Venture capital for start-ups is in short supply across Europe, with central and eastern Europe particularly hard hit. A recent study found that investment in start-ups in Widening countries fell by 57% between 2022 and 2023, against a 45% drop across the continent as a whole Attempts are in hand to address this problem, with a project just beginning under the aegis of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Health community aiming to share strategies that have proved effective in getting the attention of investors and persuading them to open their wallets. The Healthy Investment Central Eastern Europe (HICEE) project brings together business acceleration service providers and investor networks from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, along with innovation hubs in Belgium and the Netherlands. The programme is expected to equip at least 10 start-up support organisations, such as technology transfer offices, with new ways of approaching the challenge of attracting investment, and to prepare an additional 30 trainers who have the potential to have an impact on up to 150 innovation projects or start-up ventures each year. Other expected outcomes include vetting 25 health start-ups for advanced investment readiness in international markets, the production of investment handbooks, and a white paper on investment policies. https://sciencebusiness.net/news/start-ups/ecosystem-building-bridge-across-start-investment-gap-central-and-eastern-europe

The Federal Ministry of Economics in Germany published at short notice and apparently without warning: “A new investment funding guideline will come into force on March 6, 2024. The amount of the acquisition subsidy will then be 15 percent (instead of the previous 25 percent) of the investment amount.” And yet the change may have a significant impact on the German startup ecosystem. For business angels, who are a mainstay of the startup scene, it makes investments less attractive. Since angel investors typically support young companies in particularly early business phases, they carry increased risk with their capital investment. The acquisition subsidy is therefore included in the calculation because it also improves the return on investment. The ministry cites the reason to the Business Angels Network Germany (BAND) that the funds budgeted for Invest are unlikely to be sufficient for all the applications for venture capital grants that are still expected. The reduction is not temporary but applies to the entire funding period until the end of 2026. At the same time, new approvals for the investment subsidy, which were suspended due to the provisional budget management, will be resumed. https://www.breakinglatest.news/business/startups-investment-subsidies-for-business-angels-significantly-reduced/

The federal government in Germany has launched the innovative flagship competition “Startup Factories” in order to replicate the successful Munich model of the Technical University of Munich across the country. The aim is to increase the number of business start-ups from the academic environment and thus give the economy new impetus. Despite economic challenges, including a recession and a decline in startups and venture capital investments, there are high hopes for the initiative. https://www.breakinglatest.news/technology/green-startups-new-dynamics-through-academic-founders-according-to-a-study-by-tum/

Bulgarian biotechnology scaleup Nasekomo focuses on advancing insect bioconversion for sustainable high-quality protein production. Now, the company has secured €8 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Bulgaria-based Invenio Partners, a private equity fund focusing on the SEE region, alongside several high-net-worth individuals. It comes a month after Nasekomo entered into a strategic partnership with Siemens. The funds will be used to construct a network of insect bioconversion factories through a franchise model across Europe soon. The company also plans to expand its footprint to other continents soon. Following the inauguration of its industrial demonstration centre near Sofia, Nasekomo plans to open in Bulgaria a second production base in 2025 in partnership with a local entrepreneur. https://techfundingnews.com/nasekomo-secures-e8m-to-build-factories-for-sustainable-protein-alternatives-from-insects/

The EIB has awarded Estonian CDMO Icosagen €18 million, supporting the financing of a 1,600 m2 production facility. The European Investment Bank has awarded Estonian CDMO Icosagen €18 million ($19 million), supporting the financing of a 1,600 m2 production facility. The €18 million will form part of a total of €40 million being invested into contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Icosagen’s R&D capabilities and a clinical-scale good manufacturing practice (GMP) plant in Tartu, Estonia. The 1,600 m2 facility is scheduled to be project-ready in Q1 2024 and will include a 400 m2 cleanroom equipped with single-use bioreactors up to 1,000 L in scale, supplied by MilliporeSigma. Downstream equipment – also part of MilliporeSigma’s Mobius range – will be capable of processing kg-amounts of product, suitable for Phase I and II clinical trials. https://www.bioprocessintl.com/facilities-capacity/icosagen-eib-loan-to-support-cdmo-s-mammalian-plant-buildout

German electrolyser maker Sunfire GmbH has at its disposal roughly EUR 500 million (USD 542.4m) in fresh capital to speed up its growth by enhancing the development of its products in a bid to meet the growing demand for electrolysis technologies. The Dresden-based company said on Tuesday it has raised EUR 215 million in a Series E equity financing round through which LGT Private Banking, GIC, Ahren Innovation Capital, and Carbon Equity have joined as new investors. Some existing shareholders have also participated in the round and lifted their investment in the company. Among them are Lightrock, Planet First Partners, Carbon Direct Capital, the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, and Blue Earth Capital. https://renewablesnow.com/news/electrolyser-maker-sunfire-pockets-eur-500m-to-scale-up-growth-850526/

SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:SEDG), known for its smart energy technology, has announced a strategic investment and partnership with German software startup AMPEERS ENERGY. Together, they aim to provide comprehensive photovoltaic tenant electricity solutions to the real estate sector in Germany and Austria. This collaboration is set to offer real estate companies a complete package for achieving a climate-neutral building portfolio. The package includes planning, installation, and financing of solar and storage generation, tenant electricity billing, EV charging infrastructure, and new heating technologies. https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/solaredge-partners-with-german-software-startup-ampeers-93CH-3329183