--- url: 'https://qubit.capital/blog/europe-series-a-weekly-funding-roundup-mar-10-17-2026' title: 'Europe Series A Weekly Funding Roundup (Mar 10-17, 2026): $66.0M Raised Across 3 Deals' author: name: Sagar Agrawal url: 'https://qubit.capital/blog/author/sagar' date: '2026-03-17T16:18:37+05:30' modified: '2026-03-17T18:01:38+05:30' type: post summary: 'European Series A startups raised $66M this week. Qevlar AI leads with $30M for autonomous cybersecurity, plus Saltz at €20M and Orqa at €12.7M for defence drones.' categories: - Weekly Funding Roundup image: 'https://qubit.capital/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/EU-series-A-funding-weekly-roundup-march-week-3.webp' published: true --- # Europe Series A Weekly Funding Roundup (Mar 10-17, 2026): $66.0M Raised Across 3 Deals European Series A activity this week totalled $66 million across three deals spanning cybersecurity, defence technology, and enterprise services. France led the pack with Qevlar AI closing the largest round at $30 million for its autonomous SOC platform, while Croatia’s Orqa secured €12.7 million for defence-grade drone systems and Saltz raised €20 million to scale its European operations. The week’s deals reflect two defining themes in European venture capital: the growing appetite for AI-native security solutions and the accelerating investment into European defence technology. With 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions globally and European governments rapidly increasing defence spending, these startups are building into structural tailwinds rather than chasing cyclical trends. Weekly Funding Roundup MAR 10-17, 2026 $62.7M TOTAL RAISED 3DEALS CLOSED 100%SERIES A $20.900000000000002MAVG DEAL SIZE EUROPETOP REGION BY STAGE Series A$62.7M100% BY SECTOR Qevlar AICybersecurity$30M SaltzEnterprise Services$20M OrqaDeep Tech / Defence$12.7M Table of Contents - [1. Qevlar AI Raises $30M For Autonomous Cybersecurity](#1-qevlar-ai-raises-$30m-for-autonomous-cybersecurity) [Deal Overview](#deal-overview) - [Investor Profile](#investor-profile) - [Company and Leadership](#company-and-leadership) - [Problem and Opportunity](#problem-and-opportunity) - [Product and Technology](#product-and-technology) - [Use of Proceeds and Vision](#use-of-proceeds-and-vision) - [Market Context](#market-context) - [2. Orqa Raises €12.7M For Defence Drone Systems](#2-orqa-raises-€12-7m-for-defence-drone-systems) [Deal Overview](#deal-overview-1) - [Investor Profile](#investor-profile-1) - [Company and Leadership](#company-and-leadership-1) - [Problem and Opportunity](#problem-and-opportunity-1) - [Product and Technology](#product-and-technology-1) - [Use of Proceeds and Vision](#use-of-proceeds-and-vision-1) - [Market Context](#market-context-1) - [3. Saltz Secures €20M To Scale European Operations](#3-saltz-secures-€20m-to-scale-european-operations) [Deal Overview](#deal-overview-2) - [Investor Profile](#investor-profile-2) - [Company and Leadership](#company-and-leadership-2) - [Problem and Opportunity](#problem-and-opportunity-2) - [Product and Technology](#product-and-technology-2) - [Use of Proceeds and Vision](#use-of-proceeds-and-vision-2) - [Market Context](#market-context-2) - [Lessons For Founders](#lessons-for-founders) ## 1. Qevlar AI Raises $30M For Autonomous Cybersecurity ### Deal Overview - **Stage:** Series A - **Sector:** Cybersecurity - **Geography:** Paris, France - **Round Size:** $30 million ### Investor Profile The round was led by Partech alongside Forgepoint Capital International and EQT Ventures. Forgepoint is one of the few growth-stage funds dedicated exclusively to cybersecurity, while EQT Ventures brings deep European enterprise connections. The combination signals confidence that [Qevlar AI](https://www.qevlar.com) can compete globally from a European base. ### Company and Leadership Founded in 2023, Qevlar AI was incubated by both Meta and Microsoft. CEO Ahmed Achchak and CTO Hamza Sayah have built the company rapidly, already counting Mercedes-Benz and Sodexo among their customers. The dual incubation pedigree is rare and speaks to the technical credibility of the founding team. ### Problem and Opportunity Security operations centres are drowning. The global cybersecurity workforce gap stands at 3.5 million unfilled positions, and existing analysts spend most of their time on repetitive Tier 1 and Tier 2 alert triage. Every alert that goes uninvestigated is a potential breach. The problem is not detection, it is investigation capacity. ### Product and Technology Qevlar AI has built an autonomous agentic SOC platform. AI agents automatically enrich alerts, correlate signals across data sources, and generate complete investigation reports. The system combines a knowledge graph with large language models to achieve a 10x reduction in investigation time while maintaining 100 percent alert coverage. The knowledge graph accumulates institutional security knowledge over time, creating a compounding advantage. Its MSSP flywheel trains on diverse threat landscapes across hundreds of end customers. ### Use of Proceeds and Vision Funds will be used to expand the autonomous SOC platform and scale into the US market. The company plans to deepen partnerships with managed security service providers, which serve as a distribution channel and data flywheel simultaneously. The long-term vision moves beyond alert firefighting toward organisation-level security insights that prevent incident recurrence. ### Market Context Gartner projects that autonomous SOC systems will handle the majority of Tier 1 and Tier 2 investigations by 2028. The cybersecurity market continues to grow as attack surfaces expand with AI adoption. Qevlar AI competes with established SOAR platforms but differentiates through full autonomy rather than workflow automation. ## 2. Orqa Raises €12.7M For Defence Drone Systems ### Deal Overview - **Stage:** Series A - **Sector:** Deep Tech / Defence - **Geography:** Croatia - **Round Size:** €12.7 million (~$14 million) ### Investor Profile The round was led by Expeditions, a fund with a focus on frontier technology and defence applications. As European governments accelerate defence procurement from domestic suppliers, specialised investors like Expeditions are positioning early in the supply chain. ### Company and Leadership [Orqa](https://www.orqafpv.com) is a Croatian drone manufacturer that has built a reputation in the FPV (first-person view) drone space. The company has established itself as one of the few European-headquartered drone makers with genuine defence-grade capabilities, operating from a region that has firsthand understanding of modern conflict dynamics. ### Problem and Opportunity European defence forces are rapidly modernising their drone capabilities following lessons from recent conflicts. The demand for reliable, European-made unmanned systems has surged as NATO members seek to reduce dependence on non-allied supply chains. Small, agile drone platforms have proven decisive in modern warfare, and procurement budgets are catching up to that reality. ### Product and Technology Orqa designs and manufactures FPV drone systems built for defence applications. Their systems emphasise reliability, range, and operator experience, critical factors in contested environments where signal jamming and electronic warfare are standard. The company’s European manufacturing base is itself a strategic advantage as defence procurement increasingly favours allied suppliers. ### Use of Proceeds and Vision The Series A funding will support production scaling and further development of defence-oriented drone platforms. As European defence budgets expand, Orqa is positioning to be a primary supplier of tactical unmanned systems to allied forces. ### Market Context European defence spending is at its highest level in decades. Multiple NATO members have committed to exceeding 2 percent GDP targets. The drone segment is one of the fastest-growing categories within defence procurement, driven by proven battlefield effectiveness and relatively low unit costs compared to traditional platforms. ## 3. Saltz Secures €20M To Scale European Operations ### Deal Overview - **Stage:** Series A - **Sector:** Enterprise Services - **Geography:** Europe - **Round Size:** €20 million (~$22 million) ### Investor Profile The round’s investors were not publicly disclosed. Undisclosed rounds at this size in Europe typically indicate either strategic corporate investors or established funds that prefer to remain behind the scenes until a later stage announcement. ### Company and Leadership [Saltz](https://www.saltz.io) is a European startup that has maintained a relatively low profile while building toward its Series A milestone. The €20 million raise positions the company for significant expansion across European markets. ### Problem and Opportunity European enterprises continue to seek homegrown technology solutions that align with regional data sovereignty requirements and regulatory frameworks. Startups that can navigate the complexity of multi-market European operations while delivering enterprise-grade products occupy a defensible niche. ### Product and Technology Saltz is building technology solutions for the European market. The company’s approach is tailored to the specific regulatory and operational requirements of European businesses, an area where US-centric solutions often fall short. ### Use of Proceeds and Vision The €20 million will fund geographic expansion and product development. The company aims to establish a strong foothold across key European markets as it scales from its Series A base. ### Market Context European enterprise software spending continues to grow as digital transformation initiatives accelerate. Companies that build Europe-first, with native compliance and localisation, avoid the retrofit costs that hamper US competitors entering the market. ## Lessons For Founders - **Incubation creates credibility at speed.** Qevlar AI’s dual incubation by Meta and Microsoft opened enterprise doors, Mercedes-Benz and Sodexo as early customers, that would normally take years of relationship building. Seek institutional partnerships that lend credibility, not just capital. - **Defence tech is open for European startups.** Orqa’s raise from Croatia shows that defence funding is no longer confined to traditional hubs. If your technology has defence applications and you manufacture in an allied nation, the procurement tailwind is real and accelerating. - **MSSP partnerships are a distribution and data flywheel.** Qevlar AI’s strategy of selling through managed security providers gives it both channel reach and diverse training data. Founders in any B2B category should look for distribution partners that also improve the product through usage. - **European sovereignty sells.** All three deals benefit from the growing preference for European-built solutions, in security, defence, and enterprise. Building locally is not a limitation; it is a positioning advantage as data sovereignty and supply chain independence become board-level concerns.