Startups 22 January 2026 - 24 April 2026

Algorithmiq Raises €18M and Moves HQ to Milan in Europe’s Quantum Software Race
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Algorithmiq Raises €18M and Moves HQ to Milan in Europe’s Quantum Software Race

Algorithmiq raised €18 million and moved its global headquarters from Helsinki to Milan, making it Italy’s largest venture capital investment in a quantum startup. The round, led by United Ventures and CDP Venture Capital, brings total funding to €36 million. The company recently won a $2 million Wellcome Leap prize for quantum work with Cleveland Clinic and IBM. Algorithmiq will keep significant operations in Finland.
May 11, 2026
NatWest Group plc’s Big Startup Banking Push Lands Before a Q1 Profit Test
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NatWest Group plc’s Big Startup Banking Push Lands Before a Q1 Profit Test

NatWest Group has launched a venture banking arm aimed at high-growth UK companies, partnering with Amazon Web Services. The move comes days before NatWest reports first-quarter results on May 1, with Citi forecasting pretax profit about 7% above consensus. Company-compiled consensus expects net interest income of £3.41 billion and operating profit before tax of £1.94 billion. Barclays, Lloyds, and HSBC will report results in the same period.
April 24, 2026
NatWest ramps up Scotland startup push: RBS Accelerator targets 5,000 entrepreneurs, adds £1m EDGE deal
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NatWest ramps up Scotland startup push: RBS Accelerator targets 5,000 entrepreneurs, adds £1m EDGE deal

Royal Bank of Scotland, owned by NatWest, will expand its Accelerator programme to support 5,000 Scottish entrepreneurs in 2026 and has pledged £1 million to the Scottish EDGE Awards over three years. NatWest bought back 458,962 shares on March 4, with plans to cancel them. The bank’s Glasgow and Edinburgh hubs currently support 1,000 businesses. Scottish EDGE finals are set for June 11 in Edinburgh.
March 5, 2026
Vertex stock slips 3% as insiders flag sales, even as Alyftrek wins Australia funding
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Vertex stock slips 3% as insiders flag sales, even as Alyftrek wins Australia funding

Vertex shares fell 3.2% to $475.84 Tuesday afternoon, underperforming biotech ETFs. H.C. Wainwright raised its price target to $591 and maintained a Buy rating. Vertex announced its cystic fibrosis drug Alyftrek is now funded on Australia’s PBS for eligible patients. Company filings showed two executives disclosed plans to sell shares acquired via restricted stock vesting.
February 17, 2026
Intel talks stall as AI chip startup SambaNova hunts up to $500 million in fresh funding
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Intel talks stall as AI chip startup SambaNova hunts up to $500 million in fresh funding

SambaNova is seeking $300 million to $500 million in new funding after takeover talks with Intel collapsed, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who also chairs SambaNova, is weighing whether Intel should invest further. A previous deal valued SambaNova at about $1.6 billion including debt. The company is pitching the round to tech firms and semiconductor manufacturers.
January 22, 2026
Bezos’ Blue Origin takes on Starlink with 5,408-satellite TeraWave network plan
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Bezos’ Blue Origin takes on Starlink with 5,408-satellite TeraWave network plan

Blue Origin announced plans to deploy TeraWave, a 5,408-satellite network for enterprise and government clients, starting in late 2027. The company says the system will deliver up to 6 terabits per second and has filed for FCC approval. TeraWave would join Amazon’s Leo network as a second Bezos-linked constellation, as SpaceX’s Starlink remains the market leader.
January 22, 2026