Starlink in Ukraine: the European autonomy in question / Venus Williams sets foot in Weward / Thoma Bravo in search of acquisition in Europe

The threat of Starlink’s cut in Ukraine, a weak signal which questions all of Europe on digital sovereignty.

During the negotiations between the United States and Ukraine, Reuters reveals that the American administration would have threatened to restrict access to the Starlink satellite network if kyiv was too demanding. A threat that perfectly illustrates the dependence of European countries to American technologies. A fragility that raises the question of European digital autonomy in the face of geopolitical power relations.

Patrick Drahi preserves the control of Altice France after a restructuring of historic debt

The showdown between the creditor of Altice France and Patrick Drahi marks a break after 1 year of muscular exchanges. Exchanges which will have drawn the restructuring agreement of 24 billion euros de debt of Altice France, parent company of SFR. So in exchange for a reduction in 8.6 billion euros that Patrick Drahi asked last Septemberthe creditors get 45 % of capitalbut Patrick Drahi retains control. The operation is accompanied by a payment of 2 billion euros in cashwhile interest rates are renegotiated. This restructuring repels the major deadlines until 2030, offering a respite to SFR, whose commercial performances decline on a mature market and where it will be difficult to seek growth.

Venus Williams puts his feet in the Weward capitalization table,

After an investment in Shares the startup founded by Benjamin Chemla, Venus Williams puts his feet in the Weward capitalization table, the application that encourages physical activity by rewarding users for each step they perform. With more than 20 million users in 29 countries, Weward combining gamification, cognitive sciences and strategic partnerships to promote health and sustainability.

At the end of December, we received Yves Benchimol the CEO of Weward to discuss behind the scenes of the company, its economic model, and the challenges linked to its international expansion, especially in the United States.

Meta would like to launch a 200 billion data center project to compete with Openai and Xai

According to The Information, Meta plans to build a Campus of Data Centers, between 5 and 7 GW of power, dedicated to AIof a scope much higher than all that the company has achieved so far. According to internal discussions, the project could exceed 200 billion dollarswhich would make it one of the largest intensive calculation sites ever built. This project is part of a frantic race with other champions in the field, even though all market experts recognize Do not know exactly how much capacity IA will be necessary in the long term.

Thoma Bravo hunted for acquisitions in Europe with his new fund with 1.8 billion euros

After opening an office in London, Thoma Bravo launches a fund of 1.8 billion euros to invest in European Mid-Market software publishers, generating between $ 1 and $ 10 billion in revenues. With tickets between 150 million and 1 billion euros, the investment fund targets compliance software, solutions for health professionals and tools for financial directors. With 14 billion euros invested in Europe since 2011, Thoma Bravo wants to take advantage of the valuations currently very attractive in Europe, a strategy also operated by the US Investment Fund PSG

+ Trends

👊 Let AI contradict you.

Special Edition Agriculture Salon

Do you know Aleph Farms? A pioneer startup at the crossroads of the Agtech and Foodtech

• AGTECH in Europe: to reduce the technological fracture between large and small farms
• Do you know Xfarm Technologies? The Agtech which optimizes agriculture with AI
• AGTECH in Europe: a changing sector in the face of the withdrawal of corporate ventures
• Do you know ROBOVIVISION? This Belgian Agtech which industrializes AI in agricultural robotics
• Do you know Beeguard? Artificial intelligence at the service of the preservation of bees
• Do you know Senseen, the startup that monitors culture health thanks to a miniature scanner?
• Do you know weekends, the startup that optimizes irrigation thanks to artificial intelligence?
• Do you know Foodpilot The startup that digitizes the environmental traceability of the food industry?
• Do you know javelin, the Deeptech that digitizes grains storage?
• Do you know Seederal and its 100 % electric tractor?
• Do you know Aisprid? Robotics and AI at the service of greenhouse agriculture

💡 Find more than 60 tech startups on The Agritech space from the 2025 agricultural fair which is held until Sunday March 2, 2025

+ Fundraising

• • Fullenrich raises 1.85 million euros to optimize commercial intelligence
  • 73 thongs lifts $ 55 million to transform the valuation of alternative assets with AI
  • Food security: Spore.bio raises 22 million euros for instant detection of contaminants
  • € 1.7M for Ochhy: when the AI ​​makes the smartphone the new runner coach
  • Cycloid raises 5 million euros to automate the devops and simplify the multicloud

+ Movements

• Machavia Pichet joins Qwant Like CTO, he worked before with Jellyfish, we met him when he was at Blablacar
• Raphaël Bois Avril joins OneRagtime To control investor relations, activities which he previously carried out at Blisce
• Emma Aït Aoudia joined Elaia As a senior associate, it was before at Antin Infrastructure Partners and Ardian

🥐 previous edition of the Good Morning Frenchweb:

• • Kate Bush and Hans Zimmer, release a silent album / Ynsect a receivership to facilitate a recovery / Bird slams the door of the Netherlands
  • Shein sees its profits fall by 40 % / Bytedance crosses $ 400 billion / Special Edition Agriculture Fair
  • The Fortune floor tax triggers the ire of Paul Midy / Amazon exceeds Walmart for the 1st time / At Meta, the executives double their bonus, in the middle of a social level.
  • Aldebaran in danger / Microsoft unveils Majorana 1 / The fundraising to follow

🚀 To read on Frenchweb.fr:

• • The agreement between France and Fluidstack for a 10 billion supercomputer questions
  • Majoranas to a quantum computer of one million qubits: Microsoft opens a new era
  • Adwanted Group is continuing its external growth strategy with the online iPO.
  • TSSS acquires Dolist and strengthens its expertise in Marketing Automation
  • Xi Jinping plays appeasement with Chinese tech giants: turn or illusion?
  • AI Act European: Europe inspires America, despite Washington
  • Brevo has strong growth and invests 50 million euros in AI over 5 years.