Technology News Era

Europe’s startup contribution to the generative AI bonanza, Mistral, has released its first model. Mistral 7B is free to download and be used anywhere — including locally.  French AI developer Mistral says its Large Language Model is optimal for low latency, text summarisation, classification, text completion, and code completion. The startup has opted to release Mistral 7B under the Apache 2.0 licence, which has no restrictions on use or reproduction beyond attribution. “Working with open models is the best way for both vendors and users to build a sustainable business around AI solutions,” the company commented in a blog post… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vaoIdMe

The European Space Agency (ESA) is enabling tech companies to take part in its Terrae Novae exploration programme, calling for proposals for small missions to the Moon. Sending the first European astronaut to explore the Moon’s surface stands at the core of the Terrae Novae 2030+ strategy. It further aims to boost Europe’s presence in low-Earth orbit and participate in the first human mission to Mars. Small lunar missions form a recent addition to the strategy, “focusing on closing technology gaps and expanding our scientific knowledge of both the Moon and Mars,” said Xavier Barbier, ESA engineer, leading the call… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/1DSXIyB

Bolstered by the demand for advanced chips for generative AI, Nvidia has had a terrific run of it of late. However, employees at its offices in France were in for a bit of an abrupt awakening on Wednesday as the country’s anticompetition authorities raided the company’s local offices in the early hours of the morning.  “Following authorisation from a liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of the Autorité de la concurrence carried out a dawn raid at the premises of a company suspected of having implemented anticompetitive practices in the graphics cards sector,” a statement issued by the French… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/OsdI4xr

The UK government has quietly dismissed the independent advisory board of its Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) — tasked with promoting the responsible deployment of data and AI technologies, especially within the public sector. The board’s webpage was officially shut down on September 9, but a rather uninformative public announcement was released only yesterday. Recorded Future News (which first broke the news) reported that the government updated the page in such a way that it wouldn’t send email alerts to those subscribed to the topic. The background The CDEI’s advisory board was first appointed in June 2018. Its… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/S8Af4ZR

European Union bureaucracy might not conjure the most exciting of connotations. However, being part of the “infinity team” surely puts a superhero-esque spin on your average Frankfurt grey high-rise working day.  Minute takers watch out. After surveying employees on where deploying generative AI could be most effective, the ECB’s newly established working group has launched nine trials, the results of which could speed up day to day activities of the financial institution. Large language models, the organisation says, could be deployed for tasks including writing draft codes, test out software faster, summarising supervision documents, drafting briefings, and “improving text written… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/O35CWlT

In six years time, the UK will house what’s set to become the world’s most powerful laser. According to its developers, it will be “a million, billion, billion times brighter” than the brightest daylight of the Sahara Desert. To realise this ambitious endeavour, the Central Laser Facility (CLF) of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) will begin construction of the laser at its base in South Oxfordshire. The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is funding the project with £85mn. The CLF already houses a suite of lasers to study the fourth state of matter, known as plasma, enabling scientists… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vWKAaBN

After lobbying against it for years, Apple was recently forced to make a change it didn’t want to make. To comply with the EU’s new rules on standardising mobile chargers, the tech giant has ditched its Lightning charging cable for a USB-C wire. Now, Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, is asking the company to take a step further. That is, “opening up gates to competitors,” he tweeted, following a meeting with Apple’s Tim Cook on Tuesday. Together with Apple’s CEO @tim_cook 🍏 “Only one” — making cable clutter a thing of the past 🔌 Next: opening up gates to… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/5AgTRcF

JPMorgan’s digital bank Chase will restrict all cryptocurrency-related transactions for its customers in the UK, as lenders step up measures to tackle fraud on their networks. Starting 16 October, customers of Chase Bank in the UK will no longer be able to make crypto transactions using their debit cards or through outgoing bank transfers.  Chase, which offers fee-free banking via its mobile app, has reportedly amassed more than 50 million active users worldwide. The latest restrictions will only impact its UK customer base, representing some 1.6 million people.   “If we think you’re making a payment related to crypto assets, we’ll… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/a96eERu

In the first two weeks of October, Volkswagen will stop making two of its flagship EV models at a pair of its factories in Germany. The automaker is citing shrinking demand, fuelled by recent cuts to government subsidies.  Production of VW’s ID.3 and Cupra’s Born will be put on hold at the carmaker’s main EV factory in Zwickau until October 16. Assembly of the ID.3 at a small-scale plant in Dresden will cease for the first two weeks of October, a spokesperson said. Production of the ID4, ID5, Audi Q4 e-tron, and Audi Q4 Sportsback e-tron models will continue as… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ru1zUNL

Twitter — or rather, X — is the biggest source of disinformation of all the six major social media networks, an EU-commissioned report has found. The study examined over 6,000 posts and over 4,000 user accounts across X , Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It focused on three countries considered to be at risk due to upcoming elections and the associated threat of Russian propaganda: Slovakia, Poland, and Spain. X had the highest ratio of disinformation posts and actors, followed by Facebook. YouTube came last. “The Russian state has engaged in the war of ideas to pollute our information… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/tRCqX3w

German energy giant RWE has put a new airborne wind test facility in Ireland to work for the first time, as it explores alternative forms of green electricity.  The experimental technology was developed by Dutch startup Kitepower. It connects a large kite to a generator with an ultra-strong rope, generating electricity as the kite goes up in altitude. “Kitepower, as the name suggests, uses a large kite structure with a hybrid inflatable and fixed fibreglass skeleton to hold the kite open. It has a wingspan of 60 square metres and weighs only 80kg, including the Kite Control and sensor unit,”… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/38IJn4N

Spotify has launched a new feature today called “Jam,” which will give you and your buddies a way to curate a shared playlist and listen to it together in real-time.   Unlike existing multi-playlist features Blend and Duo Mix, Jam will sync everyone’s playback so you’re all listening to the same songs simultaneously — whether you’re in the same room, or scattered across the world.  Now, explains the hugely successful Swedish company, instead of having one person in control of the music at a social gathering, everyone can have their say.   The feature is available to both free and Premium subscribers,… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Spotify from The Next Web https://ift.tt/HhyYRlu

The EU Commission has blocked Booking’s €1.6bn takeover of Swedish online travel agency Etraveli, citing competition concerns. “Booking’s acquisition of Etraveli would strengthen Booking’s dominant position in the online travel agencies market and likely lead to higher costs for hotels and, possibly, consumers,” said Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice. According to the Commission, Booking is already the leading online hotel agency in the EEA, accounting for a 60% share of the total market. Meanwhile, Etraveli is the number two provider of flight services. The merger would, therefore, enable the travel giant to broaden its travel services ecosystem, increase traffic on… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qPipYmg

AI has thrust deeper into carnal pleasures with the launch of a new roleplaying chatbot system. The feature is the brainchild of Bloom, an erotic audio platform based in Germany. The app also features 800 original sex stories, which range from the vanilla to the kinky (anyone for splashing?). Some of the tales offer guided erotic play, while others feature creator content from real couples. There are even stories that synchronise with the vibrations of sex toys. The new chatbots add another level of interaction. Hannah Albertshauser, Bloom’s CEO, says the feature takes the character-driven storytelling “to the next level.”… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/X7STbwU

London-based startup Bioniq, which creates hyper-personalised supplements for its customers — who range from pro athletes to regular people on the quest for longer life — has gone global. Founded in 2019, Bioniq leverages a patented algorithm based on blood test data from more than 40,000 people across 4 million biochemical data points to create a supplement regime tailor-made to your body and health goals.  “STOP GUESSING which mass-made supplements to take. None are meant for you,” it exclaims on its website.  The company was founded by former German national team basketball player Vadim Fedotov and Dr Konstantin Karuzin, a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/w2WZpqj

The world’s first self-stabilising walking exoskeleton, Atlante X,  has entered a rehabilitation trial in Germany. The exoskeleton will be provided to patients with hemiparesis, an after-effect of stroke that causes muscle weakness on one side of the body. Atalante X’s efficacy will be compared with standard rehabilitation methods. The trial, named EarlyExo, will take place at two renowned neurorehabilitation clinics: the Vivantes Klinikum Spandau in Berlin and Schön Klinik Bad Aibling Harthausen near Munich. Both clinics will this month begin recruiting a total of 66 patients. “Recovery from a stroke and other acute neurological conditions is complex and can take… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/6ilvnUI

The future of influence is here: a digital avatar that captivates millions of adoring fans while offering unparalleled customisation and round-the-clock availability. Virtual influencers are transforming the way content is created, consumed and marketed online. They represent an electrifying dance between cutting-edge technology and our desire for connection. But, at the same time, they are yet another product being peddled by marketers that want our money. Upon close inspection, we can see the risks that emerge with these blurred realities. What are virtual influencers? While virtual influencers aren’t a particularly new concept – virtual Japanese popstar Kyoko Date has been… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MyISoT4

Poland’s data protection watchdog is investigating OpenAI’s ChatGPT after an unnamed complainant accused the company of GDPR breaches. “The case concerns the violation of many provisions on the protection of personal data, which is why we will ask OpenAI to answer a number of questions in order to thoroughly conduct the administrative proceedings,” said Jan Nowak, president of the country’s Personal Data Protection Office (UODO). He added that “these aren’t the first doubts” about the AI tool’s compliance with European principles of data privacy and security. According to the UODO, the accusations are structured around “unlawful and unreliable” data processing… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/elL2XUo

The EU’s Chips Act finally entered into force yesterday (September 21), after spending over a year winding its way through the legislature. The landmark law is designed to bolster the bloc’s domestic supply, sovereignty, and competitiveness in the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor chips are the backbone of all electronic products — and as such, theyr’e fundamental components in everything from smartphones and cars to applications in healthcare, clean energy, and communications. This means chips are also at the centre of geopolitical interests and the global rally for technological supremacy. “The global race for leadership in chips is a fact and Europe… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/l9Sbir0

Hoxton Farms, a London-based biotech startup, has opened today the UK’s first pilot production facility for cultivated animal fat. Launched in 2020, the company combines cell biology and mathematical modelling to produce cultivated fat from pig and cow stem cells as an ingredient for plant-based meat. Its targets food ingredient suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers of meat alternatives. According to the startup, optimised taste isn’t its sole advantage. Cultivated fat also requires less water, less land, and less energy than intensive agriculture — all without harming animals. “It’s no secret that the traditional meat industry is broken, but consumers are disappointed… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/M3Qd4l1

The European Investment Fund (EIF) announced today it would invest €40mn with Blume Equity. Based out of London, the VC was founded by three women in 2020, and invests into European high-growth climate tech scaleups.  Blume Equity backs companies focusing on decarbonisation as well as broader environmental sustainability. These include carbon accounting platform Normative, sustainable femtech startup Elvie, Matsmart Motatos that looks to combat food waste, and IoT industrial SME data support provider Sensorfact.  The €40mn comes from the InvestEU program as part of the EIF’s mission to support high-growth and innovative SMEs across Europe, along with a regional mandate… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vrgAL6B

On Wednesday, the UK’s Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled a new campaign against Meta, urging the tech giant to rethink its plan to roll out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) on Facebook Messenger and Instagram. The company aims to finalise the encryption rollout later this year, but the British government is worried that the move will hinder the detection of child sexual abuse. According to the Home Office, 800 predators are currently arrested per month and up to 1,200 children are protected from sexual abuse following the information provided by social media companies. If Meta’s encryption moves forward, the National Crime Agency… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/zCyDTRg

Apple is having a rough time of it in France as of late. As if mandated updates to the iPhone 12 due to radiation concerns weren’t enough, Apple customers in the country may now struggle to get their mitts on the latest model when it’s released.  French Apple store workers have voted to strike at the end of the week — coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 15. Apple unions including CGT, Unsa, CFDT and Cidre-CFTC, are asking for better pay and working conditions, or their members will walk out this Friday and Saturday.  Among the demands is a… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/BNRZDzx

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has seen exponential growth over the past decade, analysis by the European Patent Office (EPO) reveals. In its latest study, the EPO found that international patent families (IPFs) in 3D printing tech increased at an average rate of 26.3% each year between 2013 and 2020. Notably, this growth rate is nearly eight times faster than the average of all other technology sectors combined (3.3%). According to the findings, Europe and the US are leading the global race for 3D printing innovation, accounting for almost three-quarters of all IFPs filed between 2001 and 2020.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/NmcvHkX

Berlin’s corporate carbon accounting platform Plan A has just received a fresh boost of capital in the form of $27mn from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Visa, and others. The ESG reporting SaaS startup will use the money to double its headcount to 240+ employees and expand market presence across Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, France, and the UK.  Greentech software provider Plan A was founded in 2017 by Lubomila Jordanova and Nathan Bonnisseau. Its platform offers companies — waking up to increasing climate risk and under mounting pressure to decarbonise operations — the possibility to “self-manage” their entire net-zero journey. This includes… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/DbioMkE

Munich-based autonomous trucking startup Fernride has closed a further $19mn in its Series A funding round, neatly pushing the total amount raised in the round to $50mn.  Founded in 2019, Fernride has developed autonomous vehicle software that converts trucks into self-driving machines. These haulers operate at Level 4 autonomy which means the vehicle can drive itself within a specific area — albeit with a bit of supervision from a remote driver.    There is a current shortage of 400,000 truck drivers in Europe — a figure projected to increase to two million by 2026. Despite autonomous driving being a potential solution… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/sBhp4QK

Britain’s controversial Online Safety Bill will soon become law after passing through parliament on Tuesday. The sweeping legislation places strict news content moderation rules on social media companies. Platforms will become legally responsible for the material they host. Under the new rules, platforms will have to quickly remove any illegal content — or stop it from appearing in the first place. They also must prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content, and enforce age limits and age-checking measures. Those that fail to take rapid action face fines up to £18mn (€20.8mn) or 10% of their global annual revenue —… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/LJ8Fqjk

The fight against “fake news” appears to have overwhelming support in the EU. According to a new study, 85% of the bloc’s citizens want policymakers to take more action against disinformation, while 89% want increased efforts from platform operators. Just 7% do not feel that stronger responses are required. The findings emerged from surveys by Bertelsmann Stiftung, a pro-business German think tank with close ties to the EU. Across the EU, 54% of respondents said they were “often” or “very often” unsure whether information they found online was true. However, only 44% of them had recently fact-checked the content they’d… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/7l3q0AP

When it comes to saving the world — or, let’s face it, civilisation, the planet will recover — there is no silver bullet. Rather, it is going to take a holistic approach of caring for the Earth and each other.  A technological revolution got us into this pickle. Ironically, technology might just be the Hail Mary that will pull us, if not entirely out of it, then at least away from the brink of total disaster. But in order for that to happen, it is us humans who need to set our minds — and money — to it. Recently… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/YpPZwOj

Britain has expanded its principles-based approach to AI regulation, which aims to create a pro-innovation edge over the EU. In an announcement yesterday, the UK government unveiled seven new principles for so-called foundation models (FMs), which underpin applications such as ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Midjourney. Trained on immense datasets and adaptable to various applications, these systems are at the epicentre of the AI boom. Their power has also sparked alarm. Critics warn that FMs can amplify inequalities, spread inaccurate information, and leave huge carbon footprints. The new principles are designed to mitigate these risks. Yet they also aim to spur innovation,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ESp7nc

“Should I bother going for this job at all? I’ve never managed anyone.” Clients regularly ask this and my answer tends to be, “Yes, of course you should.” A quick glance at a job spec will tell you why. You may not have headed up a team of software engineers but you have most likely done something along the way that proves you could. Good managers are, first and foremost, good communicators. They manage the performance of each team member—whether that’s one person or 100—by communicating goals clearly and meeting with people regularly to evaluate how they’re doing based on… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/wKeT9PN

ZeroAvia, one of the leading zero-emission aviation companies in the world, just announced its largest financing round to date. The funding round was co-led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, and NEOM. Other participants included Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Alaska Airlines, and the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. No exact funding amount has been disclosed due to legal reasons, but a spokesperson for the startup confirmed to TNW that it is ZeroAvia’s largest to date, following a Series B of $72mn and a Series A of $56mn.  Based out of Kemble, UK, and Hollister, California, ZeroAvia develops hydrogen-electric fuel cell… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8OpFCA6

Europe’s dawdling on the Ariane 6 is becoming increasingly costly as the new era of space race exploration — and exploitation — heats up. The Exploration Company, based in Bordeaux and Munich, has just signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in service of its aim of making it to the Moon by 2028.  The startup will partner with ISRO’s commercial arm, New Space India Limited (NSIL), for launch services using ISRO’s medium-lift Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).  The first mission is scheduled to launch in January 2024, and will involve testing of the Bikini. This is a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/F0RNtok

European startups got just $1bn of the €22bn that VCs have invested in generative AI since 2019, according to data from Dealroom. Unsurprisingly, American companies attracted the bulk of the money. A whopping $20bn — 89% of the global total — went to US startups. Their Asian counterparts raised only $790mn, while the rest of the world combined bagged just $454mn. Dealroom’s data collection ended on July 10, 2023. US startups have raised 89% of globally GenAI investment 😳 In the last decade, venture capital has gone global. More than half of VC investment is now raised outside the US.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/DiF6sqH

Two spacecraft have taken a giant leap towards explaining the Sun’s engimatic heat. The collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) explored an enduring mystery. In theory, the sun’s atmosphere — the corona — should be cooler than its surface. This is because the Sun’s energy comes from the nuclear furnace in its core. As the corona is further away from this heat source, logic should dictate that it’s cooler. In reality, that’s not the case. The sun’s surface is “only” around 6,000 degrees Celcius. The corona, meanwhile, is a whopping 1 million degrees — over 150 times hotter.  To… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: NASA from The Next Web https://ift.tt/RN7JAGm

Driver monitoring systems (DMS) that assess alertness behind the wheel are rapidly becoming the leading automotive safety feature across the globe. In the EU for example, vehicle safety regulator EuroNCAP is requiring all new cars to incorporate a DMS in order to comply with its safety rating. Amidst this push, startups are benefiting from business opportunities in the DMS space, offering solutions that range from heartmetrics to onset sleep detection. Among them, Swedish Devant is tapping the potential of synthetic data. Launched in 2021, the startup generates synthetic data of lifelike digital humans to support the training, validation, and testing… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cIhZmJM

Yesterday we reported that UK chip design company Arm was valued at just above $50bn before going public on the Nasdaq stock exchange. At the end of the day, the share price had jumped by close to 25% above the debut price. It rose from $56.10 to $63.59 — much higher than the $51 presented on Wednesday.  This made it the largest public listing in the US in nearly two years. The significant jump in share price could be attributed to the fact that the IPO was oversubscribed by up to 10 times. As a result, banks had closed their… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/j0fiQY6

And thus, after months of anticipation and speculation, the day of Arm’s IPO is upon us. The SoftBank-owned chip design company will begin trading in New York today, Thursday, with shares priced at $51 (€47.51) apiece. This gives Arm a valuation of $52.3bn (€48.7bn).  Japanese SoftBank intends to hold onto just above 90% of the company. Still, the heavily oversubscribed round is set to raise about $4.9bn for Arm’s owners. Big tech customers of Arm’s designs have shown a massive interest in buying shares, and the banks underwriting the listing closed orders on Tuesday, a day earlier than originally planned. … This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/P3YjdBE

X Shore, Sweden’s award-winning electric boat manufacturer, is launching its third model — and the first one dedicated to maritime professionals. Dubbed X Shore Pro, the electric vessel has been designed for companies and organisations with operations ranging from shuttle services and diving to commercial traffic and coast guards. Notably, one of the first boats sold will transport students to school in the Swedish archipelago. The X Shore Pro represents the company’s “natural evolution,” following its leisure vessels, the flagship Eelex 8000 and the X Shore 1, launched in 2020 and 2022, respectively. For someone already familiar with the startup’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MmbqkyZ

Amid the increasing commercialisation of space tech, Ubotica has partnered up with IBM to simplify the use of AI applications on board low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. Founded in 2016, the Dublin-headquartered startup provides its CogniSAT edge computing platform for artificial intelligence systems on satellites, which enables AI inference to be performed on data directly in space. This is with the aim of addressing a pressing challenge: the costly and time-consuming storage and processing of data on the ground. And that’s also what the new partnership is all about. According to the two companies, their mutual customers will be able to deploy… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/HB5C6et

Treefera says it wants to transform the accuracy, transparency, and efficiency of the carbon offset industry with AI and data from a trillion trees across the globe. It just received a vote of confidence in the form of a €2mn seed round led by Concept Ventures and participation from the CTO of Intel, among others. The practice of voluntary offsetting has faced criticism from various quarters, with concerns ranging from it being simply inefficient to directly detrimental to the quest for decarbonisation as a whole. Nonetheless, it is big business. Most companies touting net-zero carbon emissions by 2035, 2040, or 2050… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/uHBEhqr

Europeans have become “pioneers in online rights” and now want to lead a “global framework for AI,” the EU’s top official said today. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president, revealed the bloc’s digital plans during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg. She used the speech to flaunt the achievements of her three-year reign. A particularly large spotlight was shone on her tech policies. “We have set the path for the digital transition and become global pioneers in online rights,” von der Leyen said. The former German defence minister praised the bloc’s work on semiconductor self-sufficiency, which centres on the Chips… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/wGDJKpv

Fintech funding in Europe has been greatly affected by the challenging economic environment, the latest report by Finch Capital has found. Specifically, startups in the sector raised a total of €4.6bn in the first half of 2023 — down 70% from €15.3bn in H1 2022. “Since mid-2022 we have seen an increase in investment discipline in public and private markets, resulting in less funding, lay-offs, less IPOs, flight to quality, and focus on capital efficiency,” said Radboud Vlaar, Managing Partner at Finch Capital. Amid this increased funding discipline, this year’s first half has seen a 48% decline in the number… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Fintech from The Next Web https://ift.tt/VnyeshD

Climate change anxiety is real, and it can cause feelings of powerlessness, or even apathy. While it is true that no soggy straws in the world will help as long as billion-dollar industries keep indiscriminately pumping oil out of the ground, it is also false to believe that our individual efforts do not matter.  In a new game published last week, called The Time is Now: Toolkit for Change, the creators have taken to a good old low-tech tabletop approach to make people think about how, for instance, their relationship with technology can have a more positive impact on the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4JAbjg6

Single-glazing. Old electric-powered heat emitters. Walls with hardly any insulation. Damp throughout the ground floor. Welcome to Europe.  While these problems vary in prevalence from country to country, even nations rated highly in assessments of household energy efficiency have room for improvement. Sweden, for instance, often does very well in such analyses. But for Magnus Petersson, cofounder and chief executive of Stockholm-based Dryft, there’s plenty of work still to do. “We need to fundamentally transform the houses,” he says. Dryft, a startup with 150 employees that has raised €6 million to date, numbers itself among a fleet of new businesses… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/aZTUpRy

New iPhones always arrive with upgrades, but this year’s crop will feature one improvement that Apple didn’t want to make. As a result of new EU rules, the US tech giant is set to ditch its Lightning charging cable for a USB-C wire. The entire range of iPhone 15s is expected to make the transition. Full details will be revealed at Apple’s Wonderlust event, which begins at 19:00 CEST today. The move will satisfy EU requirements to standardise mobile chargers. From 28 December 2024, every new phone sold in the bloc will have to use USB Type-C for wire charging. The… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: iPhone from The Next Web https://ift.tt/GKRbkOx

Today, the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, along with early-stage VC OpenOcean, released what they call “the world’s most accurate open access startup insights platform” — the O3.  The platform is the result of three years of research from Oxford Saïd and 13 years of experience of data economy investing from OpenOcean. It leverages public and private data sources and is meant to help improve decision making across the UK tech ecosystem, through “granular data on startups and their technology stack, solutions, and go-to-market strategies.”  “In my time in venture capital, far too often the choice of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/dQYe9lm

A Swiss startup has unveiled a solution to the global shortage of security guards: an autonomous patrol robot. Named the Ascento Guard, the two-wheeled sentinel is equipped with thermal and infrared cameras, speakers, a microphone, and GPS tracking. The bidepal design promises all-terrain mobility, fall recovery from any position, and top speeds of 5km/h. Using these features, the Ascento Guard can spot trespassers, monitor parking lots, and record property lights. It can also identify floods and fires, as well as check that doors and windows are closed. When an incident is detected, an alarm is sent to an operator. Only then is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3QBNgAX

NordicNinja, the largest Japanese VC in Europe, has raised a fresh fund of €200mn for early-stage startups active in climate and deep tech, with particular focus on the intersection between sustainability and digitalisation. Alongside the funding, startups will receive support and access to a network of over 120 blue chip Japanese corporations. Founded in 2019, NordicNinja is led by a team of founders, engineers, and operators turned investors from Northern Europe and Japan. While the firm’s focal point has been so far on the Nordics and the Baltics, it’s now expanding to the UK, Ireland, and BeNeLux countries. Its headquarters… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cE1wnSv

Dell and University of Limerick (UL) in Ireland have teamed up to advance cancer research using AI. Specifically, the tech giant will be working with UL’s Digital Cancer Research Centre to help doctors provide more efficient cancer care for patients suffering from B-cell lymphoma. This covers the entire spectrum of care, from speeding up diagnosis to improving treatment and long-term outcomes. To achieve this, Dell has developed an AI platform, powered by the company’s latest storage arrays and PowerEdge servers. The platform is now part of the Centre’s multicloud ecosystem, and is able to produce digital twins of patients. The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vJl2F1y