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Europe's Open Source Future

Europe's Open Source Future
Discover more at www.speedinvest.com

The next generation of breakout companies is being built differently. Not in isolation, but in the open, where code, communities, and ideas evolve faster and spread further.

This month, our Wissam Nasreddine explores how founders are using openness as a strategy from day one: accelerating product development, building trust with users, and turning communities into a real growth engine. The model challenges traditional playbooks, and increasingly, it’s where we see some of the most ambitious companies taking shape.

Head to our blog to learn more about the shift redefining what it means to scale early, and meet the 50 early and growth-stage companies and projects we believe are shaping the category in Europe. 

What else is happening...

→ Have You Heard? We led the $6M pre-Seed round of Blocks to support Flink founder, Oliver Merkel, and his team as they help startups manage and optimize their cloud spend.

→ Speedinvest News: Four of our portfolio companies are among Europe’s Top 50 fastest-growing tech companies, and we're recognized as a leading investor for backing some of the continent's fastest-scaling startups.

→ Our Perspective: The best founders grow faster when they plug into The Power of More. That's why we partnered with Deel to bring one of the most exciting global startup competitions to Berlin.

Additional portfolio updates, deep-dive content, job openings, and more below ⬇️

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Welcome to the Family

Oliver Merkel, Blocks founder

Oliver Merkel scaled Flink to 10,000 employees. Now he’s launching Blocks to help startups scale cloud infrastructure, not headcount.

Berlin-based Blocks is building a new layer for cloud efficiency, giving startups control over their cloud spend from day one. By combining an AI agent that continuously optimizes usage with aggregated buying power across companies, Blocks unlocks savings typically reserved for much larger organizations.

We're proud to lead Blocks’ $6M pre-Seed round to help Oliver and his team in rethinking how startups manage and optimize their cloud spend.

Germany's Manager Magazin has more on Blocks and the funding round, while Oliver joined the OMR podcast to dive deep into his serial entrepreneur story.

Portfolio Headlines & Highlights

News and updates from across our portfolio

Finary, Dronamics, GetVocal AI, and asap . work are among Europe’s Top 50 fastest-growing tech companies, according to a new ranking by Scaling Europe and Dealroom, in partnership with Nebius and J.P. Morgan.

See the full list of fastest-scaling companies and the VCs recognized for backing them.

  • Kraken is moving its autonomous maritime defense technology from prototype to production in Europe and in the U.S. Their K3 Scout will enter series production in Hamburg, giving European navies and civil agencies a fast, home-grown platform for maritime surveillance, coastal security, and critical infrastructure protection, and they're partnering with Anduril to bring the K5 KRAKEN and K7 SABRE USVs to the U.S. Navy.
  • SpAItial AI unveiled Echo-2, a new frontier model that generates fully interactive environments that don’t just look real, but exist in 3D and can be explored in real time.
  • Vocca AI deploys its AI voice assistant across at The Adolphe de Rothschild Foundation Hospital (HFAR), making it the first French hospital to entrust its entire telephone reception service to artificial intelligence.
  • Bitpanda launches Fusion, a new product helping to solve fragmented liquidity for traders in Europe.
  • ARX Robotics signed its first deal with the British Army, providing its technology through Task Force Rapstone.
  • Coachhub had its strongest ever quarter as AI continues to power its digital coaching platform.
  • MinersAI announced its strategic partnership with Bbabsal Mines, combining AI-powered geoscience intelligence with on-the-ground copper and cobalt operations in one of the world's most important mineral belts.

Our Perspective

Sector-focused expertise and insights on the VC ecosystem at large

The best founders don’t build in isolation. They grow faster when they plug into the right partners, capital, and communities at the right time.

That's why we partnered with Deel to bring one of the most exciting global startup competitions to Berlin on April 20. 12 teams walked away as winners and are now in the running for the global finale, where up to 10 companies can receive $1M+ in capital from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, and Ribbit Capital.

Congratulations and best of luck to the Berlin winners!

  • Together with BCG X and Carrefour, we surveyed the Heads of AI from 27 of France’s largest companies to understand how AI is truly evolving across the country.
  • Our Principal, Florian Obst, helps Gründerszene identify and showcase the German AI startups solving real problems.
  • Our Fintech investor, Paula Schumacher, collaborated with Sifted to identify the AI-powered Insurance Tech companies making waves in Europe.

Who's Hiring?

There are more than 1,000 vacancies across our portfolio. Browse open jobs below and on our website.

Sign up for our exclusive talent pool

With more than 400 portfolio companies, Speedinvest has become one of the largest networks in the European startup scene. Join our exclusive talent pool to find your next career move, receive top news, and connect with founders directly.

See you next month!