Articles tagged with "deep-tech"
Almost 80 European deep tech university spinouts reached $1B valuations or $100M in revenue in 2025
In 2025, nearly 80 European deep tech and life sciences university spinouts achieved significant milestones, reaching either $1 billion valuations or $100 million in revenue, collectively representing a startup funnel valued at $398 billion. Notable unicorns such as Iceye, IQM, Isar Aerospace, Synthesia, and Tekever exemplify this success, attracting increasing venture capital (VC) interest. New funds like PSV Hafnium, focused on Nordic deep tech and backed by the Technical University of Denmark, have emerged alongside established firms, broadening investment opportunities beyond traditional hubs like Cambridge, Oxford, and ETH Zurich. This diversification reflects a maturing ecosystem where both university-backed and independent venture firms prioritize spinouts as key investment targets. Despite a nearly 50% decline in overall European VC funding since 2021, university spinouts are on track to raise a near-record $9.1 billion in 2025, underscoring strong investor appetite for innovation in sectors including nuclear energy and dual
energydeep-techuniversity-spinoutsventure-capitalnuclear-energydronesEuropean-startupsSolo VC and Lovable investor Neil Murray raises third Nordic-focused fund
Neil Murray, founder and solo general partner of Copenhagen-based The Nordic Web Ventures, has closed a $6 million third fund focused on early-stage investments in the Nordic region, targeting robotics, AI-native, and deep tech startups. This Fund III follows two earlier funds that served as “test vehicles” to prove Murray’s ability to identify top talent; over seven years, he has invested in more than 50 companies, including unicorn Lovable and remote worker insurance firm SafetyWing, with successful exits like UI design company Uizard. Despite attracting over $20 million in interest, Murray deliberately capped the fund at $6 million to prioritize alignment and performance incentives over assets under management, aiming to invest around $200,000 in 30 to 35 companies. The Nordic startup ecosystem, encompassing Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, is currently valued at over $500 billion and has attracted more than $8 billion in venture funding in 2024, marking it as one of Europe’s hottest emerging markets. Murray attributes
roboticsAIdeep-techNordic-startupsventure-capitalindustrial-roboticshealthcare-roboticsSOSV hosts virtual matchmaking to connect robotics startups & investors
SOSV, an early-stage deep-tech investor, is launching its inaugural Robotics Matchup event from December 1–5, a fully virtual matchmaking platform designed to connect early-stage robotics startups with investors. Building on its successful matchmaking formats in climate, health, and industrial tech, SOSV aims to offer a more efficient alternative to traditional demo days and fundraising by facilitating curated 20-minute one-on-one meetings between founders and investors. The event has attracted over 200 investors and 100 startups, with a significant portion having participated in previous SOSV matchups that have proven effective in closing deals—43% of investors and 68% of startups from past events secured investments or funding from connections made during these matchups. The Robotics Matchup allows investors and founders to specify detailed criteria such as stage, geography, verticals, robotics categories, and check size, enabling targeted and meaningful interactions. SOSV also provides participants with sortable databases of all attendees, helping founders identify active investors in the robotics space, which
roboticsstartupsinvestmentdeep-techfundraisingvirtual-matchmakingrobotics-startupsAs China’s 996 culture spreads, South Korea’s tech sector grapples with 52-hour limit
The article discusses the tension between South Korea’s legally mandated 52-hour workweek limit and the demanding work culture spreading from China’s “996” system (9 am to 9 pm, six days a week) within the global deep tech sector. While South Korea enforces a 40-hour standard workweek with strict overtime regulations and penalties for violations, it has introduced special extended work programs allowing up to 64 hours weekly with worker consent and government approval, particularly for deep tech industries like semiconductors. However, these exemptions are limited and expected to be scaled back, reflecting the government’s intent to tighten working-hour regulations despite some political debate. Tech investors and founders in South Korea express concerns that the 52-hour limit poses challenges for innovation-driven sectors requiring intense focus and long hours during critical phases. Yongkwan Lee, CEO of a venture capital firm, notes that strict work-hour caps could slow progress toward key milestones in highly competitive fields such as AI and quantum computing. Surveys indicate many startup
semiconductorsdeep-techwork-cultureSouth-KoreaAIquantum-computinglabor-regulationsNew deep tech fund Wave Function Ventures raises $15 million
Jamie Gull, an aerospace engineer with a background at Scaled Composites and SpaceX, has launched Wave Function Ventures, an early-stage deep tech fund that recently closed its first $15.1 million fund. Gull has already invested in nine startups across sectors including nuclear energy, humanoid robotics, and aerospace, with plans to make about 25 seed or pre-seed investments. The fund’s limited partners include high net worth individuals, family offices, and other funds, though the anchor LP remains undisclosed. Wave Function Ventures enters the market amid growing interest and capital inflows into deep tech, especially in aerospace and defense, exemplified by other large funds like Silicon Valley’s Leitmotif. Gull’s extensive experience spans rapid prototyping, founding an eVTOL startup (Talyn Air), angel investing, and venture partnership at Y Combinator’s Pioneer Fund. He aims to leverage this expertise to support founders navigating the uncertain early stages of deep tech ventures. He believes deep tech startups
roboticsenergyaerospacedeep-techventure-capitalstartupsnuclear-energyFrom Robinhood to Aetherflux: Baiju Bhatt’s next frontier at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, scheduled for October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, will feature a notable fireside chat with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and current founder and CEO of Aetherflux, a U.S. aerospace company focused on delivering energy to Earth via space-based solar power. Bhatt will share insights from his journey transforming the fintech industry with Robinhood—where he helped democratize investing for over 20 million users—and discuss his transition into the challenging deep tech and aerospace sector with Aetherflux. The session will explore the complexities of scaling businesses in regulated and frontier markets, as well as the intersection of innovation, engineering, and entrepreneurship across vastly different industries. Attendees will gain valuable lessons on navigating regulatory hurdles, driving innovation under pressure, and applying founder experience from fintech to aerospace ventures. Bhatt’s perspective highlights how deep tech companies like Aetherflux can reshape entire industries and generate global impact. TechCrunch Disrupt 202
energyspace-solar-powerclean-energyaerospacedeep-techstartup-innovationenergy-technologyFemale-founded semiconductor AI startup SixSense raises $8.5M
SixSense, a Singapore-based deep tech startup founded in 2018 by engineers Akanksha Jagwani (CTO) and Avni Agarwal (CEO), has developed an AI-powered platform that enables semiconductor manufacturers to predict and detect chip defects in real time on production lines. The startup recently raised $8.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Peak XV’s Surge, bringing its total funding to approximately $12 million. SixSense addresses a critical challenge in semiconductor manufacturing by converting vast amounts of raw production data—such as defect images and equipment signals—into actionable insights that help factories prevent quality issues and improve yield. The platform is designed for process engineers rather than data scientists, allowing them to fine-tune models and deploy solutions quickly without coding. Despite the semiconductor industry's reputation for precision, inspection processes remain largely manual and fragmented, with existing systems primarily displaying data without deep analysis. SixSense’s AI platform offers early warnings, root cause analysis, and failure prediction, enabling manufacturers to act
semiconductorAImanufacturingdefect-detectionautomationquality-controldeep-techPittsburgh Robotics Network launches Deep Tech Institute for Leadership and Innovation - The Robot Report
The Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN) has launched the Deep Tech Institute for Leadership and Innovation (DTI), a pioneering initiative aimed at developing technical leadership within Pittsburgh’s robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced technology sectors. The DTI focuses on equipping professionals not only with technical skills but also with the capabilities to commercialize breakthrough technologies and build visionary teams that can scale businesses, influence policy, and drive industry-wide impact. PRN emphasizes that investing in talent is critical to strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem and maintaining Pittsburgh’s leadership in global deep tech. The DTI employs a two-tiered workforce development approach targeting both early-career and senior technical professionals. The Emerging Leaders tier offers mini modules starting in summer 2024, providing engineering students, interns, and early-career talent with exposure to real-world robotics and AI career paths through guest speakers, hands-on sessions, and site visits. The Senior Leaders tier, planned for launch in 2026 in partnership with Boston-based Cybernetix
roboticsartificial-intelligenceleadership-developmentworkforce-trainingdeep-techPittsburgh-Robotics-Networktechnology-innovation