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
Vilnius-based food supply marketplace Saltz raises €20M in Series A funding from EBRD, Inovo, Lifeline Ventures, and Change Ventures to expand across Europe and transform food distribution. It will be spent on Expanding across Europe, investing in cross-border food trade technology, improving platform experience for chefs and suppliers, and growing the team by more than 100 employees by the end of 2026.
Croatian Orqa, known for developing FPV (first-person view) drone technology and unmanned aerial systems, has raised €12.7 million in a Series A funding round. The round is led by Expeditions, a fund specializing in early-stage investments in the European security sector. It also includes participation from the Croatian fund AYMO Ventures, as well as international investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Taiwania Capital, and Radius Capital.
Pošta Slovenije, Slovenia’s national postal operator and the 2025 World Postal Operator of the Year, has today finalized the rollout of FarEye’s AI-powered Delivery Management System across its operations in nine markets. The implementation introduces intelligent route optimization, real-time delivery visibility, and end-to-end operational coordination to Slovenia’s largest parcel network, supporting more than 1,600 pick-up and drop-off locations and 7,720 employees.
Updates from companies with ties to CEE
Wonderful has raised a $150 million (€128 million) Series B round led by Insight Partners, reaching a $2B valuation just eight months after emerging from stealth as it rapidly deploys AI agents for large global enterprises. The funding will be spent on further development of the agentic platform, accelerating global expansion, and scaling the team from 350 to around 900 employees by year-end. The company launched its CEE hub in Zagreb in September 2025.
Bliss, a Finland-based mental health startup originally founded in Albania, has secured $270,000 in angel funding led by Keiretsu Forum, Finest Love VC, and Plug and Play to develop what it describes as “culturally intelligent” AI infrastructure for therapy.
The round includes a mix of angel investment and non-dilutive grants and represents the first Albanian-Finnish startup investment for Keiretsu Forum, Finest Love VC, and Plug and Play.
