From EU Startups, October 15:
NVIDIA has had a busy week on this side of the pond.
From announcing new investments in British and French startups to launching collaborations in Sweden, supporting AI research and bringing developers together in Barcelona, Paris and London, the US chipmaker appears determined to play a bigger role in the continent’s technological future.
The activity comes ahead of NVIDIA GTC Berlin, taking place from 20 to 22 October 2026, where founder and CEO Jensen Huang will deliver a keynote.
But beyond the conference preparations, the announcements reveal a wider strategy involving startup funding, computing infrastructure, research partnerships and the development of AI applications across European industries.
NVIDIA’s 2026 European investment trail
This week builds on an investment footprint already documented by EU-Startups throughout 2026. The company has participated in funding rounds involving French AI developers Mistral AI (€3 billion) and AMI (€890 million), alongside British companies Nscale (€1.7 billion), Wayve (€1 billion), Ineffable Intelligence (€937 million) and Orbital Industries (€43 million).
In Spain, Valencia-based iPronics secured €107.6 million with NVIDIA backing, while its venture arm, NVentures, joined a €42 million extension for Sweden’s Legora.
Together, these eight announcements represent approximately €7.72 billion in company financing, although NVIDIA’s individual contributions have not been disclosed. Earlier investments in British startup PhysicsX and France’s Scintil Photonics further illustrate its established involvement in European AI development.
....MUCH MOREFresh bets on British and French startups
Continuing this investment commitment in Europe, NVIDIA unveiled planned investments in five startups: Boltz, Foresight, Hiverge, Prima Mente and Riverlane. Although the individual investment amounts have not been disclosed, the selection of companies provides an indication of where NVIDIA sees opportunities for technological development.
These companies join NVIDIA’s existing investment activity in the UK, where it has previously supported startups including Synthesia, Wayve, Basecamp Research and Ineffable Intelligence.
The announcement also highlighted the role of NVIDIA’s Inception programme, which now includes more than 3,100 UK companies. The programme provides eligible startups with access to technical resources, expertise and opportunities to connect with NVIDIA’s wider network.
Across the English Channel, NVIDIA announced planned minority investments in four French startups: Doctolib, Entalpic, Genesis AI and Pigment. As previously reported by EU-Startups.
On 13 October, Huang attended an AI ecosystem reception in Paris alongside founders, researchers and policymakers, including France’s Minister of the Economy, Roland Lescure. Later that evening, he met President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace to discuss AI infrastructure, investments in French technology companies, open-source development and AI safety.
Speaking at the Paris reception, Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, said, “Europe is one of the great regions of industrial manufacturing,” adding, “This is the beginning of the AI journey for the EU.”
This week also saw the launch of the Startup Ireland AI Accelerator Programme, which aims to support 1,000 new startups by 2030. NVIDIA is among the technology partners associated with the initiative, further extending its involvement in Europe’s entrepreneurship networks.
Sweden’s AI ambitions take shape....
