Fluidstack, an AI-focused datacenter startup, is reportedly in discussions for a $1 billion funding round at a valuation of $18 billion. This comes just months after reaching a $7.5 billion valuation. The company has recently secured a $50 billion contract to develop data centers for Anthropic, fueling investor interest and fundraising efforts.
European venture capital funding hit $17.6 billion in Q1 2026, marking a nearly 30% increase year over year and the second consecutive quarter of growth, according to Crunchbase data. The surge was predominantly fueled by AI companies, which for the first time accounted for over half of all venture funding in Europe that quarter. Despite this growth in capital, the number of deals fell sharply by 40%, with notable decreases in seed and early-stage funding rounds. The UK and France saw year-over-year funding growth, raising $7.4 billion and $2.9 billion respectively, while Germany's funding remained flat. Late-stage funding nearly doubled compared to the previous year, highlighting investor confidence in more mature startups across diverse sectors such as AI hardware, fintech, and energy. The largest rounds included billion-dollar investments in AI pioneers like Advanced Machine Intelligence and Nscale, underscoring Europe’s expanding leadership in AI frontier technologies.
Jane Street has entered a $6 billion agreement with CoreWeave for AI cloud services and purchased $1 billion worth of CoreWeave shares at $109 per share. This investment positions Jane Street as one of the top five shareholders in CoreWeave. The partnership grants Jane Street access to NVIDIA’s advanced Vera Rubin computing technology and strengthens CoreWeave’s expanding portfolio of contracts.
Accel has successfully raised $5 billion through its $4 billion Leaders Fund V and a $650 million sidecar fund. This capital injection is aimed at making 20 to 25 late-stage AI investments, each with an average commitment of $200 million. The fundraise is driven by impressive returns from prior investments like Anthropic, which grew from a $183 billion valuation to nearly $800 billion, and Cursor. This move highlights the expanding scale of venture capital targeting AI infrastructure and innovation.
Airwallex, now valued at $8 billion, is introducing a point-of-sale system designed to help businesses process in-person transactions across multiple countries through a unified platform, directly competing with established players like Stripe in the payments industry.
Venture capitalists are eager to invest further in Anthropic at valuations on par with or exceeding those of OpenAI, but the company is currently holding off on accepting these offers.
Spektr, a Copenhagen-based AI start-up focused on finance, has raised $20 million in new funding. The capital will support the expansion of its AI platform tailored for banks and fintech firms, aiming to boost adoption among financial institutions worldwide.
SiliconRepublic.com inquired if Irish financial institutions plan to participate in Anthropic's Project Glasswing, which aims to strengthen cybersecurity measures in the UK banking industry.
Unconventional Ventures (UV) has successfully completed the second closing of Fund II amid a tough global economic environment characterized by uncertainty and restricted capital availability. This milestone underscores UV's dedication to backing founders who are often overlooked by traditional investors, aiming to provide support and resources where they are most needed.
To reduce reliance on foreign technology, the UK government is investing £675 million into local AI startups, aiming to foster homegrown innovation and secure technological independence.
