Stuart, a last-mile delivery company based in London, is aiming for a quicker path to profitability following its acquisition by private equity firm Mutares from Geopost. CEO Cornelia Raportaru highlighted the company's financial runway and strategic focus on profitability rather than expanding its European market footprint. Stuart, which operates in 100 European cities and generated over $420 million in 2022, has not made significant job cuts unlike its competitors. The company is innovating in delivery services and customer support, and has partnered with UrbanPiper and Deliverect to enhance restaurant delivery operations. The delivery market in Europe is dominated by food, with grocery delivery being more mature in the UK and retail goods delivery lagging behind the US.

Delfos, an AI energy software start-up based in Barcelona, has secured €6.3 million ($6.9 million) in seed funding to expand in Europe. The company's AI and big data-driven virtual engineer aims to enhance the renewable energy sector's efficiency and reliability. The funding round, led by Contrarian Ventures and Headline with DOMO.VC and EDP Ventures participating, will support European expansion and recruitment. Delfos' software monitors over 10GW of renewable energy, promising to reduce component replacement costs by 30% and increase energy generation by 3-5%. CEO Guilherme Studart emphasizes the technology's role in making renewable assets more profitable and appealing to investors, while Rokas Peciulaitis of Contrarian Ventures highlights the platform's importance for the resilience of renewable assets.

Metafuels, a Swiss climate tech start-up, has raised $8 million in a seed round to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that is compatible with existing aircraft. The funding, led by Energy Impact Partners and Contrarian Ventures, will be used to build a pilot facility at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland for technology validation and R&D. The company's SAF, known as 'aerobrew,' is produced by converting green methanol into electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) and is suitable for both short- and long-haul flights. Metafuels aims to address the aviation industry's carbon footprint, which accounts for around 2% of emissions, by offering a practical alternative to current fuels without the need for re-engineering or retrofitting planes.

Oxx, a London and Stockholm-based software investor, has closed its new fund at $190 million, targeting SaaS start-ups in Europe for Series A and Series B investments. The fund received contributions from British Patient Capital, Saminvest, KfW Capital, Argentum, Pool Re, and Coeli. Oxx's portfolio includes Goodlord and Funnel. General partner Richard Anton emphasized the firm's evidence-based investment approach and acknowledged the current challenges for European SaaS companies. Co-founder Mikael Johnsson highlighted the significance of AI in the next phase of SaaS. Oxx aims to invest with a long-term perspective, focusing on creating sustainable value.

A study by Dott, a Dutch e-scooter rental company, using AI cameras from Irish start-up Luna Systems, found that poor road conditions are the main reason e-scooter riders use sidewalks, with 71% of pavement riding due to this issue. The study, which covered over 3,000 trips in Brussels, Grenoble, and Tel Aviv, showed that 93% of riders stayed off the pavement. Dott aims to work with city authorities to improve infrastructure, and the City of Grenoble sees AI cameras as beneficial for compliance. Dott plans further studies in Madrid, Lyon, and London.

Berlin-based VC fund Vireo Ventures has secured over $20 million from the European Investment Fund for its Vireo Electrification Fund, which aims to raise a total of €60 million to invest in early-stage climate tech startups. The fund will focus on areas such as energy supply, mobility, and transport, particularly on software startups with recurring revenue streams. Managing partners Mischa Wetzel and Felix Krause highlighted the importance of cooperation with incumbent players in the energy sector and expect to close the fund by early 2024. The EIF investment is part of the EU's REPowerEU program to end reliance on Russian fossil fuels by 2030.

Buycycle, a German online marketplace for second-hand bicycles, is expanding into the U.S. market due to a surprising uptick in organic sales and growing demand for pre-owned bikes. With over 15,000 bikes on its platform and operations in 30 countries, Buycycle has raised around €3 million from Cherry Ventures for its expansion. The company offers buyer protection and insurance for transactions on its platform and aims to attract both cycling enthusiasts and newcomers in the U.S.

LANCH, a Berlin-based virtual kitchen and food delivery start-up, has raised €2.5 million in a pre-seed round with investments from German soccer star Mario Götze, rapper Luciano, TV personality Jens ‘Knossi’ Knossalla, YouTuber Trymacs, and former soccer player André Schürrle. The company partners with restaurants to create meals under brand names devised by creators, aiming to leverage their fan bases. LANCH, which operates over 70 locations in Germany, is backed by HV Capital and founders of Gorillas and FlixBus. It has launched a pizza brand called Happy Slice and plans to introduce a chicken brand with Luciano. The start-up takes a percentage of deliveries and offers a digital brand experience, including fan articles and exclusive events. Co-founded by Jonas Meynert, Kevin Kock, and Nono Konopka, LANCH is currently operating in Germany and plans to expand internationally.

Facial recognition technology is not considering the accessibility needs of the visually impaired, which includes 285 million people worldwide. Research from the University of Surrey and others found that visually impaired individuals struggle with taking selfies for biometric verification due to camera positioning issues. The study suggests more inclusive design, such as 'alignment-free' algorithms. Companies like Cognitec, Daon, and FacePhi acknowledge the gap in accessibility but have yet to implement solutions. The article emphasizes the importance of considering all users when designing technology.