The Recursive’s weekly roundup aims to cover key tech developments across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the growing impact of CEE-born founders on the global stage. Take a look at the latest news in funding, startup milestones, and emerging trends tied to the region’s innovation potential.
CEE news & deals
Bulgarian BlackPeak Capital has announced a new investment in Bulgarian-founded Alcatraz, a company specializing in facial biometric authentication for physical access control, as part of a $35 (€29.77) million Series B funding round. The round was co-led by BlackPeak Capital, Cogito Capital, and Taiwania Capital, with additional participation from existing investors including Almaz Capital, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and entrepreneur Ray Stata.
Romanian-founded Voxa has raised over €4 million in a round led by Catalyst Romania to expand its position as a regional leader in digital books across Central and Eastern Europe. The round, Catalyst Romania Fund II’s 12th investment, also included Crescendo Ventures and SeedBlink. Launched in 2021 by Marin and Dan Vidrașcu, Voxa is Southeast Europe’s fastest-growing audiobook and e-book platform, with over 1 million users and 200,000+ titles. It leads Romania’s digital book market and operates in Romania and Hungary while serving users in more than 10 countries.
Czech fintech startup Patron GO has closed a funding round exceeding €2 million (approximately CZK 50 million), combining venture capital with public funding to accelerate the development of its AI-powered financial platform and support expansion into Western Europe. The round includes roughly €800,000 in grant funding from the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade under the Applications II programme, with the remaining capital provided jointly by Slovakia-based Venture to Future Fund and angel investor Josef Novotný.
Tallinn-based Pickmybrain, which develops AI-powered “Digital Brains” for professionals and public figures, has raised $2.1 (€1.79) million in a pre-seed round backed by angel investors, Raison.app, and others. The startup is building a platform that lets experts turn their knowledge into AI-driven digital versions of themselves, delivering personalized, domain-specific insights at scale without requiring constant content creation or repeated engagement.
Ukrainian defense tech company Zmiyar has secured €450,000 in a recent investment round. The funding will be used to support scaling efforts, combat testing of its smart mine systems, and codification. The round included participation from European investors, though their identities have not been revealed.
Moldovan game studio Paparuda Studio has secured over €210,000 (4 million MDL) to develop its first internationally focused video game, marking a step toward higher-value digital industries in the country. Founded in 2026 by Victor Marchitan, Artiom Snegur, and Alex Culeva, the studio plans its first commercial release in 12–15 months for global platforms.
Across the ocean
OpenAI has acquired tech talk show TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network), marking its first move into media. Hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays, TBPN is a daily three-hour live program on YouTube and X covering tech, business, AI, and defense.
