Balderton vs HV Capital

Introducing the Balderton Founder Council

Balderton announces the launch of its Founder Council, a new initiative to support founders.

Duvo raises $32M Series A to expand enterprise AI

Duvo, an enterprise AI platform founded by Rohlik's Tomáš Čupr, announced a $32 million Series A funding round led by Balderton Capital, with participation from Index Ventures, Northzone, and Credo Ventures. The round brings Duvo's total funding to $48 million. The company plans to use the funds to expand its sales and marketing efforts, initially targeting retailers and CPG companies. Duvo's platform, Duvo Clarity, uses AI to document and automate business processes, reducing manual work and improving efficiency. The company counts Morrisons, Holland & Barrett, Boden, Notino, and Allegro among its clients and claims to have generated over $100 million in value for customers. Duvo is also expanding into the US market and exploring opportunities in Asia.

• Duvo raised a $32 million Series A led by Balderton Capital.
• Total funding now stands at $48 million.
• Duvo works with companies including Morrisons, Holland & Barrett, Boden, Notino, and Allegro.

Spott Raises $21M Series A for AI Recruitment Platform

Spott, an AI-native applicant tracking system (ATS) and CRM platform for recruitment agencies, has raised €18.3 million ($21 million) in Series A funding. The round was led by Balderton Capital with participation from Base10 Partners, Y Combinator, and Fortino. Founded in Leuven in 2024, Spott consolidates candidate management, search, conversations, and automation into a single unified AI workspace, turning emails, CVs, and pipeline data into actionable intelligence. The company reports revenue growth of more than tenfold since the start of 2026 and serves hundreds of agencies, including H.W. Anderson and CGP Group. The funds will support international expansion, enterprise features, and agentic AI development, with plans to open offices in Sydney and New York and grow headcount from 44 to around 60 by year-end.

• Spott raised €18.3 million ($21 million) in Series A funding led by Balderton Capital, with participation from Base10 Partners, Y Combinator, and Fortino.
• Founded in Leuven in 2024 by Lander Degreve, Manu Vanderveeren, and Samuel Smeys.
• Spott's platform integrates candidate management, search, conversations, and automation for recruitment agencies, turning emails, CVs, and pipeline data into actionable intelligence.

Finn CEO Maximilian Wühr steps down after unicorn round

Maximilian Wühr, founder and CEO of German car subscription startup Finn, has stepped down just four months after the company reached a €1 billion valuation. The 31-year-old will remain on the advisory board, while Patrick Oliver Schmidt, an experienced e-commerce executive, takes over as CEO on November 1, 2026. Internal sources suggest the move was not entirely voluntary, driven by investors' plans for an IPO. Wühr's successor was chosen for his experience with high-growth companies and capital markets, having led Global Fashion Group to a Frankfurt listing. The transition also comes amid customer complaints and legal action from a consumer protection agency over Finn's terms and conditions.

• Finn founder Maximilian Wühr steps down as CEO, replaced by Patrick Oliver Schmidt on November 1, 2026.
• Wühr will stay on as an advisor and in the advisory board.
• The decision was influenced by investors' plans for an IPO and their desire for a CEO with more experience in high-growth companies.

ARX Robotics expands to Poland and Austria

The Munich-based defense-tech company ARX Robotics announced its expansion into Poland during the MSPO defense fair in Kielce. The company has established a Polish entity and plans to build a permanent headquarters with training, maintenance, and technical support facilities. Investments in the double-digit millions are planned, along with the creation of highly qualified jobs. This marks Poland as ARX Robotics' fourth market, making it active in three of Europe's top five defense markets. Additionally, the company founded ARX Robotics Austria in Innsbruck to handle local business and administrative processes. The company operates in Ukraine, where its GEREON unmanned ground vehicles are deployed. ARX Robotics employs around 300 people in Munich, Berlin, London, and Kyiv.

• ARX Robotics announced expansion into Poland at the MSPO defense fair.
• A Polish subsidiary has been founded with plans for a permanent headquarters.
• Investments in the double-digit millions are planned in Poland.