The Recursive

The Recursive’s weekly roundup aims to cover key tech developments across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the growing impact of CEE-born founders on the global stage. Take a look at the latest news in funding, startup milestones, and emerging trends tied to the region’s innovation potential.

For decades, defense technology and commercial technology ran on parallel tracks. The idea of mixing the two was often unthinkable, especially in the world of startups and venture capital. Today, that wall is crumbling, and the discussion increasingly centers on dual-use. Back in June, during Prague Defense Tech Week, we spoke with Veronika Kaiser and Oleksandr Bulatnikov of Presto Tech Horizons, just before the launch of the city’s first-ever defense tech hackathon.

Growth capital firm Morphosis Capital Partners BV has closed its second fund at €130 million, surpassing its initial hard cap with the backing of the European Investment Fund (EIF), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), as well as institutional asset managers and more than €50 million in entrepreneurial capital from Western European founders.

Women have driven some of the most profound shifts in industry and society, with breakthroughs in digital technology and security today. In Ukraine, for instance, Maria Berlinska has redefined modern warfare by training drone operators and championing women’s integration into the Armed Forces. Yet despite such achievements, the glass ceiling still looms large, casting its shadow even over the most forward-looking sectors.

Prague, Czech Republic ~ This October, Engaged Investments 2025, an international conference organized by DEPO Ventures and J&T Ventures, will take place in Prague’s National House Vinohrady. “The mission of Engaged is to foster cross-border startup investments and strengthen the early-stage venture capital ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe. We’ve been building this platform for years, and every year more international investors join us.

MeetGeek secures a €1.6M funding round led by Early Game Ventures and Inspire Capital to scale its AI meeting assistant into a category-defining AI workspace. 📅 Founding year: 2021 🏭 Industry: AI / Productivity / Collaboration Tools 💥 Problem: Meetings remain passive — existing tools only take notes without engaging, executing tasks, or driving workflows.

Siena Secondary Fund II, а VC direct secondaries fund focused on Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordics, announces a major closing with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and SmartCap, Estonia’s state-owned fund, joining as lead investors. Each of them are committing €10 million. The total fund size is €50 million.

In just a few years, SeedBlink has gone from a regional crowdfunding platform to building one of Europe’s most ambitious digital infrastructures for private investing. At the helm of this evolution is Andrei Dudoiu, who sees syndicates and secondaries as building blocks for a more connected, transparent, and flexible early-stage investment ecosystem.

Endeavor Romania, a non-governmental, non-profit organization, announces the start of the second edition of its Scale Up Program, a unique program dedicated to companies in advanced growth stages. Running from September 2025 to March 2026, the program aims to provide direct and tailored support to founders in their scaling journey.

Since the 1970s, feminist movements have expanded from fighting for equal rights to building platforms that give women practical tools for growth, confidence, and leadership. But here’s what most executives miss: the real talent crisis isn’t happening at the entry level-it’s happening at the mid-career transition where future C-suite leaders are lost forever.