Danish startup Landfolk has launched a visual search engine for holiday homes. Named Daisy, the feature invites users to search for their dream destinations. They can enter endless prompts, from “a luxurious room overlooking the ocean” to “a cosy cabin in the mountains.” After ingesting a query, the feature spits back images linked to properties on the platform. Users can then click-through for further details on the home. Landfolk believes the tool is the first visual search engine in the travel industry. The startup expects it to inspire not only holiday choices, but also home design ideas. Chris Sørensen, Landfolk’s…

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Dutch-Nordic carbon capture startup Paebbl has raised $25mn as it looks to turn the sector that uses the bulk of the world’s mined materials — the built environment — into a permanent sink for the world’s most potent greenhouse gas — CO2.  Berlin-based VC Capnamic led the round, with participation from the likes of Amazon and German cement industry giants Holcim and Goldbeck. Paebbl will use the fresh funds to expand its offices in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Rotterdam, where its pilot plant is located.   In June, we visited the facility, discreetly hidden amid the sprawling docks, warehouses, and factories of…

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Private capital investment in Belgian startups has exceeded €470mn in the first half of 2024, compared to a total of €424mn in 2023. At the current rate of spending, the country’s tech ecosystem is heading for a record funding year. That’s according to the State of Belgian Tech Report, published today. It combines data from Dealroom, a survey of over 130 startup founders, and interviews with Belgian entrepreneurs and investors. According to the findings, the average amount of investment per round per stage has steadily increased between 2018 and 2024 to date. It has tripled at the seed and Series…

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 Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s special episode, we’re featuring a conversation between the TNW Podcast co-host Andrii Degeler and our old friend, former colleague, and current freelance contributor, Callum Booth, about the future of publishing — particularly in the space of tech journalism, but also in general. This fireside chat was recorded with live audience at Rome Startup Week. Music and sound engineering for this podcast…

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OpenAI is opening new offices in Paris and Brussels as the ChatGPT maker accelerates its global expansion plans. The new sites increase the company’s European presence to four offices. They join London, which began OpenAI’s international expansion in 2023, and Dublin, which became the firm’s first EU base a few months later. Alongside the European hubs, OpenAI is also launching new offices in New York City, Seattle, Paris, Brussels, and Singapore. Job openings at all the sites will be listed here. For OpenAI, the European locations offer diverse attractions. The company has praised London for its “vibrant technology ecosystem” and “exceptional…

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