From The Next Web

  • 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 will focus on...

  • 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 years after closing a $85mn Series B funding round. Lowercarbon Capital and M Ventures led...

  • 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 circa 700 people. ...

  • Climate tech heavyweights EQT, Contrarian launch investment 'playbook'

    More than 50 European VCs and startups have joined forces to launch Climate Brick — a new community designed to fast-track investment in green technologies. Climate Brick launched today along with what its founders claim to be one of the most comprehensive climate tech studies ever conducted. The report, featuring interviews with 100 climate experts and 3,000 companies, offers a roadmap for climate tech startups looking to scale. “We really needed a common vocabulary and playbook for...

  • To legislate or not to legislate? How EU and UK differ in their approach to AI

    The boom of artificial intelligence has spurred a regulatory frenzy across the globe — and Europe is at the forefront of the developments. Both the EU and the UK are attempting to find the elusive balance between leveraging AI’s growth and mitigating potential risks — but their approaches differ significantly. The former has opted for a hands-on, risk-based approach, whereas the latter has promised a "pro-innovation" stance. However, with news emerging that the UK government is now...

  • Gamers suit up: You can now build ESA's future lunar base in Fortnite

    Space nerds delight: you can now play as an astronaut in Fortnite. You can even team up with your buddies to build a lunar habitat based on real future missions of the European Space Agency. Designed by Epic Games, Lunar Horizons is set at the lunar south pole. This is the point on the Moon deemed most suitable for human habitation due to the possible existence of water ice. Epic Games worked with ESA's human and robotic exploration experts to create a lifelike 3D environment for the game....

  • Digital displays and the end of the ‘screen age’

    While it’s commonly said we live in the information era, I like calling it something else: the screen age. Over the past seventy years, we’ve seen displays seep into almost every aspect of our lives. We had televisions arrive in our homes, reshaping news and entertainment. Hot on their heels came smartphones, which changed communication and how we interact with the world at large. This tech altered the globe in ways we continue to grapple with, but it still doesn’t tell the full story of...

  • New hope for VanMoof as troubled ebike maker resumes sales

    Dutch ebike maker VanMoof has begun selling ebikes on its own website once more, following an almost year-long hiatus after it went bankrupt in July last year. The models on offer are refreshed versions of the S5 and A5, which were first released in 2022. Although the upgraded ebikes look exactly the same, they’ve been re-engineered in almost every aspect, says the company’s co-CEO Eliott Wertheimer. While this is just the beginning of VanMoof’s lengthy relaunch, the ability to sell...

  • Why enhanced rock weathering promises carbon-capturing fields of dreams

    A weird technology has emerged as a leader in the quest for net zero. But this form of carbon capture, called Enhanced Rock Weathering (or ERW for short), still requires innovation — and government oversight. Society has a knack for embracing new technologies, often driven by a blend of vanity, curiosity, and a desire to be ahead of the curve. Whether it's being the first to own the latest gadget or pioneering eco-friendly initiatives like EV charging ports, early adopters pave the way for...

  • Intruders beware: New face-detecting AI security cam fires paintballs and teargas

    Homeowners delight: a startup from Slovenia has created what might just be the most badass security camera ever made. The “world-first” device is called Eve, but she ain’t no saint. Eve is an AI-powered home security system that fires paintballs and tear gas pellets at intruders. Via computer vision technology — that also works at night — the cam can recognise individual faces and even animals. Users can designate guests as friend or foe using an app. (Good luck to the kid just trying to...

  • New breakthrough promises ‘entirely secure’ quantum cloud computing

    Ever heard of hybrid matter-photon implementation of verifiable blind quantum computing? No? Neither had we, until today. But it could just be what will make next-generation quantum computers securely accessible to “millions of individuals and companies” — without exposing any of their data. At least, according to scientists at Oxford University Physics. A team of researchers at its UK Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub claim to have hit a major milestone for connecting two separate...

  • Europe's first pilot plant for cultivated fish opens in Germany

    German startup Bluu Seafood today launched Europe's first pilot plant for cultivated fish. The facility in Hamburg brings lab-grown seafood a step closer to the market. Bluu had previously developed the controversial food in a small lab in Lübeck, Germany. The new site expands the work across 2,000 square metres of customised research, production, and office space. At the plant's core are new fermenters for cultivating muscle, fat, and tissue cells from Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout. ...