EU Defense Tech Gets $1.2 Billion Boost as Military Innovation Drive Expands

EUROPEAN UNION

European Startups Find DeepSeek’s ‘Discount AI’ Tech Hard to Resist

Regional startups are increasingly adopting DeepSeek’s low-cost AI models, challenging the dominance of US tech giants and potentially reshaping the AI landscape. The Chinese startup’s pricing, estimated to be 20 to 40 times lower than OpenAI’s, has attracted companies like Germany’s Novo AI, which switched from OpenAI to DeepSeek, citing significant cost savings without compromising user experience. This shift is seen as a potential game-changer for European AI companies, offering them a chance to compete more effectively with their better-funded US counterparts. [Source: Silicon.co]

EU Commits $1.2 Billion to Defense Tech in the Latest Military Innovation Push

The European Commission has unveiled its fifth annual European Defence Fund work program, injecting €1.065 billion into collaborative defense R&D projects across 31 topics, from cyber defense to AI integration. The 2025 program notably includes support for Ukrainian entities through its innovation scheme EUDIS, while allocating 10% of its budget to breakthrough and disruptive technologies, signaling the EU’s growing emphasis on maintaining technological superiority in an increasingly complex security environment. [Source: Labs of Latvia]

CENTRAL ASIA

U.S., China, Russia Vie for Control of Central Asia’s Rare Earth Wealth

A growing rivalry over Central Asia’s vast rare earth mineral deposits is intensifying between China, Russia, and Western powers, with the region emerging as a potential flashpoint in global strategic competition. Recent analysis by Jamestown Foundation reveals that while Central Asian nations aim to leverage these critical resources for economic development, they face a delicate balancing act between multiple foreign investors to avoid dominance by any single power, particularly China, which currently leads in rare earth processing capabilities. [Source: Jamestown Foundation]

UKRAINE

CourtAvenue Snaps Up Ukraine’s BotsCrew in AI Expansion Push

US firm CourtAvenue acquired Ukraine’s leading AI chatbot developer BotsCrew, whose clients include Virgin Holidays and Honda, in a deal that bolsters the Inc. 5000 company’s conversational AI capabilities. The acquisition gives CourtAvenue access to BotsCrew’s 60-person development team and proprietary chatbot technology, positioning the combined entity to capitalize on surging enterprise demand for AI-powered customer service solutions. [Source: AIN.ua]

Cyber Police Warns Against Telegram Use, Urges Switch to Signal, WhatsApp

Ukraine’s cybersecurity officials are cautioning citizens against using the Telegram messaging app, citing potential Russian intelligence risks linked to founder Pavel Durov’s alleged connections to the Kremlin. In a significant security advisory, the department’s head of computer crime prevention, Yevhen Dorohanov, revealed that cyber police recently uncovered a sophisticated scam operation that compromised 15,000 Ukrainian Telegram accounts through fake utility company channels, highlighting the platform’s vulnerabilities despite its popularity for real-time news updates during the ongoing conflict. [Source: Dou.ua]

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakh AI Dental Startup AIDENTIS Raises $200K 

AIDENTIS, a Kazakhstan-based dental diagnostic AI platform founded by mathematician-turned-entrepreneur Asylzat Issatayeva, has secured $200,000 in new funding to expand its AI-powered dental imaging analysis service. The startup, which processes dental X-rays with 98% accuracy and serves 50 clinics in Kazakhstan, was bootstrapped by a co-founder selling his apartment and received early backing from CerebraAI founder Doszhan Zhussupov, bringing total investment to $500,000 as it eyes expansion into MENA and Brazil. [Source: DigitalBusiness.kz]

ROMANIA

Romanian Accelerator ReaktorX Opens Final Call for €25K Pre-Seed Startup Funding

Romania-based ReaktorX accelerator has launched its last call for Central and Eastern European pre-seed startups, offering a three-month program that includes €25,000 in SAFE funding and €75,000 in partner benefits. The highly selective program, headquartered in Bucharest, will accept only five startups with a one-per-country limit, combining local mentorship with a month-long US immersion to drive international expansion. [Source: LinkedIn]

Food Waste Warriors Merge: CEE Startups Bonapp and Munch Join Forces

Romanian startup Bonapp and Hungarian startup Munch have announced a strategic merger to combat food waste across Central and Eastern Europe. The combined entity boasts over 3.5 million app downloads, 6,000 retail partners, and projects €7.5 million in revenue for 2024. This consolidation aims to expand market reach and operational efficiency in the region’s growing food waste reduction sector. [Source: The Recursive]