The Next Web TNW

A startup called Scenexus has unveiled plans to build digital twins of cities around the world. A spin-off from Dutch research organisation TNO, Scenexus launched this week with a new platform for urban planning. The software blends multiple datasets to clone entire cities and regions. Planners and engineers then use the replicas to precisely analyse the impacts of their ideas. The next big thing? It might be you… TNW Conference is here to support startups & scaleups to become the next big thing. Be part of the journey. Price increase on Friday. According to Scenexus, the platform can accelerate their assessments from days to just minutes. They can then forecast the social, environmental, and economic impacts of developments. A host of factors can be reviewed, from traffic and safety to financial growth and resident sentiment. The concepts can then be fine-tuned to address pressing challenges, such as the housing crisis and congestion. The platform has already attracted clients in Amsterdam, San Diego, and Singapore. More cities are slated to sign up soon. Scenexus has also revealed a new backer for the project. The Hague-based business has raised €1.6mn from the LUMO Rise Fund, a €100mn pot of capital for impact-driven technologies. Scenexus is the first investment from the fund, which is managed by Dutch VC firm LUMO Labs. Andy Lürling, a founding partner at LUMO Labs and a TNW Advisory Board member, has great expectations for the startup. “The range of application domains is nearly unlimited,” Lürling told TNW. He highlighted 10 particularly promising targets: smart mobility, air quality, noise, climate, spatial development, equity, well-being, liveability, resilience, and energy. To support these applications, Scenexus will supply its digital twin platform as a software-as-a-service solution. Building digital twins Under the system’s hood, thousands of calculations are processed in parallel by algorithms running on graphical processing units (GPUs). Scenexus said the results arrive up to 1,000 times faster than the leading planning software on the market. Thanks to this speed, clients can rapidly develop new urban planning concepts. Scenexus will now focus on bringing more cities to its platform. The startup has also joined digital cities projects with Microsoft and a European consortium. Lürling is bullish about the company’s plans. “With Scenexus, cities directly save time, money, and effort, and uncover unforeseen challenges before they arise,” he said. “At the same time, it enables lasting improvement of the city’s liveability and safety, and the well-being of residents and visitors.” source

TNW Conference will be born again this summer. Over 18 years of unforgettable events, countless future tech stars have used our stage as a springboard to success. We’ve driven vast investments, showcased endless innovations, and made friends along the way. We’ve also learnt from our mistakes. But don’t worry, fellow kids — we’re not getting old yet. We’re still mixing serious business with festival vibes. We are, however, shaking the party up a bit. To celebrate our coming of age, we’re going back to our roots. Today, we’re relaunching TNW Conference with a renewed focus on our founding mission: elevating the startups and scaleups shaping our future. Since 2006, TNW Conference has earned a reputation as a launchpad for world-changing ideas. We make it our thing to introduce startups and scaleups to the right crowd, so big ideas can grow into big things and shake up the world. The likes of Slack, Trello, Bolt, and Vinted have graced our stages en route to becoming world leaders. They’ve been joined by a star-studded selection of speakers, from web inventor Sir Tim-Berners Lee and Reddit CEO Steven Huffman to Hollywood star Zoe Saldana and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.  Showcase your startup at TNW Conference Get noticed. Build brand awareness. Connect with the industry players who can help turn your big idea into the next big thing. We’ve also supported 13 of the 15 Dutch unicorns in the early stages of their growth journeys. This year, we want to foster a new generation of tech titans.  “At TNW, we’ve always had a knack for spotting the extraordinary before it becomes the norm,” said Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, the founder of TNW. “From fledgling startups to transformative technologies, we thrive on helping innovators take their first big leap.” Well, that all sounds lovely, I hear you say, but is there any substance behind your grandiose ambitions? Thanks for asking—and mind your manners. Of course there’s substance. Here’s a taste of what’s in store. What’s new for TNW Conference 2025? For our return to the iconic NDSM venue in Amsterdam on June 19-20, TNW Conference is being transformed into an exclusive, curated, and higher-quality platform. We’re doubling down on the attendee experience — and the element of surprise that’s a become a trademark of the event. Every change intends to maximise our impact. Let’s dig into a few details: Tickets will be restricted to just 4,500 guests. By restricting our numbers, we can create an intimate, tailored experience. The audience has been curated. Over 2,000 startups and scaleups, 675+ investors, 900+ policymakers, and 900+ corporate innovators will be in attendance. We’ve focused our agenda around three key themes: Growth & Venture, Next in Tech, and Enterprise Innovation. Streamlining the program allows us to provide more relevant content. It also enhances collaboration and actionable insights.  Tech5 returns. The network of top European founders has helped over 585 companies including Wise, Too Good To Go, Picnic, and Revolut. At TNW Conference, the program will feature a competition for the best growth-stage startups. We have a new edition of The Assembly — an invite-only gathering of policymakers and business leaders. Themes for this year’s edition include defence tech — a timely pick with the NATO Summit arriving in Amsterdam one week later. Deep tech, AI, climate tech, and other verticals are also on the agenda. The Corporate Innovator ticket launches. Our new pass will connect corporate leaders with tech pioneers in an exclusive Corporate Lounge. Our vision has been endorsed by our gorgeous home city. This year’s TNW Conference has been chosen as a flagship event of Amsterdam750 — a celebration of the Dutch capital’s 750th birthday. A hand-picked crew of tech leaders has also supported the refreshed plans. Among them is Victoria Slivkoff, the Head of Ecosystem at VC fund Walden Catalyst Venture and Executive Managing Director of the Extreme Tech Challenge. “TNW’s renewed focus on empowering startups driving global impact underscores the transformative power of scalable innovation to create a better world,” she said. “By fostering collaboration, providing unparalleled resources and visibility, TNW is creating a launchpad for visionary entrepreneurs tackling the world’s most pressing challenges.” Why attend TNW Conference 2025? We’ve redesigned TNW Conference for one reason: to better serve European startups, scaleups, and the surrounding ecosystem. Here’s what’s on offer for our community: For Startups & Scaleups: Showcase your startup on the same platform where today’s tech giant once stood. Gain exposure, connect with industry players, meet investors, and find new clients. For Investors: Unearth tech’s hottest companies. Expand your deal pipeline, connect with high-growth entrepreneurs, and network with fellow investors. For Corporate Innovators: Inject some startup thinking into your enterprise to stay ahead of the curve and learn how to innovate at scale — fast. For Ecosystem Builders: Helping national startups grow into global businesses. Connect key players, foster partnerships, and unearth pioneering innovations. Join us to discover the next big thing — before it’s a thing. The next steps We’ll soon share extra details on the agenda — including our thrilling first batch of speakers and an eye-catching array of partners. In the meantime, Andy Lürling, a founding partner at VC firm Lumo Labs and a TNW Advisory Board member, has a few tips for the event. “The better you prepare for your visit to the conference — by exploring the TNW platform to identify who will be attending, who is relevant for you to meet, and which sessions are most valuable for you — the higher the quality of your experience will be,” he said. “Don’t hesitate to approach people, start conversations spontaneously, ask questions, and share your own experiences, knowledge, and network.” You can join Andy and us at TNW Conference in June. Just don’t call it a comeback — but you can call it a rebirth. Tickets for TNW Conference are now on sale. We’re going to sell-out — so don’t delay in ordering your pass. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the check-out to get 30% off the

Australian-German startup Quantum Brilliance has raised $20mn in Series A funding as it looks to deploy small, portable quantum accelerators that promise to supercharge the computational power of everything from data centres and robots to satellites. A quantum accelerator is a specialised hardware unit that speeds up specific quantum algorithms, or tasks. They act as co-processors to classical computers, such as CPUs or GPUs, taking on specific quantum calculations.   Austrian deep tech fund Main Sequence, In-Q-Tel (IQT) in the US, and Japan’s Intervalley Ventures led the funding round. “It represents a significant step forward as we advance the design, performance, and manufacturability of diamond quantum devices,” said Quantum Brilliance CEO Mark Luo.    Founded in 2019, Quantum Brilliance uses diamonds in its accelerators, allowing them to operate at room temperature, unlike most quantum systems that need super-cooling.  The result is quantum devices that are portable and energy-efficient, making them particularly useful for large-scale deployment in edge devices. “Diamond quantum technology holds immense promise for developing compact and ruggedised quantum sensors and accelerators,” said Nat Puffer, managing director at IQT. “We believe this technology will play a pivotal role in addressing strategic challenges across industries and critical national priorities.”  The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! Last year, Quantum Brilliance announced a strategic partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States, home to Frontier, the world’s first exascale supercomputer. The startup will install its diamond accelerators alongside the laboratory’s high-performance computing (HPC) systems to explore the potential of combining quantum computing with classical computing.  In addition, Germany’s cybersecurity agency awarded Quantum Brilliance a $15mn contract in September to deliver the world’s first mobile quantum computer by 2027. A mobile quantum computer could perform complex calculations on-site instead of relying on data centres or cloud access. Quantum computers are rewriting the rules of computing, tapping into the mind-boggling magic of quantum physics to tackle problems regular machines can’t touch. Powered by qubits that can juggle multiple states at once, they’re built to crack optimisation puzzles, simulate complex systems, and revolutionise encryption — at blistering speeds. Interest in quantum computing has been abuzz since Google unveiled an experimental machine that was able to solve a mathematical equation in five minutes that a traditional supercomputer could not master in 10 septillion years. The breakthrough brought the dream of quantum computing a step closer to reality. Nevertheless, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang was quick to pour cold water on the hype, cautioning at CES 2025 that practical quantum applications are still 15-30 years away. source

More than half of knowledge workers now use generative AI weekly, according to a recent piece of research from Asana’s Work Innovation Lab, in partnership with Anthropic. The study also found that takeup ramped up by 44% over nine months in 2024. And those who use AI daily benefit most. Eighty-nine percent reported a productivity boost, whereas casual monthly users only saw a 39% increase in productivity. The report also found that knowledge workers believe generative AI has the potential to automate 31% of their job responsibilities. And the more ways they use AI tools at work, the more possibilities they see. 8 jobs to discover this week Full stack AI developer, Witteveen+Bos, Overijssel Data Analyst AI Team, Lely, Zuid-Holland AI Consultant, Refreshworks, Den Haag Software Engineer C#, Profield, Gelderland Java Software Engineer, BKWI, Provincie Utrecht Python Developer, H2B IT Solutions, Noord-Holland Senior DevOps Engineer – Microsoft 365 Specialist, Cognizant, Noord-Holland Platform Engineer MSI, Schiphol Group, Haarlemmermeer “Already, knowledge workers are deploying AI across an average of five different use cases at work, from technical writing to idea generation and brainstorming, demonstrating AI’s versatility across various workflows,” the study’s authors say. “As workers apply AI to a broader range of tasks, they discover innovative ways to enhance their work that they might not have initially considered. This leads them to find new applications for AI, creating a virtuous cycle of AI-powered productivity: the more you use it, the more you find new ways to use it, and the more productive you become.” Of course, these use cases differ across industries, with those working in technology most likely to use generative AI for technical writing, for example. Those working in financial services are more likely to use it for process automation and it won’t be a surprise to find that workers in the media and entertainment sectors gravitate towards tools for image generation. To date, only about 31% of companies have a formal AI strategy in place, which means that in many cases, workers’ usage of genAI tools is unregulated and has led to the rise of the ‘BYOAI’ trend, AKA bring your own AI to work. One way all workers can leverage the use of generative AI tools (regardless of their employers’ stance), is in looking for a new role. Within recruitment, automation is taking over, and software is now doing much of what humans once managed, like sourcing, outreach, and application filtering. Some companies are even using AI to conduct job interviews, with mixed results. In the US, a case was filed last year concerning pharmacy chain CVS. As part of its application process, the company utilises video-interview technology which uses artificial intelligence for analysis. The plaintiff alleged that CVS broke Massachusetts law because it did not provide an opt-out. Amplifying your job search While there may be downsides, the use of generative AI when it comes to job seeking is a net positive. Consider the Reddit user, for example, who recently created an AI bot that was used to automatically apply to 1,000 jobs, with the result being 50 interviews in one month. That’s far more than what many job hunters can expect using traditional career search methods. The user, who subsequently deleted their Reddit account, said at the time that: “The tailored CVs and cover letters, customized based on each job description, made a significant difference.” Speed and accuracy matter, and on the House of Talent Job Board, a new conversational AI job search agent can help you locate your next tech position quickly and accurately. Find the agent on the bottom right-hand side of your screen where it will allow you to search for best-matched jobs using your CV. Or, you can tell it a bit about yourself, your skills, your current location—or where you’d like to work. Once you’ve isolated the best roles to apply for, generational AI can be tasked with optimising your application materials thanks to its time-saving capabilities. AI tools can help you to make fewer grammatical mistakes, align your experience effectively against the actual job description, and essentially speed up the whole process. Perplexity or ChatGPT can be used to quickly compare your CV against a job ad, outputting areas you need to finesse or skills you should highlight, helping you to optimize application materials for each role you apply for. If you’ve ever considered sliding into a recruiter’s DMs on LinkedIn, for example, or sending an email to a hiring manager on spec, then this is another area in which genAI can help. Claude, for example, can help you compose succinct, effective messages or emails you can then edit to make sure they’re completely on point. Cover letters are another time-consuming element of a job hunt that many find daunting. Many job applicants simply don’t bother unless it’s a specific requirement. However, hiring managers like cover letters because they add additional context to your CV. You can showcase your motivation and desire for the role, along with more intangible talents such as your soft skills. The good news is that this process can also be simplified by prompting a Gen AI tool to create a cover letter based on your CV. This framework can then be padded out as you see fit — add in additional experience or KPIs you succeeded with, along with an explanation of why you’d really love the job. And that’s not all. AI can help you research companies, positions, and terminology ahead of job interviews, helping you prepare. You can also use an AI tool as a sounding board for interview preparation, by asking it to generate sample questions for a software engineering role, for example. But no matter what tools or platforms you use, it’s incumbent on you to check the outputs. Generative AI tools are great assistants, but you’re in the driving seat. Ready to look for a new tech role? Check out The Next Web Job Board now source

Coming from South Africa but living in Europe, I can tell you that sending money to family and friends back home is a bit of a nightmare. Typically you must use a traditional bank, which can take a week or more, or payment apps like PayPal or Wise, which charge high fees.  The antiquated nature of remittance payments is something that immigrants are all too familiar with. Demand for better alternatives is giving rise to a new cohort of fintech companies looking to streamline the process. One of them is London-headquartered LemFi. Founded in 2021, the financial services platform enables diaspora communities in North America and Europe to quickly and affordably send money to friends and family in China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, and 15 other countries in the Global South. Sadly, for me, South Africa is not yet on the list. However, LemFi is expanding fast so I might not have very long to wait. LemFi has already onboarded 1 million customers so far, who have made a combined $1bn in monthly transactions through the app. Transactions to and from Asia are currently growing at 30% month-on-month, said the company. And last week, LemFi, which employs over 300 people, officially set up shop in Europe. The startup is tapping a global remittance market predicted to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032.   The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! All that growth potential, has, unsurprisingly, piqued the interest of VCs. Today, LemFi announced that it has raised $53mn in Series B funding. London-based growth-stage venture firm Highland Europe led the round, with participation from previous investors Left Lane Capital, Palm Drive Capital, and Y-Combinator. The fresh funding brings LemFi’s total raised to $85mn. “When we started building LemFi, we were told remittance had already been solved,” said Ridwan Olalere, co-founder and CEO of LemFi, pictured left. “But for too many people, it is still too slow, cumbersome and expensive with customers telling us that in some instances it was cheaper to send money from the US via Canada than directly to their families back home.” Olalere, originally from Nigeria, founded LemFi alongside Norwegian Rian Cochran. The pair met whilst working at Nigerian fintech unicorn OPay, incubated by Norwegian browser provider Opera.  Fuelled by fresh funding, LemFi now looks to add new features and expand to new countries, said Olalere. No doubt part of LemFi’s popularity is that it advertises zero transaction fees. Well, unless you live in China, India, or Pakistan. The company also makes revenue on foreign currency exchanges. Its business model is dependent on volume, making small profits on numerous transactions while staying competitive for users seeking low-cost international money transfers. LemFi is far from alone in the increasingly crowded remittance fintech market. Perhaps the most well-known is US-based Remitly, which went public in 2021. Other contenders include startups Zepz and Taptap Send, both of which are based in London.      source

Eindhoven-based startup Photon IP has raised €4.75mn in seed funding as it looks to scale up its unique method for creating energy-efficient photonic chips.   AI systems, data centres, fibre-optic networks, and even some sensors rely on photonic chips to send and receive information using light. These chips are a big deal because they’re faster and use less energy than typical semiconductors, which transfer data through electricity.  But to make these high-performance, light-speed chips you need special compounds called III-V materials, such as indium phosphide.  “These materials are relatively scarce and expensive though, so the industry has been looking at ways of using silicon, leveraging all the scale and capability from the world of electronics,” Photon’s CCO John Anderton told TNW. Showcase your startup at TNW Conference Get noticed. Build brand awareness. Connect with the industry players who can help turn your big idea into the next big thing. However, combining III-V materials with silicon on one single chip is, simply put, bloody difficult. That’s exactly where Photon has found an attractive market opportunity.   Founded in 2022, the startup has developed a way to integrate III-V materials and silicon onto a single chip that can handle light better, use less power, and be mass-produced for things like faster internet, smarter AI systems, and high-precision sensors.    “There are many companies making photonic chips, but the challenge is finding the best way to combine and integrate these materials onto a single chip,” said Anderton. “We bring to market a unique, revolutionary technology that allows us to deliver the lowest energy use and the best performance while being scalable.”  Photon is fabless, meaning it outsources the chipmaking to established manufacturers, who make the chips to the startup’s specifications. The commercial value lies in Photon’s secret sauce. Amsterdam-based deep tech VC Innovation Industries led Photon’s seed round, with participation from Faber and the Brabant Development Agency. The venture arm of PhotonDelta, a photonics industry body based in Eindhoven, was the fourth and final investor. Photon IP has already secured €2mn in grant funding from the European Innovation Council. Today’s seed round is its second injection of private equity, following a €1.1mn investment in 2022 led by Polish early-stage photonics investment firm Vigo Ventures.   Photon told TNW it will use the fresh funding to grow its team as it looks to announce its first photonic chip products later this year.  source

TNW has strengthened its support for European tech by adding ecosystems expert Yeni Joseph to the management team. Yeni has also started a new role as Head of Ecosystem Strategy and Partnerships.  The appointment brings extensive expertise to TNW’s leadership — and fresh ideas.  “TNW has a long-standing track record of catalysing innovation,” says Yeni. “We now want to focus on going from legacy to measurable impact.” Yeni’s work will shape TNW’s influence within the world of tech. Her strategies will support the company’s mission to elevate high-potential startups. To meet this objective, Yeni will foster industry communities, identify emerging trends, and engage key stakeholders. She will also integrate the TNW Conference 2025 themes — Growth & Venture, The Next in Tech, and Enterprise Innovation — into ecosystem initiatives.  The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! Yeni wants her work to shift the sector’s priorities. “It’s no longer just about company growth,” she says. “It’s about driving innovation, sustainability, and inclusion across the ecosystem as a whole.” To amplify TNW’s contribution, Yeni will tighten alignment with the company’s events and media. She will also lead several major programs. Chief among them is the Assembly, an exclusive gathering of policymakers and business leaders at TNW Conference. Attendees of the event will discuss actionable solutions to key tech policy developments.  Themes for the Assembly’s 2025 edition include defence tech — a timely pick with the NATO Summit arriving in Amsterdam one week later. European competitiveness is also on the agenda. Another program underway is Tech5 — a ranking to showcase leading scaleups from across Europe. The awards will be announced during TNW Conference 2025. Previous winners include Hopin, Too Good To Go, and Wolt. Yenni brings a wealth of experience to her new position. She has spent a decade at the intersection of tech and government policy, enjoying success in both the public and private sectors. Her resume boasts eye-catching roles at numerous industry leaders. It includes spells at StartupAmsterdam, the NLdigital trade association, and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, where she led the Netherlands’ Taskforce for Diversity and Inclusion in the digital industry. In 2020, Yeni joined TNW. She was previously Head of Ecosystems and Public Policy and the Dutch Startup Visa Facilitator — a role she will continue alongside her new position. Yeni’s work at TNW revolves around a core objective. “We empower the startups shaping the future, knowing that our success and relevance are strongly influenced by their growth and achievements.” source

Fifty of the fastest-growing tech firms in the Netherlands are in Las Vegas this week. The crew crossed the Atlantic to attend CES — the world’s biggest tech show. By their side is economic affairs minister Dirk Beljaarts, who’s on a mission to promote Dutch innovation. So is TNW. We’ve partnered with the Consumer Trade Association — which organises CES — on its annual Match program at the event. The in-person meetings connect startups with investors and corporate venture arms. TNW has also checked out the Dutch delegation at CES. Here are seven members of the tech team that caught our eye. 1. SunLED The sun is shining in Vegas, but the skies in Europe are pretty dark and grey in January. SunLED wants to brighten up our lives. The company develops near-infrared light technology that’s proven to improve mental and physical health. The system integrates with computer screens, car interiors, and lamps. 2. DeepSleep The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! After you’ve enjoyed a bright day, DeepSleep can offer you a restful night. The startup’s wearables analyse brainwaves to predict upcoming neural activity. They then deliver gentle sensory stimuli to enhance deep sleep waves. In tests, 64% of users reported improved sleep quality, while 78% said their daytime fatigue had decreased. 3. OrthoFoodie Another startup planning to boost our health is OrthoFoodie. The company’s app tracks your diet with a unique food analyser. After scanning a product’s barcode, users can instantly log nutritional data into a daily food diary. The app also offers personalised advice on your daily macro and micro needs.  4. Medical-X Self-care is all well and good, but sometimes we need healthcare from trained professionals. Enter Medical-X. Based in Arnhem, the company develops humanoid robots for medical training. Medical-X describes the droids as “the world’s most realistic, advanced, and customisable patient simulators.” 5. Whispp Leiden-based Whispp has targeted another healthcare issue. The startup has launched an app for people with voice disabilities and severe stutters. Powered by AI, the system converts impaired speech into a clear and natural voice of the user’s choice — without any delay. Time Magazine named Whispp one of the best inventions of 2024. Credit: Whispp 6. Addoptics Better sight is also on offer at CES. Rotterdam-based Addoptics plans to boost our vision in augmented reality by developing prescription lenses for AR glasses. The lightweight lenses are customised to fit any shape of smart frame. They could also boost adoption of AR. 7. Flowbeams Flowbeams has pioneered another path to better health: needle-free injections. Using a laser, the company first heats the relevant liquid. The process creates a micro-bubble, which propels a thin jet through the skin for quick absorption in the body. Besides addressing needle-phobia, the tech could reduce infection risks and hazardous waste. All this new medtech has made us optimistic about our New Year’s resolutions for a healthier life. Yet our top seven is just a taste of the Dutch treats at CES. You can check out all 50 members of the delegation here. source

French upstart Circular has unveiled a fresh challenge to Oura — the current lord of the smart rings. Circular has just released a new smart ring that offers two key advantages over Oura, which currently dominates the global market for the trendy wearables, which monitor your health metrics and display the info on an app.      Dubbed the Circular Ring 2, it’s a quantum leap forward from its predecessor, the Circular Slim, which The Verge described as a product that held “a lot of promise” but executed on “almost none of it.” Firstly, Circular has swapped the plastic shell in the old ring for titanium which is available in four finishes: black, silver, gold, and rose gold. The ring’s sensors have been given a complete overhaul, resulting in more accurate readings, the company said.  The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! Circular has also scrapped the USB charger for a wireless charging dock. The Ring 2’s battery life lasts up to an impressive eight days, one more day than the Oura Ring. However, the main innovation — a first for smart rings — is the addition of an FDA-cleared atrial fibrillation (AFib) sensor that reads the electrical activity of your heart, including the rate and rhythm.  As a result, Circular goes on to call its new ring a “discreet heart health companion.” It’s a bit cheesy, but the AFib sensor could provide a warning of an incoming stroke or heart attack — so the tagline has some substance.   Circular has also introduced a potentially game-changing digital sizing process. Instead of having to purchase a physical sizing kit prior to buying a smart ring, Circular allows you to measure your finger directly from your phone.  “This isn’t just a wearable,” said Amaury Kosman, Circular’s co-founder and CEO. “It’s a statement piece that empowers our users to take control of their wellness without compromising on style.” While the Ring 2 is a complete upgrade, the company has done away with a haptic motor that served as a vibrating alarm clock in the first iteration.   The Circular Ring 2 is expected to launch via a crowd-funding campaign in mid-to-late January before shipping in March with a starting price of $380. That’s a bit pricier than the Oura Ring 4 ($349). However, unlike Oura’s, the Circular ring is available subscription-free. While Circular’s new smart ring sounds great on paper, it remains to be seen whether it can pull it off and produce reliable devices at scale. If it does prove a success, that won’t necessarily be a bad thing for Oura though. The Finnish company receives a royalty fee for all Circular rings sold in the US, based on a multi-year patent infringement agreement signed last year. Ouch. source

From bricklaying robots to zero-carbon cement, startups are shaking up construction in a high-tech bid to build better, greener structures.  One of these early-stage ventures is Finland-based Aisti. Founded in 2019, the company has come up with a way to make acoustic tiles that are “carbon-negative.” Acoustic panels are a common construction material used to reduce noise and improve sound quality in buildings. Aisti has raised €29mn in a mix of VC and debt funding to build its first industrial-scale factory in Kitee, a small town about four hours northeast of Helsinki.  The startup plans to bring the tiles to market in the second half of 2026 and has already signed multiple offtake agreements with customers in the construction industry, it said.  Showcase your startup at TNW Conference Get noticed. Build brand awareness. Connect with the industry players who can help turn your big idea into the next big thing. Buildings alone are responsible for almost 40% of global emissions, so decarbonising construction is a critical piece of the sustainability puzzle.  Most acoustic tiles today are made from fibreglass, mineral wool or polyurethane, a type of plastic. Aisti’s panels, however, are made from wood fibres, which are sourced from sustainable timber or waste paper.  “Our production process is very resource-effective,” founder and CEO Mikko Paananen told TNW. “If every single acoustic tile in the world were manufactured with our technology, the need for wood fibres would be 700,000 tons annually which represents only the production of one medium-sized pulp mill.”  Aisti mixes the wood fibres with water and foaming chemicals similar to what is used in toothpaste. This forms a foam that is then moulded into squares and dried to make the finished tile. “The wood fibres stick together with natural hydrogen bonds, so no additional binders are needed making the material very light,” explained Paananen, adding that the company will be able to make the panels at a similar pricepoint to conventional mineral wool tiles.  Aisti’s patented material can also be adapted for use as thermal insulation, packaging materials, and composites.   “We aim to first serve the Nordic market, meeting the growing demand for more natural building solutions in the region,” said Paananen. “We’re thrilled to have strong support from investors and other partners as we embark on this next growth phase and bring our product to market.”  Technology for the built environment is set to attract $24bn in VC investment in 2024 as the sector outperforms key tech verticals like climate tech and fintech, according to the State of Built World Tech report released this week.   Aisti’s funding round attracted notable early-stage investors including Voima Ventures, Maki.vc, and Valve Ventures. Part of the funding includes non-equity financing, including a €5mn loan from Norion Bank, a €7mn public grant from the South Savo ELY Centre and a €8.5mn capital loan from the Finnish Climate Fund.   “We are proud to support Aisti in its mission to revolutionize acoustic solutions with sustainable, high-performance materials,” said Pirkka Palomäki, partner at Maki.vc, a Helsinki-based deep tech fund. “This funding milestone marks not only the start of an exciting growth phase but also a transformative step for the construction industry as a whole.” source