Databricks hits $5.4B revenue run rate and banks a $134B valuation in a rare software surge
Databricks hits $5.4B revenue run rate and banks a $134B valuation in a rare software surge

Databricks is having one of those years that most enterprise software companies would quietly envy. The data and AI platform says it has reached a $5.4bn annual revenue run rate, growing 65% year over year, at a time when growth across the sector has c…

The European Union has put €700 million into NanoIC
The European Union has put €700 million into NanoIC

The European Union has formally inaugurated NanoIC, a semiconductor pilot line backed by a €700 million investment under the European Chips Act. The facility aims to accelerate the development of advanced chip technologies and strengthen Europe’s posit…

India has changed its startup rules for deep tech

India is adjusting startup rules to help more of its deep tech startups with funding and long-term success.

Kembara closes €750M first close to fuel growth of European deep tech startups
Kembara closes €750M first close to fuel growth of European deep tech startups

 Europe’s largest dedicated deep tech growth fund has taken a major step forward after closing the first tranche of its fundraising effort at €750 million. The fund, known as Kembara Fund I and managed by Spain-based Mundi Ventures, is aiming for a €1 …

When the machines started talking to each other
When the machines started talking to each other

If cinema has taught us anything about interacting with our own creations, it’s this: androids chatting among themselves seldom end with humans clapping politely. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL 9000 quietly decides it knows better than the astronauts. I…

Synthesia’s valuation jumps to $4B after $200M raise
Synthesia’s valuation jumps to $4B after $200M raise

London-based AI video startup Synthesia has raised $200 million in a Series E round, nearly doubling its valuation to around $4 billion and cementing its position as one of Europe’s most valuable AI companies. The round was led by Google Ventures, with…

Engineering’s AI reality check
Engineering’s AI reality check

Most engineering leaders cannot answer the one question their CFO is about to ask: “Can you prove this AI spend is changing outcomes, not just activity?” Every December, roadmaps get locked, budgets get approved, and board decks are polished until ever…

Opinion: Europe’s VCs must embrace risk — or resign the AI era to US control
Opinion: Europe’s VCs must embrace risk — or resign the AI era to US control

Europe’s AI startups are losing ground to the US — and their own investors are to blame. Only 5% of global venture capital is raised in the EU, according to the European Commission. The US, by contrast, attracts more than half, while China takes 40%. Y…

VCs are growing wary of ‘AI-washing’ – but real innovation is still winning investors
VCs are growing wary of ‘AI-washing’ – but real innovation is still winning investors

Venture capital investment surged to a 10-quarter high of €108.3bn in Q1 2025, fuelled by artificial intelligence, which accounted for over  €44.6bn raised. In recent years, AI has felt like a money-printing machine. Investors, eager to avoid missing o…

Opinion: Trusting an unverified AI agent is like handing your keys to a drunk graduate
Opinion: Trusting an unverified AI agent is like handing your keys to a drunk graduate

AI agents are now being embedded across core business functions globally. Soon, these agents could be scheduling our lives, making key decisions, and negotiating deals on our behalf. The prospect is exciting and ambitious, but it also begs the question…