The Recursive’s weekly roundup aims to cover key tech developments across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the growing impact of CEE-born founders on the global stage. Take a look at the latest news in funding, startup milestones, and emerging trends tied to the region’s innovation potential.
Czech Credo Ventures has invested in Modeinspect, a Paris-based startup aiming to eliminate the gap between design and code, which has raised a $3.4 million (€2.89 million) seed round led by Partech. The round also included Angelinvest and individual backers such as Meta product design lead Michal Vaško, Kiwi.com co-founder Jozef Kepesi, and Grafbase’s Fredrik Björk. Modeinspect allows designers to edit live products directly rather than working in static mockups and handoffs, targeting disruption in the $6 billion design software market by moving beyond prototypes and into real-time production design.
Czech defense group Czechoslovak Group (CSG) has announced plans to go public with a listing on the Amsterdam stock exchange, citing strong investor interest driven by rising NATO defense spending. The planned IPO will offer shares worth €750 million, while BlackRock, Artisan Partners, and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund QIA have already signaled preliminary commitments totaling €900 million.
The Polish fund OTB Ventures participated in a $60 million round B for startup Hydrosat, which is developing AI-based thermal observation satellite technology used in agriculture, water management, and defense.
Ukrainian HOLYWATER announced the closing of a $22 million investment round for the development of streaming products in the vertical series segment. The round was led by Horizon Capital with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and Wheelhouse.
Ludus AI, a Polish company developing AI tools for creators working in Unreal Engine, closed a financing round worth $1.3 million (4.5 million PLN) after its participation in the Concordia Design acceleration program. The round was supported by Polish funds Hard2Beat and 24Ventures.
Prague-based AI startup Maxfusion has raised €350,000 from Czech Founders VC, angel investor Ory Weihs, and its founders to accelerate product scaling and expand adoption among brands and agencies. Maxfusion offers a platform for bulk, automated video ad creation, including AI-generated actors, aimed at businesses that need fast, cost-efficient creative testing. Since launching its MVP, the company has signed 50 customers and is now focusing on strengthening sales and marketing.
Baryon Investment Fund has invested in Ukrainian Airvolute, a deep-tech company developing hardware and software for AI-controlled autonomous unmanned aerial systems. The fund stated that Airvolute’s technology plays a key role in the production, scaling, and reliability of UAV systems, with the investment intended to support the team and its long-term approach to technology development.
Czech technology group ABUGO has acquired e-commerce marketing platform Tanganica as part of its strategy to grow through acquisitions alongside brands such as Shopsys, Smartsupp, and Survio. Tanganica, which reached about €1 million in ARR, automates PPC management, analytics, reporting, and AI-driven creative production for e-shops from a single interface. The deal value was not disclosed, and Tanganica will continue to be led by its current management while leveraging ABUGO’s global know-how and shared infrastructure to accelerate growth.
Across the Atlantic, former OpenAI executive Mira Murati announced that her startup, Thinking Machines Lab, has parted ways with co-founder and CTO Barret Zoph, naming Soumith Chintala as the new CTO. Shortly after, OpenAI executive Fidji Simo revealed that Zoph, along with Luke Metz and Sam Schoenholz, would be returning to OpenAI.
OpenAI has signed a multi-year agreement with semiconductor company Cerebras Systems to secure large-scale computing capacity. The deal, valued at over $10 billion, is designed to significantly speed up ChatGPT and expand AI infrastructure by 2028, with the ambition of building the world’s fastest AI. Under the agreement, Cerebras will deliver up to 750 MW of computing power through infrastructure rolled out in phases, focused on reducing neural network response times.
See also
Vertical AI Startups Face 99.5% Failure Rate in 2026—Market Shaping Offers Solution
LG CNS Invests 10 Billion Won in Cha Biotech to Launch AI-Driven Connected Healthcare Services
Woori Financial Group Advances AI Transformation with 344 Use Cases by 2024
Salesforce Reinvents CRM with Einstein 1 Platform and Generative AI for Efficiency Gains
IBM Study Reveals AI Investment Set to Surge 150%, Driving 42% Productivity Growth by 2030
