Connecting Food: The Power of Blockchain in the Agri-Food Supply Chain

Switzerland is positioning itself as a formidable contender in the global solid-state battery race, traditionally dominated by Asian manufacturers. The latest move comes from Zurich-based BTRY AG, which has secured €4.9 million in seed funding led by Redstone VC. This strategic investment signals Europe’s intent to capture a significant share of the next-generation battery market, worth an estimated $8.5 billion by 2030. The funding round represents more than capital injection—it’s a calculated bet on European battery technology leadership. BTRY’s proprietary solid-state architecture promises energy density improvements of up to 50% compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, alongside enhanced safety profiles that eliminate thermal runaway risks. Swiss solid-state battery funding attracts strategic investors Redstone VC’s leadership of this round reflects a broader thesis around European deep tech capabilities in advanced materials science. The venture firm, known for backing hardware-intensive startups across the continent, sees BTRY as a strategic play against Asian battery giants like CATL and BYD. “European manufacturers need indigenous battery technology to reduce supply chain dependencies,” explains Redstone partner Maria Kowalski. “BTRY’s solid-state approach offers performance advantages that pure-play Asian manufacturers haven’t achieved at scale.” The investment thesis aligns with broader European policy initiatives, including the €3.2 billion European Battery Alliance and revised Critical Raw Materials Act. These regulatory tailwinds create favourable conditions for European battery startups to compete with established Asian players. Redstone’s portfolio strategy focuses on hardware companies that can leverage European research infrastructure while accessing global markets. Co-investors in the round include Swiss federal innovation fund CTI and unnamed strategic partners from the automotive sector, suggesting potential customer partnerships already in development. Product differentiation in European battery market BTRY’s technology centres on ceramic electrolyte compositions that enable solid-state operation at room temperature—a breakthrough that addresses manufacturing scalability challenges plaguing competitors. The Zurich-based team, led by former ETH researchers, has developed proprietary processing techniques that reduce production costs by approximately 40% compared to existing solid-state approaches. The company’s go-to-market strategy targets European automotive manufacturers seeking battery solutions that comply with upcoming EU sustainability regulations. “We’re not competing on cost alone—our value proposition combines performance, safety, and regulatory compliance,” notes BTRY CEO Dr. Andreas Weber. “European OEMs understand they need reliable, local battery suppliers to meet their 2030 electrification targets.” Market validation comes through partnerships with unnamed European automotive tier-one suppliers, currently conducting pilot testing programmes. The funding will accelerate pilot production capabilities and expand the engineering team by 25 employees over 18 months. BTRY plans to establish its first commercial production line in Switzerland by Q3 2026, with capacity for 10 GWh annually. This funding positions Switzerland as a serious player in the European battery ecosystem, joining efforts from Sweden’s Northvolt and Germany’s Varta in challenging Asian market dominance through technological differentiation rather than pure cost competition.

Europe’s enterprise storage market is experiencing a fundamental shift as hyperscale infrastructure becomes democratised beyond tech giants. Traditional storage solutions struggle to match the performance and cost efficiency that companies like Amazon and Google have built internally, creating a significant gap in the market. Leil, a London-based storage infrastructure startup, has secured €1.5M in seed funding led by Karma Ventures to bridge this divide. The round positions the company to make hyperscale storage technology accessible to enterprises that previously couldn’t access such advanced infrastructure capabilities. Founded in 2023, Leil has developed a platform that enables companies to deploy storage infrastructure with the same performance characteristics as hyperscale providers, without requiring massive technical teams or capital investments. Hyperscale storage funding attracts European venture interest Karma Ventures’ investment reflects growing European VC appetite for infrastructure-as-a-service solutions that level the playing field for mid-market enterprises. The fund, which focuses on early-stage B2B software across Europe, sees Leil addressing a critical infrastructure gap that has kept European companies at a competitive disadvantage. “Storage infrastructure has become a competitive moat for hyperscale companies, but there’s no reason why this technology should remain exclusive to tech giants,” said a Karma Ventures partner involved in the deal. “Leil’s approach democratises these capabilities for the broader European enterprise market.” The investment comes at a time when European data sovereignty requirements under GDPR and the Digital Services Act are pushing companies to reconsider their storage strategies. Leil’s European-first approach positions it well within this regulatory environment. European storage market expansion strategy unveiled The funding will primarily support product development and European market expansion, with Leil planning to establish partnerships with cloud providers and systems integrators across key European markets. The company aims to reduce storage costs by up to 70% compared to traditional enterprise solutions while improving performance. “European enterprises have been forced to choose between expensive legacy storage systems or complex hyperscale solutions they can’t manage internally,” explained Leil’s CEO. “We’re eliminating that trade-off by providing hyperscale performance with enterprise-grade simplicity.” The startup faces competition from established players like NetApp and Dell EMC, but differentiates through its cloud-native architecture and European regulatory compliance focus. Early customers report significant performance improvements and cost reductions compared to existing solutions. This funding round signals growing investor confidence in European infrastructure startups that can compete with both Silicon Valley hyperscalers and established enterprise vendors. For European enterprises struggling with storage infrastructure challenges, Leil’s approach offers a compelling alternative that combines the best of both worlds.

The European construction technology sector is experiencing a digital transformation wave, with artificial intelligence emerging as the key differentiator for next-generation planning solutions. As regulatory frameworks across the EU increasingly demand faster, more accurate project approvals, startups are capitalising on this market shift to build AI-powered alternatives to traditional manual processes. Freeda, a construction AI platform, has closed a €3.4 million funding round led by Frst to transform how construction plan reviews are conducted across European markets. The round positions the startup to scale its artificial intelligence capabilities whilst addressing the fragmented regulatory landscape that characterises European construction approval processes. The funding comes as European construction firms face mounting pressure to accelerate project timelines whilst maintaining compliance with increasingly complex building regulations. Freeda’s AI-driven approach promises to reduce plan review cycles from weeks to days, addressing a critical bottleneck that affects billions in construction projects across the continent. AI construction planning attracts strategic European investment Frst’s decision to lead this round reflects broader investor confidence in construction technology solutions tailored for European markets. The venture capital firm, known for backing B2B software companies addressing regulatory complexity, sees Freeda’s approach as particularly well-suited to the European construction landscape, where multiple jurisdictions and building codes create natural barriers to entry for non-European competitors. “Construction plan reviews represent a massive inefficiency in European building processes,” noted a spokesperson from Frst. “Freeda’s AI platform addresses this by understanding the nuances of different European regulatory frameworks whilst maintaining the precision required for compliance.” The round’s composition highlights the growing interest from European VCs in vertical AI applications. Unlike broad horizontal AI plays, Freeda’s focus on construction-specific workflows allows for deeper integration with existing European construction management systems and regulatory databases. This strategic positioning differentiates Freeda from US-based construction tech solutions, which often struggle to adapt to the fragmented regulatory environment across EU member states. The startup’s European-first approach enables faster implementation across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. European construction market presents unique AI opportunities Freeda’s product addresses specific challenges within European construction workflows, where manual plan reviews create significant project delays. The platform’s AI algorithms are trained on European building codes and regulatory requirements, enabling automatic compliance checking across multiple jurisdictions. The startup plans to deploy the funding primarily for product development and market expansion across key European construction markets, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. This geographic focus aligns with EU digital transformation initiatives supporting construction industry modernisation. Current market conditions favour Freeda’s growth trajectory. European construction projects worth over €1.3 trillion annually face delays due to manual approval processes, creating substantial demand for AI-powered alternatives. The startup’s early traction demonstrates market readiness for automated plan review solutions. “We’re solving a problem that costs the European construction industry billions annually in delays and inefficiencies,” explained Freeda’s leadership team. “Our AI platform reduces review times whilst improving accuracy, delivering value that resonates immediately with construction professionals.” The company’s approach leverages machine learning to identify potential compliance issues early in the design process, preventing costly revisions during later project phases. This proactive methodology appeals particularly to large European construction firms managing multiple concurrent projects across different regulatory environments. Freeda’s €3.4 million raise signals growing investor appetite for AI applications addressing sector-specific inefficiencies within European markets. As construction digitalisation accelerates, startups combining deep regulatory knowledge with advanced AI capabilities are positioning themselves as essential infrastructure for the industry’s future.