Reading List for Entrepreneurs W48 – Selected

Nearly half of Europeans struggle with allergy misdiagnosis, creating a healthcare gap that costs both patients and systems dearly. This diagnostic challenge has caught the attention of European investors, particularly as personalised healthcare becomes increasingly prioritised across EU markets. Lithuanian startup Self.co has secured €2.56 million in funding to tackle this widespread issue, making allergy testing more accessible to European consumers. The funding round positions Self.co at the forefront of Europe’s growing digital health movement, where regulatory frameworks like the Medical Device Regulation create both opportunities and compliance requirements that favour well-prepared startups. Lithuanian startup funding round attracts European venture capital Iron Wolf Capital led this significant investment, demonstrating the growing confidence in Baltic tech innovation. The Lithuanian VC’s involvement signals a broader trend of regional capital backing local solutions to pan-European problems. Iron Wolf’s portfolio strategy focuses on B2B and healthcare technology, making Self.co a natural fit for their thesis around accessible medical solutions. “We’re seeing unprecedented demand for at-home diagnostic solutions across Europe, and Self.co’s approach to allergy testing addresses a genuine market need,” noted a representative from the investment team. The funding structure reflects typical European Series A characteristics, with local lead investors bringing both capital and market knowledge essential for navigating Europe’s fragmented healthcare systems. The investor mix suggests confidence in Self.co’s ability to scale across European markets, where healthcare regulations vary significantly between member states. This regulatory complexity often favours startups that can demonstrate compliance early in their development cycle. Digital health innovation tackles European allergy crisis Self.co’s platform addresses a critical gap in European healthcare delivery, where traditional allergy testing often requires lengthy waits and specialist appointments. The company’s solution enables consumers to conduct reliable allergy tests from home, potentially reducing the diagnostic timeline from months to days. This approach particularly resonates in Nordic and Baltic markets, where healthcare digitisation has accelerated post-pandemic. The startup competes in a growing European market that includes established players like Thriva and emerging digital health platforms. However, Self.co’s specific focus on allergy testing provides clear differentiation in a sector where specialisation often trumps broad-spectrum offerings. Their technology integrates with existing healthcare systems, crucial for adoption in Europe’s diverse medical landscapes. “Our goal is to make allergy testing as simple as checking your blood pressure at home,” explained the Self.co team regarding their European expansion strategy. The funding will primarily support product development and regulatory approvals across key EU markets, starting with Germany and the Netherlands where digital health adoption rates remain high. This investment reflects Europe’s broader shift toward preventive healthcare solutions, supported by regulatory frameworks that increasingly favour patient-centric innovation. Self.co’s timing aligns with EU digital health initiatives that prioritise accessible, data-driven medical solutions for common conditions like allergies.

As artificial intelligence transforms the financial services landscape, cybercriminals are exploiting these same technologies to orchestrate increasingly sophisticated scams against banking customers. This evolving threat has created a pressing need for advanced security solutions tailored to the European financial sector’s unique regulatory environment. Falkin, a London-based fintech security startup, has secured €1.8M ($2M) in seed funding led by TriplePoint Ventures to develop AI-powered fraud prevention tools specifically designed to protect European bank customers from next-generation scam attacks. The round positions Falkin at the forefront of a rapidly evolving cybersecurity market where traditional rule-based systems are proving inadequate against AI-enhanced threats. TriplePoint Ventures backs fintech security innovation TriplePoint Ventures’ investment in Falkin reflects the venture firm’s strategic focus on infrastructure technologies that address critical pain points in financial services. The Silicon Valley-based investor has built a reputation for backing companies that provide essential plumbing for the digital economy, making Falkin’s anti-fraud platform a natural fit for their portfolio thesis. “The sophistication of AI-powered scams has reached a tipping point where traditional fraud detection methods are no longer sufficient,” said a TriplePoint Ventures partner. “Falkin’s approach to real-time threat detection using machine learning represents the next evolution in financial security technology.” The investment comes at a time when European banks face mounting pressure from regulators to enhance customer protection measures, particularly around digital fraud prevention. The EU’s revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and upcoming AI Act create both compliance challenges and market opportunities for specialised security providers like Falkin. European banks embrace AI-driven fraud prevention Falkin’s platform utilises advanced machine learning algorithms to analyse transaction patterns, customer behaviour, and communication channels in real-time, identifying potential scam attempts before they can cause financial damage. The company’s European focus allows it to navigate the continent’s complex regulatory landscape while addressing the specific fraud vectors targeting UK and EU banking customers. “We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how fraudsters operate, with AI enabling them to create highly personalised and convincing scam campaigns at scale,” explained Falkin’s CEO. “Our platform is built specifically for the European market, where banks need solutions that balance robust security with strict data protection requirements.” The startup plans to use the funding to accelerate product development and expand its commercial partnerships with tier-one European banks. Falkin’s go-to-market strategy focuses initially on the UK market before expanding across the EU, leveraging existing relationships with financial institutions seeking advanced fraud prevention capabilities. This funding round signals growing investor confidence in European fintech security solutions, particularly those addressing the intersection of AI, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance. As cybercriminals continue to weaponise artificial intelligence, startups like Falkin are positioned to become critical infrastructure providers for the European banking sector’s digital transformation.

The European hospitality tech sector is experiencing unprecedented consolidation as traditional hotel management systems struggle to meet post-pandemic digitalisation demands. At the centre of this transformation sits Amenitiz, the Madrid-based property management platform that has quietly built Europe’s fastest-growing hotel tech ecosystem. The company has secured €38.9 million in new funding from Oyster Bay, positioning itself to capture the fragmented €12 billion European hotel software market. This substantial injection brings Amenitiz’s total raised capital well beyond the €50 million mark, validating its aggressive expansion strategy across 15,000 hotels processing €3 billion in annual bookings. For European investors, this represents a rare opportunity to back a genuine challenger to US-dominated hospitality giants like Oracle and Salesforce. Hotel tech funding attracts strategic European capital Oyster Bay’s leadership of this round signals sophisticated European capital’s appetite for B2B software plays with clear unit economics. The London-based fund, known for backing enterprise software across fragmented European markets, sees Amenitiz as uniquely positioned to consolidate the hotel management space. “European hospitality has been chronically under-served by legacy American software that doesn’t understand local market nuances,” notes the investment thesis. What distinguishes this deal is the strategic focus on European expansion rather than Silicon Valley-style growth-at-all-costs. Amenitiz has methodically built market-leading positions in Spain and France before expanding to Italy, Germany, and the UK. This patient, market-by-market approach resonates with European investors who understand the complexity of cross-border B2B sales in regulated industries. The funding validates Amenitiz’s thesis that European hoteliers need purpose-built solutions designed for local regulations, payment systems, and operational requirements. Unlike US competitors, Amenitiz has embedded GDPR compliance, multi-currency support, and local tax integrations from day one. Platform strategy targets European hospitality digitalisation Amenitiz’s product differentiation lies in its integrated approach to hotel operations, combining property management, channel management, and direct booking capabilities in a single platform. This contrasts sharply with the fragmented solutions typically deployed across European hotels, where operators juggle multiple vendors for basic functions. “We’re not just another PMS,” explains CEO Javier Delgado. “We’re building the operating system for European hospitality, designed specifically for the complexity of multi-market operations.” This vision addresses a genuine pain point: European hotel groups operating across different countries face a nightmare of disparate systems, currencies, and regulatory requirements. The €38.9 million will accelerate product development in areas where European hotels have specific needs: advanced analytics for RevPAR optimisation, integrated sustainability reporting for EU taxonomy compliance, and AI-powered demand forecasting adapted to European seasonality patterns. Amenitiz is also expanding its marketplace of third-party integrations, creating a platform play that could mirror successful European B2B marketplaces like Klarna or Adyen. This funding positions Amenitiz as the European answer to American hospitality software dominance. With robust unit economics, proven market expansion capability, and deep understanding of European operational complexity, the company is well-positioned to capture the ongoing digitalisation of Europe’s €200 billion hospitality sector. For European tech, it represents exactly the kind of patient, strategic B2B scaling that builds lasting competitive advantages.