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 & fund updates
Aspire11 has announced the launch of its inaugural €500 million pension-backed fund, led by veteran venture capital investor Pavel Mucha, with a mission to connect European pension savings to high-growth innovation. The initiative seeks to reshape the way pension funds participate in venture capital (VC), inspired by Canada’s “Maple Model.”
Hungarian-founded SEON, a command center for fraud prevention and AML compliance, announced they had closed its $80 million (€67.5 million) Series C funding round, led by Sixth Street Growth with participation from existing investors IVP, Creandum, Firebolt, and new investor Hearst.
Romanian-founded DRUID AI today announced it has raised $31 (€27.88) million in Series C financing to fuel the global expansion of its enterprise-ready agentic AI platform. The round comes under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Joseph Kim, who brings decades of executive experience in scaling AI and technology businesses.
Time-Travelling Milkman (TTM), a Wageningen-based, Greek founded foodtech startup has secured €2 million in Pre-Series A funding to accelerate the commercial adaption of Oleocream TTM, its flagship creaminess solution.
Strategic partnerships & collaborations
Kawasaki Motors, a global leader in engine, motorcycle and powersports production, announced a strategic partnership with Dronamics, a world-leading manufacturer of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The collaboration focuses on the development of Kawasaki’s aero piston engines for diverse aviation applications and their integration into Dronamics’ flagship Black Swan platform – a civilian unmanned cargo aircraft capable of transporting 350kg at a distance of 2,500km.
Bulgarian-founded VEDA, a venture studio that supports startups and fast-growing companies in building sustainable growth, today announced the launch of its new division VEDA Works. The unit is the result of a merger with Singapore-based hireworks and will provide end-to-end expertise in operational team management, organizational design, and delegation systems.
SeedBlink, the European private markets infrastructure, is changing how Europe’s founders raise capital with the launch of CORE: a digital co-pilot that turns fundraising from a painful marathon into a structured sprint. Built on insights from 15,000 startup reviews, 2% funded, and €78M in investments enabled, CORE addresses the real issue: founders don’t fail because of weak ideas, but because the fundraising solutions are outdated and fragmented.
