netflix Research’s first publicly available AI tool.

Eilla AI has completed its first M&A transaction, representing Europe’s first deal carried out by an AI-native advisory firm. The deal involved White Pearl Technology Group acquiring two Central and Eastern European digital marketing agencies — CreateX and Native Digital.

Eilla AI’s proprietary technology, developed in-house over three years, combines AI infrastructure with experienced M&A advisors who oversee AI-generated work, manage transaction processes, and coordinate communication between both sides. The founders of both acquired companies credited Eilla AI with making the deals possible.

New CEE funds

The JIC innovation agency has launched JIC Ventures, a new venture capital fund focused on pre-seed and seed-stage startups across Central and Eastern Europe. The fund plans to invest up to €1 million per company and support approximately 20 startups over the next four years. The total size of the fund is €16.3 million, with a first close of €13 million.

JIC Ventures will target deep tech, SaaS, and other advanced technology sectors. The initiative builds on JIC’s more than 20 years of experience supporting innovation in the Brno region.

Updated: 10 April 2026

Tags: CEE Startup & Tech Weekly

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