Five fast-rising scaleups from the DACH region have qualified for TECH5 — the “Champions League of Technology.” The DACH entrants fought off off stiff competition to reach the finals, which will crown the hottest scaleup in Europe. Comprising Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, DACH blends deep industrial roots, high R&D spending, elite research institutions, and a growing startup scene. Collectively, the three nations have created a regional tech powerhouse. Individually, each of them has unique strengths.  Germany leads with a booming startup scene in Berlin and a deep tech hub in Munich. The county also had Europe’s second-highest total VC investment last…

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After steering Dutch chip giant ASML to become Europe’s most valuable tech firm, Peter Wennink is now focused on the next frontiers of deep tech. Wennink has already been involved in numerous breakthroughs in the field. Over his 25-year career at ASML — including over a decade as CEO — the company laid foundations for countless deep tech innovations. Under his leadership, the business earned renown as the sole supplier and producer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. These systems are essential for manufacturing the world’s most advanced chips. They’ve become a crucial force in today’s AI boom, supporting everything…

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US biotech startup Colossal Biosciences has resurrected the dire wolf — or at least that’s what the company would like you to believe. Social media is abuzz with viral videos, memes, and images of fluffy white wolf puppies. The Game of Thrones references are — predictably — omnipresent. The news even made it to Time magazine’s latest cover.  But behind the hype lies a dangerous de-extinction delusion that could distract from proven solutions to the biodiversity crisis. The Trump administration is already using Colossal’s claims as an excuse to slash endangered species protections. First, let’s set something straight — Colossal…

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its first major report on the AI gold rush’s impact on global energy consumption — and its findings paint a worrying, and perhaps contradictory, picture.   Energy use from data centres, including for artificial intelligence applications, is predicted to double over the next five years to 3% of global energy use. AI-specific power consumption could drive over half of this growth globally, the report found. Some data centres today consume as much electricity as 100,000 households. The hyperscalers of the future could gobble up 20x that number, according to the IEA. By 2030, data…

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German startup ARX Robotics has announced plans to invest £45mn into a new UK facility, where it will build autonomous battlefield robots for deployment in war zones around the world. Located at an undisclosed site in southwest England, ARX expects the plant to produce 1,800 ground-based drones each year once up and running. ARX’s battlefield robots look like small tanks — but without guns. The vehicles drive around on treads and can be fitted with equipment such as radar, mine-sweeping devices, or medical stretchers.  The largest of ARX’s machines carries military payloads weighing up to 500kg — including injured soldiers —…

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