Selected Entrepreneurs – Week 3

Europe’s ageing population crisis is creating unprecedented opportunities for eldercare innovation, with Spanish startup Qida leading the charge. The Barcelona-based platform has secured €37 million in Spain’s largest eldercare funding round, positioning itself to serve 100,000 seniors by 2027 as European families increasingly seek digital solutions for elder care. This substantial funding round reflects growing investor confidence in eldercare technology across Europe, where demographic shifts are creating a €100 billion market opportunity. Qida’s success demonstrates that European startups can command significant valuations in sectors traditionally dominated by offline services. Eldercare funding round attracts European growth capital Quadrille Capital led this significant Series B round, marking their continued investment in European healthtech companies addressing demographic challenges. The Madrid-based growth equity firm’s thesis centres on backing technology platforms that can scale across fragmented European markets, particularly in healthcare and eldercare sectors. “Eldercare represents one of Europe’s most pressing challenges, with over 90 million seniors requiring various levels of support,” explains a Quadrille Capital partner. “Qida’s platform-based approach allows families to access professional care services with the transparency and reliability that traditional eldercare lacks.” The investor mix reflects the pan-European nature of the eldercare opportunity, with participation from established European venture funds recognising the cross-border scalability potential. This funding structure positions Qida advantageously for expansion beyond Spain into markets like France, Italy, and Germany, where similar demographic pressures exist. Spanish eldercare platform targets European expansion Qida operates as a comprehensive eldercare marketplace, connecting families with vetted caregivers, healthcare professionals, and support services. Their platform addresses critical pain points in European eldercare: fragmented services, lack of transparency, and limited family oversight of care quality. The funding will accelerate Qida’s geographic expansion across Spain and into new European markets, where regulatory frameworks increasingly favour digital health platforms. Spain’s recent eldercare legislation provides favourable conditions for tech-enabled care services, creating a template for expansion into other EU markets with similar regulatory approaches. “Our vision extends beyond Spain to serve European families facing eldercare decisions,” states Qida’s CEO. “This funding enables us to build the infrastructure needed for cross-border eldercare services, addressing labour mobility and quality standards across the EU.” With over 15,000 seniors already using their platform, Qida has demonstrated strong unit economics and retention rates that justify their aggressive growth targets. The company’s technology stack includes AI-powered care matching, real-time family updates, and integrated payment systems designed for the European regulatory environment. This funding round signals eldercare’s emergence as a major European tech vertical, with implications for healthcare systems, labour markets, and family services across the continent. As European governments grapple with eldercare capacity constraints, platforms like Qida offer scalable solutions that complement traditional care infrastructures.

Fashion’s £230 billion fit problem has found a new challenger in the European startup ecosystem. As online apparel returns continue to plague retailers—with sizing issues accounting for up to 40% of returns—technology solutions are becoming critical for sector survival. London-based Fit Collective has secured €3.5M in pre-seed funding from AlbionVC to tackle this massive market inefficiency with AI-powered sizing solutions. The funding round signals growing investor confidence in fashion tech solutions that address fundamental industry challenges rather than superficial consumer features. For European retailers facing compressed margins and sustainability pressures, accurate sizing technology represents both cost savings and environmental benefits. Fashion tech funding attracts European venture capital AlbionVC’s investment reflects a broader thesis around B2B solutions for traditional industries undergoing digital transformation. The London-based venture capital firm has increasingly focused on startups that solve operational challenges for established sectors, viewing fashion retail’s sizing crisis as a compelling market opportunity. “Fashion retailers lose billions annually to returns driven by poor fit, creating both financial and environmental waste,” said a spokesperson from AlbionVC. “Fit Collective’s approach to solving this through data-driven sizing recommendations represents exactly the kind of practical innovation European fashion needs.” The pre-seed round positioning suggests AlbionVC sees significant runway for the company to establish market presence before requiring larger institutional funding. European fashion tech has seen limited venture activity compared to consumer-facing startups, making this investment notable for sector development. Addressing fashion’s sizing crisis through technology Fit Collective’s platform leverages artificial intelligence to provide accurate sizing recommendations for online fashion retailers. The solution integrates with existing e-commerce platforms to analyse customer data, garment measurements, and fit preferences, reducing return rates while improving customer satisfaction. The startup’s approach addresses a uniquely European challenge: the fragmented nature of sizing standards across different countries and brands. Unlike the US market with more standardised sizing, European fashion retailers must navigate varying national preferences and body type distributions across markets. “Our goal is to eliminate the guesswork from online fashion purchases,” explained Fit Collective’s founding team. “By providing retailers with tools to offer accurate sizing guidance, we’re addressing both the business case for reduced returns and the sustainability imperative of the fashion industry.” The funding will enable product development focused on European market expansion and integration with major e-commerce platforms. Additionally, the company plans to build partnerships with fashion brands seeking to improve their online conversion rates and reduce return-related costs. This investment positions Fit Collective within a growing ecosystem of European startups applying artificial intelligence to traditional retail challenges. As fashion brands increasingly prioritise sustainability and operational efficiency, sizing technology represents a convergence of commercial and environmental benefits that resonates with both investors and consumers.

While European deep tech startups continue to push the boundaries of scientific innovation, few venture into territories as esoteric as particle physics applications. The latest to emerge from this rarified space is Mu-raytech, which has closed a €325,000 investment round to bring muon beam imaging technology from laboratory curiosity to commercial reality. The funding round was led by Nordic Science Investments, a specialist fund known for backing early-stage scientific ventures across Scandinavia. This marks Nordic Science’s third investment in advanced imaging technologies this year, following their thesis that next-generation non-invasive imaging will reshape multiple industries from healthcare diagnostics to infrastructure monitoring. “We’ve been tracking developments in muon tomography for several years, waiting for the right team to emerge with a commercially viable approach,” explains Nordic Science partner Dr. Lars Andersen. “Mu-raytech’s founders have cracked the code on making this technology both portable and cost-effective, which opens up applications we’ve only theorised about until now.” Muon imaging funding targets European infrastructure markets Muon beam imaging represents a significant leap beyond traditional X-ray and CT scanning technologies. By harnessing naturally occurring cosmic ray muons—particles that can penetrate dense materials like lead and steel—the technology enables non-invasive imaging of large structures including nuclear facilities, cargo containers, and underground infrastructure. This capability positions Mu-raytech uniquely within Europe’s growing emphasis on infrastructure resilience and security. The company’s approach addresses a critical gap in the European market, where aging infrastructure requires sophisticated monitoring solutions. Unlike competitors developing similar technologies in Japan and the United States, Mu-raytech has designed their systems specifically for the regulatory and operational requirements of European markets, including compliance with EU radiation safety standards and integration with existing inspection protocols. “European infrastructure owners face unique challenges that our technology directly addresses,” notes Mu-raytech CEO and co-founder Dr. Elena Marchetti. “We’re not just building better imaging—we’re building European solutions for European problems, from tunnel monitoring in the Alps to port security in Rotterdam.” Scientific innovation meets commercial pragmatism Founded by a team of particle physicists from CERN and leading European universities, Mu-raytech has spent three years in stealth mode developing proprietary detector arrays and machine learning algorithms that dramatically reduce imaging times from days to hours. This breakthrough makes muon imaging commercially viable for the first time, opening markets previously served only by invasive inspection methods. The €325,000 will primarily fund the development of their first commercial prototype and initial regulatory approvals across EU member states. The company is targeting deployment with European infrastructure operators by late 2025, with initial focus on railway tunnel monitoring and shipping container inspection—two sectors where European operators have explicitly requested next-generation non-invasive solutions. Beyond the lead investment from Nordic Science Investments, the round includes participation from several industry-focused angels with deep networks in European logistics and infrastructure sectors. This strategic investor base provides Mu-raytech with direct access to potential customers and regulatory expertise crucial for navigating the complex approval processes across different European markets. For European deep tech, Mu-raytech’s emergence signals a maturing ecosystem where even the most fundamental scientific breakthroughs can find commercial pathways. As the EU continues prioritising technological sovereignty and infrastructure resilience, startups bridging advanced science with practical applications are increasingly finding both funding and market opportunity within European borders.