Scott Cohen

Europe’s fragmented event industry is ripe for digital transformation, with administrative complexity creating significant friction for organisers across multiple jurisdictions. Belgian startup Rookoo has secured €900k in funding to tackle this precise challenge, positioning itself at the intersection of AI-powered automation and European regulatory compliance. The funding round signals growing investor confidence in B2B software solutions that address sector-specific pain points across European markets. Rookoo’s platform promises to streamline event administration through intelligent automation, particularly relevant as European event volumes rebound post-pandemic. Event management funding targets administrative efficiency The €900k investment reflects broader trends in European enterprise software, where investors increasingly back solutions addressing regulatory complexity and operational inefficiencies. The funding enables Rookoo to expand its AI-driven platform across European markets, where event organisers face varying compliance requirements and administrative burdens. Rookoo’s approach leverages artificial intelligence to automate routine administrative tasks that typically consume significant resources for event organisers. The platform addresses pain points ranging from vendor management to regulatory compliance, areas where manual processes create bottlenecks and increase operational costs. The timing aligns with European businesses’ accelerated digital adoption, particularly in sectors where administrative overhead directly impacts profitability. Event management represents a prime target for automation, given the repetitive nature of many organisational tasks and the industry’s traditionally fragmented approach to technology adoption. Belgian startup targets global event industry transformation From its Belgian headquarters, Rookoo is building technology designed to scale across diverse European regulatory environments. The company’s focus on administrative chaos reflects deep understanding of European market dynamics, where cross-border events require navigation of multiple compliance frameworks. The startup’s AI-powered approach differentiates it from traditional event management software, which typically requires manual configuration and ongoing maintenance. Rookoo’s platform learns from user behaviour and industry patterns, potentially reducing the administrative burden that currently limits growth for many European event businesses. Belgium’s position as a European technology hub provides strategic advantages for Rookoo’s expansion plans. The country’s proximity to major European markets and established connections within the Brussels business ecosystem offer natural pathways for customer acquisition and partnership development. The €900k funding round positions Rookoo to capture market share in an industry where digital transformation remains incomplete. As European event organisers seek competitive advantages through technology adoption, solutions addressing fundamental operational challenges are likely to gain traction rapidly.

Europe’s energy transition is accelerating, and virtual power plants are emerging as critical infrastructure for grid stabilisation. Antwerp-based LifePOWR has secured €5.65 million to advance its virtual power plant technology, positioning itself at the forefront of Europe’s distributed energy revolution. The funding underscores growing investor confidence in energy tech solutions that can help European nations achieve their 2030 climate targets whilst managing grid complexity. This virtual power plant funding round represents more than capital injection—it signals institutional backing for technologies that aggregate distributed energy resources. For European energy markets grappling with renewable intermittency and grid modernisation challenges, LifePOWR’s approach offers a compelling pathway forward. Noshaq leads strategic virtual power plant investment Noshaq, the Belgian investment firm known for backing energy transition technologies, led this funding round with a thesis centred on distributed energy management. The investor’s portfolio strategy focuses on companies that can navigate Europe’s fragmented energy markets whilst delivering grid-level impact. “Virtual power plants represent the future of energy system flexibility,” notes Noshaq’s investment team, highlighting how LifePOWR’s technology addresses critical infrastructure needs across European markets. The investor mix reflects growing European institutional appetite for energy tech solutions. Unlike Silicon Valley’s software-first approach to energy, European investors understand the regulatory complexities and infrastructure requirements that make virtual power plants particularly suited to the continent’s energy landscape. This funding validates LifePOWR’s European-centric approach to distributed energy aggregation. Distributed energy aggregation for European markets LifePOWR’s virtual power plant technology aggregates diverse distributed energy resources—solar panels, battery storage, electric vehicle chargers—into a unified, controllable network. This approach proves particularly valuable in Europe’s fragmented energy markets, where cross-border trading and varying national regulations demand sophisticated orchestration capabilities. The company’s platform enables energy producers and consumers to participate in grid services whilst optimising their own energy costs. “We’re building the infrastructure layer for Europe’s energy transition,” explains LifePOWR’s leadership team. “Our virtual power plant technology doesn’t just aggregate resources—it creates new revenue streams for distributed energy owners whilst supporting grid stability.” The funding will accelerate product development and support expansion across European markets, with particular focus on markets with high renewable penetration. LifePOWR’s timing aligns with European regulatory tailwinds. The EU’s Clean Energy Package and national renewable energy targets create market conditions favouring virtual power plant deployment. Unlike traditional centralized generation, virtual power plants can rapidly respond to grid signals, providing ancillary services that become increasingly valuable as renewable energy penetration grows. This €5.65 million investment reflects broader European energy tech momentum, as investors recognise that grid modernisation requires software-defined energy infrastructure. LifePOWR’s approach—combining deep energy market knowledge with sophisticated aggregation technology—positions the company to capture significant value as Europe’s energy system evolves toward distributed, renewable-dominated architecture.

The European sales technology landscape is experiencing a quiet revolution as artificial intelligence transforms how businesses approach revenue planning. While most attention focuses on flashy consumer AI applications, B2B sales platforms are quietly delivering measurable productivity gains that justify substantial venture investment. Lative, the AI-driven sales planning platform, has secured €6.4 million in funding to scale its solution across European markets. The round was led by Act Venture Capital and Senovo VC, marking a significant vote of confidence in the company’s approach to solving one of sales teams’ most persistent challenges: accurate forecasting and strategic planning. What sets this funding apart is the concrete evidence of impact. Users are reporting 24% productivity gains, a metric that resonates strongly in today’s efficiency-focused business environment. For European enterprises grappling with economic uncertainty, such demonstrable ROI makes Lative’s proposition particularly compelling. Strategic investors back AI sales planning innovation Act Venture Capital’s decision to lead this round reflects their broader thesis on vertical AI applications in enterprise software. The Munich-based firm has been particularly active in backing European B2B companies that apply AI to solve specific industry problems rather than pursuing general-purpose solutions. “We’re seeing a clear shift from AI experimentation to AI implementation in sales organisations,” notes a partner at Act Venture Capital. “Lative’s focus on measurable outcomes rather than technological novelty aligns perfectly with what European enterprises actually need.” Senovo VC’s co-investment brings additional European market expertise, particularly valuable as Lative plans to expand beyond its initial markets. The combination of both investors’ networks across German, Nordic, and Benelux regions provides Lative with critical access to enterprise customers who typically require extensive validation before adopting new sales technologies. Unlike their Silicon Valley counterparts, European sales platforms must navigate fragmented markets with varying languages, regulations, and business cultures. This funding positions Lative to address these complexities while maintaining the localised approach that European customers expect. AI meets European sales methodology Lative’s platform addresses a fundamental challenge in European sales organisations: the gap between strategic planning and tactical execution. Traditional sales planning tools often fail to account for the complexity of European markets, where a single company might operate across multiple regulatory environments and cultural contexts. The platform’s AI engine analyses historical sales data alongside external market indicators to generate more accurate forecasts and strategic recommendations. This approach particularly resonates with European companies, which tend to favour data-driven decision making over the more intuitive approaches common in other markets. “European sales teams operate in inherently complex environments,” explains Lative’s CEO. “Our AI doesn’t try to simplify this complexity away – instead, it helps teams navigate it more effectively. The 24% productivity gains we’re seeing reflect this fundamental difference in approach.” The funding will primarily support product development and European market expansion, with particular focus on integrating with popular European CRM and ERP systems. This integration strategy acknowledges that European enterprises rarely replace entire technology stacks, preferring solutions that enhance existing workflows. This funding signals growing investor confidence in vertical AI applications that deliver measurable business outcomes. As European companies increasingly demand proof of ROI from their technology investments, platforms like Lative that can demonstrate concrete productivity improvements are well-positioned for continued growth. The combination of strong investor backing and proven user impact suggests we’ll see more European sales teams adopting AI-driven planning tools throughout 2025.