GoKawiilEurope should be known for BottleCap AI, not bottle cap memes. With its tongue-in-cheek name, this Prague-based AI startup is one of the teams that VCs think you should know.
It is not that European startups never cut through the noise — Lovable and Mistral AI are proof of it. But there are many more that don’t have nine digits in annual recurring revenue yet and that insiders are still tracking very closely.
That’s where this list comes in. Over the last few weeks, we asked investors at some of Europe’s best known venture funds to recommend two startups each: one from their portfolio (because they liked the startup well enough to invest) and one outside of it (because they are the startup experts but can’t invest in them all). We also threw in a few picks of our own.
From pre-launch to unicorn, these startups are at different stages in their journey, and from different sectors. Due to our methodology, they may not reflect where the region’s hottest hubs are, but they do reflect how deep tech talent could help Europe play its own cards in the AI race.
Alta Ares
Recommended by Julien Codorniou, general partner, 20VC.
What it does: Alta Ares develops AI-powered counter-drone systems.
Why it’s worth watching: Defense tech has gone from pariah to trending, particularly in Europe, where the war in Ukraine was a wake-up call for armies to modernize. Alta Ares’ interceptors answer a need for cheaper solutions to detect and fight drone incursions.
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