Technology News Era

As of today, the UK is criminalising actions such as cyberflashing and — in a world fist — epilepsy-trolling, with offenders potentially facing prison time. The new offences will come into play as part of the Online Safety Act, a recently introduced bill designed to protect people from illegal or “harmful” online content. Cyberflashing is the act of sending unwanted sexual photos. Studies have shown that about half of younger women (aged between 18 and 25) have received unsolicited nude images. The percentage is even higher for females under 18, reaching 76%, according to a 2020 research. Now, cyberflashing offenders… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/9EZvymL

Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Andrii and Linnea talk about a new European space mission, AI-generated podcasts, antiquated tech in German trains, and much more. In the interview section, we’re featuring a conversation with Oscar Kneppers, CEO of the Amsterdam Centre for Entrepreneurship, or ACE. He’s also founded several well-known local publications and one of the country’s major startup accelerators, Rockstart. Here are the stories and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/a6AlDsr

Big change is here for big tech — and it might just improve your life along the way. First, some context is in order. For the past several years, tech companies and EU regulators have been battling it out over app stores, fair access, and the digital market in general. This led to the EU bringing the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to life in 2022. While the DMA is complex and multifaceted, its rules are broadly aimed at making the digital economy fairer and more open. This means companies that are often gatekeepers to digital content, such as Apple and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/tbMqAC9

US-based VCs are holding tight to a large amount of cash as they navigate a capricious startup environment and investment landscape. While deemed an important enough technology to warrant export restrictions, quantum computing is not high on the list of safe investment bets, and has also suffered from the drop in funding activity. However, across the pond, things are looking brighter for the European quantum ecosystem. That is according to a report released today by Finnish quantum hardware company IQM, along with VCs OpenOcean and Lakestar. The report analyses VC investment, government funding, as well as national quantum strategies. Globally,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vgGW19M

Dutch challenger bank bunq has reported its first full year of profit, a welcome cash cushion as the company plans its UK relaunch. Bunq, which is Europe’s second largest neobank, said it made €53.1mn in net profit in 2023, a dramatic jump from the €16.5mn loss it incurred the year previous. Riding this momentum, bunq has now submitted its application for an E-Money Institution (EMI) licence in the UK, three years since Brexit invalidated the one it had.  “The UK is home to the second-highest number of digital nomads globally, so naturally, we want to be there,” said bunq founder… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/bqNy8Mv

On the shallow surface of Instagram, Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas was a quintessential influencer. The flamboyant Nigerian portrayed a lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury cars, and designer clothes. His glamorous adventures had earned him over 2 million followers and millions of dollars. But his posts concealed a darker reality. The 41-year-old was “one of the most prolific money launderers in the world,” according to the FBI. By his own admission, Hushpuppi conspired to launder over $300mn in just 18 months. One of his alleged clients was a certain Kim Jong Un — the supreme leader of North Korea. With his… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rd549ui

Nuclear energy is undergoing a renaissance. Across Europe, governments are pouring huge amounts of money into new power plants while startups are busily working on smaller, modular alternatives.  Most of these plants rely on uranium, the radioactive metal that fuelled the atomic age (and contributed to a couple of catastrophic meltdowns). However, Swiss startup Transmutex wants to reinvent nuclear energy using a lesser-known element called thorium.  Uranium’s forgotten cousin Thorium is a lead-like metal that is mildly reactive, but four times more abundant than uranium and a lot safer to handle. However, thorium is a fissionable material but not a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ideQqVM

Research has shown that local dialects play an important role in self, in-group, and cultural identity. But can they also impact our interaction with robots? This question is particularly relevant for social robots — the ones designed to interact with humans, such as classroom assistants or even the famous Sophia humanoid. To facilitate their relationship with people, these robots feature many anthropomorphic characteristics, including human-like appearance and voice. However, studies have so far been divided on whether the use of local dialects or standard language has a stronger effect on the perception of their trustworthiness and competence. To further shed… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8VgS0RA

The European Space Agency (ESA) has embarked on a new mission to explore our closest planetary neighbour Venus in unprecedented detail.  Known as EnVision, the spacecraft will study Venus from the planet’s inner core to its outer atmosphere, to help astronomers understand why the scorching, toxic world is so different from Earth.  Work will begin on the spacecraft and its instruments later this year, following the selection of an industrial contractor. EnVision is set to launch on board an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana in 2031.  “EnVision will answer longstanding open questions about Venus, arguably the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/anZTFDP

The European Space Agency (ESA) has approved the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, the first scientific endeavour to detect and study cosmic ripples from space.  The launch of LISA is planned for 2035, on an Ariane 6 rocket. The project is expected to be the most expensive and complex the agency has ever undertaken.  Cosmic ripples, also known as gravitational waves, are created during some of the most dramatic events in the Universe, such as when black holes collide.  By measuring them, LISA will probe the entire history of the Universe, going back long before stars and galaxies formed.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/CmW0Oxh

Apple will allow EU-based users of its devices to download apps without going through its app store, as the tech giant reluctantly moves to comply with the bloc’s incoming Digital Markets Act (DMA).  Apple will also give iPhone and iPad users a range of browsers to choose from as their default and allow the use of alternative payment systems to Apple Pay. The sweeping changes will come into effect for all new Apple devices purchased in the EU from March of this year.  In theory, this could see major competitors like Google’s Play Store becoming available on Apple devices.  Pro-competition… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vP1nMfA

Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Andrii and Linnea talk about Europeans in space, laser weapons of the future, embodied cognition, functional programming languages, and more! In the interview section, we’re featuring a conversation with Ton van ‘t Noordende, Managing Director at QDNL Participations and Architect at InfinityQD. We’ll talk about the quantum computing ecosystem in the Netherlands and globally, its challenges and prospects, and everything in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/gRx0GaL

Britain’s aviation regulator is investigating “vertiport” designs as part of plans to bring flying taxis to the UK. The new consultation will lay the foundations for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Wednesday. To fly them between land and sky, the CAA wants to install vertical airports — aka vertiports — at existing aerodromes.  By adapting existing infrastructure, the CAA plans to abridge the path to lift-off.  The regulator notes that there are already hundreds of airfields spread across the UK. Equipping them with vertiports could create a domestic transport network for VTOLs. It’s an… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/zmPRnqo

If you’re an iPhone user in the EU, you could soon get to buy audiobooks and subscriptions from within the Spotify app. The reason? A new EU antitrust regulation that targets big tech. Known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the law designates companies as “gatekeepers” if they have a monopoly in the digital economy. In September, the EU revealed the first six members of the club: Alphabet, Amazon, ByteDance, Meta, Microsoft,  and — you guessed it — Apple. The gatekeepers were given six months to comply with the DMA. In Apple’s case, one of the requirements is ending the… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Spotify from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Qu4dwrY

Towards the end of last year, the winners of the 16th edition of the Amsterdam Science & Innovation Awards (AmSIA) were announced at the NEMO Science Museum. This competition — hosted by the Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA) — highlights three innovative ideas from the Netherlands each year. These are split into three categories: health, society, and environment & climate. Beyond simply spotlighting the fascinating minds behind these inventions, the event also helps make them a reality. For winners, this not only means a €10,000 cash prize for funding, but also access to a community of experts who can help their… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Ilp64qE

Swiss startup ClearSpace has unveiled its latest project to make space exploration sustainable: an orbital refuelling service. The company is collaborating with the US-based Orbit Fab on the mission. Under the plans, the duo will combine a ClearSpace shuttle with an Orbit Fab fuel depot. The result would be a spacecraft that delivers fresh fuel to satellites. As a result, clients could extend the operations of active satellites and refuel unused ones that otherwise become space junk. Naturally, both teammates on the project also stand to benefit. ClearSpace, which is best known for space debris removal, gets a diversified service… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/VS2Jt4u

Junbi.ai joined the TNW for Startups programme and exhibited at a previous TNW Conference. This story was part of the programme offering; it’s written under full editorial control of TNW. Check out this year’s packages here! A few years ago, the AI-focused team at Junbi.ai conducted an insightful neuroscientific study. They invited 10 advertising creatives to bring in their favourite work. They then put the creatives in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner to monitor brain activity and asked them to grade each other’s work.  As it turned out, the grades given were both similar and consistent.  Save for one crucial exception —… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: YouTube from The Next Web https://ift.tt/CLWSEIf

AI-generated malware that avoids detection could already be available to nation states, according to the UK’s cybersecurity agency. To produce such powerful software, threat actors need to train an AI model on “quality exploit data,” the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said today. The resulting system would create new code that evades current security measures. “There is a realistic possibility that highly capable states have repositories of malware that are large enough to effectively train an AI model for this purpose,” the NCSC warned. As for what a “realistic possibility” actually means, the agency’s “probability yardstick” offers some clarity. It’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IvGebMJ

While the tech sector suffered a downturn in 2023, leading to swathes of job cuts, there remains a high demand for certain tech jobs within the industry itself and beyond. Nonetheless, these job losses, alongside the rapid growth of generative AI tools in the past year sowed seeds of doubt for many, begging the question: do tech jobs offer good job security? In a recent interview, Nobel Prize-winning economist Prof Christopher Pissarides cautioned students on selecting to study STEM subjects for future roles in tech that may be more limited in availability than expected.  This, he clarified in a later… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/yoVpRPh

London-based nuclear energy startup Newcleo has scrapped plans to build its first power plant in Britain, opting to invest in France instead.  The move follows extensive lobbying by France’s president Emmanuel Macron, who has personally met with Newcleo’s chief executive and founder Stefano Buono several times, to convince him to build the company’s first modular nuclear reactor in France, the Telegraph reports.  Founded in 2021, Newcleo develops small nuclear reactors powered by radioactive waste. The company initially sought to tap the UK’s vast stockpile of nuclear waste at the former Sellafield site to power its reactors.  But after two years… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/m9LkMaS

European early-stage investment firm Plural Platform has launched a new €400mn fund as it seeks to turn budding startups into “world-changing” global companies.  Plural was founded in 2021 by Wise co-founder Taavet Hinrikus and Songkick founder Ian Hogarth, alongside former Skype executive Sten Tamkivi and Khaled Helioui, previously chief executive at Bigpoint Games. The firm focuses on early-stage investments in deep tech startups tackling seriously difficult problems. Since raising its first €250mn fund 18 months ago, Plural has financed over 26 startups working in climate and energy, AI, fintech, healthcare, and frontier technologies.  Unlike traditional early-stage VCs, Plural is solely… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/lduBY6D

Fledgling AI startup EQTY Lab has unveiled the “first-ever” AI chatbot designed to provide accurate and authenticated climate data. AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s Bard have faced concerns over the accuracy of the information they provide, as they are trained on data scraped from the internet, but do not necessarily provide rigorous fact-checking. But EQTY Lab claims its open-source ClimateGPT service would provide “trust and transparency” as it draws on scientific data using a robust model that authenticates, secures, and governs the information provided. The model is integrated with Hedera, a public blockchain, which ensures the “highest standards… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Pn2Nib1

A European probe has found massive ice deposits beneath the equator of Mars, a finding that could alter our fundamental understanding of the red planet’s climatic history.  The discovery was made by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter. This veteran spacecraft has circled the red planet for 20 years, revealing several secrets about its past and present climate. While it’s not the first time the probe has found ice deposits, this is by far the largest amount of water ice ever detected at the equator of Mars. It’s estimated that the deposits are around 3.7km thick, which means that… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Ty8nbVi

On a cold winter’s night in London, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard stood alone on the pitch. As football fans flocked into the 60,000-seat stadium, his teammates warmed up for the match by blasting shots against the goal. Odegaard had another plan. The 25-year-old wandered into a deserted patch of grass and began his routine. Suddenly, one training staff passed the ball towards his feet while another closed him down from behind. In response, Odegaard quickly glanced over his shoulder, checked where the defender was, and turned the other way.  That was it: check, the shoulder, took a touch. Again and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/EDle6MT

A private space mission launched four European astronauts to the International Space Station on Thursday, in a milestone for a region desperate to boost its space credentials following a series of setbacks.   A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted the astronauts into orbit, launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the ISS in the early hours of January 20. Spanish astronaut Michael López-Alegría will lead the space crew. Also on board is Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, Alper Gezeravcı from Turkey, and Marcus Wandt of Sweden. Gezeravcı is Turkey’s first-ever astronaut.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/QYFHuTf

French startup Kermap has developed a ‘digital twin’ of the Earth that claims to offer the most up-to-date views of our home planet.  The programme is called Nimbo Earth Online and it is the only platform providing new satellite views of the world every month, without clouds. Google Earth refreshes its imagery every several months to years, depending on location. AI-powered Nimbo’s chronological views of the world rely on Sentinel 1 and 2 satellite images supplied by the EU’s Copernicus programme. The images are available to view in both 2D and 3D. Clouds are completely removed from the photos through… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/TozL8Il

There’s a silent revolution underway on snowy slopes across the globe. It is being led by packs of ultra-quiet, lightweight, electric snowpeds. And leading this uprising is French aeronautical engineer Nicolas Muron.  Ladies and gentlemen — say hello to the MoonBike and the world of electric snowmobility. Looking like a cross between a moped, a snowmobile, and a ski, the MoonBike is specifically designed for shredding powder on mountain trails. It’s perhaps the most fun you can have in the snow without choking the planet or pissing off skiers.  Think of it as a sophisticated person’s snowmobile. It’s cleaner and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/FIA4KQC

An AI design startup/generator will swerve the likes of Stable Diffusion after raising $12mn (€11mn) to build its own foundation model. Recraft is billed as the first-ever AI tool for generating and editing vector art, icons, 3D images, and illustrations within a brand’s style guide.  By leveraging generative AI, the product creates layouts, fonts, colours, and illustrations. In the eight months since launch, Recraft claims to have attracted over 300,000 users. As a product for professional designers, the system has to offer a high degree of control. With the new foundation model, Recraft promises another level of creativity. The London-based… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/kuGgs2m

The European Parliament has called for more fairness and transparency in the music streaming sector, including better pay for smaller artists.  Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) overwhelmingly voted to adopt the new resolution on Wednesday. The motion aims to ensure European musical works avoid being overshadowed by the “overwhelming amount” of content being continually added to streaming platforms.  “The Parliament is giving voice to the concerns of European creators, who are at the heart of the music streaming market,” said rapporteur Ibán García del Blanco in an EU press release. This includes preserving the “cultural and linguistic diversity” of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/kycRKEW

A new certificate for copyright-compliant AI aims to protect creators — but don’t expect ChatGPT to get the stamp of approval. Named Fairly Trained, the initiative arrives amid a brewing backlash against generative AI companies. Many of their tools — from OpenAI’s chatbots to Stability AI’s art generators — are trained on copyrighted content that’s scraped from the web. Inspired by this data, the systems then deliver endless creations in response to prompts. Frequently, the outputs are clear derivations of their source material. The practice has enraged creators and copyright-holders. They argue that their work is stolen and remixed without their… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/AJ90wH1

In a move that has sparked widespread criticism from scientists and politicians alike, the UK government has approved plans to install carbon capture technology at Britain’s largest power plant. Under the plans, power generator Drax will install so-called bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology at two of four biomass units at the Drax power station in Yorkshire. Drax switched from burning coal to burning biomass — mostly wood pellets — in 2019. The Drax power station, which produces around 4% of the UK’s power, mostly burns wood imported from North America.  Despite the switch, the plant was identified… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/KlFcosU

AI translation has transformed the way we communicate, breaking down language barriers in an unprecedented way. The sector’s global market size is projected to reach $12.3bn (€11.3bn) by 2026 — and big and small players alike are aiming to cash in. Among them, Cologne-based DeepL has been raising industry standards even compared to tech giants like Google Translate and Microsoft Translator. “We’ve always been rivalling big companies. The startup was born from online dictionary Linguee and has grown fast since its founding in 2017 by Jarek Kutylowski, a computer scientist who’s also serving as the company’s CEO. Born in Poland,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2GDauoF

Delft-based QphoX just raised the biggest round of a Dutch quantum startup to date. The €8mn will aid the company in its mission to develop core hardware required to allow quantum computers to communicate over an optical network — a quantum “modem,” if you will. As the quantum computing ecosystem continues to develop globally, it is becoming increasingly clear that no one company will be responsible for “the” quantum breakthrough. Rather, it will come from a combination of companies all working on solving their specific part of the puzzle.   QphoX’s technology supports quantum transduction, i.e. the process of converting quantum… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/gqIwPnr

UK startup VividQ claims to have created the first-ever holograms with a “retina resolution.” The milestone means holography can now match the resolution and real-life focus cues expected by the human eye, according to VividQ. The result is a “more natural viewing experience than ever before,” the company said. It now plans to deploy the tech in next-generation VR headsets. To create the holograms, the company engineers light waves to render objects in 3D space. The technique mirrors the way we see objects because they reflect light into our eyes. In holography, software sets the light pathways. VividQ projects the computer-generated images through high-performance… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/bnFdGCP

Deep Green has announced plans to heat between 100-150 swimming pools nationwide using recycled heat from data centres — and just landed a heap of cash to get the job done.  The London-based startup installs tiny data centres at energy-intensive sites like leisure centre facilities. Its system turns waste heat from the computers into hot water for the site.  In return, cold water from the centre is used to cool the cloud servers. The idea is that the host site gets free heating generated by Deep Green’s servers processing data, which in turn gets free cooling.  This gives the startup’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/iqGcodw

German startup Vay has launched a remote-driving service in Las Vegas — and Europe could be next. The rollout brings to market a concept known as “teledriving.” When users open the Vay app and request a ride, an electric vehicle comes to collect them. So far, so Uber — with one big exception: there’s nobody inside the car. Instead, it’s piloted to the pick-up spot by a remote driver. The customer then takes the wheel for the journey to their destination. Once they depart, a teledriver takes control again. It’s a model that Vay has pioneered. Last year, one of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/D8s3y4x

Deep tech startup QDI Systems has secured €5mn in Series A funding to further boost its ambitious mission: revolutionising X-ray imaging and mammography screening using quantum dots technology. Quantum dots are microscopic semiconductor nanoparticles that convert photons into electronic signals. Although first discovered in the 1980s, quantum dots have only recently been used in the electronics and biomedical industry. QDI Systems claims to be the first to apply the technology to medical imaging such as X-rays and mammography screening. Founded in 2019 in Groningen, the startup was born as a spinoff of the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials at the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/TsI9QLc

Swedish battery maker Northvolt has raised €4.6bn to boost the expansion of Europe’s first homegrown gigafactory and support the company’s battery recycling plans. Specifically, the capital will help expand cathode production and cell manufacturing at the Northvolt Ett factory in northern Sweden. It will also enable the development of Revolt Ett, the adjacent recycling plant in the final stages of its commissioning and is currently processing its first materials. The plant recovers battery-grade metals with a 70% lower carbon footprint than mined raw materials, which the startup says marks the first fully integrated, circular battery production setup outside of Asia. The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/I3LcTeQ

The escalating situation in the Red Sea has forced Tesla to halt production at its gigafactory in Germany, in what marks the latest headache for Elon Musk’s car company in Europe. The carmaker said last week that production at its plant in Berlin, which makes Model Y vehicles and batteries, will be put on hold from January 29 to February 11 due to a “lack of parts.”   Tesla heavily relies on components from China to produce its EVs. Many of these get shipped through the Suez Canal, the fastest route between Asia and Europe. However, increasing attacks against cargo ships… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Tesla from The Next Web https://ift.tt/9tu2FDk

The Peregrine lunar lander is set to crash back to Earth in a sudden end to a mission that was set to put the first piece of European-built technology — and the human remains of a distinguished British sci-fi author — on the Moon.  Shortly after launching from Cape Canaveral space station on Monday January 8, the spacecraft suffered a “critical loss of propellant” and was doomed to failure ever since. It is now expected to crash land into Earth on January 18. Astrobotic Technology, the company that built the lander, said it is now working with NASA on a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/bHU2dJZ

Swiss startup Sirius Aviation has unveiled designs for the world’s first hydrogen-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.  The jet, which kind of looks like Night Fury from How to Train Your Dragon, is billed to travel 1,851 km at speeds up to 520 km/h. That is four times as far as competitors like  German eVTOL startup Lilium are targeting using batteries. It will achieve these feats thanks to liquid hydrogen propulsion, which some consider the holy grail of fuels. The energy density of liquid hydrogen means vehicles can travel much further than when powered by gaseous hydrogen or batteries… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/NgYvkyZ

As a kid, perhaps unsurprisingly, I was the only person I knew interested in birdwatching. Nevertheless, I regularly went out in nature armed with my binoculars, bird book, and camera, ready to document as many species as I could.  The process was largely manual — spot a bird through the binoculars, snap a pic (if it stood still for long enough), and then try to figure out what species it was, if I didn’t already know. But the times they are a changin’.  Austrian optical specialist Swarovski Optik has just unveiled the world’s first pair of smart binoculars. Powered by… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/hvR7jrZ

The European Space Agency’s budget for 2024 has hit a record €7.79bn — 10% more than last year. The largest portion of the funds will go to Earth observation (EO), which is allocated almost €2.4bn — around 30.5% of the total. It’s a share that reflects growing demands for satellite-based monitoring of our planet. The data can play a powerful role in managing pressing global challenges, such as climate change and natural disasters. After EO, the biggest chunks of ESA’s budget go to navigation and space transportation, which bag around €1bn each. A further €874mn is reserved for human and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/bI9hsu0

 Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Andrii is joined by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, co-founder, member of the board, and former CEO of TNW. The topics discussed include the jobs created by Dutch startups, giant state funding for energy projects, translations of the word ‘computer’, and a bunch of other things in between. In the interview section, we’re featuring a conversation with Cal Henderson, co-founder and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/jUgcNFD

Old Tesla batteries can look forward to new lives thanks to new funding for an energy system built from the ageing power units. The concept is the brainchild of Cactos, a startup based in Finland. Cactos converts the batteries into smart electricity storage units, which optimise energy consumption. Investors are providing growing backing for the approach. Cactos today announced that it’s raised over €26mn in equity funding, which the startup will use to build more units. OP Finland Infrastructure LP and the Finnish Climate Fund are the lead investors in the round. To upcycle the Tesla batteries, Cactos disassembles their cassettes and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/mdFye0t

Europe is electrifying — literally. From EVs to heat pumps, more and more of our critical technologies need to get plugged in. This is a positive step toward net zero, but it is also putting a massive strain on the electricity grid.  Grid congestion is like rush hour traffic on a busy highway — excessive demand for electricity creates bottlenecks and slows the flow of energy.This can cause power outages, voltage fluctuations, and equipment damage. It’s such a big problem that some companies wanting to install large heat pumps or fast-charging infrastructure for EVs have been forced to wait for… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/DqdR9UM

Antitrust regulators in the EU have joined their British counterparts in scrutinising Microsoft’s alliance with OpenAI. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said on Tuesday that it’s “checking whether the partnership should be reviewed under the EU Merger Regulation.” If such a review is required, it could put the multibillion-dollar deal in danger. The EU’s announcement comes just weeks after British regulators made a similar move. In December, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) revealed that it was considering a probe of Microsoft’s $13bn (€11.9bn) investment into the ChatGPT maker. The watchdog cited concerns that the partnership could hurt… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/wYckqJ2

Instability is at the heart of technology, as new innovations constantly change the game. However, the last couple of years have been especially volatile as interest rates rose, VC funding free-for-alls dried up, and mass layoffs began.  Now things are beginning to stabilise, and organisations are hiring more strategically, jobs across tech sectors are a safer bet. Here’s where savvy job seekers are looking in 2024. AI The chaotic CEO changes at ChatGPT creator Open AI late last year don’t exactly scream stability, but there is no denying that AI and Generative AI remain the hottest topics in town. While… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/6DgJ8YC

Syndicate One, a Brussels-based angel investment group, has completed an initial €4.8mn close of its debut fund, after opening its capital to external investors for the first time in 2023. A second close is planned for early 2024. The capital will be used to further the group’s mission: boosting Belgium-based and Belgium-founded tech startups that show high potential. The early-stage investment group was launched in 2022 and draws from a pool of experienced founders, startup operators, and executives, who have scaled businesses such as Cowboy and Collibra. In its first two years of operation, Syndicate One has invested in startups… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/CZiHrgU

Dutch online supermarket Picnic has bagged a cool €355mn in funding after a year of international expansion, the company announced today. The grocery delivery service launched in the Netherlands back in 2015, before later entering France and Germany. Picnic said that the expansion across Europe helped the business grow by 40% in 2023. Turnover for the year reached an estimated €1.25bn. A particularly thriving new market is Hamburg, which hit a turnover of €40mn just six months after launching last April. That made it Picnic’s fastest-growing city. In the Netherlands, meanwhile, the recent growth has come from adding new customers in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/KEoihp5