💸 Weekly Funding Recap: October 16

📇 Company: Flying Whales
🏷️ Sectors: Aerospace, ClimateTech, Aviation, Mobility
🔍 Description: Develops large-capacity cargo airships capable of transporting heavy and oversized loads to locations without conventional transport infrastructure. Its LCA60T airship is designed to carry up to 60 tonnes and load or unload cargo while hovering, targeting forestry, renewable energy, construction, and industrial logistics.
💻 Website: https://www.flying-whales.com/
📍 HQ City: Suresnes
🧗 Round: Growth Equity
💰 Amount Raised: €90 million
🏦 Investors: CMA CGM, Carac, Air Liquide, Groupe ADP, Bouygues, Sogecap, French Tech Souveraineté, Temaris, Principality of Monaco, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Government
👨‍💼👩‍💼 Founders: Sébastien Bougon
🗞️ News: October 12, 2026. Flying Whales announced it completed a €90M financing round led by CMA CGM, bringing cumulative funding to about €400M. The financing supports development of the company's LCA60T cargo airship and construction of its planned manufacturing facility at Laruscade, near Bordeaux. The aircraft will measure approximately 200 meters and is designed to transport cargo weighing up to 60 tonnes. Flying Whales expects to begin assembling aircraft components in early 2028 and conduct its first test flight toward the end of that year. The transaction is smaller than the €105M-plus financing previously anticipated. Québec did not participate in the final round, leaving CMA CGM and other French investors to provide the capital needed to advance the program. CMA CGM's participation is particularly significant because it brings a major international freight operator into Flying Whales' ownership structure. However, the investment does not constitute a commercial order for its aircraft. | La Tribune

📇 Company: Dougs
🏷️ Sectors: FinTech, SaaS, Artificial Intelligence
🔍 Description: Develops an online accounting and business-management platform combining proprietary software, AI automation, and professional accountants. Its subscription services cover bookkeeping, tax filings, company formation, payroll, legal services, and electronic invoicing.
💻 Website: https://www.dougs.fr
📍 HQ City: Lyon
🧗 Round: Growth Equity
💰 Amount Raised: €50 million
🏦 Investors: Expedition Growth Capital
👨‍💼👩‍💼 Founders: Patrick Maurice, Véronique Maurice, Sarah Jaouani, Florent Galland
🗞️ News: October 15, 2026. Dougs raised €50M from Expedition Growth Capital to accelerate development of its AI-powered accounting platform, expand its financial and legal services, and introduce in-person customer support through a network of local partners. The company reports more than 50,000 business customers and over €50M in annual recurring revenue, compared with 14,000 customers and €15M ARR when Expedition first invested €25M in July 2023. Dougs is developing AI agents that can perform accounting workflows and prepare financial statements for qualified accountants to review and approve. It also plans to expand its workforce from approximately 800 to 1,000 employees in 2027. The financing brings Dougs' disclosed funding across its two institutional rounds to €75 million. | FrenchWeb, ·Journal du Net, EU-Startups