🪟 Leaks on Display

When the blinds are down, someone’s got the window wide open.

30 avril 2026

Six months of hearings, 400 pages, and a verdict due on 4 May: cut €1B from France Télévisions, the country’s BBC equivalent, currently running on a €4B public budget. Nobody will read the report. Everybody has read the leaks, because the leaks were industrial, the timing rehearsed, and a friendly right-wing publisher has a book in shops the same week with conclusions aligned to the comma. The rapporteur, Charles Alloncle, sits with the UDR, the hard-right splinter built around Éric Ciotti after his break with Les Républicains. He spent the inquiry loudly accusing his colleagues of leaking, while running the most disciplined leak operation the Palais Bourbon has hosted in a decade.

France Télévisions is not pristine. Budget lines drift, editorial habits ossify, an audit case writes itself. The grievance is not that it gets scrutinised. It is that the same chamber willing to spend six months chasing €1B will not spare an afternoon for the rest of the plumbing. The French R&D tax credit costs the Treasury €7B every year. The Cour des comptes, France’s national audit office, has flagged it since 2013: half the envelope captured by 1% of firms, large corporates subsidising research they would have done anyway. Twelve years of reports, polite nods, no inquiry.

Take the retail venture investment scheme a 2024 finance inspectorate report recommended for extinction. The 2026 Budget Bill quietly euthanises most of it, save one carve-out: funds backing startups certified as young and innovative. The exception is the file Paul Midy carries personally, a Renaissance MP, former CEO of a now-imploded food-delivery startup, former director general of Macron’s party, and an obvious future fundraiser in the venture ecosystem the moment his mandate ends. Same man who will explain on any available panel that French taxes are too high.

The choreography is unusually tight in France, but the mechanism is universal. Every parliamentary chamber works the same triage. What sits under raison d’État, defense, security, sovereign infrastructure, stays untouchable on principle. What serves donor bases, voter coalitions, or the chair waiting at the end of the mandate stays untouchable in practice. What is left has no patrons. Hence the Pentagon failing seven consecutive audits while Washington prosecutes PBS funding for the cameras. Hence Whitehall litigating the BBC licence fee on cycle while non-dom protections and agricultural inheritance reliefs sail through. Alloncle is hunting €1B. The Cour des comptes asks for €80B a year and gets a polite nod. France does not lack analysis. What no chamber ever produces is a legislator willing to pick a fight that runs upstream into state interests or downstream into their own retirement plan.

🪟 Leaks on Display

🗞️ Top Story

  • 🇸🇪 Grain Theft Auto. The Swedish coast guard boarded and seized the Caffa, a Russian ghost fleet ship, over suspicions it was shipping stolen Ukrainian wheat. (France Info)
  • 🇷🇴 Strange Bedfellows. Romania’s Social Democrats and far-right AUR unite to force a no-confidence vote against liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, shattering the old anti-extremist pact. (El Pais)
  • 🇬🇧 Known Targets. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned a series of attacks on Jewish sites in London after two people were stabbed: police are investigating possible Iranian links. (Washington Post)
  • 🇬🇧 Arson for Hire. Three men are accused of being paid by a Russian-speaking contact to set fire to properties linked to PM Keir Starmer, a London court hears. (BBC)
  • 🇨🇭 Crowd Control. A slim majority of Swiss are warming to the idea of locking the country’s population at 10M, putting immigration and EU relations on the line. (Boursier)
  • 🇺🇸 Blockbuster. President Trump signals the is ready for a long-term blockade of Iran’s ports and the Strait of Hormuz, betting pressure will force Tehran to negotiate on nuclear arms. (El Pais)
  • 🇺🇸 Bill of Persians. The racks up a $25B tab on Iran-related spending, proving influence in the region is anything but free. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇦🇷 Deslomado Diplomacy. Manuel Adorni, under fire for unexplained riches and luxury travel, prepares to defend himself in Congress with Milei standing by. For now. (El Pais)
  • 🇦🇺 Background Check. An official probe into the Bondi Junction stabbing finds major security gaps and urges tighter gun controls, as Australia reassesses its safeguards. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇱🇧 Under My Umbrella. Saudi envoy Yazid Ben Farhan quietly visited Beirut to keep Lebanon inside Riyadh’s orbit as talks with Israel intensify and the ceasefire frays. (Le Figaro)
  • 🇲🇱 Exit Strategy. France tells its 4,000 nationals to leave Mali after Tuareg rebels announce fresh offensives on three major northern cities. (Le Monde)
  • 🌍 Pirate Reboot. Somali pirates have seized multiple ships off Puntland after years of calm, exploiting chaos from Red Sea and Gulf crises for a comeback. (El Pais)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
  • 🇬🇧 Gone in a Flash. Labour could lose three-quarters of its council seats in a single night, as disillusionment with Starmer hands momentum to fringe parties. (Financial Times)
  • 🇬🇧 Generation Tumor. A major UK study finds eleven cancers are rising in people under 50, with increasing obesity the only factor that partly explains the trend. (BBC)
🇺🇸 United States
  • 🇺🇸 Color Lines. With a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court curbs states from considering race in district maps, making it harder for minority voters to secure representation. (Wall Street Journal)

🏛️ Economy

  • 🇫🇷 Survival of the Fittest Bot. The AI wave forces French tech workers to upskill or risk being replaced, with startups now downsizing more than hiring. (Maddyness)
  • 🌍 Tanker Tracker. As Gulf tensions stall shipping, data firm Kpler 🇫🇷 becomes the essential monitor for cargo movements and market watchers worldwide. (FrenchWeb)
  • 🇪🇸 No Entry Fee. Spain moves to block private firms from running state hospitals, insisting health is not for sale at the reception desk. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇪🇺 War and Piece. As oil and gas giants rake in €80M per day amid conflict, politicians revive the classic charge of « war profiteers » on air and online. (Le Monde)
  • 🇪🇺 Spending Spree. April brought multiyear inflation highs to Germany and Spain, with energy-driven price increases proving hard to shake. (Wall Street Journal)
  • 🇬🇧 Cost of Living. A surge in taxes and staff expenses leaves 62,193 UK businesses teetering on the brink, according to Begbies Traynor. (The Guardian)
  • 🇷🇺 Not Out Yet. Russia says it will not leave OPEC+ in the wake of the UAE’s exit, preferring to watch the door rather than use it. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇺🇸 Hold the Line. The Fed voted to pause interest rates again, leaving Jerome Powell to exit as chair with the status quo firmly in place. (Wall Street Journal)
  • 🇨🇦 Maple Union. Canada is set to attend the European Political Community summit for the first time, fueling playful rumors of an EU membership bid. (Le Temps)
  • 🇮🇷 Current Account. Iran’s currency crashed to record lows after the US navy tightened its blockade, putting even more pressure on the country’s battered finances. (Bloomberg)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
  • 🇬🇧 Ground Control. UK ministers tell refineries to boost jet fuel production, bracing for potential flight chaos if Iran conflict chokes supply lines. (The Guardian)
🇺🇸 United States
  • 🇺🇸 Goods News. Durable goods orders in the jumped 0.8% in March, topping analyst expectations of 0.2% and snapping a string of declines. (Wall Street Journal)
  • 🇺🇸 Fed Up. Kevin Warsh, Donald Trump’s pick for Federal Reserve chair, cleared the Senate banking committee by a 13 to 11 vote, putting him one step from confirmation. (Financial Times)

🏢 Real Estate

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
  • 🇬🇧 Lease and Desist. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook admits the ban on new leasehold properties in England and Wales will not arrive before the next election, despite years of promises. (The Guardian)
🇺🇸 United States
  • 🇺🇸 Home Run. The Commerce Department reported more housing starts in March, suggesting that builders are shaking off the winter chill. (Wall Street Journal)
  • 🇺🇸 Rate Expectations. Mortgage rates ticked up to 6.37% this week, but applications to buy a home climbed 1% as buyers wade back in. (Cnbc)

🔗 On-chain

  • 🇬🇧 Gift Aid. Nigel Farage received a secret £5M gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, then reversed his decision and ran for MP in 2024. (The Guardian)
  • 🇬🇧 Safe Deposit. Nigel Farage admits to receiving a £5M gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne for his « safety » but failed to declare it, prompting a parliamentary probe. (Financial Times)
  • 🇺🇸 Future Shock. prediction markets are gearing up to enter the perpetual futures trade, a corner of crypto known for its size and risk appetite. (Cnbc)
  • 🇺🇸 Star Search. Blockworks sets sights on being the Morningstar of crypto, pitching itself as the must-have data source for digital assets. (Cnbc)
  • 🇨🇦 Cash Out. The Canadian government plans to ban crypto ATMs, citing their role as a favorite tool for scammers and money launderers looking to cash in. (FinExtra)

💱 Listed Markets

  • 🇫🇷 Crude Awakening. TotalEnergies posted a $5.4B profit in Q1, fueled by $100+ oil prices after the US-Israel attack on Iran. Activists want a windfall tax. (Libé)
  • 🇫🇷 Flow Rider. Amundi rides a wave of ETF enthusiasm, reporting its best quarterly inflows since 2021 while everyone else braces for turbulence. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇪🇺 Kid Gloves. The accuses Meta 🇺🇸 of lax age checks on Facebook and Instagram, warning that underage users are slipping through with ease. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇨🇭 Bank Shot. UBS delivered an $3B profit, up 80% for Q1, with investors instantly rewarding the Swiss bank with a 5% share price rally. (Cnbc)
  • 🇺🇸 Cloud Nine. Alphabet’s net income soared 81% to $62.6B as its cloud business boomed, pushing first-quarter revenue past $110B and analyst expectations. (Wall Street Journal)
  • 🇺🇸 Virtual Insanity. Meta’s Reality Labs posted a $4.03B loss on just $402M in sales last quarter, bringing the metaverse money pit to over $80B in cumulative losses. (Cnbc)
  • 🇺🇸 Oxy Moron. Purdue Pharma is criminally convicted for fueling the opioid crisis, but only the company pays a fine and not a single Sackler goes to jail. (Le Monde)
  • 🇺🇸 Bet Bots. Blackstone creates a new division to manage its artificial intelligence and fast-growth tech investments, hoping the machines know what they’re doing. (Bloomberg)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
  • 🇬🇧 Injection of Faith. AstraZeneca 🇬🇬 switches from pause to play, committing £300M to UK pharma sites a year after cooling on local investment. (The Guardian)

🛎️ Big Deals (M&A)

  • BNP Paribas 🇫🇷 agrees to sell its 67% stake in Banque Marocaine pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BMCI) 🇲🇦 to Holmarcom Finance Company 🇲🇦, with completion expected in Q4 2026.
  • Pernod Ricard 🇫🇷 and Brown-Forman 🇺🇸 end discussions regarding a potential merger.
  • Finaltis 🇫🇷 acquires Kirao 🇫🇷, pending regulatory approvals from the financial markets authority.
  • Seaya Andromeda 🇪🇸 acquires a majority stake in Smileat 🇪🇸, a company specializing in organic baby food.
  • VivaGym 🇪🇸 acquires Synergym 🇱🇺, an operator in the same segment in Spain.
  • Izertis 🇪🇸 acquires ACKstorm 🇪🇸 for €16M, a cloud specialist based in Barcelona.
  • Adyen 🇳🇱 acquires Talon One 🇩🇪 for approximately €750M, marking a significant deal in the German startup scene.
  • BNP Paribas Fortis 🇧🇪 sells 25% of its stake in AG Insurance 🇧🇪 to Ageas 🇧🇪 for €1.9B.
  • Nestframe 🇸🇪 acquires Colive 🇸🇪 with an annual revenue of €40M, aiming for a billion kronor turnover in the coming years.
  • EQT 🇸🇪 is preparing an improved takeover offer for Intertek 🇬🇧.
  • Kone 🇫🇮 agrees to acquire TK Elevator 🇩🇪 for €29.4B.
  • DCC 🇮🇪 is evaluating a takeover bid from KKR 🇺🇸 and Energy Capital Partners 🇺🇸.
  • CVC Capital Partners 🇬🇧 injects €210M into Lipton 🇬🇧 after acquiring it from Unilever for €4.5B.
  • KKR 🇺🇸 explores a sale of Flora Food Group 🇳🇱, a spreads business carved out from Unilever in a €6.8B deal, aiming for a valuation of up to $10B.
  • Blue Mountain 🇺🇸 acquires CompuCal 🇮🇪, a calibration software provider, enhancing its presence in Europe.
  • Sallie Mae 🇺🇸 acquires Scholly 🇺🇸, a scholarship app created to help students find financial aid.
  • Capacity 🇺🇸 acquires Lang.ai 🇪🇸, a Spanish AI startup previously focused on ticket classification.
  • Goldman Sachs Alternatives 🇺🇸 and Bain Capital Ventures 🇺🇸 lead a $150M investment in Hightouch 🇺🇸, an AI marketing startup valued at $2.75B.
  • CVC 🇺🇸 mulls a $9B bid for Nexi 🇮🇹, an Italian fintech company.
  • Bridgepoint 🇺🇸 acquires a majority stake in iC Consult 🇩🇪, the world’s largest independent provider of identity security services.
  • China Investment Corporation (CIC) 🇨🇳 considers selling its 10% stake in Heathrow 🇬🇧 amid concerns over the £33B cost of developing a third runway.
  • ANZ 🇦🇺 acquires Worldline 🇫🇷’s 51% stake in their joint venture for A$89M.

🧳 Private Markets & VC

  • 🇺🇸 Fool’s Gold. Elon Musk told a federal court he regrets giving OpenAI $38M in early funding, calling himself « a fool » for backing what is now an $800B giant. (New York Times)
  • 🇺🇸 Open Season. Anthropic aims for a $900B valuation in its latest funding talks, surpassing OpenAI for the first time in their high-stakes rivalry. (Cnbc)
  • 🇺🇸 AIcarus. Jim Cramer says the latest OpenAI wobble proves the AI rally flew too close to the sun, with chip and data center stocks taking a sharp dive. (Cnbc)
  • 🇺🇸 Owl By Myself. Blue Owl investors rejected Saba Capital’s attempt to buy out their BDC, preferring to stay perched rather than sell under pressure. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇺🇸 Red Flagged. Seven families accuse OpenAI of negligence, saying it did not inform authorities when a mass shooter reportedly used ChatGPT for planning. (Wall Street Journal)
  • 🇺🇸 Safe Bet? Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf tells investors private credit will not take down the system, but warns about possible blind spots. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇮🇱 War Chest Open. Israel is preparing to sell portions of its state defense firms by year’s end, giving the public a chance to buy into the arsenal. (Bloomberg)

Fundraising

  • Enviromena 🇬🇧 (Renewable Energy): £825M
  • True Anomaly 🇺🇸 (Aerospace): $650M (Eclipse, Riot Ventures)
  • Rogo 🇺🇸 (Fintech): $160M (Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia, Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, J.P. Morgan Growth Equity Partners, BoxGroup, Mantis VC, Jack Altman, Evantic, Positive Sum)
  • Hightouch 🇺🇸 (Marketing): $150M (Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Bain Capital Ventures, Iconiq Capital, Sapphire Ventures, Amplify Partners, Y-Combinator, TD7)
  • Aidoc 🇺🇸 (Healthcare): $150M (Goldman Sachs Alternatives, General Catalyst, SoftBank Investment Advisors, NVentures)
  • Crédit Maritime 🇫🇷 (Finance): €120M
  • Sereact 🇩🇪 (Robotics): $110M (Headline, Bullhound Capital, Felix Capital, Daphni, Air Street Capital, Creandum, Point Nine)
  • Scout AI 🇺🇸 (Defense-tech): $100M (Align Ventures, Draper Associates, Decisive Point, Booz Allen Ventures, BVVC, Neman Ventures, Evolution VC Partners, Heraclitus Capital Management, Sigmas Group, Disruptive Founders Fund, Vaughn Capital Partners)
  • Citibox 🇪🇸 (Logistics): €100M
  • Verda 🇫🇮 (AI): €100M (Lifeline Ventures, byFounders, Tesi, Varma)
  • Parallel Web Systems 🇺🇸 (Infrastructure): $100M (Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Index Ventures, Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital, Spark Capital, Terrain Capital, Abstract Ventures)
  • Firestorm Labs 🇺🇸 (Defense): $82M (Washington Harbour Partners, NEA, Ondas, In-Q-Tel, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Booz Allen Ventures, Geodesic, Motley Fool Ventures, Litquidity Ventures)
  • Cloudsmith 🇬🇧 (Software): €61.5M (TCV, Insight Partners)
  • Axoft 🇺🇸 (Neurotechnology): $55M (C.P. Group Innovation, Alumni Ventures, Stanford President’s Venture Fund, Hillhouse Investment, Gaorong Ventures)
  • Liquid Instruments 🇺🇸 (Tech): $50M (Keysight Technologies, Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation)
  • Actively 🇺🇸 (Tech): $45M (TCV, First Harmonic, Bain Capital Ventures, First Round Capital, Alkeon)
  • Lace Lithography 🇳🇴🇪🇸 (Manufacturing): €40M
  • Zellify 🇸🇪 (Fintech): $34M
  • Forest 🇬🇧 (Mobility): €31M
  • SPREAD AI 🇩🇪 (AI): $30M (DTCP Growth, IQT, OTB Ventures, Salesforce, Thesiger Capital, Christian Schulz, HV Capital, Nauta Capital)
  • UNIVITY 🇫🇷 (SpaceTech): €27M (Blast, Expansion, Deeptech)
  • Decade Energy 🇫🇷 (Energy): €22M (Eiffel Investment Group, SET Ventures)
  • Fence 🇺🇸 (Fintech): $20M (Galaxy Ventures, ParaFi Capital, Crane Ventures Partners)
  • Squads 🇺🇸 (Fintech): $18M (Solana Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Haun Ventures, L1D, Collab+Currency, Electric Capital, Placeholder, JumpCrypto, Robot Ventures)
  • Groove Quantum 🇳🇱 (Semiconductors): €16M
  • SquareMind 🇫🇷 (Healthcare): €15.3M
  • Zapata Quantum 🇺🇸 (Quantum Computing): $15M
  • Crazy Mountain 🇺🇸 (Beverage): $15M (CAVU Consumer Partners, Coatue, Discovery Land Company)
  • Rocsys 🇳🇱 (Mobility): $13M (Capricorn Partners, Scania Invest, Forward.One, SEB Greentech Venture Capital, Graduate Ventures)
  • definity 🇺🇸 (Data Engineering): $12M (GreatPoint Ventures, Dynatrace, StageOne Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners)
  • Performativ 🇩🇰 (Fintech): €11.96M (Deutsche Börse Group, Rabo Investments)
  • Patronus 🇩🇪 (Healthcare): €11M (3TS Capital Partners, Grazia Equity, Singular, Burda Principal Investments, Adjacent, NAP, UVC Partners)
  • OpenObserve 🇺🇸 (Tech): $10M (Nexus Venture Partners, Dell Technologies Capital)
  • General Analysis 🇺🇸 (AI): $10M (Altos Ventures, 645 Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Y Combinator)
  • Marloo 🇬🇧 (Fintech): $10M
  • Incapto 🇪🇸 (Foodtech): €10M (McWin, Cardumen Capital, Lever VC)
  • MagicCube 🇦🇪 (Security): $10M (e& capital, Verifone, Bold Capital Partners, Mosaik Partners)
  • BetHog 🇬🇧 (Gaming): €8.5M (Will Ventures, RockawayX, PCV, 6MV)
  • Shapes 🇺🇸 (AI): $8M (Lightspeed, AI Capital Partners, AI Grant)
  • Quiver AI 🇪🇸 (AI): $8M (Andreessen Horowitz, Kfund)
  • Swanky 🇬🇧 (Ecommerce): £7.6M
  • QuoIntelligence 🇩🇪 (Cybersecurity): €7.3M (Elevator Ventures, BMH Beteiligungs-Managementgesellschaft Hessen, eCAPITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL PARTNERS, Mercurius Private Equity)
  • Chord 🇺🇸 (AI): $7M (Equal Ventures, M13, Chingona Ventures, CEAS Investments)
  • Fasal Bio 🇭🇷 (Renewable materials): €7M
  • Redpine 🇸🇪 (AI): €6.8M (NordicNinja, Luminar Ventures, node.vc)
  • Neutonic 🇬🇧 (Nootropics): $6M (Alan Barrett, Ollie Marchon, Ross Edgley, Dan Martell, Codie Sanchez, Nomit Shah, Zach Ranen)
  • HrFlow.ai 🇫🇷 (AI): €6M (115K, La Banque Postale, EmergingTech Ventures)
  • DOJO AI 🇵🇹 (AI): €5.1M (Armilar, Heartfelt VC)
  • Cerca Magnetics 🇬🇧 (MedTech): €4.3M
  • PlaqueTec 🇬🇧 (MedTech): €4.2M
  • KEMARO 🇨🇭 (Robotics): €4.2M
  • Naturbeads 🇬🇧 (Sustainability): €4.1M
  • Axomove 🇫🇷 (Digital Health): €4M (Digital Prevention Fund, Go Capital, Inco Ventures)
  • VREY 🇩🇪 (Climate Tech): €3.3M (Rubio Impact Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds, kopa ventures)
  • dehaze 🇩🇪 (Healthtech): €3.2M (YZR Capital, DN Capital, Angel Invest, Zoho, Better Ventures)
  • Cnuic 🇬🇧 (Semiconductors): $3M (Tensor Ventures, Blank Space Ventures, Silicon Roundabout Ventures, Phasechange, SANDS, Superlative)
  • Foamlab 🇳🇱 (Biotech): €3M (ICOS Capital, Value Factory Ventures, DOEN Ventures)
  • Virvolt 🇫🇷 (Mobility): €3M (CoopVenture, AfriMobility)
  • Calibre 🇬🇧 (HealthTech): €2.8M (Amino Collective, Daybreak Ventures, Cocoa Ventures)
  • PolymerActive 🇩🇪 (Cleantech): €2.5M
  • Askleia 🇫🇷 (Biotech): €2.3M
  • Certifyde 🇺🇸 (AI): $2M (K5 Global, Flamingo Capital, George Ruan, Brad Garlinghouse, Roland Peralta, Taylor Fritz, Diplo, Kygo)
  • IC Realtime 🇺🇸 (Security): $2M
  • Punto 🇪🇸 (AI): €2M
  • Nox Mobility 🇩🇪 (Mobility): €2M (IBB Ventures, Tommaso Lucca)
  • Predictheon 🇪🇸 (Healthcare): €1.8M
  • Spacebackend 🇱🇺🇪🇸 (Aerospace): €1.8M (Bynd, Athos, DraperB1)
  • Sillage 🇫🇷 (AI): €1.7M (Kima Ventures, Angel Invest, Drysdale Ventures)
  • Cleo Labs 🇫🇷 (RegTech): €1.5M (Larry Berger, Kima Ventures, Financière Saint-James)
  • Noreja 🇦🇹 (Process Intelligence): €1.1M (Markus Neumayr, Jan Sprengnetter, Martin Kaiser, Gordana McNamara)
  • Always Friday 🇮🇹 (AI): €1.05M (Vento Ventures, P3 Ventures)
  • Tapaya 🇨🇿 (Fintech): €1M (Passion Capital, Depo Ventures, BADideas.fund)
  • Eaship 🇪🇸 (SaaS): €1M
  • BASE4 Biosciences 🇪🇸 (Biotech): $1M (Kfund, Baobab Ventures)
  • Atech 🇩🇰 (AI hardware): €681k (Nordic Makers, Emblem, Lovable, Sequoia Scout Fund, Andreessen Horowitz Scout Fund)
  • BioThrust 🇩🇪 (Biotech): Amount undisclosed (RWTH Aachen University, Freigeist, ALAGO, NRW.BANK, Theo Bongartz)
  • BliskoMed 🇵🇱 (Healthcare): 3M PLN (24Ventures)
  • Solar Spy 🇵🇱 (AI): 1,5M zł (VO2 Ventures)
  • PIAP Space 🇵🇱 (Space): 12M zł (Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu S.A.)
  • SeniorDomo 🇪🇸 (Healthcare): Not disclosed
  • Kashable 🇺🇸 (Fintech): Amount raised not provided

Fund Watch

  • Seraphim Space 🇬🇧: £350M (spacetech investment trust, targeting new raise)
  • BMW i Ventures 🇩🇪: $300M (new fund, AI-focused, early-stage to Series B)
  • Kurma Partners 🇫🇷: €215M (Kurma Biofund IV, biotech fund for incurable diseases)
  • SETT (Digital SEPI) 🇪🇸: €200M (state-backed investor, active in startups)
  • CDTI Innvierte 🇪🇸: €195M
  • Illuminate Financial 🇬🇧: $135M (Early Growth Fund, AI & Fintech for financial services)
  • Ground State Ventures 🇳🇱: $88M (early-stage quantum tech fund, final close)
  • DFF Ventures 🇪🇺: €70M (III fund, supporting early-stage startups)
  • Langre Tech 🇪🇸: €50M
  • Basque Government 🇪🇸: €50M (Hazten Scale-up, VC fund for startups)
  • Max Samuel 🇪🇺: €25M ($30M) (Off Piste Fund I, early-stage venture fund)
  • Kfund 🇪🇸: €20M (KFoundersPreseedII, pre-seed fund)

🔔IPO

  • Guillemot Corporation SA 🇫🇷 (Tech): plans to buy back a maximum of 400,000 shares for future cancellation.
  • Drone Volt 🇫🇷 (Drones): raising €3.85M through a capital increase with new shares and warrants.
  • Pershing Square Tontine Holdings 🇺🇸 (Finance): successfully completed a $5B IPO under the leadership of Bill Ackman.
  • Roze AI 🇯🇵 (Robotics): SoftBank plans to take its new AI and robotics venture public in the second half of the year.

🧳 Debt

  • AB Science 🇫🇷: raised €3.2M in a private placement from a limited number of investors.
  • Vivacta Bio 🇺🇸: closed Series A and Series A+ financing of over $50M.
  • QualiFi LLC 🇺🇸: secured $5M in SBA 7(a) financing for a West Coast-based medical staffing company.
  • Starwood Real Estate Income Trust 🇺🇸: has halted redemptions amid high interest rates impacting asset flight.
  • PT Vale 🇮🇩: secured a $750M Sustainability-Linked Loan to enhance its sustainable finance strategy.

❌ Failures

  • Spiders 🇫🇷: après 18 ans d’activité, le studio de jeux vidéo a été liquidé, sans repreneur, en raison des difficultés de sa maison mère.
  • Planta 🇸🇪: the company faced significant layoffs amid declining productivity and a shift in employment practices, raising concerns about the stability of the Swedish employment model.
  • Barclay brothers 🇬🇧: they avoided bankruptcy after a settlement with HSBC over £143M in overdue debts.
  • KPMG 🇺🇸: the firm is laying off about 4% of its U.S. advisory workforce due to weaker demand for services.

🎯 For a Few More Minutes…

  • 🇫🇷 Star Date. French students discover a star in the Milky Way that appears older than the galaxy itself, making the Big Bang feel recent. (France Info)
  • 🇺🇸 Life on Mars? NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected seven new organic molecules never seen before on Mars, hinting at possible DNA precursors in ancient Martian rocks. (Italian)
  • 🇺🇸 Hit ‘Em Up Again. Tupac Shakur’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles against Duane « Keefe D » Davis, aiming to unmask everyone allegedly involved in the 1996 murder. (BBC)
  • 🇺🇸 Fictional Assets. A executive confesses to faking the books in a $300M disaster, proving imagination is not a substitute for cash. (Bloomberg)
  • 🇭🇳 Billionaire Island. Tech moguls including Peter Thiel and Sam Altman are funding Próspera, a private island state in Honduras with its own laws and tax rules. (Businessinsider)
  • 🇮🇳 Hippo Critical. Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, offers to relocate 80 of Pablo Escobar’s problematic Colombian hippos to his Indian wildlife sanctuary instead of letting them be culled. (Le Parisien)
  • 🇿🇦 Citation Needed. The new South African AI policy was written by AI, but the official document cited sources that do not exist in reality. (Thenextweb)

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