Atomico startups are helping establish Europe’s place in deep tech | WIRED UK

In February this year, Atomico announced a £627 million fund, evidence that Europe is bucking a global trend. Whereas Silicon Valley funding in 2016 fell 28 per cent year-on-year, European investment in the fourth quarter rose 22 per cent.

Atomico has been involved in some of Europe’s biggest exits and investments, including the sale of Berlin-based organiser app Wunderlist to Microsoft. It also played a role in Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank’s partial purchase of Finnish game developers Supercell in 2013.

Now it’s betting on startups founded on deep tech. Zennström says Europe has an advantage, with research institutions producing strong founders; Lilium Aviation, for example, which makes vertical-takeoff aircraft, was founded by engineers from the Technical University of Munich. Atomico invested £8.6 million.

Source: Atomico startups are helping establish Europe’s place in deep tech | WIRED UK