Anja Hoffmann’s Post

🇨🇿🚀 NEW REPORT: Prague is rising as a European tech powerhouse, with Enterprise Value having grown 8x since 2019. Prague’s tech ecosystem has reached a value of €19.2B - a figure that represents 83% of Czechia’s total startup enterprise value - from Dealroom’s latest report, released today, in partnership with Pražský inovační institut. Prague has cemented its place among Central and Eastern Europe’s leading innovation hubs — driven by strong talent, record VC activity, and a maturing startup ecosystem. 📊 Key insights: 🦄 5 unicorns (JetBrains, Productboard, Rohlik Group, Mews & Ataccama) and 300+ VC-backed startups building the next generation of tech leaders. 🌍 Prague is the 3rd largest CEE hub by enterprise value, following Kyiv and Tallinn  💸 €2.5B raised since 2019, the second highest in the region. ⚙️ Top sectors: Enterprise Software, Fintech, AI, Deep Tech, and Life Sciences. 🤖 AI startups represent 23% of Prague’s total enterprise value and 32% of VC funding since 2019. 🧪 Deep Tech & Life Sciences worth over €1.8B with €230M raised since 2019. 🎓 Local universities are fuelling innovation with 370+ alumni-founded startups, creating a self-sustaining pipeline of talent. Prague is no longer just a beautiful European capital — it’s a hotbed for innovation, homegrown talent, and global ambition. Tomas Lapacek, Pavel Chmátal Martin Kubeš David Frič Ministry of Education, Prague, Czech Republic Aliaksei Vincho

What’s next for Prague’s innovation ecosystem? As Dealroom.co puts it: „𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑢𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡.“ The city’s startup enterprise value has grown 𝟴× 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 to €𝟭𝟵.𝟮𝗕, now representing 𝟴𝟯% 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝘇𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹. That’s a remarkable signal of potential, but also a reminder of what must come next. To build on this momentum, we believe the next step for Prague’s innovation ecosystem lies in three priorities: 1️⃣ Strengthen 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 and 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲-𝘂𝗽 capacity 👉 to help startups grow beyond early success. 2️⃣ Broaden participation 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 👉connecting regional innovators to shared networks and opportunities. 3️⃣ Build global bridges𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 👉cross-border collaboration that helps Czech innovation compete internationally. At BRAIN CONNECT Prague, we’re working to make this transition happen by building a business-driven, open, and globally connected innovation space. Let’s make sure 🅟🅡🅐🅖🅤🅔’s growth story becomes sustainable & that it’s 🅝🅞🅣 🅞🅝🅛🅨 🅟🅡🅐🅖🅤🅔 that grows. ____________________________________ 📢 Follow BRAIN CONNECT Prague for more insights on innovation. 🚀 Join the open-ended game! Let’s shape the future. Together. 🔵 🟦 🔷

🚨 Swiss Startup Investments Decline in 2024, but AI Sector Thrives 🚨 The Swiss startup ecosystem faced challenges in 2024, with total funding rounds decreasing by 6.7% and investment volumes dropping 15% compared to the previous year EY . However, amidst this downturn, the AI sector emerged as a beacon of growth. 📈 AI's Surge in Switzerland AI-focused startups secured over 22% of all funding rounds in 2024, doubling their share from the previous year EY . This surge highlights the increasing confidence investors have in AI's transformative potential across industries. 💡 Key Takeaways Despite an overall decline in startup investments, AI startups demonstrated resilience and growth. The Swiss startup ecosystem remains dynamic, with sectors like AI attracting significant attention. Investors are recognizing the long-term value and innovation potential within the AI domain. 🔗 For a deeper dive into the trends shaping Switzerland's startup landscape, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g38NcZpd #BusinessAnalytics #AI #Consultancy #Fintech #Innovation #Fintechbits #datamanagement #Switzerland #DigitalFinance #TechGrowth #PowerBI

🤖 AI’s $192B Moment: When Innovation Turns into Imbalance Venture capital in 2025 has entered a new reality. More than half of global VC funding — USD 192.7 billion — now flows into AI startups, the first time in history a single sector has captured such dominance. But behind the boom, a warning grows louder. Experts call it an “innovation winter” for non-AI startups — a structural freeze that risks draining capital from sectors like biotech, green tech, and advanced manufacturing. 🥶 For South Korea, this is both opportunity and test: 📈 AI-led ventures are rising fast under MSS programs. ⚠️ Yet non-AI innovators face capital droughts that could slow ecosystem diversity. The government’s efforts to push biotech and healthcare startups onto global stages like BioJapan and NLS Days may be Korea’s first step toward rebalancing innovation. 💬 How can investors and policymakers sustain AI’s momentum without freezing the rest of the startup economy? https://lnkd.in/dfr3qdiY #KoreaTechDesk #ArtificialIntelligence #VentureCapital #InnovationEconomy #KoreanStartups #AIInvestment #Fintech #DeepTech #MSS #GlobalInnovation

Deeptech startups have been in the news for rising VC interest, but what’s really happening on the corporate interest? - Indian corporate investors appear to be losing their appetite for deeptech startups, with their participation in funding rounds dropping to a five-year low, according to the Tracxn data. - There are more than 4,000 deeptech startups. Each year, at least 500 startups are formed in this space. Typically, they spend 3–5 years on research and another couple of years fine-tuning their product. - Founders believe that unlike consumer-facing sectors such as ecommerce and fintech, corporate validation is crucial for deeptechs. - Corporates, on the other hand, admit they lack the risk appetite for deeptech, given the long gestation period before products reach the market. - This risk aversion of corporates comes despite the government pushing deeptech with the Rs 1 lakh-crore Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Scheme announced this July for sectors such as AI, quantum technologies, and semiconductors. Read the story to know more: https://lnkd.in/gzhV_hjE

"Why I Returned to Korea from Silicon Valley" My 3 years in Silicon Valley with LG Tech Ventures solidified one conviction: corporate venture investment is not just a financial play, but a strategic "must" for future-proofing. We see this with the Mag7. These tech giants use their deep cash reserves to increase investments, especially in AI, mastering a dual-track approach of 'Internal R&D' + 'Open Innovation'. Meanwhile, Korea's CVC landscape (as of 2024) reveals an interesting dynamic: - 296 active CVCs (146 Large-cap, 123 Mid-cap, 27 SMB) - 32% of all domestic startup investment comes from CVCs (higher than the global avg. of 26% and the US at 29%) This might look good on paper. But the truth is, the performance of these CVC investments has often fallen short of expectations, and believe a key reason is the 'global technology gap,' especially in AI. Korean CVCs have traditionally focused on domestic startups. But compared to the US, which leads global AI innovation, a significant statistical gap remains. - (2021-Mar 2025) US startups published 17.3x more AI research papers than Korean counterparts. - (2025) The CB Insights AI 100 list includes only 4 Korean firms. This isn't to discount Korea's brilliant founders. But on average, a clear difference exists in core AI research and global impact, driven by structural factors like capital, talent pools, and exit environments. Bridging this gap requires what Sam Altman noted: pursuing 'Sovereign AI' while simultaneously closing the tech gap through global investment and collaboration. To join the value chain for humanoid robotics or data centers, it's wiser to partner with global leaders now rather than wait for domestic tech to mature. However, there is a practical barrier. Apart from a few large conglomerates, most Korean companies lack the internal organization to execute this, and this specific point is why I returned to Korea. We are building a 'CVC Platform' to help Korean companies—from large corporations to SMEs—connect with the world's top startups. Having invested in SV and communicated with HQs in Korea, I experienced the friction firsthand. It’s not just language. It’s the cultural gaps and the different decision-making processes. That's why we are building a team of experienced specialists who have actually done this. Our mission is to offer these 'Silicon Valley CVC' capabilities not just to a handful of companies, but to the diverse range of Korean companies that need them. ***To Korean Companies: If you are interested in investing/partnering with top global startups, please reach out. The more leading companies that join our platform, the better startups we can source for everyone ***To Global Startup CEOs: If you want to explore the Korean market for investors/customers but don't know where to start, we are here to help. We will connect you with the right corporations that can be both your best investor and your best customer

Why Non-AI Startups Are Struggling to Attract VC Funding in the Modern Tech Climate New PitchBook data illustrates how dramatically AI is dominating startup investment, with 2025 on-track to become the first year when AI accounts for more than half of all VC money invested. The investment scene is undergoing a notable shift, with artificial intelligence firmly in the spotlight. Recent statistics point towards a trend where AI startups are becoming the prime focus for venture capitalists, overshadowing other tech domains. This paradigm shift is not without consequence, leaving non-AI startups scrambling for attention and resources. Navigating the bustling world of startups, it's clear why AI is at the forefront. The technology promises transformative impacts across industries, from healthcare and logistics to finance and beyond. Notable leaders like Elon Musk have often pointed out the potential of AI, stating, "AI is far more dangerous than nukes," highlighting the profound influence of AI on the future. For startups outside the AI bubble, the landscape is daunting. Venture capitalists are placing high bets on AI innovations, often overlooking other sectors. As a result: Non-AI startups can consider strategic adaptations to enhance their appeal to investors. These include: #CurrentTrendsInTechnology Source : TechCrunch

The Startup Paradox #23: AI Infrastructure Just Raised More in One Week Than All of African Tech in 2025 Nscale raised $433 million in pre-Series C funding yesterday. Days after closing their $1.1 billion Series B. You know what that means: One AI infrastructure startup raised $1.5 billion in two weeks. African startups raised $1.1 billion in nine months. The global startup world has completely shifted its priorities. And if you're not building AI infrastructure, you're fighting for scraps. Cerebras Systems closed a $1.1 billion Series G for AI supercomputing. Reflection AI secured $2 billion at an $8 billion valuation for open-source AI models. Deel hit $17.3 billion valuation with a $300 million Series E. These aren't funding rounds anymore. They're geopolitical chess moves disguised as venture capital. NVIDIA is leading rounds. Dell is participating. Nokia is backing deals. This isn't about startups, it's about controlling the AI infrastructure that will power the next decade. The paradox crushing founders worldwide: If you're not building picks and shovels for the AI gold rush, investors don't care how brilliant your idea is. Healthcare startups solving real problems? Seed rounds taking 18 months. Fintech serving underbanked populations? Series A negotiations drag for quarters. AI infrastructure building GPU clusters? Billion-dollar rounds close in weeks. Base Power raised $1 billion Series C for home battery systems. n8n secured $180 million at a $2.5 billion valuation for workflow automation with AI. Periodic Labs emerged from stealth with a $300 million seed round, the largest seed in history. Every major VC firm is pouring capital into AI infrastructure, AI agents, and AI orchestration. Climate tech? Down 19%. Healthcare? Struggling. Anything without "AI" in the pitch? Good luck. The startup world isn't diversifying, it's consolidating around one thesis: Whoever controls AI infrastructure controls everything else. Are you building for the future investors are funding, or the future the world actually needs? #StartupParadoxSeries

🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗖 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗤𝟯 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱🌍 As we review the trends from Q3 2025, it is clear that the 𝗨𝗦 continues to lead the global VC landscape, raising $61.8 billion this quarter. Meanwhile, Q3 delivered clear signals across other ecosystems. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 cemented its rise as Mistral AI closed Europe’s largest AI fundraise (€1.7B). 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 stepped up capital formation with a new $1B+ US-India VC alliance focused on deep tech. And 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 showcased enduring strength with a record $71B in tech M&A in 2025, underscoring the ecosystem’s strategic weight. Q3 was a quarter of mega-rounds: despite a 26% YoY drop in deals (7,996 → 5,898), total funding surged 62% to $95.6B, powered by mega-rounds from Anthropic ($13B), OpenAI ($8.3B), China Fusion Energy ($1.6B), Mistral AI (€1.7B), Princeton Digital Group ($1.3B), Nscale ($1.1B), among others. At 𝗕𝗚𝗩, we remain committed to supporting cross-border innovation. Our focus on AI-based enterprise software enables us to leverage the strengths of these dynamic markets and identify the next wave of global leaders. 💡𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗕𝗚𝗩? Our global presence - in France, through our Paris office (Sarah Benhamou, Etienne Arsac), India (Arka Venture Labs, Yashwanth Hemaraj, Viraj Phanse, Aarushi K.), Israel (NetZero Tech Ventures/ CGV - BGV’s EnergyTech and ClimaTech Fund, Barak Ben-Avinoam), Japan (Masaru (Mas) Sakamoto) - coupled with our expertise in AI positions us to identify and support the most promising startups willing to expand globally. Let's connect and explore how we can drive innovation together! 🤝 🌟 Currently building an AI-Native startup? Access our AI Native Playbook to ensure your startup’s success (link in the first comment). EAIGG: Ethical AI Governance Group, Anik Bose, Emmanuel Benhamou Eric Benhamou | Eric Buatois | Ron Sege | Patrick Nicolet | Ekaterina (Katya) Evchenko | Nao Shibata | Sophia Lee | Jessica Hsieh | Nishan Sirven #Enterprise50 #VentureCapital #EnterpriseAI #CrossBorderInnovation #BGV

🇹🇷The State of Technology in Türkiye: A Growing Powerhouse for Innovation 🚀 In recent years, Türkiye has increasingly become a vibrant tech hub, with massive potential for growth and innovation across various industries. From startups to artificial intelligence, the country is evolving rapidly. Here are a few key highlights on the current state of technology in Türkiye: 1. Booming Startup Ecosystem 🚀 Türkiye's tech startup scene is thriving! In 2023, Turkish startups raised over $1.5 billion in venture funding, according to a Dealroom report. Istanbul has become a hotspot for tech entrepreneurs, especially in the fields of fintech, e-commerce, and AI. Local platforms like Trendbox and Getir are also proving that Türkish entrepreneurs are not just keeping up with the global tech trend—they are leading the charge. 📊 Source: Dealroom, TechCrunch 2. Tech Talent Pool 👩💻👨💻 Türkiye boasts a rich talent pool with over 1 million software developers and a rapidly growing number of engineering graduates. Local universities, such as Boğaziçi University and Middle East Technical University (METU), produce world-class talent that drives innovation. The emergence of coding bootcamps and tech hubs is further fueling the nation's potential to become a global leader in tech. 🎓 Source: World Economic Forum, Forbes 3. Government Support & Policies 💼📈 The Turkish government has launched several initiatives to support digital transformation. The Digital Türkiye vision aims to transform the nation into a key player in digital innovation by supporting industries like blockchain, AI, and 5G. Moreover, incentives such as tax breaks, R&D funding, and accelerator programs** make Türkiye an attractive destination for startups and investors. 🏛️ Source: Tech in Asia, Deloitte 4. International Partnerships 🌐🤝 Türkiye’s strategic location between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East is an advantage in attracting global tech players. Partnerships with international giants like Google, Microsoft, and Huawei are pushing forward innovation in areas such as cloud computing, IoT, and smart cities. The country's growing tech ecosystem also attracts regional investors looking to expand in the Middle East and Central Asia. 🌐Source: Global Data, TechCrunch While Türkiye faces some challenges, including economic volatility, the resilience and innovation coming out of the tech sector is undeniable. With a growing talent pool, strategic government initiatives, and increasing international collaborations, the future of technology in Türkiye looks incredibly bright. 🌟 The next big thing in tech could very well come from Türkiye. 🚀🚀🚀🚀 #Technology #Innovation #Türkiye #AI #Startups #DigitalTransformation #Blockchain #Fintech #TechTalent #FutureOfTech