LaunchAug 1, 2025, 14:27 UTC

Six Startups Selected for Project Europe’s Launch

Project Europe has announced its first cohort of startups, marking a significant step in supporting the next generation of European innovation. Founded by Harry Stebbings and led by Kitty Mayo, the initiative is backed by some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, including those behind Stripe, Klarna, Mistral AI, and Synthesia. Each selected company receives €200k in exchange for 6.66% equity, along with direct support from this powerful founder network.

The first six startups showcase the breadth and ambition of European tech. Cerebionics, founded by Agnessa Pedersen, is advancing brain-computer interfaces for robotic platforms, bringing together neuroscience and robotics to redefine human-machine interaction. Hacktron AI is building autonomous agents that operate like elite security researchers, aiming to make global software systems harder to exploit. Haicker takes a complementary approach in cybersecurity, using AI agents to analyze web applications, identify vulnerabilities, and validate potential issues before hackers can act.

In robotics, Philon is developing open-source general-purpose robots to take on unsafe, repetitive, and monotonous tasks, addressing labor shortages across industries. Zero Industries, a defense technology startup, is building plug-and-play autonomy modules for drones and unmanned systems, enabling reliable navigation even in GPS-denied environments. Finally, Zellify is tackling the mobile ecosystem by helping app developers bypass Apple and Google’s 30% app store fees, providing infrastructure for monetization and growth outside traditional distribution channels.

Together, these companies highlight the diversity, ambition, and cutting-edge focus of Europe’s emerging founders, spanning fields from AI and cybersecurity to robotics, defense, and fintech infrastructure.

Source: Seb Johnson's Linkedin

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