Berlin-based Naro, a fintech company, announced on Thursday that it has secured $3M (approximately €2.7M) in a pre-seed round of funding co-led by La Famiglia (now part of General Catalyst) and Discovery Ventures. Other investors, including the founders of European unicorns Flix and Forto, other VCs Angel Invest and Robin Capital, and operators with leadership experience at fintech companies like Liqid, N26, Plaid, and Trade Republic, participated in the funding round. The German company will use the funds to build a state-of-the-art tech infrastructure, obtain regulatory approvals, and the development of strategic partnerships. https://siliconcanals.com/news/startups/naro-exits-stealth-mode-with-2-7m/

Germany-based acto, a company that offers active decision intelligence for B2B sales teams, has secured €3.7M in a seed round of funding. The investment was led by 468 Capital and Cusp Capital, along with ongoing support from adesso ventures. The round also saw participation from another.vc and business angels such as Benedikt Franke (Planetly) and Niklas Hellemann (SoSafe). https://siliconcanals.com/crowdfunding/acto-raises-3-7m/

Vienna-based Necture, a climate tech startup, has built a platform for managing car fleets and charging infrastructure, which will increase the adoption of electric fleets. Now, the company just secured an additional funding, which brings its Series A round to €7 million. The latest round was led by Switzerland’s Smart Energy Innovationsfonds and Austrian VC Verbund X Ventures alongside existing investors Speedinvest (invested recently in QphoX and tibo energy) and smartworks innovation GmbH. https://techfundingnews.com/austrian-startup-necture-closes-e7m-round-to-electrify-fleets/

BotGuard OÜ, an Estonia-founded cybersecurity software company has secured a €12 million Series A funding round. The company helps web hosting providers control traffic and protect their infrastructure from malicious threats. The funding is led by MMC Ventures. Existing investors Tera Ventures, and Expeditions Fund also participated in the round, alongside prominent angel investors including Stefan Lindeberg. This latest investment will enable the business to develop its technology further, recruit tech development talent, and expand its sales and marketing teams as it continues to scale globally. https://tech.eu/2024/03/13/estonian-startup-botguard-ou-raises-eur12m-for-web-traffic-control/

Vilnius-headquartered Astrolight has partnered with the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) to advance its dual-use laser communication technology for defense applications, particularly in facilitating communication between navy ships. Through this partnership, Astrolight will collaborate with NATO and other defense stakeholders to adapt its laser communication terminals for terrestrial applications, expanding its product portfolio and entering new markets in the defense industry. DIANA provides startups like Astrolight with access to a network of experts, resources, and funding opportunities to help them develop and commercialize innovative technologies for defense applications. https://arcticstartup.com/astrolight-partners-with-diana/

Tallinn-based startup GScan has raised €3 million in seed funding from investors including Bolt- founder Markus Villig, Japanese corporate venture funds, and existing angel investors. The company specializes in deep tech that enables non-intrusive scanning of materials and structures using cosmic ray muon tomography, providing detailed 3D imagery to assess chemical composition and structural integrity without harmful radiation. GScan plans to use the funding to further develop and commercialize their technology, expand their team, and explore new applications in areas such as defence, national security, healthcare, and space. https://arcticstartup.com/gscan-raises-e3m-seed/

Lithuanian entrepreneur Audrius Zujus‘ Argyle has secured $30 million in funding led by Rockefeller Asset Management‘s Fintech Innovation Fund, with participation from existing investors Bain Capital Ventures, SignalFire, and Checkr. The company’s platform offers automated income and employment verification, helping customers drive efficiency and mitigate fraud. Argyle plans to use the funding to fuel its continued adoption and expansion, focusing on customer adoption and broadening its enterprise account roster, bringing its platform to more institutions and industries. https://arcticstartup.com/audrius-zujus-argyle-raises-30m/