News

  • UK and France unite behind €1.5B plan to boost Europe’s rival to Starlink
    by Siôn Geschwindt on July 10, 2025 at 1:53 pm

    The UK government reportedly plans to invest €163mn in French satellite firm Eutelsat as Europe pushes to back a local alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink. The investment, first reported by Reuters, follows the lead of the French state, which is set to inject €717mn into Eutelsat as part of a €1.35bn funding package to prop up the indebted satellite communications provider. The UK contribution would bring Eutelsat’s recapitalisation to around €1.5bn.  French President Emmanuel Macron thanked his “British friends” for the support in a post on X, without disclosing the deal’s value.  Eutelsat has received significant attention this year, as…This story continues at The Next Web […]

  • Meet the 5 space tech firms vying to be Europe’s next launch provider
    by Thomas Macaulay on July 9, 2025 at 3:28 pm

    Five rocket companies will compete for contracts to provide Europe’s next launch services — and boost the continent’s troubled access to space. The European Space Agency (ESA) selected the quintet, who will now contend for two types of contracts: Providing launch services for ESA between 2026 and 2030. Demonstrating upgraded launch capabilities, including at least one flight test. The initiative — named the European Launcher Challenge (ELC) — aims to expand Europe’s pathways into the cosmos. In recent years, these routes have been painfully limited. When the Ariane 5 rocket was retired in July 2023, ESA was left with no independent…This story continues at The Next Web […]

  • Funding focus: Biotech dominates Netherlands’ top 10 rounds in H1 2025
    by Siôn Geschwindt on July 9, 2025 at 7:00 am

    Funding focus is a new series analysing cash flow into the European tech ecosystem. After debuting with a look at the biggest rounds so far this year, we now turn to the largest deals in the Netherlands for H1. Startups in the Netherlands raised just $503mn (€429mn) in the first quarter of this year — the lowest quarterly total since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dealroom data. But three months later, the outlook has improved. Total funding for the first half of 2025 hit $1.4bn (€1.2bn). That’s down from $1.8bn (€1.54bn) at the same point last…This story continues at The Next Web […]

  • Media giants launch EU-backed chatbot to fight disinformation
    by Siôn Geschwindt on July 8, 2025 at 1:56 pm

    A group of major European media organisations has launched a chatbot aimed at combating online disinformation.  The tool, called ChatEurope, responds to queries with information verified by journalists. It was set up by a consortium of media brands led by Agence France-Presse. Fourteen other news organisations, including France Médias Monde, Deutsche Welle, El País, and Romania’s RFI, have supported the project, which is also backed by the European Commission.  The chatbot was designed by DRUID AI, a Romanian enterprise AI platform, and uses a language model developed by French startup Mistral. It’s hosted on infrastructure built by Paris-based open-source software…This story continues at The Next Web […]

  • AI satellites and sea drones unite to guard Europe’s waters
    by Siôn Geschwindt on July 8, 2025 at 1:05 pm

    Ubotica, an Irish startup specialising in edge AI for satellites, has partnered with two Dutch firms to develop an intelligence platform aimed at bolstering maritime security across European waters.  The company will work with Fugro, a provider of offshore surveying and geodata services, and DTACT, a defence-focused cybersecurity firm, to offer governments a new tool for monitoring critical underwater infrastructure, including gas pipelines and subsea cables.  The platform aims to fuse real-time data from sea, air, and space to create a dynamic picture of maritime activity. Fugro’s drones, underwater vehicles, and uncrewed surface vessels will sweep the oceans for geodata.…This story continues at The Next Web […]

  • Exclusive: Finnish startup raises €25M to put a ‘Donut’ motor in EV wheels
    by Siôn Geschwindt on July 7, 2025 at 9:13 pm

    Finnish startup Donut Lab has secured €25mn in seed funding to scale up its in-wheel hub motors for electric land, sea, and air vehicles.  Alongside the investment, Donut Lab is opening an R&D hub in Chippenham, UK. Risto Siilasmaa, serial tech investor and former Nokia chairman, has also joined the company’s board. Marko Lehtimaki, Donut Lab’s CEO and co-founder, said the investment signals a continued demand for the company’s technology. “It demonstrates to us [founders] what we have always believed, that our tech solution is truly groundbreaking,” he said.   Donut’s flagship innovation is a hollow hub motor dubbed, you guessed…This story continues at The Next Web […]

  • British-built Hawk-Eye software goes dark during Wimbledon match
    by Siôn Geschwindt on July 7, 2025 at 2:46 pm

    Wimbledon’s new automated line-calling system glitched during a tennis match Sunday, just days after it replaced the tournament’s human line judges for the first time.  The system, called Hawk-Eye, uses a network of cameras equipped with computer vision to track tennis balls in real-time. If the ball lands out, a pre-recorded voice loudly says, “Out.” If the ball is in, there’s no call and play continues. However, the software temporarily went dark during a women’s singles match between Brit Sonay Kartal and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Centre Court.  At 4-4 in the opening set, Pavlyuchenkova reached game point when Kartal…This story continues at The Next Web […]

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