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Rio Tinto backs six startups in high-tech bid for cleaner mining of lithium, copper
British VC fund Founders Factory has launched the Mining Tech Accelerator in partnership with Rio Tinto, as the metals giant seeks to find better ways to cash-in on surging demand for lithium, copper, and other materials critical to the clean transition. In April, Rio Tinto committed 14.4mn Australian dollars (€8.8mn) to the accelerator, which will support pre-seed and seed-stage startups over the next three years. The partners unveiled the first cohort of six startups today. The fledgling companies will now enter a four-month programme that will conclude in Perth, Australia in December. “We understand the vast opportunity ahead in decarbonising…This story continues at The Next Web
British VC fund Founders Factory has launched the Mining Tech Accelerator in partnership with Rio Tinto, as the metals giant seeks to find better ways to cash-in on surging demand for lithium, copper, and other materials critical to the clean transition. In April, Rio Tinto committed 14.4mn Australian dollars (€8.8mn) to the accelerator, which will support pre-seed and seed-stage startups over the next three years. The partners unveiled the first cohort of six startups today. The fledgling companies will now enter a four-month programme that will conclude in Perth, Australia in December. “We understand the vast opportunity ahead in decarbonising…
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Why Dubai-based VCs are looking to invest in European climate tech
Rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns have become a pressing concern within the UAE. In April, Dubai experienced its heaviest rainfall in 75 years over a 24-hour period, triggering floods and chaos. A team of researchers from the World Weather Attribution initiative reported that this event was driven partly by the climate crisis which was bringing on a 10%-40% intensity in rainfall levels. On July 20, temperatures also hit a high of 42 degrees centigrade at Dubai International Airport, according to data from the US National Weather Service. However, intense humidity that day compounded the heat to make it feel…This story continues at The Next Web
Rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns have become a pressing concern within the UAE. In April, Dubai experienced its heaviest rainfall in 75 years over a 24-hour period, triggering floods and chaos. A team of researchers from the World Weather Attribution initiative reported that this event was driven partly by the climate crisis which was bringing on a 10%-40% intensity in rainfall levels. On July 20, temperatures also hit a high of 42 degrees centigrade at Dubai International Airport, according to data from the US National Weather Service. However, intense humidity that day compounded the heat to make it feel…
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AI is changing science: Google DeepMind duo win Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Google DeepMind scientists Demis Hassabis and John Jumper today won this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The duo will share the prestigious prize — seen as the pinnacle of scientific achievement — with University of Washington professor David Bakker for his work on computational protein design. “This prize represents the promise of computational biology,” Jumper said during a press conference on Wednesday. Hassabis co-founded DeepMind in 2014. Jumper was appointed director last year. The duo won their Nobel Prize for developed an AI model that solved a 50-year-old challenge in biology: predicting the structure of proteins. Dubbed AlphaFold2, the tool…This story continues at The Next WebOr just read more coverage about: Google
Google DeepMind scientists Demis Hassabis and John Jumper today won this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The duo will share the prestigious prize — seen as the pinnacle of scientific achievement — with University of Washington professor David Bakker for his work on computational protein design. “This prize represents the promise of computational biology,” Jumper said during a press conference on Wednesday. Hassabis co-founded DeepMind in 2014. Jumper was appointed director last year. The duo won their Nobel Prize for developed an AI model that solved a 50-year-old challenge in biology: predicting the structure of proteins. Dubbed AlphaFold2, the tool…
This story continues at The Next Web
Or just read more coverage about: Google
Holiday homes platform launches ‘global first’ visual search engine
Danish startup Landfolk has launched a visual search engine for holiday homes. Named Daisy, the feature invites users to search for their dream destinations. They can enter endless prompts, from “a luxurious room overlooking the ocean” to “a cosy cabin in the mountains.” After ingesting a query, the feature spits back images linked to properties on the platform. Users can then click-through for further details on the home. Landfolk believes the tool is the first visual search engine in the travel industry. The startup expects it to inspire not only holiday choices, but also home design ideas. Chris Sørensen, Landfolk’s…This story continues at The Next Web
Danish startup Landfolk has launched a visual search engine for holiday homes. Named Daisy, the feature invites users to search for their dream destinations. They can enter endless prompts, from “a luxurious room overlooking the ocean” to “a cosy cabin in the mountains.” After ingesting a query, the feature spits back images linked to properties on the platform. Users can then click-through for further details on the home. Landfolk believes the tool is the first visual search engine in the travel industry. The startup expects it to inspire not only holiday choices, but also home design ideas. Chris Sørensen, Landfolk’s…
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Carbon removal startup Paebbl bags $25M to turn CO2 into building materials
Dutch-Nordic carbon capture startup Paebbl has raised $25mn as it looks to turn the sector that uses the bulk of the world’s mined materials — the built environment — into a permanent sink for the world’s most potent greenhouse gas — CO2. Berlin-based VC Capnamic led the round, with participation from the likes of Amazon and German cement industry giants Holcim and Goldbeck. Paebbl will use the fresh funds to expand its offices in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Rotterdam, where its pilot plant is located. In June, we visited the facility, discreetly hidden amid the sprawling docks, warehouses, and factories of…This story continues at The Next Web
Dutch-Nordic carbon capture startup Paebbl has raised $25mn as it looks to turn the sector that uses the bulk of the world’s mined materials — the built environment — into a permanent sink for the world’s most potent greenhouse gas — CO2. Berlin-based VC Capnamic led the round, with participation from the likes of Amazon and German cement industry giants Holcim and Goldbeck. Paebbl will use the fresh funds to expand its offices in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Rotterdam, where its pilot plant is located. In June, we visited the facility, discreetly hidden amid the sprawling docks, warehouses, and factories of…
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AI drove Belgian startup funding near €500M in H1 2024, report finds
Private capital investment in Belgian startups has exceeded €470mn in the first half of 2024, compared to a total of €424mn in 2023. At the current rate of spending, the country’s tech ecosystem is heading for a record funding year. That’s according to the State of Belgian Tech Report, published today. It combines data from Dealroom, a survey of over 130 startup founders, and interviews with Belgian entrepreneurs and investors. According to the findings, the average amount of investment per round per stage has steadily increased between 2018 and 2024 to date. It has tripled at the seed and Series…This story continues at The Next Web
Private capital investment in Belgian startups has exceeded €470mn in the first half of 2024, compared to a total of €424mn in 2023. At the current rate of spending, the country’s tech ecosystem is heading for a record funding year. That’s according to the State of Belgian Tech Report, published today. It combines data from Dealroom, a survey of over 130 startup founders, and interviews with Belgian entrepreneurs and investors. According to the findings, the average amount of investment per round per stage has steadily increased between 2018 and 2024 to date. It has tripled at the seed and Series…
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TNW Podcast: Andrii Degeler and Callum Booth on the future of publishing
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 special episode, we’re featuring a conversation between the TNW Podcast co-host Andrii Degeler and our old friend, former colleague, and current freelance contributor, Callum Booth, about the future of publishing — particularly in the space of tech journalism, but also in general. This fireside chat was recorded with live audience at Rome Startup Week. Music and sound engineering for this podcast…This story continues at The Next Web
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 special episode, we’re featuring a conversation between the TNW Podcast co-host Andrii Degeler and our old friend, former colleague, and current freelance contributor, Callum Booth, about the future of publishing — particularly in the space of tech journalism, but also in general. This fireside chat was recorded with live audience at Rome Startup Week. Music and sound engineering for this podcast…
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OpenAI deepens European footprint with new hubs in Paris, Brussels
OpenAI is opening new offices in Paris and Brussels as the ChatGPT maker accelerates its global expansion plans. The new sites increase the company’s European presence to four offices. They join London, which began OpenAI’s international expansion in 2023, and Dublin, which became the firm’s first EU base a few months later. Alongside the European hubs, OpenAI is also launching new offices in New York City, Seattle, Paris, Brussels, and Singapore. Job openings at all the sites will be listed here. For OpenAI, the European locations offer diverse attractions. The company has praised London for its “vibrant technology ecosystem” and “exceptional…This story continues at The Next Web
OpenAI is opening new offices in Paris and Brussels as the ChatGPT maker accelerates its global expansion plans. The new sites increase the company’s European presence to four offices. They join London, which began OpenAI’s international expansion in 2023, and Dublin, which became the firm’s first EU base a few months later. Alongside the European hubs, OpenAI is also launching new offices in New York City, Seattle, Paris, Brussels, and Singapore. Job openings at all the sites will be listed here. For OpenAI, the European locations offer diverse attractions. The company has praised London for its “vibrant technology ecosystem” and “exceptional…
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European Investment Bank crafts new funding plan to keep startups in the EU
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is considering new measures to help close the funding gap for European startups and prevent them from relocating across the Atlantic. During a meeting with EU finance ministers yesterday in Luxembourg, the EIB proposed its “Action Plan” that aims to boost Europe’s capital markets, investments, and competitiveness. A key pillar of the plan is to increase support for the EU’s venture capital and private equity markets to enable the scaling up of innovative startups and unicorns. This includes three different measures, starting with the extension of the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI). Launched in 2023,…This story continues at The Next Web
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is considering new measures to help close the funding gap for European startups and prevent them from relocating across the Atlantic. During a meeting with EU finance ministers yesterday in Luxembourg, the EIB proposed its “Action Plan” that aims to boost Europe’s capital markets, investments, and competitiveness. A key pillar of the plan is to increase support for the EU’s venture capital and private equity markets to enable the scaling up of innovative startups and unicorns. This includes three different measures, starting with the extension of the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI). Launched in 2023,…
This story continues at The Next Web
Carbon myopia is concealing a deeper problem: our insatiable appetite for materials
Stop for a moment and pay attention to the things around you. The clothes you’re wearing, the device you’re using, what you’re sitting on, the building you’re in. What are they made of? The simple answer is “stuff from nature” — woods, metals, rocks, oils, and plants refined into things like furniture, batteries, bricks, plastics, and clothes. In 2017, humanity’s total material footprint — which refers to the total amount of raw materials we extract to fuel our economies — was 92 billion tonnes. The UN predicts this will more than double by 2060 without a change to the current…This story continues at The Next Web
Stop for a moment and pay attention to the things around you. The clothes you’re wearing, the device you’re using, what you’re sitting on, the building you’re in. What are they made of? The simple answer is “stuff from nature” — woods, metals, rocks, oils, and plants refined into things like furniture, batteries, bricks, plastics, and clothes. In 2017, humanity’s total material footprint — which refers to the total amount of raw materials we extract to fuel our economies — was 92 billion tonnes. The UN predicts this will more than double by 2060 without a change to the current…
This story continues at The Next Web