Why tech insiders are worried about the EU’s proposed startup commissioner


Ekaterina Zaharieva hasn’t even started work as the EU’s first startup commissioner, but tensions are already rising around her role. The Bulgarian politician was nominated for the job on Tuesday. Alongside startups, her brief will also cover research and inn

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Germany picks 4 startups to deliver world’s first quantum computer for ‘mobile defence’


In its most expensive project to date, Germany’s Cyber Agency (Cyberagentur) has awarded three different contracts to four quantum computing startups — Quantum Brilliance, ParityQC, Oxford Ionics, and neQxt. Their mission is to deliver the world’s first

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Flink raises $150M despite rapid grocery delivery sector slowdown


Flink, one of the few rapid grocery delivery startups left operating in Europe, has secured $150mn to grow its business in Germany and the Netherlands. The funding comprises $115 million in equity and $35 million in debt, with backing from both new and existin

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The EU is getting its first ever commissioner for startups


Ekaterina Zaharieva has been nominated as the EU’s first ever commissioner for startups, the bloc’s chief Ursula von der Leyen announced today. Zaharieva served as Bulgaria’s deputy prime minister for judicial reform and foreign affairs between 2017 and 2021.

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Startups race to curb data centre energy use amid AI boom


Data centres gobble up roughly 2% of global electricity, which translates to around 1% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.   Streaming Netflix, storing stuff in the cloud, and meeting up on Zoom are just some of the online a

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75% of lithium-ion battery supply chain linked to human rights abuses


Lithium-ion batteries are a critical element for our transition away from fossil fuels. It is equally critical to ensure the sustainability of their supply chains for the benefit of society and businesses alike. The mining process of the raw materials necess

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Finland’s IQM has now produced 30 full-stack quantum computers


Oftentimes, even in the tech world, people equate the term quantum computing to something almost mysterious. But as much as concepts of quantum mechanics such as superposition and entanglement may seem akin to magic, they still happen (in the context of quant

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Apian and Alphabet’s Wing to fly NHS blood samples by drone in London first


In a first for London, electric drones will soon fly urgent blood samples between Guy’s and St Thoma’s hospitals in the centre of the city. The upcoming flights are part of a joint pilot between the NHS, healthcare logistics startup Apian, and drone manufactur

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Science is breeding a new generation of booming deeptech startups in Estonia


Back in the early 2000s, Estonia was rapidly modernising, shaking off the remnants of Soviet influence. It was ambitiously transforming itself into a digital society with innovations such as e-government and online voting.  And, of course, it gave birth to Sky

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French startup Poolside nears $3B valuation for AI that can write code


Paris-based AI startup Poolside is in discussions to raise nearly $500mn at a $3bn valuation, Bloomberg reports.   Poolside is developing a ChatGPT-like large language model (LLM) that writes software code — but the business plan remains hus

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