War is being redefined by technology. Drones now swarm where soldiers once marched, AI can detect threats faster than spies, and cyberattacks are disrupting critical infrastructure without a single shot fired. To prepare for the battles of tomorrow, NATO is turning to startups.  In June 2023, the Alliance launched DIANA, an initiative that funds and facilitates defence innovations. Across a network of over 200 accelerator sites and test centres, DIANA brings together universities, industry, and governments to work with startups on new defence capabilities. At the helm is Jyoti Hirani-Driver. A former counter-terrorism policy advisor for the British government, Hirani-Driver…

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Europe has a unique chance to lead in software — but only if it improves its ability to turn startups into profitable businesses. That’s the conclusion of a new report from McKinsey and Boardwave, which warns that unless the region tackles structural barriers, its startups will continue to lag behind global rivals. The report, Europe’s Moonshot Moment, found that the continent has over 280 software companies generating more than €100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). These scaleups include the likes of Spotify, Revolut, Adyen, and Vinted. However, European software businesses that reach the €100 million ARR threshold take 15…

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While Europe races to phase out fossil fuels and electrify everything from cars to heating systems, it’s turning a blind eye to a reliable and proven source of clean energy lying right beneath our feet.  Geothermal energy offers exactly what the continent needs most: clean, local, always-on power. Yet, it only accounted for 0.2% of power generation on the continent in 2024. Something needs to change. The recent blackout in Spain, triggered by a failure in the high-voltage grid, serves as a warning shot. While solar and wind are vital pillars of decarbonisation, they’re variable by nature. Without steady, around-the-clock…

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Remote-controlled robots could one day build giant solar farms in space, according to a recent trial in the UK. British startup Space Solar conducted the test at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) facilities on the University of Oxford’s Culham Campus, which hosts several fusion research initiatives. The company used two remotely operated robotic arms to assemble a section of the support structure for its future solar power satellite. The device aims to beam the Sun’s energy from space to Earth.  According to Space Solar, the trial proved that robotics can assemble gigawatt-scale solar power satellites. Sam Adlen, the startup’s…

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Earlier this month, the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur was abducted in Paris while walking his dog. The attackers, wearing balaclavas, forced him into a van, later severing one of his fingers and sending a video of the mutilation to his son alongside a demand for millions of euros in ransom. The incident joined a growing list of violent crimes in France linked to crypto wealth. Victims have included a prominent entrepreneur and his wife who were held hostage, a man doused in petrol, and a child targeted in an attempted abduction. As fear spreads within France’s crypto community,…

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