Lovable Secures $400M Funding, Duolingo Acquires Animade, and Isembard's Bold Claim
This week's European tech funding roundup includes Lovable's $400M raise, Duolingo's acquisition of Animade, and Isembard's founder calling the startup a politician's 'wet dream.' Other highlights feature Cambridge Aerospace's $300M funding and Vertical Aerospace's £74M investment.
European tech startups continue to attract significant investment, with several high-profile funding rounds and acquisitions announced this week. Among the standout deals, Lovable secured $400 million in new funding, doubling its valuation to $13.3 billion. Meanwhile, language-learning platform Duolingo acquired UK-based animation studio Animade, and Isembard's founder made a bold claim about the startup's appeal to politicians. ## Major Funding Rounds Lovable, a Swedish startup, raised $400 million, pushing its valuation to $13.3 billion. This substantial investment underscores the company's rapid growth and market potential. In the UK, Cambridge Aerospace also saw a valuation boost to $3.4 billion after securing $300 million in funding. Additionally, Vertical Aerospace, a flying-taxi manufacturer, raised £74 million to advance its innovative transportation solutions. ## Key Acquisitions and Mergers Duolingo expanded its creative capabilities by acquiring Animade, a UK-based animation studio known for its high-quality visual content. In Denmark, Again acquired Geno, combining AI-driven discovery with industrial biomanufacturing. Other notable deals include Circet's acquisition of Technik Partner in Switzerland and VAFO Group's purchase of Pets Deli in Germany. ## Investor Movements Accel, a backer of Monzo and Lovable, raised an enlarged $800 million early-stage fund, signaling strong investor confidence in early-stage startups. Exponent also closed a €750 million continuation fund for H&MV Engineering, valuing the company at €1.4 billion. ## Other Notable Developments Revolut obtained a French banking license, further expanding its financial services footprint in Europe. July 2026 saw several top tech deals, including MSCA-backed QuBriC's involvement in Europe's quantum error correction push. Uber also intensified its robotaxi offensive in Europe through a partnership expansion. ## Startups to Watch Several emerging startups secured funding this week, including Palette, which raised €3 million for its AI-native team operating system, and Visoid, which secured $2.5 million to expand its AI visualization platform for architects. Other notable startups include Millow, STRGY AI, Model ML, and AquaNab, each making strides in their respective industries.
