Skalar Raises €12 Million to Build AI-First Tax and Accounting Firm
European fintech startup Skalar has raised €12 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm Headline to accelerate its mission of building a tax and accounting firm designed around artificial intelligence. The investment will help the company expand its operations, strengthen its AI capabilities, and grow its team as it seeks to modernize one of the world’s oldest professional services industries.
Unlike traditional accounting firms that have gradually integrated digital tools into existing workflows, Skalar has built its business with AI at its core. The company uses artificial intelligence to automate repetitive tasks such as bookkeeping, tax preparation, financial reporting, and document processing, allowing accountants to focus on higher-value advisory services and strategic financial planning.
The funding comes amid growing interest in AI-powered professional services. Investors are increasingly backing startups that use artificial intelligence to streamline industries where manual processes still dominate. Accounting is viewed as a particularly promising sector because it involves structured financial data, routine compliance work, and recurring client needs that can benefit from automation.
Skalar’s model combines AI with human expertise rather than replacing accountants entirely. Qualified professionals continue to oversee complex tax matters, review AI-generated outputs, and ensure regulatory compliance. This hybrid approach is designed to improve efficiency while maintaining accuracy and trust.
The company plans to use the new capital to expand across Europe, hire engineers and tax specialists, and further develop its AI platform. As businesses increasingly seek faster, more cost-effective financial services, AI-driven accounting firms are expected to play a larger role in the future of the industry.
The investment also reflects broader confidence in Europe’s growing AI startup ecosystem, where companies are applying artificial intelligence to specialized sectors instead of developing general-purpose tools. With fresh funding and increasing demand for automated financial services, Skalar aims to position itself at the forefront of the transformation of tax and accounting, offering businesses a faster, smarter, and more efficient alternative to traditional firms.
UK’s Invest in Women Taskforce Exceeds Funding Target but Faces Questions Over Slow Capital Deployment
The United Kingdom’s Invest in Women Taskforce has surpassed its original fundraising target, securing approximately £625 million in commitments—more than two-and-a-half times its initial £250 million goal. While the achievement marks a significant step toward addressing the funding gap faced by women entrepreneurs, attention has shifted to the pace of investment. Nearly two years after the initiative launched, only around 18% of the committed capital has been deployed into women-led businesses, raising questions about whether progress is keeping pace with expectations.
The Taskforce was established to improve access to finance for female founders and increase diversity within the UK’s venture capital ecosystem. It brings together institutional investors, venture capital firms, pension funds, banks, and other financial institutions to channel private capital toward women-led startups. The strong fundraising response reflects growing recognition that supporting female entrepreneurs is both a social priority and a significant economic opportunity.
However, the gap between funds raised and funds invested has sparked debate. Critics argue that slow deployment risks limiting the initiative’s impact, while supporters point out that venture capital funds typically invest over several years rather than immediately after raising capital. Fund managers often spend considerable time identifying promising companies, conducting due diligence, and building long-term investment portfolios.
Structural challenges have also contributed to the slower pace. Women-led startups continue to face barriers such as limited access to early-stage funding, mentorship, and professional networks, reducing the number of investment-ready companies seeking larger funding rounds. Additionally, cautious market conditions and slower venture capital activity over the past two years have encouraged investors to be more selective.
The Taskforce aims not only to provide funding but also to create lasting changes in the investment ecosystem by encouraging more inclusive investment practices and increasing female representation among investors. While fundraising has exceeded expectations, its long-term success will ultimately depend on how effectively the committed capital reaches women-led businesses and helps narrow the UK’s gender funding gap.
Flex Doubles Valuation to $1.2 Billion After $70 Million Series B1 Funding Round
Fintech startup Flex has raised $70 million in a Series B1 funding round, doubling its valuation to $1.2 billion just six months after its previous fundraise. The new investment will fuel the company’s global expansion as it seeks to build an AI-powered private banking platform tailored for middle-market business owners, a segment that has traditionally been underserved by conventional financial institutions.
Founded to simplify financial management for entrepreneurs, Flex offers an integrated platform that combines banking, payments, credit, treasury management, and wealth services. Unlike traditional private banks, which typically cater to ultra-high-net-worth individuals, Flex focuses on founders and owners of mid-sized businesses who often need sophisticated financial solutions but lack access to customized banking services.
Artificial intelligence is central to the company’s strategy. Flex uses AI to automate financial workflows, provide personalized financial insights, improve cash flow management, and streamline routine administrative tasks. By integrating multiple financial services into a single platform, the company aims to help business owners manage both their personal and business finances more efficiently.
The latest funding will be used to accelerate international expansion, strengthen the company’s technology platform, and hire additional engineers, product specialists, and financial experts. Flex also plans to introduce new financial products designed to meet the evolving needs of entrepreneurs operating across global markets.
The investment reflects growing confidence in AI-driven fintech solutions that deliver more personalized and efficient financial services. As business owners increasingly seek digital alternatives to traditional banking, companies like Flex are positioning themselves to capture a larger share of the private banking market.
With its valuation now reaching $1.2 billion, Flex joins the growing list of fintech unicorns leveraging artificial intelligence to reshape financial services. The company believes its technology-first approach can make sophisticated banking tools more accessible, enabling middle-market entrepreneurs to better manage their finances while focusing on growing their businesses.
Deepfake Fraud Costs Company $25.6 Million, Sounding Alarm for Founders and Investors
A company has reportedly lost $25.6 million in a sophisticated deepfake scam, highlighting the growing financial risks posed by artificial intelligence-powered fraud. The incident has intensified concerns among founders, venture capital firms, and businesses that increasingly rely on digital communication for decision-making and financial transactions.
Deepfakes use AI to create realistic audio, video, and images that can convincingly imitate real individuals. Cybercriminals are exploiting this technology to impersonate executives, business partners, and investors, tricking employees into approving large payments or sharing sensitive information. As AI tools become more advanced and widely accessible, experts warn that such attacks are likely to become more frequent and difficult to detect.
The startup ecosystem is considered particularly vulnerable. Founders often manage high-value transactions remotely and operate with lean teams where financial approvals are handled quickly. Venture capital firms also rely heavily on virtual meetings and digital communication while transferring significant sums during funding rounds and acquisitions. A convincing AI-generated voice or video of a trusted executive could bypass traditional verification methods and lead to substantial financial losses.
The incident has prompted cybersecurity experts to urge companies to strengthen internal controls. Recommended measures include requiring multiple approvals for large transactions, verifying payment requests through separate communication channels, and adopting stronger identity authentication systems. Employee training is also becoming increasingly important as organizations prepare staff to recognize AI-driven social engineering attacks.
Technology companies are simultaneously developing tools to detect AI-generated content and improve digital identity verification. However, experts caution that fraudsters continue to refine deepfake technology, creating an ongoing challenge for cybersecurity professionals.
The $25.6 million loss serves as a warning that artificial intelligence is reshaping the threat landscape as rapidly as it is transforming business operations. For founders and investors, protecting against AI-enabled fraud is no longer a future concern but an immediate priority. As deepfakes become more convincing, businesses will need to rethink how they verify identities, authorize payments, and safeguard sensitive financial transactions.
BRINC Raises $125 Million to Bring Emergency Response Drones to US Police and Fire Stations
Public safety drone startup BRINC has raised $125 million in a funding round backed by Motorola Solutions and Index Ventures, as it aims to deploy emergency response drones on the rooftops of police and fire stations across the United States. The investment will help the company expand its technology and move closer to its goal of making drones a standard tool in emergency response.
BRINC develops drones specifically designed for law enforcement, fire departments, and first responders. The company’s vision is to enable drones to launch automatically in response to a 911 call, reaching emergency scenes before officers or firefighters arrive. Equipped with high-resolution cameras and real-time communication capabilities, the drones can provide critical aerial footage, helping responders assess situations, identify hazards, and make faster decisions.
The fresh funding will be used to increase manufacturing capacity, enhance drone technology, expand software development, and accelerate deployments across the country. BRINC also plans to strengthen integration with emergency dispatch systems, allowing drones to become a seamless part of existing public safety operations.
The investment reflects growing interest in the use of drones for emergency services. Compared with traditional aerial support such as helicopters, drones are less expensive, quicker to deploy, and capable of providing immediate situational awareness during incidents including fires, search-and-rescue missions, traffic accidents, and natural disasters.
Supporters argue that drone-first response can improve public safety by giving emergency personnel a clearer understanding of unfolding situations before they arrive. This can help reduce response times, improve coordination, and enhance the safety of both first responders and the public.
However, the wider adoption of emergency drones also raises questions about privacy, data security, and regulatory oversight. As deployments increase, public agencies will need clear policies governing how drones are operated and how collected data is managed.
With the new funding, BRINC is positioning itself at the forefront of modern emergency response, aiming to make drone-assisted 911 operations a common feature of public safety infrastructure across the United States.
