• Lime and What3words team up to clean up abandoned escooters

    Lime and What3words team up to clean up abandoned escooters
    This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. Micromobility firm Lime has partnered with mapping provider what3words to help members of the public report mis-parked e-bikes and scooters more easily.
  • ‘Airbnb for cars’ platform SnappCar changes hands in bid for ‘further growth’

    ‘Airbnb for cars’ platform SnappCar changes hands in bid for ‘further growth’
    Dutch car-sharing platform SnappCar, which claims to be the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, has been fully acquired by AutoBinck Group — a shareholder in the scaleup since its founding in 2011. The ownership change also sees the return of SnappCar’s founder, Victor van Tol, in the role of the CEO. Van Told told local newspaper mt/sprout that the acquisition will enable faster decisions and eliminate the need for external investments. AutoBinck, which specialises in mobility
  • Paris startup adds ‘universal compute’ weapon to France’s growing AI arsenal

    Paris startup adds ‘universal compute’ weapon to France’s growing AI arsenal
    A startup promising “universal AI compute” has joined France’s thriving artificial intelligence sector. Paris-based FlexAI emerged from stealth today with a €28.5mn war chest and an ambitious plan to “unlock the future of machine intelligence.” To pick that lock, FlexAI is rearchitecting compute infrastructure. The plan’s centrepiece is an on-demand cloud service. Set to launch later this year, the product will enable developers to build and train AI app
  • TNW Podcast: Sebastian Aristotelis on thriving in space; the future of ASML and Stability AI

    TNW Podcast: Sebastian Aristotelis on thriving in space; the future of ASML and Stability AI
    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, Ioanna and Andrii talk about the potentially good news about ASML’s future in the Netherlands, the latest developments at Stability AI, carbon capture solutions, and much more. The guest of the show is Sebastian Aristotelis, whose title is co-fo
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  • The top programming languages to learn if you want to get into AI

    The top programming languages to learn if you want to get into AI
    It’s safe to say that the age of generative AI is well and truly upon us, rapidly changing the world of work as we know it. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, more than 75% of companies are looking to adopt technologies like AI in the next five years, so it’s no surprise that career opportunities in the space are exploding, especially for developers. But which programming language is leading the way? Python is without a doubt the most buzzed-ab
  • World-first satellites for commercial science set for launch in 2025

    World-first satellites for commercial science set for launch in 2025
    A British startup aims to launch science satellites into space in 2025 after raising a fresh £2mn. Blue Skies Space has devised a unique business plan for the stargazers. They will be the first-ever science satellites that provide data directly to researchers via a membership model, the company said. The approach offers a new route to the secrets of our universe. Currently, researchers rely on government agencies such as NASA and ESA to access space data. Unfortunately
  • Chip giant ASML plans Eindhoven expansion in big win for Dutch tech

    Chip giant ASML plans Eindhoven expansion in big win for Dutch tech
    In a major win for the Dutch tech industry, chip giant ASML intends to remain and further expand in the Netherlands. The chip machine manufacturer has signed a non-binding letter of intent with the City Council of Eindhoven, eyeing a potential expansion at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC), west of the city. Located at Eindhoven’s Brainport region — a major tech and innovation hub in Europe — BIC is dedicated to the high-tech manufacturing industry. For ASML, BIC represent
  • EU threatens to suspend ‘addictive’ TikTok feature by end of today

    EU threatens to suspend ‘addictive’ TikTok feature by end of today
    Yesterday, the EU issued TikTok an ultimatum. The Chinese-owned social media app was given just 24 hours to outline the mental health risks related to its new app TikTok Lite or face huge daily fines. This is the EU’s second probe into TikTok under the Digital Service Act (DSA). The DSA is a new law to protect users from harmful or illegal online content. It requires large platforms like TikTok to submit a risk assessment before launching any major new features. The EU’s latest grip
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  • Hundreds of users sue Grindr for allegedly selling their HIV data to advertisers

    Hundreds of users sue Grindr for allegedly selling their HIV data to advertisers
    Grindr is being sued. The  LGBTQ+ dating app is accused of sharing its users’ medical data with advertisers. This data includes their HIV status. UK law firm Austen Hays filed the claim at London’s High Court yesterday. The class action lawsuit represents hundreds of users of the app.   Austen Hays claims that US-based Grindr breached UK data protection law by selling sensitive data to third parties without users’ consent. Aside from medical facts, this includes
  • Is this the future of coffee? Kaffa Roastery releases AI-conic blend

    Is this the future of coffee? Kaffa Roastery releases AI-conic blend
    I am really into (my friends might say somewhat obsessed with) coffee. Not just for the hits of caffeine that fuel our productivity-enthralled capitalist society, but also for the taste, as well as different styles of brewing (although my Swedish roots make me partial to a pour-over).  Sadly, I do not often get to write about it, as — even though coffee roasting and brewing rely on technological engineering — tech startups and coffee hardly ever intersect in the news. Enter Hel
  • 3 carbon capture technologies you’ve probably never heard of

    3 carbon capture technologies you’ve probably never heard of
    All of us will face the consequences of runaway climate change — unless, maybe, you’re living in one of Elon Musk’s new homes on Mars. But for the rest of us poor souls, tackling global heating is pretty much the top priority.  The bad news is we are not on track to limit global temperatures rising to 1.5°C  to prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. A new report has also revealed that temperatures in Europe are rising twice as fast as the rest o
  • Brits to issue their own sick notes via algorithm under plan to save GP time

    Brits to issue their own sick notes via algorithm under plan to save GP time
    In an attempt to reduce the workload of GPs, the UK is planning to introduce a new National Health Service (NHS) algorithm that will enable self-issued sick notes. The move is part of the government’s effort to reform the sick note system, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seeking not only to alleviate GPs, but also end the “sick note culture.” “We need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do — not what you can’t,” Sun
  • Earth Day: Ecosia launches world’s first energy-generating browser

    Earth Day: Ecosia launches world’s first energy-generating browser
    Today — on Earth Day — non-profit search engine Ecosia has launched the “greenest browser on Earth” as it seeks to offer customers a more sustainable alternative to Google Chrome or Apple’s Safari.  Just like Ecosia’s search engine, the more you use the browser, the more trees you will help plant. The Berlin-based company says it has already planted 200 million trees since 2009.  The new browser will be powered by renewable energy from Ecosia’
  • European startups rejoice — VC investment is on the rise again

    European startups rejoice — VC investment is on the rise again
    New data published today by Dealroom reveal that European VC investment rose 5% year-on-year for the first quarter of 2024. What’s more, the Netherlands is showing a particularly strong comeback. Amsterdam funding rose a highly encouraging 107%. Overall, European VC investment reached $13.7bn in Q1 2024, an increase fuelled to a great extent by the energy transition. Energy was the biggest sector for tech startup and scaleup investment for the fourth quarter in a row, having raised $3.1bn
  • How OpenAI and Microsoft reawakened a sleeping software giant

    How OpenAI and Microsoft reawakened a sleeping software giant
    Just a decade ago, the world’s biggest tech beast was a relative minnow. Microsoft had become notorious for disappointing product launches, stagnant innovation, and losing top talent. The first true software giant was becoming a big tech dinosaur. Fast forward to 2024 and Microsoft is the planet’s most valuable business. Under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, stock has soared by over 1,000% in 10 years. In January, the company reached a $3 trillion market cap — larger
  • UK mulls fresh controls on ‘sensitive tech’ after China cyber attack claim

    UK mulls fresh controls on ‘sensitive tech’ after China cyber attack claim
    Britain is exploring new curbs on exporting and funding “sensitive technologies” amid growing tensions with China. Oliver Dowden, the UK’s deputy prime minister, launched a review of the restrictions on Thursday. He warned that “hostile states” could use British funds and tech for “military and intelligence” projects that threaten national security. “Our open economy is being targeted by state-based actors and their proxies,” Dowden said in
  • How to build strong, cross-cultural remote teams

    How to build strong, cross-cultural remote teams
    For the past two years, I have worked at a company whose workforce hails from around the globe, including the United States, Europe, and Latin America. I’m the only team member based in Santa Marta, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, and I work remotely — like many of my colleagues on the other continents.  The experience has opened my eyes to a dynamic blend of workplace norms and cultures, but has also posed some challenges. Differing time zones, humour and customs, access
  • ‘Just like meaty sausages!’ Europe hosts first cultivated meat tasting

    ‘Just like meaty sausages!’ Europe hosts first cultivated meat tasting
    Dutch startup Meatable has hosted the first legally approved tasting of cultivated meat in Europe. On the menu was a lab-grown pork sausage. Meatable says the produce is “indistinguishable” from traditional meat, but causes no harm to animals or the environment. To replicate the flavours and textures of livestock, Meatable first extracts a single cell sample from a pig. The sample is then cultivated in a bioreactor. Over time, the sample multiplies and forms real muscle tissue,
  • 4 in 10 translators are losing work to AI. They want remuneration from devs

    4 in 10 translators are losing work to AI. They want remuneration from devs
    AI threatens to decimate the translation profession, according to a new survey by a British union. Almost four in ten translators (36%) said they’ve already lost work due to generative AI. Nearly half of them (43%) said the tech has decreased their income. They fear far worse is to come. Over three-quarters of translators (77%) believe GenAI will negatively impact future income from their creative work. The survey was conducted by the Society of Authors (SoA), the UK’s largest trade
  • The UK’s second commercial quantum computer has come online

    The UK’s second commercial quantum computer has come online
    California-based quantum circuitry company Rigetti has brought a commercially available quantum computer to the UK. Only the second in the country, it was installed in collaboration with Oxford Instruments NanoScience — a cryogenics company that provides the cooling needed for superconducting qubits.  The system, supported by grants from the UK government, is Rigetti’s first UK-based quantum computer and will be accessible via the company’s cloud computing services. 
  • TNW Podcast: Caroline Viarouge on EIT Manufacturing and EU-UK collaboration; is AGI even possible?

    TNW Podcast: Caroline Viarouge on EIT Manufacturing and EU-UK collaboration; is AGI even possible?
     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, Linnea and Andrii talk about artificial general intelligence, repairable airbuds, some Wolverine nerdery, drone delivery adoption, and much more. The guest of the show is Caroline Viarouge, CEO at EIT Manufacturing. A big part of the conversa
  • TNW Podcast: Caroline Viarouge on EIT Manufacturing and EU-UK collaboration

    TNW Podcast: Caroline Viarouge on EIT Manufacturing and EU-UK collaboration
     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, Linnea and Andrii talk about artificial general intelligence, repairable airbuds, some Wolverine nerdery, drone delivery adoption, and much more. The guest of the show is Caroline Viarouge, CEO at EIT Manufacturing. A big part of the conversa
  • China still ASML’s biggest market, but falling sales cause drop in profit

    China still ASML’s biggest market, but falling sales cause drop in profit
    Amid the semiconductor industry’s slowdown and increasing geopolitical tensions, Dutch chip machine-maker ASML reported a decrease both in sales and profits. Europe’s most valuable tech company saw orders fall to €3.6bn in the first quarter of 2024, down from €9.2bn in the previous quarter. Its net profit also dropped to €1.2bn — a 37% decrease compared to Q4 2023. “We see 2024 as a transition,” ASML’s President and CEO Peter Wennink said in a
  • In biggest-ever election year, tech platforms are wide open for voter manipulation

    In biggest-ever election year, tech platforms are wide open for voter manipulation
    Under orders from the EU, tech giants have launched 11 advertising transparency tools. None of them are fit for purpose, according to a new study from Mozilla. The tools provide libraries of data about online adverts. By exploring the repositories, researchers can identify the funders and techniques behind the ads. At least, that’s the idea. The libraries are obligatory under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a law designed to safeguard online environments. By shining a light on&
  • Air taxi firm raises $110M, plans to launch commercial service in 2026

    Air taxi firm raises $110M, plans to launch commercial service in 2026
    A British drone maker plans to launch air taxis in 2026 after raising a whopping $110mn. Skyports has already flown electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on delivery and monitoring trials. The new funding brings commercial air taxis closer to the services on offer. The first flights are slated to take off in the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this year, Skyports inked a deal with authorities in Dubai to build four vertiports ahead of the launch of air taxi services in 2026.
  • Tree-planting search engine Ecosia to monitor reforestation from space

    Tree-planting search engine Ecosia to monitor reforestation from space
    Berlin-based Ecosia, best known as the tree-planting search engine, has teamed up with French startup Kanop to monitor its reforestation efforts from space. With around 20 million users, Ecosia is the world’s largest not-for-profit search engine. It is also one of the biggest tree-planters in the world. The company claims to have planted 200 million trees since its inception in 2009.  To date, Ecosia has monitored its tree-planting efforts using ground-based observations. But with th
  • Google will outpace Microsoft in AI investment, DeepMind CEO says

    Google will outpace Microsoft in AI investment, DeepMind CEO says
    We have all been guilty of falling under the foundation model spell of the past year-and-a-half, initiated by OpenAI’s unveiling of ChatGPT to the public. But it is not only where large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 are concerned that incredible progress has been made in the field of artificial intelligence. And one company has been behind more impressive milestones than most — DeepMind, acquired by Google in 2014 for a reported £400mn to £650mn.  Speaki
  • Dutch deep tech fund for photonics startups reaches €75M after second close

    Dutch deep tech fund for photonics startups reaches €75M after second close
    PhotonVentures, a Dutch deep tech fund aiming to boost Europe’s photonics industry, has closed its second fundraising round with over €15mn — bringing its total capital to €75mn. The fund targets startups and scaleups developing solutions with photonic chips for a wide range of applications: from data transmission and health diagnostics to smart sensors, AI, AR, and VR. PhotonVentures will initially invest in 20 early-stage companies with international growth potential. It
  • Dutch cultivated meat startup secures €40M for ‘world’s kindest burger’

    Dutch cultivated meat startup secures €40M for ‘world’s kindest burger’
    In 2013, Dutch scientist Mark Post unveiled the world’s first cultivated meat burger on live television — taking lab-grown meat from the realm of science fiction to science fact.  Post ended up turning his invention into a startup called Mosa Meat. The new venture promised to bring the “world’s kindest burger” to supermarket shelves.  Today, Mosa Meat announced it has secured another €40mn — just two months after closing a $85mn Series B fundin
  • French software firm launches biggest IPO on EU stock exchange in 3 years

    French software firm launches biggest IPO on EU stock exchange in 3 years
    French SaaS company Planisware launched its initial public offering (IPO) today, reaching a valuation of €1.11bn. This is the largest IPO on the Euronext Paris stock exchange in the past three years. Planisware was founded in 1996 by Yves Humblot, Pierre Demonsant, Matthieu Delille, and François Pelissolo. Planisware provides software for enterprise project portfolio management. It counts over 500 blue-chip clients across the globe, including PepsiCo and Pfizer, and employs cir

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