Geeky international news on technology, business and culture.
AI as ‘socially vital’ as water and energy, say UK execs
18 June 2025 @ 3:06 pm
Without water, the average human would die after about five days. Without energy, our society as we know it would collapse. But what about a world without AI? According to British business leaders, the consequences would be equally catastrophic. A new report by London-based software firm Endava, surveying 500 entrepreneurs, found that two-thirds of respondents rank AI as socially vital — on par with water and electricity. A whopping 93% of the respondents want industry and government to implement AI as fast as possible. Meanwhile, 84% of say they use AI as a “companion” or conversation partner at least once…War tech goes old school with Sweden’s first TNT factory since Cold War
18 June 2025 @ 12:29 pm
A Swedish startup is taking defence tech back to basics — by building the country’s first TNT factory since the Cold War. Stockholm-based Swebal has secured a €3mn investment for the plant, slated to enter full operation in late 2027. Located in Nora, a town about three hours from the capital, the factory is expected to produce more than 4,000 tonnes of TNT a year. Investors in the facility include the co-founder of venture capital firm EQT, Thomas von Koch, serial entrepreneur Pär Svärdson, and Sweden’s former army chief, Major General Karl Engelbrektson. Joakim Sjöblom, Swebal’s founder, said the…Guide to relocating your startup to Valencia
18 June 2025 @ 9:02 am
When founders dream of launching a startup under the Mediterranean sun, Barcelona and Madrid often come to mind first. But an increasing number of entrepreneurs are turning their gaze to Valencia — a city that’s building a vibrant, founder-friendly startup community. It’s not just about sunshine (though 300 days a year doesn’t hurt). It’s about momentum. Valencia’s startup scene is collaborative, affordable, and increasingly international. It’s big enough to see the benefits of accelerated growth — in 2024 the ecosystem experienced a 15.45% growth in the number of startups compared to 2023 — yet still retains a community vibe making…AI warfare push makes Helsing one of Europe’s 5 most valuable tech firms
17 June 2025 @ 4:09 pm
Munich-based defence tech startup Helsing has raised €600mn as geopolitical tensions trigger a flood of capital into AI warfare. The large investment was led by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s VC firm Prima Materia. It brings the company’s total raised to north of €1.3bn, building on a €450mn funding round in July last year. Helsing didn’t disclose its updated valuation. However, according to the Financial Times, the unicorn company is now worth €12bn, making it one of Europe’s five most valuable private tech companies. Prima Materia was one of Helsing’s earliest backers — a move that sparked boycotts among artists on…7 TNW Conference sessions we’re excited about
17 June 2025 @ 7:00 am
The Netherlands’ hottest tech festival is just around the corner, and the buzz is electric. TNW Conference brings together Europe’s sharpest minds, boldest startups, and game-changing tech leaders at Amsterdam’s NDSM on June 19 and 20. It’s two days packed with big ideas, fierce debates, and innovations that could shape the future. We’ve combed through the packed schedule and picked seven sessions you absolutely can’t miss — the ones set to challenge the status quo and get everyone talking. 1.Where’s Iron Man? Why tech belongs in defence — Purple Stage, Thursday 16:25 – 16:55 Capital is pouring into defence tech…Artificial solar eclipse engineered in Europe offers new look at Sun
16 June 2025 @ 2:30 pm
Two satellites equipped with European tech have delicately pulled off an artificial solar eclipse — giving scientists unmatched views of the Sun’s scorching corona. The European Space Agency (ESA) developed the probes alongside more than 40 space tech firms. Among them are a trio of startups, which contributed several key technologies for the mission: sensors for solar tracking, light detectors to fine-tune positioning, and software that orchestrated the satellites’ intricate flight path. Launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre last year, the expedition — Proba-3 — could mark a new era for solar science. The Sun’s inner corona, coloured artificially…Opinion: Space startups are pivoting to defence. That’s great for innovation
13 June 2025 @ 6:00 am
A few months ago, at the SmallSat Symposium, a panel issued a sobering warning to space startups: do not chase defence dollars at the expense of long-term sustainability. Why? Because companies, particularly in the space sector, might be tempted to follow the money rather than focus on producing valuable products and services with broader, longer-term applications. It’s of course true that any company should be wary of “leaning in” too closely to what seem like passing fads. But the warning overlooks an important reality: the shift towards defence investing is not a trend. It’s a transformation in space and space…Quantum art, multiball, and AI selfies: TNW 2025’s best side quests
12 June 2025 @ 4:14 pm
Qubits, entanglement, superposition, trapped ions, Schrödinger’s cat. These terms sound strange because the world of quantum mechanics — where things can exist in multiple states at once — is strange. Thankfully, a group of students from TU Delft are bringing these powerful sub-atomic phenomena to life at TNW Conference through an exhibition of abstract artworks. Their project, Emergence Delft, blends science and creativity into a mind-bending exploration of quantum reality. A centrepiece of the exhibition is Coexist — a mesmerising light installation that captures the elusive nature of quantum mechanics through colour, interaction, and design. At its heart, Coexist tackles…European VCs just made a record bet on this fusion energy underdog
11 June 2025 @ 4:36 pm
Two years ago, German startup Proxima Fusion emerged from stealth with big ambitions to make a little-known stellarator fusion machine a serious contender in the race for commercial fusion energy. Today, the Munich-based company secured Europe’s largest-ever private investment in fusion power — a €130mn Series A funding round from big-name investors including Balderton Capital, Cherry Ventures, and Plural. Daniel Waterhouse, partner at Balderton Capital, said he now thinks Proxima has taken its place as the leading “European contender” in the global race to commercial fusion. Proxima was the first company to spin out from the Max Planck Institute of…Clearest views yet of Sun’s south pole may unlock its mysteries
11 June 2025 @ 2:00 pm
A spacecraft developed by European scientists and companies has captured unprecedented new views of the Sun’s south pole. Built by Airbus in the UK, Solar Orbiter was developed as part of a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The probe launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2020. A number of European tech firms also contributed to the mission. One of them is Dublin-based Enbio, which developed a protective coating for the probe using crushed animal bones. It’s one of the more unusual materials ever flown into space…
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How to Practice by Ann Patchett - I wanted to get rid of my possessions, because possessions stood between me and deathIf My Dying Daughter Could Face Her Mortality, Why Couldn’t the Rest of Us? by Sarah Wildman - She turned to me and asked, “What if this is the best I ever feel again?” Three hundred and seventy-six days later, she was dead.
Click through for a huge collection of cinematic nonfiction
The Science of Climate Change Explained by Julia Rosen - Definitive answers to the big QuestionsHow Soon Might the Atlantic Ocean Break? by Sandra Upson - A gigantic, weather-defining current system could be headed to collapseHas the Amazon Reached Its ‘Tipping Point’? by Alex Cua
Head to our Substack for a list of all-time great articles chosen by Frank Bures, author of outstanding travel and adventure writing, plus classic articles about everything from stolen bikes that and penis theft (?!), to squat toilets and an epic canoe race on the Mississippi. Read all his best work here, and check out his new boo
The Future Is Too Easy by David Roth - There is something unstable at the most basic level about any space with too much capitalism happening in itWikipedia’s Moment of Truth by Jon Gertner - Can the online encyclopedia help teach A.I. chatbots to get their facts right — without destroying itself in the process?
The Power of Exposure by Derek Thompson - Fame and familiarity — in art, music, politicsThe Art of Rules by Sherri Irvin - Conceptual art often confounds. The key is to understand the rules of the artwork and the aesthetic experiences they yield
What Romance Really Means by Heather Havrilesky - Long-married romance is not the romance of watching someone’s every move like a stalker, and wanting to lick his face but trying to restrain yourselfAgainst Chill by Alana Massey - In recent years, “chill” has become one of the most desirable qualities in a romantic prospect. But it is a garbage virtue that will destroy the species
The Egg by Bloomberg Staff - A story of extraction, exploitation and opportunityUnscrambling the Egg by Natalie Angier - Put a few adults in a room with a sweet-tempered infant, and you may as well leave a tub of butter sitting out in the midday sun…The Doctor Is a Wo
Casual Viewing by Will Tavlin - Why Netflix looks like thatConfessions of a Spotify Vandal by Andy Cush - A folk-pop mischief-maker who goes by Catbreath has collected hundreds of thousands of streams by giving his songs prankish titles like “Chill Music,” “Gym Bangers,” and “My Discover Weekly.”