Aerospike rocket engines are the stuff of legend in the space industry. Conceived in the 1960s, their unique spiked-nozzle design promises better efficiency, reusability, and performance at all altitudes. But their complexity — and the shutdown of major space programmes towards the end of the 20th century — meant they never entered the mainstream.  But now, startups are dusting off old designs and using new technologies to revive aerospike engines for modern spaceflight. One of these ventures is Spain’s Pangea Aerospace. Founded in 2018, Pangea has been operating under the radar for most of its seven-year history. But today, the…

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Oslo-based startup Visoid has raised €700,000 in seed funding for its AI software, which helps architects turn their 3D models into striking renders within seconds.  For architects and designers, a good render can mean the difference between winning or losing a client. However, rendering typically requires a lot of time, effort, expertise — and money. Tools like Visoid look to disrupt the status quo. “What started as a simple tool for architects to generate beautiful visualisations has led us on a journey to simplify and democratise the visualisation process itself,” said co-founder Joachim Holwech. Here’s how the software works:  You…

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Another star footballer has joined a startup’s lineup. Portugal’s Diogo Dalot is the latest recruit, teaming up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo to back personalised supplement pioneer Bioniq. Dalot has invested €1mn in the company, which has developed an innovative approach to nutrition. Founded in 2019, Bioniq analyses blood test biomarkers to create customised supplements for athletes. The recipes are created by an algorithm trained on over 6 million biochemical data points. According to Bioniq, the system can generate over 10 million combinations of nutrient granules, each tailored to the specific needs and goals of each customer. Dalot has received his own personalised formula,…

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Dutch unicorn Mews will most likely list in the US instead of in Europe if the hospitality management company goes public, its CEO and co-founder Matthijs Welle told TNW.  “An IPO is one of the options that we would consider for the future, and if we were to go down that route, a listing in the US is the most likely option, although it is too early to specify further details regarding a potential listing,” Welle said. “Most other vertical SaaS companies, who are comparable to us, are listed in the US, where there are deeper capital markets and a…

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Irish startup Equal1 has unveiled the world’s first quantum computer that runs on a hybrid quantum-classical silicon chip.  Dubbed Bell-1 — after quantum physicist John Stewart Bell — the computer weighs around 200kg and plugs into a regular electrical socket. The rack-mountable machine is designed to simply slot into high-performance computing (HPC) data centres alongside standard servers.  Equal1’s CEO Jason Lynch told TNW that combining quantum technology with today’s most advanced classical processors offers the fastest route to a quantum computer capable of potentially world-changing calculations.  The potential applications are endless. Quantum computers have the potential to solve complex problems…

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