Weekly RoundUp #07 — Physical First
Embodied AI, sovereign cloud, quantum scale-up, optical chips, defense systems… Europe is investing where intelligence meets the physical world.
📅 February 16 – 20, 2026 | Read time: 5 mins
👋 The Week in Review
From embodied AI talent joining OpenAI to billion-dollar quantum ambitions and optical computing breakthroughs, the center of gravity shifted toward the physical layer this week.
Across robotics, semiconductor innovation, quantum computing, defense systems, and AI-native platforms, capital is concentrating around technologies that combine deep research with industrial scalability.
Let’s dive into the data.
📰 News of the Week
The Austrian creator of the viral OpenClaw AI agents has joined OpenAI to bolster its growing embodied AI division
Following the explosive growth of the open-source agent architecture that allows AI to execute multi-step tasks directly on a user’s operating system, Peter Steinberger has joined OpenAI to integrate these capabilities into the company’s next-generation “Operator” projects.
🔎 For more details on the Moltbook Phenomenon and how it was powered by the Openclaw infrastructure, read my previous analysis here.
Mistral AI acquires serverless specialist Koyeb to accelerate its “Mistral Compute” sovereign cloud ambitions
By integrating the Paris-based startup’s infrastructure expertise, Mistral AI is evolving into a full-stack player capable of deploying models on-premises and optimizing GPU scaling, a move that follows its recent €1.2bn Swedish data center investment to build a robust European alternative to US-led AI cloud services.
Scopely acquires a majority stake in Pixel Flow! at a $1B valuation to dominate the generative gaming market
By taking control of the AI-native studio behind several viral hits, mobile gaming powerhouse Scopely is positioning itself to lead the industry shift toward real-time, personalized content creation driven by large-scale procedural models.
DeepMind pioneer David Silver is seeking $1B for his new London-based venture, Ineffable Intelligence
The primary architect behind AlphaGo is reportedly in discussions with Sequoia Capital to lead the largest seed round in European history, valuing the London-based startup at $4B as tech giants like Nvidia and Microsoft vie for a stake in Silver’s pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence through advanced reinforcement learning.
French quantum startup Pasqal targets €200M to reach a $1B valuation and compete with leading US quantum players
The Paris-based neutral-atoms specialist is fundraising to accelerate the delivery of its 1,000-qubit processor, aiming to provide industrial-scale “quantum advantage” for drug discovery and materials science ahead of competitors like IonQ.
🔎 Want to lear more about Quantum computing, read Absolute Zero: The Chilling Power and Heated Promises of Quantum Computing
Optalysys eyes a $100M+ Series B to scale its optical computing chips for secure AI processing
The UK government-backed startup is seeking fresh capital to commercialize its “Etile” photonic technology, which promises to execute complex encryption and AI inference at speeds far exceeding traditional silicon-based architectures.
🔎 Previous coverage: Weekly RoundUp #03 — The €1B Edition
🇪🇺 Deals of the Week
🔍 The Deep Dive
Kilter (AgTech) | Pre-Series B | €6.5M
The Deal: Norway-based ag-tech company developing autonomous ultra-precise spot spraying robot for high-value crops raised €6.5M.
The Investors: Led by Kubota Corporation, with participation from SBG Invest, Pymwymic, Nufarm, Halden Pensjonskasse, ProAgInvest, Natural Ventures and business angels
The Analysis: Traditional crop protection is undergoing a radical shift as blanket herbicide application, which often wastes the majority of the chemicals used, is replaced by surgical plant-level precision. Kilter leads this transition with its AX-1 autonomous robot, a machine that operates like a field-scale inkjet printer to target weeds with 6mm accuracy. By utilizing high-resolution sensors and deep learning to distinguish between crops and weeds in real time, the AX-1 applies micro-droplets directly onto the target foliage, effectively slashing pesticide consumption by 95% while preventing the soil compaction caused by heavy machinery. Operating at the intersection of the precision weeding market, Kilter is currently scaling its commercial footprint through a strategic distribution partnership with Kubota, targeting high-value vegetable production in Europe and beyond to ensure both ecological sustainability and grower profitability.
What’s Next: Accelerate its global scale-up, enhance industrialization, and continue product development
Solaya (Creative Tech) | Pre-Seed | €1.7M
The Deal: France-based mobile app turning smartphone videos into high-fidelity 3D models for e-commerce secured €1.7M.
The Investors: Led by Betaworks, backed by business angels from NVIDIA, Adobe, Santander, and Google DeepMind.
The Analysis: High-fidelity 3D modeling has traditionally been a high-friction process requiring expensive studio equipment and specialized technical teams. Solaya removes this barrier by providing a mobile-centric AI platform that transforms standard smartphone footage into high-quality, textured, and rigged 3D assets. By automating the transition from 2D video to 3D geometry, the system allows enterprises in sectors like e-commerce and industrial design to generate digital twins at a fraction of the usual cost and time. This technology is currently being utilized by global brands such as LVMH and Mattel to scale their digital catalogs for spatial computing and augmented reality. With the 3D digital asset market projected to reach $36 billion by the end of 2026, Solaya is positioning its app as the primary engine for democratizing professional-grade content creation.
What’s Next: Grow its team, develop products faster, and offer affordable self-service pricing for small and medium-sized businesses.
⚡ Deal Flow
🇳🇱 Onodrim Industries (DefenseTech) — €40M Seed: Amsterdam-based developer of mission-critical hardware and software systems for European defense and security operations.
🇬🇧 SatVu (SpaceTech) — €34M Series B: London-based thermal intelligence company scaling a multi-satellite constellation to provide high-resolution infrared Earth observation data.
🇬🇧 Stacks (FinTech) — €19M Series A: London-based AI-powered enterprise finance platform that automates and streamlines the financial close process for mid-to-large enterprises.
🇩🇪 happyhotel (Hospitality Tech) — €6.5M Series A: Munich-based revenue management software helping independent hotels optimize pricing strategies and performance through AI.
🇪🇸 Pharmacelera (BioTech) — €6M: Barcelona-based computational chemistry company using AI-powered molecular simulations to accelerate drug discovery.
🇫🇮 SportIQ (Sport Tech) — €5.8M Series A: Helsinki-based technology company embedding AI sensors inside basketball valves to provide real-time performance analytics.
🇨🇭 Unicity Labs (AI) — €2.8M Seed: Zug-based developer of peer-to-peer cryptographic protocols to build infrastructure for the autonomous agentic internet.
🇳🇱 Aizy (Marketing) — €2M: Breda-based AI-driven performance marketing platform that automates Google and Meta advertising campaigns for SMBs.
🇬🇧 Nul (HealthTech) — €1M Seed: London-based telehealth platform for alcohol reduction combining clinical care with prescription medication.
🇩🇪 simmetry.ai (Data) — €330k Pre-Seed: Osnabrück-based developer of photorealistic synthetic data used for training AI models in agriculture and food production.
👉 See the full database of 60+ rounds from this week: here.
💸 New Dry Powder
Spotlight: Quantonation Ventures 🇫🇷 — €220M
With the final close of Quantonation II, the Paris-based firm has secured €220M to strengthen its position as one of the leading global investors in quantum technologies. This 2026 vintage vehicle targets early-stage startups in quantum computing, sensing, and communications, writing checks typically ranging from €2M to €10M. The fund has already hit the ground running by deploying capital into nine companies, including SteerLight, Pioniq, and Resolve. Quantonation boasts a high-performance track record from its inaugural fund, having backed industry pioneers such as Pasqal, Multiverse Computing, and Nord Quantique. What sets the firm apart is its status as the world’s first VC fund dedicated exclusively to quantum technologies, combined with a team of PhD physicists and a strategic partnership with Toshiba to accelerate lab-to-market transitions.
Other Fund Launches:
🇩🇪 Tenet (€80M): Berlin-based investment firm focused on an “AI roll-up” strategy to acquire and transform profitable European software companies with artificial intelligence.
🇬🇧 Redrice Ventures (£75M): Second fund focused on premium consumer brands and technology, secured by a £45M cornerstone commitment from the British Business Bank.
🇫🇷 OSS Ventures (€75M): New fund dedicated to creating and scaling European industrial software champions by partnering with manufacturing experts.
🇨🇭 Emerald & DIC (€52M): A dedicated investment platform launched by Swiss VC Emerald and Japan’s DIC to target global startups in the “Physical AI” and advanced materials sectors.
🇫🇷 Innovacom (€31M+): Final close for the “Industries d’Avenir et Territoires 3” vehicle, exceeding its target to support industrial and deeptech innovation across French regions.
🇫🇷 Campus Fund (5M): Launc their second fund dedicated to backing student and PhD entrepreneurs across Europe, supported by over 50 prominent business angels.
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Best,
Agathe