Jacqueline van den Ende, CEO of Carbon Equity, believes we have already passed the climate transition tipping point: “Last year, 90% of all new electricity production worldwide came from renewable sources, i.e. generated via solar, wind, or water. Meanwhile, China is actually ahead of its climate goals compared to other countries,” she said. This isn’t a sign to let up; if anything, van den Ende believes we need more investment into climate tech solutions that will help accelerate the transition and make clean energy accessible across the globe. Yet, European climate tech funding sunk to a five-year low in Q1…This story continues at The Next Web

Founders’ takes is a new series featuring expert insights from tech leaders transforming industries with artificial intelligence. In this edition, Steven Kleinveld, founder of applied AI lab Skylark, argues that vibe coding won’t replace developers — it’ll upgrade them. There’s been a lot of talk lately that AI is going to replace developers. With the rise of tools that let you prompt your way into building apps, people are starting to wonder: “Are developers even still needed?” The short answer: yes — more than ever. The hype around no-code and “vibe coding” makes it seem like anyone can build a solid MVP…This story continues at The Next Web

As an American born and raised in New York City, I’ve seen the power of US entrepreneurialism to change the world. The ambition, ingenuity, and relentless drive that have powered the country’s economy for generations have also been a global force for prosperity, stability, and innovation. Yet now the US is retreating into an aggressive and unpredictable form of unilateral bullying. I am deeply concerned — not just for America, but for the world.  For the past few years, I’ve watched these developments from Europe. I’ve settled with my family in the Netherlands, where I work as CEO of cultivated…This story continues at The Next Web

Private equity deals hit an all-time high in 2021, peaking at a total value of more than $1tn, with an average deal size exceeding $1bn for the first time. Founders were media darlings, valuations soared, and investors raced to get a piece of the action.   By 2023, many of those same companies — such as Klarna and Stripe — had lost billions in value. Klarna’s valuation plummeted by 85% from its 2021 peak of $45.6bn to $6.7bn in 2022. Stripe also fell dramatically, from $95bn in 2021 to $50bn in 2023.   Fast forward to today, and even more tech companies…This story continues at The Next Web

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: who’s actually supervising them? Over half (51%) of companies have deployed AI agents, and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has targeted a billion agents by the end of the year. Despite their growing influence, verification testing is notably absent. These agents are being entrusted with critical responsibilities in sensitive sectors, such as banking and healthcare, without proper oversight. AI agents require…This story continues at The Next Web

Watching robots awkwardly flop around, cause robot body pile-ups on the soccer field, and accidentally lose their heads while taking part in a 1500-metre sprint at the first Robot Humanoid Games in China was not only entertaining, it was a reminder of just how far robotics has come — and how far it still has to go. While humanoid robots still struggle to walk across a stage, in other corners of the world automation is quietly revolutionising industries. At Picnic Technologies, the Netherlands’ fastest growing online supermarket, robots are compiling your grocery orders so delivery ‘shoppers’ can get them from…This story continues at The Next Web

Vibe coding is redefining who can build software. By enabling code generation through natural language prompts, it’s quickly gained traction among startups and indie developers. But the biggest opportunity lies ahead: the enterprise.   The rapid rise of Lovable — which recently raised a $200mn Series A at a $1.8bn valuation — illustrates the remarkable progress of vibe coding. Having backed the Swedish startup at the seed stage, I see this as just the beginning. What’s next? A fundamental upheaval of who can build software — a cultural shift set to transform entire industries.     The vibe coding revolution The disruptive power of…This story continues at The Next Web

The European space industry is booming. Yet despite the boom, the industry is struggling to find commercial buyers for arguably its most valuable output: data.  At the Living Planet Symposium 2025 in Vienna, the European Space Agency (ESA) and private sector leaders laid out Europe’s bold space ambitions and called for increased cooperation to address deep commercial gaps. Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, highlighted one key focus. “Earth observation within the European Space Agency is a major priority,” he said. ESA has had recent successful missions. Its miniature satellite Φsat-2, for example, has started transmitting high-definition images back to Earth…This story continues at The Next Web

A new pocket-sized Starlink alternative promises secure military communications — safe from interference by billionaire CEOs. The system, named the RU1, was unveiled today by Swedish startup TERASi. It’s billed as the world’s smallest and lightest mm-Wave radio, a form of communications that offers blazing-fast speeds and huge bandwidth. James Campion, the CEO and co-founder of TERASi, describes the portable device as “the GoPro of backhaul radios.” “RU1 can be deployed in minutes to keep units connected in fast-changing environments,” Campion told TNW. The devices, he continued, can be installed on tripods or drones. Multiple RU1s can then link into…This story continues at The Next Web

A decade ago, startups often equated success with rapid headcount growth. The formula was simple: build a product, raise a round, hire fast. Bigger teams meant bigger bets. But the rulebook is getting rewritten as a new generation of startups scales with leaner teams and fewer people. They’re not building out sprawling customer support or sales teams, and seem to be automating what once warranted entire departments. Their growth is quite remarkable. Cursor, which became the fastest-growing SaaS company in history, generated $200mn in revenue with 30 employees. Midjourney made $200mnn with 40. Ben Lang’s site Tiny Teams tracks these…This story continues at The Next Web