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It’s been a great year for the Dutch startup ecosystem.  Venture capitalists have, so far, invested $3.5bn into Netherlands-based early-stage companies, according to Dealroom data. That makes 2024 Dutch tech’s second-best funding year ever, surpassed only by 2021. Dutch startups have raised almost 50% more ($1.1bn) cash this year than in 2023 — and there are still two weeks to go. It’s a striking uptick, especially considering the rather muted funding environment in broader Europe, which is on course for its worst year since 2020.   The Netherlands stands to be Europe’s fourth best-funded ecosystem for 2024. It ranks two places higher than last year, beating out Sweden and Switzerland. Unsurprisingly, the UK will clinch the top spot, with $17bn raised so far. Germany is second at $7.9bn, while France is coming in at a close third with $7.7bn.  So, with that in mind, here are the 10 largest funding rounds that made 2024 such a lucrative year for the Dutch startup ecosystem. (Disclaimer: For this list, we count all early-stage companies headquartered in the Netherlands, not necessarily founded there).   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! 1. Nebius — $700M This was a whopper. The startup, which builds full-stack AI infrastructure for tech firms, secured the equity in December in a deal led by Nvidia, Accel, and other blue-chip investors. 2. Picnic — $388mn   The Dutch online supermarket unicorn bagged the funding in January to fuel its international expansion, as it looks to become a profitable grocery delivery service (which has proven bloody difficult for most).     3. Nearfield Instruments — $147mn  The Rotterdam-based company makes advanced tools for inspecting computer chips during manufacturing, adding to the Netherlands’ wealth of semiconductor success stories.  4. Mews  — $110mn Cha-ching! We have a new unicorn in the house. More accurately, in our house, seeing as Mews is based at TNW City in Amsterdam. The startup, which provides a cloud-based property management system (PMS) for the hospitality industry, raised $110mn in March at a valuation of over $1.2bn. Then in September, it bagged another $100mn.  Now that’s great Mews.  5. DataSnipper — $100mn Cha-ching, again! DataSnipper, which makes AI-powered accounting tools, raised $100mn in February at a $1bn valuation making it the Netherlands’ second newly minted unicorn for 2024.   6. Citryll — €89mn  The biotech company is developing treatments for inflammatory diseases. It will use the Series B funding to bring its lead product, CIT-013, into Phase 2a clinical trials. 7. Cradle — $73M Founded in 2022, Cradle uses generative AI to design and optimise proteins, aiming to reduce the time and cost associated with protein engineering. The Amsterdam-based startup wants to put its software “into the hands of a million scientists.” 8. Axelera AI — $68mn The Eindhoven-based startup is developing chips, known as AI processing units (AIPUs), that enable computer vision and generative AI in devices like robots and drones. The funding round was led by Samsung’s venture arm. For a chip startup, that’s not a bad investor to have onboard.  9. Payt — $58mn Payt Software’s AI-powered platform streamlines the debt collection process through automated invoicing. Not exactly ‘sexy’ tech, but the startup’s product is used by over 13,000 businesses in the Netherlands alone so it must be doing something right.  10. Vico Therapeutics — $56mn  Founded in 2019, Vico is developing therapies for severe neurological diseases. The company is the third health tech startup on this list and for good reason — the Netherlands has established itself as one of the world’s leading hubs for biotech and life sciences.   Overall, the Dutch startup ecosystem has proven its resilience and strength in 2024, achieving remarkable growth despite broader challenges in the European funding environment. Particualrly standout performances come from the sectors of biotech, AI, and semiconductors. As we look ahead, these funding successes position the country’s startups for even greater global impact going into 2025. source

December is a good time to think about your next career move. Your colleagues may be on a go-slow when it comes to getting projects over the line ahead of the Christmas holiday period, but for those with an eye on 2025’s job-hunting prize, this month can be a really fruitful time to look for a new opportunity. Bonnie Dilber, who is a recruiting leader at Zapier and an HR influencer on TikTok, explains why, based on her nine-plus years of hiring experience. “Basically you have a situation at the end of the year where companies may have fewer roles posted, but they’re generally really urgent about closing out the ones they have posted, and you have less competition.” 5 jobs to discover all across Europe now Senior Fullstack Developer (m/w/d), Eberlein Kunz, Berlin Software Engineer, Staal Verbind B.V., Amersfoort Développeur Python, Alter Solutions, Paris Cloud Software Architect / Developer (all genders), Mazars GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin Outsystems Developer, TIP Group, Amsterdam “Budgets turn over at the end of the year and some companies are set up so if they don’t make that hire within the fiscal year, then they lose that budget. So they’re going to want to close out the roles that they have opened.” How Startup Amsterdam Boosts Innovation and Growth at TNW Conference Discover how the City of Amsterdam partnered with TNW to amplify its startup ecosystem, attract global talent, and foster innovation that drives economic impact. Dilber also explains why competition is diluted as the festive season approaches. “A lot of candidates actually opt out of interviewing at this time of the year. Folks who are employed have end of year bonuses, they may have shares that are vesting. Often they’re not wanting to start a new job until sometime like February or March.” Armed with this intel, what can you do to accelerate your 2025 career aspirations ahead of the pack? And when it comes to the best cities for software developers in Europe, where should you focus your attention? Strong tech performers Your mind might go to the big tech hubs of London, Berlin and Paris first. These cities are always in demand, and according to Startup Genome’s most recent Global Startup Ecosystem Report, London reigns supreme. The total value of London’s tech ecosystem was $621.5 billion in 2023. It’s home to 103 unicorns and has seen an 800% rise in VC investment over the past decade. In fact, VCs invested $12 billion in London in 2023. When it comes to Berlin, the picture is also rosy. The German government is investing heavily in the sector, and in 2023 launched Growth Fund Germany, a $1.76 billion pool of funds for investment in German VCs. In the same year, it launched a DeepTech & Climate Funds initiative, allocating $1.76 billion to growth-stage companies in these two sub-sectors. Additionally, Berlin saw 468 startups founded in 2023, and interestingly 49% of all startup employees are non-German citizens, offering workers one of the most diverse workforces in the world. In Paris, the news is also positive. The French capital boasts more than 8,000 startups, as well as the world’s largest startup campus, Station F. French startups raised €8.3 billion in 2023, and France was notable in that it was one of just two European countries that had more fund closings in 2023 than 2022. As a result it is not surprising that software developers are increasingly drawn to these major European cities––not just for the work opportunities. Competitive salaries, vibrant tech ecosystems, innovation-first approaches and cultural attractions all figure too. 5 more software roles to consider GiS Platform Engineer (f/m/d), Uniper, Landshut BI Spezialist, Business Intelligence (m/w/d), ETERNA Mode GmbH, Passau Cloud Engineer, YoungOrange B.V., Utrecht West System engineer Datapower, belastingdienst, Apeldoorn Fullstack developer | SaaS, Haystack People, Utrecht Tech cities to watch When it comes to the ones to watch, or the cities where developers may find interesting roles to flex their muscles at early stage companies, which cities and countries should they look to? Startup Genome’s report highlights Copenhagen as a top global fintech hub. In 2023, the Danish capital’s fintech startups secured the third most VC funding per capita among the top 10 European ecosystems. For developers proficient in creating forecasting models, developing trading algorithms, and building new apps and tools for customers, this city offers opportunities for those with Python, Java, C++, C#, Ruby, and SQL skills. And according to Levels, the median software engineering salary in Copenhagen is a cool €93,260, rising to €134.1K for highly experienced developers. Serbia is also experiencing a booming startup scene. Compensation is lower at a median figure of €60,619, but so is the cost of living. The cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad can offer developers exciting opportunities in gaming, blockchain, and life sciences. Investment in the country is on the increase with the report finding that the ecosystem saw $70 million in investments in 2023. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has also invested a record $846 million in Serbia, with China investing $2.18 billion in Serbian renewable energy too. In Italy, Turin is emerging as a burgeoning tech hub. Historically, it has been known as a centre for the automotive industry, but is now Italy’s second-largest city in terms of investment volume, recording $70.8 million across 60 funding rounds for its startups in 2023. Wages are modest here, at a median level of €36,474, but for developers interested in the areas of smart cities, AI, big data and analytics, as well as space tech, Turin is a city to consider. Budapest and Istanbul are also on the rise as tech hubs. Budapest is projected to outpace average EU growth with a 2.8% GDP increase in 2025, and has seen some excellent deals in the life sciences sector. Biotech firm Turbine’s cell simulation technology for cancer R&D secured a $6 million Series A in 2023, with VRG Therapeutics receiving a $5.5 million Series A the same year. In Istanbul, the startup sector

If you live in Europe and you use a neobank, you’ve likely been interacting with Upvest’s investment products without even knowing it. The Berlin-based startup runs a stock-trading API that integrates into some of the biggest fintechs in Europe — Revolut, N26, Bunq, Plum, Raisin, Shares and Vivid. Through these banks, some 50 million users have access use the company’s investment products, it said. Amid a broader neobank boom, Upvest today announced it has raised €100M in a Series C funding round led by Hedosophia and joined by Sapphire Ventures. Existing investors, Bessemer Venture Partners, BlackRock, Earlybird, HV Capital, Motive Ventures, and Notion Capital also chipped in.   “With the capital, we will conquer new markets, build exciting new products faster, and serve prime fintechs and financial institutions alike,” said Martin Kassing, CEO and co-founder of Upvest, pictured above. Kassing didn’t disclose an updated valuation but he did tell Sifted that it was twice the previous figure, following its $42mn raise in 2022. According to according to Dealroom data, that was $210m. So Upvest is likely valued at north of $400mn, going by founders calculations. 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! Armed with a cosy €100-mil, Upvest looks to double its 170-strong team and accelerate its expansion into the UK, a country where almost a third of the population already uses neobanks like Revolut, Starling, and Monzo. The company recently secured FCA approval, allowing it to integrate into British fintechs, banks, and wealth managers.  Young people are increasingly looking for simple ways to invest, and banks know it. However, building investment infrastructure from scratch is time-consuming and costly. Through Upvest, financial institutions can outsource the hard work, focusing on the mainstay of their operations.  Upvest’s software mainly facilitates stock trades but also offers access to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds. The company wants to expand into crypto, derivatives, ELTIFs (European Long-Term Investment Funds), and bonds in any currency.  In 2024, Upvest claims to have processed over 20 million stock orders. Recently, its platform has been facilitating 1 million trades per week, with revenues growing 25% per month on average, it said. Given the soaring popularity of challenger banks globally, we can expect to see Upvest double down on this rapid growth in the months and years to come.   source

British startup SatVu has secured £20mn (€24mn) to fuel the development of its hyper-accurate thermal imaging satellites that act like a thermometer for the whole planet.  The cash injection includes £10mn (€12mn) in equity from Spanish VC Adara Ventures and British tech-focused fund Molten Ventures. The remainder comes from an insurance payout, the startup said.  The funding will propel the launch of two new satellites in its HotSat constellation, which are scheduled to liftoff next year. The probes — HotSat-2 and HotSat-3 — will replace HotSat-1, SatVu’s first satellite, launched in 2023.  When HotSat-1 launched it was fitted with the world’s highest-resolution, commercial thermal sensor. The camera, developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), could deliver thermal data at a 3.5-meter resolution. 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! However, HotSat-1 suffered a major setback just six months into its mission when its sensor stopped functioning.  “The satellite was working fantastically, the data was great and the customers were super-excited. To trip up now is deeply frustrating but we’ve proved the principle and that puts us in a really strong position for the future,” Anthony Baker, SatVu’s founder and CEO, told BBC News at the time.  With HotSat-2 and HotSat-3 — and a fresh pot of funding — SatVu looks to stage a comeback.  Baker said the investment would help the startup accelerate its mission to deliver “unparalleled thermal insights” that empower industries and governments to take “decisive climate action.”  The company eventually plans to deploy a constellation of at least eight thermal imaging probes. SatVu’s technology has been dubbed “the world’s thermometer.” It provides near real-time heat maps of the Earth’s surface. With applications spanning national security, infrastructure monitoring, and climate resilience, the startup claims its technology could guide more targeted climate action and policy decisions. Baker, a satellite expert, founded SatVu in 2016. Headquartered in London, the company mainly comprises a tight-knit team of Earth observation and aerospace specialists. SatVu has raised a total of £64mn (€78mn) in funding to date.   The latest investment is the first from Adara Ventures’ Energy Fund. The Madrid-based VC set up the fund this year to invest in cutting-edge technologies that accelerate the energy transition in Europe. The fund has a target size of €120mn.  source

A police force in the UK is using Bluetooth tracking wristbands for people with dementia in a high-tech bid to keep them safe.   Starting this month, Avon and Somerset Police will start giving out Bluetooth wristbands for free to families. It’s part of a broader initiative to protect dementia patients, who often suffer from extreme memory loss and confusion as a result of the incurable condition. The wristbands are fitted with Tile, a popular tracking device similar to the Apple Airtag. Once the tag is attached to a patient, caregivers can track their location via a smartphone app. If the person strays too far, the app sends out an alert.   The Tile tags’ Bluetooth range is typically limited to a few hundred metres. However, the device can make a virtual “handshake” with other smartphones running the Tile app, to create a crowdsourced tracking network. Life360, the US firm that makes Tile, claims over 76 million people use its app globally.   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! Dementia is a growing problem globally, with over 55 million people currently living with the condition, according to the World Health Organisation.  The scheme was launched by Inspector Stuart King in 2015, following a rise in missing person incidents involving people living with the disease.  “The introduction of Bluetooth-enabled devices from Life360 and Tile is a significant step forward in safeguarding those living with dementia,” said Inspector King.  “These discreet and user-friendly devices not only offer reassurance to families but can be a critical tool in emergencies, enabling quick response and timely assistance,” he said.   Tile also incorporates QR code functionality. When the QR code on the back of the device is scanned, it allows the next of kin or carer to be contacted directly via phone or text.   Unlike GPS devices which need regular charging, the battery on the Bluetooth wristbands should last for about three years. The initiative comes amid a boom in health tech, as startups develop high-tech solutions everything from machines that help detect cancer to algorithms that fastrack the discovery of new drugs.  source

Baller League — a new six-a-side football league that has attracted support from legends like Ronaldinho, Gary Lineker, and Luis Figo — has raised $25mn from EQT Ventures as it looks to initiate a “new era” for the beautiful game.  German entrepreneur Felix Starck co-founded the Baller League last year alongside former players Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski. The founders wanted to change the way younger audiences engage, view, and interact with the world’s most popular sport.  The league, which is now expanding from Germany to the UK and the US, comprises shorter 30-minute matches that are available to stream on popular digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Amazon’s live-streaming service Twitch. “Sport is no longer as easy as just saying ‘look, we’re here now, come and watch us,’” said Starck. “That’s just not how sport works any more. It needs to be exciting, and it needs to be authentic. Those are the two words that we always use at Baller League.” Webinar: Unicorn DNA: The Blueprint for Scaling Success What does it take to build a unicorn? Top executives of unicorn companies reveal the mindset, strategies, and innovative thinking that propelled their companies to the top. Alongside some of the game’s biggest names, influencers Darren Jason Watkins Jr (KSI) and Olajide Olatunji (IShowSpeed) are also working with Baller League. The pair have a whopping 58 million YouTube subscribers between them.  KSI and IShowSpeed are set to lead the league’s newly set up UK and US chapters, respectively. Ronaldinho, Lineker, Figo and other prominent ex-players like John Terry, Alan Shearer and Freddie Ljungberg will serve as team presidents.  The Baller League live-streamed its first matches from a repurposed aeroplane hangar in Cologne. It has rapidly amassed nearly one million followers across digital platforms. This has made it Germany’s top Twitch channel and one of the global top five. Baller League UK is set to debut on 3 March 2025, with games held every Monday through 19 May. Matches will be live-streamed, with YouTuber Chunkz hosting a weekly show. Twelve teams will compete, with the top four advancing to the playoffs where they will battle it out to decide the season champion.  The Baller League drafts players from various backgrounds, including former academy players, free agents, and recently retired professionals or semi-professionals. Player trials will take place in London and Manchester.   Baller League is confident that the fast-paced gameplay will resonate with fans worldwide, many of whom grew up playing small-sided football on playgrounds and streets. “Baller League is bringing a loved sport back to its roots,” said Ashley Lundström, Partner at EQT Ventures, the Swedish venture capital firm that led the funding round.  Baller League is part of a new cohort of upstarts that are using influencers and social media to reach global, mainly younger, audiences. Earlier this year, former FC Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué raised €60mn for Kings League, a seven-a-side football competition.   As upstarts like Baller League and Kings League garner more fans, it remains to be seen how football’s establishment will react. The old guard may innovate within their own structures to retain younger audiences, a bit like how traditional banks responded to the rise of digital-savvy challenger banks like Revolut.  Either way, this “new era,”, looks to be here to stay. Let the games begin.     source

Microsoft probably needs no introduction. But in case you are not familiar with the Microsoft for Startups program, it is an initiative that provides free licences and Azure credits to selected software entrepreneurs over the course of three years.  Needless to say, its general manager, Hans Yang, is somewhat of an expert when it comes to identifying the ideas that will make it to market and that particular drive he calls “founder energy.”  “With some founders, it is immediate — you can see it right off the bat,” Yang tells TNW during an interview at the Red Bull Basement global final where he is acting as a judge. “A lot of times you can see the hustle, and you can see them describe their vision clearly and articulately.”  However, Yang adds that he thinks there are just as many cases of brilliant technical minds where all of the insight and depth is more contained inside their head. “They can express that in a product, or in application or service, but they don’t necessarily know how to express that to the outside world yet, and I think there is room for that kind of founder too.”   Webinar: Unicorn DNA: The Blueprint for Scaling Success What does it take to build a unicorn? Top executives of unicorn companies reveal the mindset, strategies, and innovative thinking that propelled their companies to the top. And how does one go about unlocking a founder like that? “It’s honestly just access,” Yang says. “Of course there’s access to technology and tools, but I think it’s also about access to expertise — to the right experts and mentors.”  Which is why competitions like Red Bull Basement, where finalists are offered workshops on how to craft a compelling pitch and business model, and other initiatives (such as the TNW Soonicorn summit) matter. “As Microsoft for Startups, we can go and give them credits, which gives them access to cloud compute and AI workloads, and can offset some of the cost,” Yang says.  “But we don’t necessarily have the opportunity to tell them ‘hey, when you pitch to an investor, make sure you’re leading with the size of the problem and the potential market opportunity that you’re going after, and how you’ve looked at the competition and you believe that your solution is better because it is faster, more efficient, more capable, etc’.”  Europe’s startup ecosystem just needs time Along with a mounting discourse around technological and digital “sovereignty,” the conversation in Europe has also revolved around how the continent’s startups are lagging behind its counterparts across the Atlantic.  Initiatives like EU Inc, which wants to create a pan-European legal entity to help startups expand and raise funds more easily throughout the bloc, lament the discrepancy in maturity between the US and EU ecosystems.  Even the reaffirmed Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in October this year that European companies “face way too many national barriers that make it hard to work Europe-wide, and way too much regulatory burden.”  Yang, however, is optimistic. He believes that, given time and as alumni from successful startups return to build companies in their home countries (such as France’s AI darling Mistral, founded by former DeepMind and Meta employees) the European tech startup ecosystem will mature to the level of that of the US — similarly to what has happened in Taiwan.  “There was a large movement to bring Taiwanese talent to the US,” Yang, who is of Taiwanese descent, says. “My parents both went to graduate school in the US, and they had many classmates who came from Taiwan, but then went back. And when you look at the semiconductor industry, much of that was built on the back of essentially boomerangs — folks that went to the US, but then came back to their home country.” When the Draghi report on the future of EU competitiveness was released in October this year, it named an “innovation gap” as one of the main culprits to the bloc’s trailing other areas. On a mission to close said gap, the EU has named its very first Commissioner for Startups, tasked with driving “ambition to put research and innovation, science, and technology at the centre” of the EU economy. This includes creating a “trusted” network of deep tech investors across the continent. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that the European ecosystem is behind from an innovation perspective,” Yang says. “I think when you talk about size and scale, yes, it’s true, but only because there’s been more cycles of venture investors investing in startups [in the US]. The ecosystem has just had more time to develop. So I think that Europe honestly just needs time to have the winners — which then spawn the next generation of winners after that.” source

Boston Dynamics’ robot dog “Spot” has become somewhat of an internet sensation, no doubt thanks to its (perhaps disturbingly) killer dance moves or displays of super-strength.    But Spot is far from the only robodog on the block. One of its competitors is ANYmal, an autonomous quadruped that’s impressively good at everything from parkour to climbing ladders.    Apart from doing tricks, ANYmal also has a real job. It does routine inspections in some of the toughest places on Earth. Think old nuclear power plants, abandoned mines, and offshore oil rigs.  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! Cameras, sensors and gas detectors act as the robodog’s eyes and nose — spotting obstacles, and potential safety hazards, and even sniffing out gas leaks. With its AI “brain,” it plans safe paths and knows where it’s been.  ANYmal is so good at its job, that some of the world’s biggest industrial companies — the likes of BP, Equinor, and Petrobas — have adopted it as part of their workforce.   ANYmal’s human master is ANYbotics, a company spun out from ETH Zurich in 2016. The startup has just raised $60mn to build more inspection robots and make them smarter.   Currently, close to 200 ANYmal’s are deployed at worksites across the world. As of last year, the company reported having more than $150mn in pre-orders. “This additional funding allows us to scale globally, enhance our AI-driven capabilities, and continue to deliver unmatched value to our customers across industries,” said Dr. Péter Fankhauser, the company’s co-founder and CEO.  ANYbotics recently opened an office in Silicon Valley to tackle the American market. This will put it into closer competition with Spot, which also does its fair share of industrial inspections.  The company said it is investing in software and hardware development, including new, built-in GPUs intended to make ANYmal faster at processing information, detecting anomalies and overall making it better at its job. ANYbotics trains its robot using AI computing from Nvidia.   This latest funding brings ANYbotics’ total raised to over $130mn. The round was led by Qualcomm Ventures and Supernova Invest, with participation from TDK Ventures and other new investors.     source

At TNW, we are all about supporting and elevating startups and entrepreneurs who are doing epic stuff with tech. When Red Bull reached out to talk about their innovation competition, my first thought was what on Earth do we have in common with an energy drink company that has people jumping off cliffs and surfing really large waves? Apart from fuelling — in different ways — founders and developers across the world, of course. (Although, I guess, building a company could be considered an extreme sport.) Next generation of innovation Turns out, when it comes to supporting young minds that could change the world with their ideas — quite a lot. Red Bull Basement is the beverage giant’s recurring innovation competition that, in the company’s words, “empowers the next generation of innovators to develop and launch outstanding ideas and disrupt today’s status quo.” The 2024 edition took place across 39 countries, and received over 110,000 submissions. Webinar: Unicorn DNA: The Blueprint for Scaling Success What does it take to build a unicorn? Top executives of unicorn companies reveal the mindset, strategies, and innovative thinking that propelled their companies to the top. The local winners were all flown out to Tokyo for a global final across three days over the past week. They got to take part in workshops on business modelling, utilising AI as a founder, creating a successful pitch, forming strategic partnerships, brand development, media relations, etc. Sophia Lick from Germany built an app to help athletes with their mental training. Credit: Suguru Saito / Red Bull Content Pool The top 10 got to pitch their ideas to the panel of global judges — and an auditorium of a few hundred people — on the 45th floor, in front of a backdrop of Tokyo lit up at night. The prize for the global winner was an all-expenses-paid three-week trip to San Francisco to be mentored by Silicon Valley-based Plug and Play VC. Building something bigger than oneself Part of the appeal for us as a media organisation was of course access to the judges, including Head of Microsoft for Startups Hans Yang, Plug and Play early-stage investor Letizia Royo-Villanova, and digital economy business mentor Jun Yuh, to pick their brains on how they identify winning startups and exceptional founders (and I did, all of which will follow in another article). However, what really moved me was the ingenuity, drive, and enthusiasm of the next generation of entrepreneurs. Ideas included a bone conduction device to help people with Parkinson’s walk more securely built by Cambridge student Jonathan Fisher, whose father suffers from the disease. “I figured, if something is important enough, you should try, even if the odds are against you, because you never know what will happen,” Fisher told TNW. Another device built by Stanford students in the US wants to give the visually impaired their sight back. There were also water-saving AI-supported gadgets from Greece and Egypt, wild-fire warning systems from South Africa, AI tools to help students connect with mentors and scholarship opportunities from Ireland and Spain or democratise access to high-level sports coaching from Belgium. Other innovations included early illness detection from Kosovo, brain fitness tracking from the Czech Republic, and an athlete mental training app from Germany — just to name a few.  Soi Gamayon beat over 110,000 submitted innovations to become the Red Bull Basement 2024 global winner with AgriConnect. Credit: Jason Hayako / Red Bull Content Pool The winner of the global final was Soi Gamayon from the Philippines with his AgriConnect startup. The AI-powered app, inspired by watching his uncle’s struggle farming rice, allows farmers to monitor their crops, build resilience, and increase their yield. “My purpose is really to build something bigger than myself,” said Gamayon. “I’m doing this for Filipino farmers. This wasn’t just about competing or winning. It’s about sharing moments and memories with people who are like-minded. I share this with all the other teams who are here.” Dutch finalist looking for the ‘positive side of tech’ The Dutch finalist, fresh out of graduate studies in Strategic Management at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, was Bram van Peursem, with an AI-powered app called Hubster. He made it all the way to the top 10. Based on his own experience of losing hours of precious time to mindless social media scrolling while managing his own schedule as a student, van Peursem designed Hubster to help people transform their phone usage from a time sink into motivation to act on the things they hope to achieve in life. Hubster, still under development, will let you enter the interests and ambitions that are currently most important to you. Van Peursem gives the examples of running a marathon, understanding more about tech stocks, and learning German. As you embark on a scrolling session that will surely end half an hour later with the yucky feeling of “but I was only going to check…” the app will instead prompt you with notifications such as “It’s currently great weather for a 5k recovery run,” “AMD just announced a chip update, read more about it here” and link to an article, or “Nutzen sie ihre zeit so optimal?” with your language learning app of choice.  The Netherlands’ Bram van Peursem wants his app to make people use tech for good in their lives. Credit: Jason Hayako / Red Bull Content Pool “It is really focused on making tech positive,” van Peursem told TNW. “Because I think we often forget that our phone is a tool which has all the information in the world, very accessible in your pocket, but nobody uses it like that.” The desire to build something has been there from the start. “I have always wanted to be a founder,” van Peursem, both of whose parents are entrepreneurs, says. “I’ve always had these ideas but I never really acted on them. And that was also the thing I was most scared about — I want to be an entrepreneur, but what

UK and Luxembourg-based startup Uplift360 has landed €1mn in pre-seed funding to scale up a greener method for recycling advanced materials like Kevlar. Uplift360’s patent-pending process breaks down Kevlar and other composites without compromising the integrity of the fibres and resins. These raw materials can then be reused to make new products. It does this using safe chemicals and at room temperature — making it greener and more energy-efficient than traditional methods, the startup claims.   “It’s a game-changer,” Sam Staincliffe, Uplift360’s co-founder and CTO, told TNW in an interview. “It means we can lower costs and recycle a wide range of advanced materials without the harmful impacts.” The process can also break down carbon fibre and glass fibre. Uplift360 will use the fresh funding to accelerate R&D, mature its technology and expand its team of scientists and engineers. Over the next 12 months, the company will set up its first concept demonstrator plant at its lab in Luxembourg, as it looks to woo potential customers, including DuPont: the American chemical conglomerate that first invented Kevlar.     Giving body armour a second life 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! Staincliffe, a defence tech expert, founded Uplift360 alongside Royal Airforce (RAF) veteran Jamie Meighan in 2021. Their mission was to help green the defence sector, which by one estimate contributes 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than Russia.  First, the founders considered recycling military uniforms until Dr Debra Carr, a textile scientist working for the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), suggested they look into body armour. More specifically, para-aramid fibres — aka Kevlar.    DuPont chemist Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar in 1965. The material, which is five times stronger than steel, is best known for stopping bullets, but it’s also found in planes, cars, boats and many other products.  Today, Kevlar vests are incinerated after around 5 years of use. They are never recycled. That’s partly because traditional recycling methods aren’t up to the task. Governments also don’t want body armour ending up in the wrong hands.    Either way, it’s a big sustainability problem. It can take over 37 kilograms of petrochemicals to make one kilogram of Kevlar, so making new ones all the time isn’t exactly good for the planet.  Burning Kevlar also doesn’t make economic sense. Para-aramid fibres cost 85 times as much per weight as steel. A single vest can cost up to €3000. This makes Kevlar “waste” pretty darn valuable.  ‘Matter of national security’ Last year, Uplift360 secured €600K in funding from the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), as the country’s Ministry of Defence looks for innovative ways to green its supply chain. It also wants to cut reliance on foreign powers for key materials.   “The defence industry in the UK and Europe has a pretty fragile supply chain,” said Staincliffe. “Recycling and reusing isn’t just about sustainability, it’s also a matter of national security.”    However, the startup’s first customers will likely not be the users of products like Kevlar, but the manufacturers of them. Uplift360 is already trialling its technology with DuPont and Teijin, a Japanese company specialising in high-performance fibres.  The aim is to build recycling facilities at these firms’ factories. The plants will take in old products and recycle them for reuse to make new ones. While Uplift360 is focusing on Kevlar recycling for now, the company plans to put its chemicals to work on a range of tough stuff in the future — from aircraft components to wind turbine blades. source