Mike Butcher
Editor At Large
The Latest from Mike Butcher
Wannabe ‘social bank’ Kroo swerves VCs to raise a $24.5M Series A from HNWs
Launched in February 2019, Kroo, the London-based consumer-facing fintech, raised some seed funding last year for its prepaid card service which claims to offer more “social features” in i
zeroheight raises $10M round led by Tribe Capital to scale DesignOps for UX teams
High-quality UX for websites and apps is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have if a company is to succeed. But scaling the impact of UX teams is not simple, and in recent years teams have turne
Bulk payments startup Comma raises $6M seed round led by Octopus and Connect
U.K.-based open banking bulk payment startup Comma has raised £4.34 million ($6 million) in a seed round of funding led by Octopus Ventures and Connect Ventures. They were joined by investors Village
Dutch startup hub Utrecht emerges from Amsterdam’s shadow
While Amsterdam garners the lion’s share of attention in the Netherlands tech ecosystem, the not-so-far-away region around Utrecht has its fair share of tech startups and investors, as is eviden
European refurbished electronics marketplace Refurbed raises $54M Series B
Refurbed, a European marketplace for refurbished electronics which raised a $17 million Series A round of funding last year, has now raised a $54 million Series B funding led by Evli Growth Partners a
YELA secures $2M to reproduce Cameo’s celebrity success with an app for the Middle East
The Cameo app, where celebrities send video messages to paying fans, has taken off globally. But now the concept is set to come to the Middle East and South Asia. Tech startup YELA has secured $2 mill
Cybersecurity trainer HackerU acquires Cybint for $50M, say sources
Florida-based HackerU, which creates cybersecurity and other digital skills programs, is acquiring Cybint, a SaaS-based cyber education company. TechCrunch sources understand this to be a $50 million
Supercritical launches carbon removal offset marketplace for tech firms to reach net zero
It’s a little known fact that the carbon footprint of the technology sector is greater than the entire aviation industry (Aalto University and LUT University). At the same time, tech companies (like
Humanity launches ‘slow your aging’ app in the UK and raises $2.5M more from health investors
More than one smartphone app startup has tried to convince you that by using their app you will miraculously stave off the ravages of age and flab. All I need to do is flip open my phone and reel off
Edtech startup bina raises $1.4M to teach 4- to 12-year-olds, launch School-as-a-Service
With the pandemic wreaking havoc amongst early years education amid school lockdowns, it’s no wonder edtech startups have piled into the space. But it has also served to highlight the abysmal nature
Gapsquare, a pioneer of machine learning into gender pay disparity, is acquired by XpertHR
Inequalities between women and men in the workplace have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and are likely to persist in the near future, according to the International Labour Organization
Independent retailer platform Creoate raises $5M seed led by Fuel Ventures
Creoate, a startup that lets independent retailers buy sustainable products from brands and wholesalers, has raised a $5 million seed round led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from Vinted founder
Health and wellness apps maker Palta raises $100M Series B led by VNV Global
Health and wellness apps startup Palta has raised $100 million in a Series B round led by Per Brilioth at VNV Global, with the participation of Target Global and other existing and new investors. The
Element Ventures pulls in $130M to double-down on the fintech enterprise trend
With the rise of Open Banking, PSD2 Regulation, insurtech and the whole, general fintech boom, tech investors have realized there is an increasing place for dedicated funds which double down on this o
White-label SaaS shipping startup Outvio closes $3M round led by Change Ventures
Outvio offers online stores of any size a post-purchase shipping setup, which seeks to replicate an Amazon-style experience where customers can also return packages.
Cheltenham’s GCHQ to get a massive, cyber-oriented tech startup campus right next door
The development is projected to add 12,000 new jobs, 2 million square feet of offices and 3,700 new homes.
European Investment Fund puts $30M in Fabric Ventures’ new $130M digital assets fund
It is the first European Investment Fund-backed fund mandated to invest in digital assets and blockchain technology.
Connected car insurance startup Flock raises $17M Series A led by Chamath Palihapitiya
'Modern fleets need an equally modern insurance company that moves as fast as they do,' CEO Ed Leon Klinger said. 'Commercial motor insurance is a $160 billion market, crying out for disruption.'
Personalized menopause platform Vira Health raises £1.5M from LocalGlobe, MMC Ventures
A new trend is emerging in the world of startups and, to many, it couldn’t have come too soon. Why are there so few women in senior roles? Women going through menopause are commonly known to drop ou
Customer engagement platform Dixa raises $105M Series C led by General Atlantic
European customer engagement platform Dixa has raised a Series C funding round of $105 million, led by growth equity investor General Atlantic. Existing investors Notion Capital, Project A and Seed Ca