POSITIVE refinances to support further European consolidation / LIQUID NETWORK suspends transactions after the withdrawal of 4,000 bitcoin / H COMPANY has lost its entire founding team

Positive completes €106 million refinancing to support further European consolidation

Positive has completed a €106 million bank refinancing led by CIC alongside four other lenders, extending its debt maturities and providing funding for further acquisitions. Following more than ten acquisitions in five years, the Lille-based digital marketing software group reports €70 million in annual revenue, most of it recurring. Controlled by its founder Mathieu Tarnus and backed by IDI and EMZ, the group is targeting €200 million in revenue by 2030, focusing on Europe’s small and medium-sized businesses.

Liquid Network suspends transactions after 4,000 bitcoin withdrawal

Liquid Network, the Bitcoin sidechain developed by Blockstream, has suspended new transactions after approximately 4,000 bitcoin—worth nearly $320 million—were withdrawn from its federation wallet, which held 4,200 bitcoin. Those behind the operation describe themselves as ethical hackers and have pledged to return most of the funds once the vulnerability is fixed, although no return of funds has yet been confirmed. Blockstream attributes the incident to a bug in the Elements software rather than a compromised key.

With Laurent Sifre joining Microsoft, H Company has lost its entire founding team

Laurent Sifre, co-founder and former chief technology officer of H Company, has joined a Microsoft AI research team in Paris after stepping down from his role in early 2026. His successor, Pierre-Louis Cedoz, has also reportedly left the startup, according to Sifted. Two years after its creation, H Company has now lost its entire founding team—a dramatic exodus.

Matt Clifford to step down as ARIA chair after joining Anthropic

Matt Clifford will step down on 6 November as chair of ARIA, the UK agency responsible for funding breakthrough scientific and technological research. His full-time appointment at Anthropic to lead relations with governments outside the United States drew criticism from several lawmakers, despite his pledge to recuse himself from matters involving the company. His departure renews debate in the UK over the revolving door between AI policymaking and the companies directly affected by those policies.

Aize acquires Samp to align industrial data with on-site conditions

Norwegian software company Aize is acquiring French startup Samp, which specialises in AI for industrial infrastructure, for an undisclosed sum. Deployed at more than 500 sites, Samp’s Shared Reality platform compares 3D scans of facilities with plans, inventories and maintenance data to identify discrepancies between documentation and the actual condition of equipment. Aize aims to cover both new-build projects and existing sites within a single environment ahead of the launch of its next platform, scheduled for late 2026.

Jaipur Robotics raises €4.3 million to automate waste-to-energy plants

Swiss startup Jaipur Robotics has raised €4.3 million in a seed round led by EquityPitcher Ventures and High-Tech Gründerfonds. Founded in 2024 by Ermes Zamboni and Nikhil Prakash, the company develops a computer vision platform that can detect hazardous materials, improve waste blending and support crane automation. The funding will support deployment at additional waste-to-energy plants, followed by other industrial facilities such as cement plants and biomass power stations.

Fluencify raises €3.7 million after reaching €1.7 million in ARR in six months

Swedish startup Fluencify has closed an oversubscribed €3.7 million pre-seed round led by byFounders, with participation from Wave Ventures. Founded in 2025 by Erik Romdhane, Isaac Norin and Sam Stones Hälleberg, the company uses AI agents to automate creator selection, communications, post scheduling and international payments. Fluencify reports €1.7 million in annual recurring revenue six months after launch and more than 13,000 active creators. The funding will support hiring in Stockholm and the opening of a sales office in New York.

AI Score raises €4.6 million to help companies govern AI agent deployments

UK startup AI Score has raised €4.6 million in a seed round led by Fuel Ventures, with renewed backing from GALLOS Technologies, just months after an €860,000 pre-seed round. Founded in 2025 by Alex Harland, a former member of the founding team at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, and former lawyer Benita Tibb, the company develops a platform designed to track and control enterprise use of generative and agentic AI in real time.