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  • 9 March 2026: Nscale bags $2B in Series C funding; "reasons to be cheerful about European tech"; SPACs are back; and more

9 March 2026: Nscale bags $2B in Series C funding; "reasons to be cheerful about European tech"; SPACs are back; and more

Author

Robin Wauters
March 09, 2026

Welcome back to the bi-weekly “Inside European Deep Tech” newsletter, compiled by Robin Wauters, COO and board member of the European Startup Network, co-driver at EU–INC, investor at Syndicate One and formerly founding editor and CEO of Tech.eu.

There are about 75,000 subscribers to this newsletter; I invite each and every one of you to provide feedback so I can upgrade it over time. 💪🏻

A word from our partner Deep Tech Momentum (DTM):

Deep Tech Momentum (DTM) is on a mission to strengthen European competitiveness, resilience and technological sovereignty by building the #1 marketplace for deep tech and AI on the continent.

DTM 2026 will bring together 3,000+ Europe's boldest senior innovation leaders, top startup and scale-up founders, and leading investors across energy, defence, manufacturing and robotics, advanced materials, high-performance computing, and space – with a shared goal to accelerate the adoption of commercially-ready, next-horizon technologies.

The program includes an AI Productivity Summit, Venture Clienting & CVC Summit, CXO Sovereignty Summit, LP-GP Marketplace as well as high-level industry and public sector speakers.

DTM also features a unique format of highly-curated 1:1 meetings to accelerate deep tech Go-to-Market where attendees engage directly with Europe’s leading network of 300+ corporate innovation leaders with budgets to deploy deep tech solutions at scale.

To learn more, visit www.deeptech.build

Below, please find a tightly curated list of links for anyone with a vested interest in the European deep tech space:

Must-reads

Insights: data, research, interviews and profiles

Opinions worth reading

Major European deep tech startup and scale-up news

  • Nvidia-backed Nscale raises $2BN, appoints Sheryl Sandberg, Nick Clegg to board

  • U.K.’s Wayve Snags Up To $1.5 Billion To Scale ‘Plug-And-Play’ Robotaxi Software

  • Neura Robotics Raising €1 Billion in Round Backed by Tether

  • Pasqal is entering a new phase of development with new financing expected of at least €340 million, in anticipation of its public listing

  • Axelera AI Secures More Than $250 Million Funding on Global Commercial Growth

  • Auterion, the drone software startup, eyes raising $200M at a $1.2B+ valuation

  • Spain’s PLD Space raises €180M to scale satellite launch infrastructure

  • Backed by €113.8 million, Dutch startup RIFT to deliver 340 GWh of industrial heat annually and avoid over 1 million tonnes of CO₂

  • Self-driving software startup Oxa has raised $103m in Series D funding from Nvidia’s venture capital arm and the UK’s National Wealth Fund

  • Dash0 targets $1bn valuation with Balderton-led funding round, reports say

  • Radiant and Ori merge to deliver sovereign AI cloud at utility scale

  • Vertical Compute raises €57M for high-density AI memory chiplets

  • Encord raises $60M to challenge Scale AI in physical AI data infrastructure

  • SolveAI raises $50M to help employees build their own enterprise software

  • Uforce raises $50M at a $1B+ valuation to build defence tech for Ukraine

  • Isembard raises $50M, plans to open AI-powered factories

Major European deep tech investor news

The scrolled-all-the-way-down extras

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