Beyond Lovable and Mistral: 21 European startups to watch
The article highlights 21 European startups that investors and experts believe are worth watching, spanning sectors from AI and defense tech to renewable energy and fintech. These startups, though not all widely known yet, are seen as indicators of Europe's growing deep tech capabilities. The list includes companies at various stages, from pre-launch to unicorn, selected through recommendations from top venture capital firms and TechCrunch editors.
- ▪BottleCap AI, based in Prague, is developing efficiency-focused foundational LLMs and AI-powered applications like Pulse, a news app.
- ▪Alta Ares builds AI-powered counter-drone systems, addressing the rising need for affordable defense solutions in Europe.
- ▪Botify helps major brands like Macy’s and The New York Times optimize visibility in AI-driven search environments.
- ▪Cailabs specializes in photonics for aerospace and defense, with plans to deploy 50 optical ground stations for satellite laser communication.
- ▪Cala is building a knowledge graph for AI agents, founded by Elisenda Bou-Balust, who previously sold her AI company Vilynx to Apple.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Europe should be known for BottleCap AI, not bottle cap memes. With its tongue-in-cheek name, this Prague-based AI startup is one of the teams that VCs think you should know. It is not that European startups never cut through the noise — Lovable and Mistral AI are proof of it. But there are many more that don’t have nine digits in annual recurring revenue yet and that insiders are still tracking very closely. That’s where this list comes in. Over the last few weeks, we asked investors at some of Europe’s best known venture funds to recommend two startups each: one from their portfolio (because they liked the startup well enough to invest) and one outside of it (because they are the startup experts but can’t invest in them all). We also threw in a few picks of our own.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at TechCrunch.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from TechCrunch
