Junto Magazine

The 1-2 billion euro round marks a fundamental milestone for Trade Republic and for the European fintech ecosystem. The fintech's valuation rises to €12.5 billion, consolidating its position among the leading European players that combine advanced technology and retail investment services. The financing is led by investors already part of the platform's consortium and sees the entry of new international players; Among the original investors are Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital,

In the realm of national cybersecurity, the focus is on what the national defense cyber perimeter actually means. The objective is to define roles, responsibilities, and tools to protect strategic assets in a continuously evolving landscape. The article focuses on the key institutions, current limits, and prospects for more cohesive governance. Finally, it explores possible development scenarios and the challenges for startups and private players seeking to operate in this ec

Construction compliance automation is emerging as a concrete response to the challenges that limit SMEs in the construction sector: managing documents, certifications, and regulatory obligations required by tenders and public contracts. Levels, a startup founded in Milan in 2024, began from an analysis of how technology can automate this path, starting from an initial consult in the field of genAI and turning it into a solution that aims to streamline compliance processes for

2025 for Italy's startup ecosystem shows mixed signals: an increase in deals but a contraction in the amount of capital available. In this context, Lombardy confirms itself as the main engine of national innovation, capturing a significant share of transactions and financial resources. According to the reference report, the region absorbs 47.3% of Italian deals, equating to 96 operations out of 204 rounds closed nationwide. Milan remains the hub of innovation thanks to the pr

In 2025 Italy's startup-innovation ecosystem shows signs of both dynamism and tension at once: activity and the number of rounds are rising, but available liquidity remains lower than the previous year. According to the That’s Round 2025 report, 204 rounds were closed for a fundraising of about 1.1 billion euros, with growing activity but a contraction in total capital compared to 2024. Large deals account for almost 40% of the total raise, while the middle tier, where startu

The Chips Act 2.0 for Innovation arrives as a crucial response to the urgency of strengthening Europe’s semiconductor supply chain. The European Union aims to close the gap with major global economies and to position itself among the players in advanced chip production below 5 nanometers. Today the EU holds about 10% of the global market share in microchip production, compared with 19% for the United States, 18% for China, and 13% for Taiwan. Despite progress, Europe remains

In the dynamic landscape of enterprise AI, the PolyAI Series D financing marks a significant milestone: a €73.2 million round aimed at propelling Agent Studio and accelerating the adoption of automated conversation solutions in large enterprises. The deal, led by leading international investors, reflects growing demand for tools that improve the customer experience and reduce operating costs, while maintaining a high level of control and compliance. PolyAI is a conversational

The transformation of AI is accelerating attention to closed AI models, where access, training, and use are controlled by the owning company. In this context, Meta is advancing with Avocado, an internal model that promises to be released by spring 2026. This is a proprietary version not intended for external developers, aimed at ensuring safety, compliance, and centralized control of innovation. The move comes at a time when open solutions have shown limitations in terms of s

SpaceX is emerging as a case study in innovation that blends space exploration, digital infrastructure, and new opportunities for the business world. The idea of turning Starlink satellites into a network of distributed data centers is a vision that, if realized, could change the rules of the data game on a global scale. According to Abhi Tripathi, a former SpaceX employee and now the head of mission operations at the Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory, the satellite-based da

The 200,000-euro Startup Voucher program marks a new edition of the regional voucher dedicated to innovative startups. It is the 200,000-euro Startup Voucher program aimed at accelerating the development of innovative projects. It is a measure within the Sardinia ERDF 2021-2027 regional program, designed to support the development of entrepreneurial solutions with product validation and a functioning prototype. The heart of the initiative is co-financing up to 200,000 euros p

The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), based in Genoa, announced the birth of a new startup devoted to humanoid robot development known as Generative Bionics. The startup has already raised 70 million euros in early funding rounds, one of the highest figures in the European deep-tech sector. The goal of Generative Bionics is to bring to market a new type of humanoid robot that combines AI and advanced mechanics, technically defined as Physical AI, to operate in real-world

The European innovation scene is entering a new, significant chapter: U2V, a venture spin-off born from the experience of Earlybird-X, has announced the first close of a €60 million fund aimed at supporting DeepTech startups originating from European technological universities. The fund aims to invest in pre-seed and seed stages across Europe, focusing on AI and advanced computing, IndustrialTech and CleanTech, with the goal of completing up to 25 investments. The first close

The world of tech startups continues to prove that growth can arise from targeted rounds and international expansion strategies. A standout example is AdapTronics, which closed a €3 million round and is looking to Europe to broaden its market opportunities. Behind the project is a path that starts from the founders' academic experience and leads to a technology ready for industrialization, with a clear ambition for international scale. From the academic project to a concrete

Innovation in Italian startups is at the center of a complex dynamic: investments are stable but not explosive, exits are infrequent, and there is a need for new growth levers. Innovation in Italian startups: 2025 context and prospects According to the Observatory, equity investments in Italian hi-tech startup and scaleup companies stand at €1.456 billion: +2.8% versus the previous year. A hold, yes. But also a clear signal: we are stationary. No collapse, but not the scale-u

Edge AI in agricultural robotics is redefining the way we cultivate and manage crops. The integration of on-edge AI and IoT sensors enables real-time actions directly in the field. In a world where populations are growing, the ability to translate care into scalable technological systems becomes crucial. If we can't translate care into technology, plant production—faster and cleaner—won't be able to sustain the future. From Promise to Real Productivity The scale is impressive

In recent years, climate innovation has accelerated the shift toward less-polluting industries. Spark Cleantech, a French startup born from the CentraleSupélec lab, announced a €30 million Series A to fund the decarbonization of Europe’s heavy industry. The proposed technology promises a radical transformation: reducing emissions and creating decarbonized materials directly within the production process. The funding round was led by 360 Capital and Taranis, with support from

In the fast-evolving tech landscape, reliable and scalable quantum computing emerges as one of the key challenges for startups and innovators. If until recently practicality seemed distant, now the business models and infrastructures that will support this technology are starting to take shape. IBM recently updated its roadmap with a firm date: 2029. In the next three years, researchers aim to realize the first fault-tolerant quantum computer, a milestone that will open a new

In the United States, an ecosystem of stablecoins not issued by banks dominates; in Europe, the push is driven by the need to regulate a rapidly expanding market. Banks can provide greater regulatory assurance and user trust, helping ensure the market stays within rules. Tessera closes with the possibility that, in the future, a “European Tether” could emerge, but acknowledges that banks offer a credibility and stability base not easy to match. The birth (and the team) of Qiv

Eventbrite passes into Italian hands: the agreement for acquisition by Bending Spoons is far more than a financial operation—it's a signal of how the global events market, both online and offline, is changing once again. In this landscape fit stories and ambitions of Italian realities like Evensi , which from Modena have helped redefine how we discover what's happening around us. ​ The Deal: Eventbrite + Bending Spoons Eventbrite has entered a definitive agreement to be acqui

This architecture reduces by orders of magnitude the replication load for most users, while preserving the critical guarantees of security and verification. The DAS Breakthrough: How It Works in Practice The real revolution is Data Availability Sampling, introduced by Mustafa Al-Bassam with LazyLedger and now adopted by Celestia. DAS enables light clients to verify data availability without having to download a full block. The typical flow is: Celestia, launched in 2023, alre