Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s dream of building a metaverse — an all-encompassing online world— gathered momentum this week when the company announced its intention to hire 10,000 workers in the European Union…
Climate Tech Funds Emerge at Record Pace, but Is It Too Late?
Global investors have already closed more climate-technology related funds in 2021 than the previous five years combined, according to PitchBook data. But the latest scientific report from the U.N. has raised fears…
Klarna Set for New Funding Round at $40 billion Valuation
Swedish fintech startup Klarna is reportedly close to securing a new round of funding that would value the company at more than $40 billion. Klarna offers a buy-now-pay-later service to retailers and…
Broadband Startup Isotropic Systems Gets $42m Injection from Aerospace Heavyweights
British broadband terminal startup Isotropic has won a $42 million funding round, which it says brings the firm closer to its first commercial product rollout. The round, led by satellite company SES,…
Germany’s Auto Giant Switches Focus to China NEV Market
Volkswagen, Germany’s largest company, knows where its future lies. The Wolfsburg-based giant, with quarterly revenues of $69 billion, has committed $91bn to electric vehicles (also shortened to NEVs, or new energy vehicles)…
Better Dairy Wins $2.2m to Scale its Animal-Free Dairy Produce
London-based Better Dairy, a startup using fermentation technology to produce dairy proteins, has secured a $2.17m to continue researching its solution and bring products to market by 2022. The seed round was…
Germany Blocks China Satellite Buy, Steps Up Corporate Defenses
Last week Germany blocked the sale of a satellite and radar firm to a Chinese state-backed buyer, the latest in a cooling of corporate relations between the two countries. China Aerospace and…
Israeli Tech Funding Booms in Pandemic’s Wake
Israel’s tech industry has received 23% more funding in 2020 than last year, as the world has clamored for its high-tech solutions. The rise, which follows a global boom in tech funding…
EC Premier von der Leyen: Europe will “Rewrite” Tech Regulation Rulebook
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has opened the Web Summit event by pledging to overhaul the way Brussels regulates the tech industry. Speaking on the first day of the influential…
Russian Banking Giant Sber Makes Massive Pivot to Tech
Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank and the 33rd-biggest on earth, has made a huge pivot to tech, as it bids to revamp its image for the digital age. Today the Moscow-headquartered firm inaugurated…