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- 💰 Lightyear raises $23M
💰 Lightyear raises $23M
to scale its “Robinhood for Europe”
Welcome to Fintech Wire — your quick guide to what’s shaping finance and tech today.
What we’ll cover today:
💰 Lightyear raises $23M to scale its “Robinhood for Europe”
🤖 AI funding hits $104B, but exits remain meh
📉 Fintech investment down 42 percent this year
Estonia-backed startup Lightyear, founded by ex-Wise employees, just raised $23M to expand its Robinhood-style investing app across Europe.
🚨 Breaking News:
Lightyear scored $23M from top Estonian tech founders and NordicNinja VC to expand into new markets and build AI investing tools.
⚡ Wire Simplified:
Lightyear offers commission-free trading across 5,000+ stocks and funds
Investors include founders of Wise, Bolt, Checkout.com, and Skype
Operates in 25 countries, adding 5 more soon
AI features include “Why Did It Move?” and auto-generated bull/bear theses
A crypto product is also launching in 2 months (but long-term only, no casino vibes)
✔️ Straight to the Point:
Europe’s Robinhood is playing the long game. Lightyear is betting on smarter tools and fewer gimmicks to stand out in crowded markets.
🎯 Would you trust AI to guide your stock picks? |
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OpenAI, Anthropic, and friends raised huge checks in 2025 but venture firms are struggling to actually cash out big on AI.
🚨 Breaking News:
AI startups raised $104B in H1 2025 but exits lag behind, with most being small acquisitions, not blockbuster IPOs.
⚡ Wire Simplified:
OpenAI raised $40B, Scale AI scored $14.3B from Meta, Anthropic bagged $3.5B
But exits totaled just $36B from 281 deals
Most exits are small bolt-on buys, not flashy IPOs
One big win: CoreWeave’s IPO, now worth $63B
Outside AI? Fintech and crypto funding are in full slowdown mode
✔️ Straight to the Point:
Investors are pouring billions into AI but getting that money back? Not so easy when IPOs are rare and exits are small.
And it is from Europe!
@lovable_dev 🚀— Paul (@P_Bonnet)
8:37 PM • Jul 23, 2025
My guest on Uncapped this week was @peterfenton, one of the most successful early stage investors of all time.
We talked about applying the ideas of evolution to business, the practice of venture, and matching your work to what personally motivates you.
He's incredibly
— Jack Altman (@jaltma)
3:30 PM • Jul 23, 2025
FinovateFall 2025
FinovateFall is a leading FinTech conference that showcases cutting-edge banking and financial technology through short-form demos and expert insights. The event also includes the Finovate Awards, recognizing companies driving FinTech innovation forward.
Date: September 8–10, 2025 | Location: New York, NY, USA
24 Fintech 2025
24 Fintech is a global FinTech movement that sets the stage for the next chapter in financial technology. The event brings together industry leaders to discuss the future of FinTech, including topics like digital currencies, AI, and open banking.
Date: September 2025 | Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
FinTech Abu Dhabi 2025
Organized by the Abu Dhabi Global Market, this event explores the latest trends, regulatory advancements, and innovations in the FinTech sector.
Date: November 2025 | Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
What do you think about today’s edition? |
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