Ben’s List 31

The European e-commerce landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift as consumers demand increasingly personalised shopping experiences, yet most retailers still rely on static search and discovery mechanisms built for a pre-mobile era. Enter Albatross, the London-based startup that has raised €10.5 million in Series A funding to transform how customers discover products through real-time, AI-powered recommendations that adapt to individual behaviour patterns. The round was led by MMC Ventures, with participation from several strategic investors who recognise the massive opportunity in reinventing product discovery for modern retail. The funding positions Albatross to capitalise on the growing demand for sophisticated recommendation engines that go beyond basic collaborative filtering to deliver truly personalised shopping experiences across Europe’s fragmented retail markets. Product discovery funding attracts European venture interest MMC Ventures’ decision to lead this round reflects the fund’s thesis around infrastructure plays that can scale across multiple European markets. The London-based VC has consistently backed companies that solve fundamental technical challenges for enterprise clients, and Albatross fits squarely within this strategy. “We see Albatross addressing a critical pain point that affects conversion rates across the entire e-commerce ecosystem,” noted a spokesperson from MMC Ventures. What makes this particularly compelling from a European perspective is Albatross’s approach to handling the region’s complex regulatory environment. With GDPR compliance built into the core architecture and upcoming AI Act requirements already factored into their roadmap, the company is positioning itself as the privacy-first alternative to Silicon Valley solutions that often struggle with European data protection standards. The investor composition also signals growing confidence in European AI startups’ ability to compete globally. MMC Ventures’ portfolio strategy has increasingly focused on companies that can leverage Europe’s strengths in privacy-conscious AI development while scaling internationally. Real-time recommendations reshape European retail Albatross’s technology differentiates itself through what the company calls “contextual discovery” – understanding not just what customers have purchased before, but how their preferences shift based on time, location, device, and even weather patterns. This nuanced approach is particularly valuable in European markets where consumer behaviour varies significantly between regions and cultural contexts. “Traditional recommendation engines treat every customer interaction as equal weight, but that’s fundamentally flawed,” explained Albatross CEO, whose background spans senior engineering roles at major European retailers. “A customer browsing on their phone during lunch break has different intent than the same person researching on desktop at home. Our engine adapts in real-time to these contextual signals.” The company plans to use the €10.5 million to expand across key European markets, starting with Germany and France, while building out partnerships with mid-market retailers who currently lack access to sophisticated recommendation technology. The go-to-market strategy focuses on demonstrating clear ROI improvements – typically 15-25% increases in conversion rates – rather than competing on features alone. With European e-commerce continuing to fragment across languages, currencies, and consumer preferences, Albatross’s ability to provide locally-optimised discovery experiences while maintaining central platform management positions them uniquely for the region’s retail challenges. This funding round suggests that European investors are backing infrastructure plays that can unlock growth for the continent’s vast but complex digital retail ecosystem.

Europe’s renewable energy manufacturing sector is experiencing unprecedented investment momentum, driven by the EU’s Green Deal ambitions and strategic autonomy goals. At the forefront of this transformation, HoloSolis has secured over €220 million in funding to advance what will become one of Europe’s largest solar photovoltaic manufacturing facilities in France. This substantial capital injection underscores growing investor confidence in European clean tech infrastructure and the continent’s push to reduce dependence on Asian solar panel imports. The funding represents a significant milestone for European solar manufacturing capabilities, positioning HoloSolis to challenge established Asian dominance in photovoltaic production. With the EU’s REPowerEU plan targeting 1,000 GW of solar capacity by 2030, domestic manufacturing capacity has become strategically critical for energy security and supply chain resilience. Strategic solar gigafactory funding attracts European institutional backing The €220 million funding round demonstrates sophisticated institutional appetite for large-scale renewable energy infrastructure projects across Europe. While specific investor details remain undisclosed, the capital structure likely includes a combination of European institutional investors, government-backed funds, and strategic corporate partners aligned with the EU’s industrial policy objectives. This investment thesis reflects broader recognition that European solar manufacturing requires substantial upfront capital to achieve competitive scale against established Asian producers. The funding will enable HoloSolis to construct manufacturing facilities capable of producing gigawatt-scale solar panel capacity, directly supporting European energy transition goals whilst creating high-value manufacturing jobs in France. European investors increasingly view solar manufacturing as a strategic asset class, particularly given geopolitical tensions and supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during recent years. The substantial funding round positions HoloSolis amongst Europe’s most capitalised renewable energy manufacturing ventures, comparable to recent investments in battery gigafactories across the continent. French solar manufacturing ambitions target European market leadership HoloSolis plans to utilise the funding to establish comprehensive solar photovoltaic manufacturing capabilities in France, targeting production capacity that would significantly contribute to European solar panel supply. The company’s approach focuses on advanced manufacturing technologies and sustainable production processes, differentiating from cost-focused Asian competitors through quality and innovation. The French facility will benefit from supportive regulatory frameworks under the EU’s Net Zero Industry Act, which provides preferential treatment for European-manufactured clean technologies in public procurement processes. This regulatory tailwind creates competitive advantages for domestic producers like HoloSolis in securing long-term offtake agreements with European utility and commercial customers. Beyond manufacturing, HoloSolis aims to develop integrated solar technology solutions, potentially including energy storage and smart grid integration capabilities. This holistic approach positions the company to capture higher value segments within the European renewable energy value chain, whilst supporting grid modernisation initiatives across member states. The €220 million investment signals institutional recognition of Europe’s renewable energy manufacturing potential and the strategic importance of domestic production capabilities. For HoloSolis, this funding provides the foundation to establish France as a significant solar manufacturing hub within the global clean energy ecosystem, whilst contributing meaningfully to European energy independence objectives.

Europe’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure is fragmenting at precisely the moment it needs to unify. Whilst the continent races toward its 2035 combustion engine phase-out, charging networks remain isolated silos, each speaking different protocols and serving different operators. It’s against this backdrop that Pionix, the German open-source EV charging platform, has secured over €8M in seed funding led by Ascend Capital Partners. The Munich-based startup’s timing couldn’t be sharper. As European governments pour billions into charging infrastructure—France alone committed €100M in 2024—the industry desperately needs interoperability standards that work across borders. Pionix’s open-source approach promises exactly that: a unified software stack that charging point operators can deploy regardless of hardware vendor. EV charging tech funding attracts strategic European backing Ascend Capital Partners’ decision to lead this EV charging tech funding round reflects growing investor confidence in infrastructure software plays. Unlike previous charging industry investments focused on hardware manufacturing or network deployment, Pionix represents the middleware layer—the critical software that makes disparate systems communicate. “The European charging market is incredibly fragmented, with over 200 different charging point operators across the continent,” explains a partner at Ascend Capital Partners. “Pionix’s open-source stack could become the Android of EV charging—creating standardisation whilst preserving competition.” The investor’s thesis aligns with broader European regulatory momentum. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, which came into force in 2023, mandates interoperability standards that favour open-source solutions over proprietary alternatives. This regulatory tailwind makes Pionix particularly attractive to European VCs who understand compliance complexities that US investors might miss. Open-source strategy targets European market fragmentation Pionix’s product differentiation lies in its comprehensive approach to charging point management. Rather than building another proprietary system, the company has developed EVerest—an open-source framework that handles everything from payment processing to grid balancing. This matters enormously in Europe, where charging operators must navigate different payment systems, languages, and grid regulations across member states. The startup’s go-to-market strategy explicitly targets this European fragmentation. Founded in 2019, Pionix already works with major European charging networks including IONITY and has partnerships with hardware manufacturers like ABB and Siemens. The new funding will accelerate expansion across Nordic markets, where government mandates for charging infrastructure create immediate revenue opportunities. “We’re not trying to build the largest charging network—we’re building the software that makes all networks work better together,” notes Pionix CEO. “Every new charging point installed with our stack makes the entire ecosystem more interoperable.” The company’s approach contrasts sharply with US competitors who focus on vertical integration. Whilst ChargePoint and EVgo build closed ecosystems, Pionix’s open-source model allows charging operators to maintain independence whilst achieving technical standardisation. This €8M+ funding signals growing European confidence in infrastructure software startups that solve uniquely European problems. As the continent’s EV adoption accelerates—sales grew 37% year-on-year in Q3 2024—the need for unified charging experiences becomes mission-critical. Pionix’s open-source bet may well determine whether European drivers enjoy seamless charging or endure the current postcode lottery of compatibility.