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2019
TIPS: Europe finally gets its own payment system
The European Central Bank is offering a payment system to compete with digital services and credit card companies. European start-ups could benefit from it.
A new way of mapping
Artisense develops a 3D-vision technology for autonomous cars and robots to navigate effectively.
Circular economy: still a long way to go
Recycling and refurbishment are still rare in Europe’s economies. Platforms like Refurbed offer a first contact to a more sustainable approach.
Watch out for
e-scooters!
They’re cheap, quick and convenient – but will the business model for e-scooter sharing hold up?
“We can revolutionise pest management”
A Danish start-up has created products that can replace chemical pesticides.
The high value of mealworms
Ynsect is the leading manufacturer of insect-based protein. The start-up is launching its fourth funding round to build a new factory.
Start-ups: how to build a good prototype
To convince investors and customers, start-ups need to build a good prototype. How best to tackle this important step?
2018
“Eindhoven is a clear hotspot for photonics”
How to expand an R&D company into production? The CEO of a photonics start-up explains.
Three hot hubs in Eastern Europe
Krakow, Vilnius and Moscow have become centres for dynamic starts. What do they offer?
Finding fraudsters using genomic analysis
The Swiss startup OrphAnalytics uses genomics to detect academic fraud and authenticate documents.
How to make threads “green”
French start-up Hopaal has found a way to recycle textiles and even plastic bottles to manufacture environmentally friendly clothing.
Riding the EdTech wave
Start-ups are moving into educational technology. Some offer university courses while others advance company training by designing video games.
Fair phone vs. iPhone
The Fairphone is a smartphone built with “ethical” components. Now it hopes to compete with the iPhone.
Meet Celonis, Munich’s first unicorn
Munich-based start-up Celonis helps companies refine their everyday processes.
At the cutting edge of language tech
European universities and start-ups are developing translation tools that have become popular the world over.
Managing the new world of transport
Anticipating a decline in car ownership, start-ups like Bestmile and Amber plan to power seamless on-demand services.
Putting people back at the heart of banking
With robo-advisors and improved regulation, machine learning could make financial systems friendlier and more rewarding.
The financial repairman
By providing regulators with better tools, Mathieu Rosenbaum hopes to create healthier markets.
The technology that helps women get pregnant
Swiss start-up Ava’s wristband collects data on fertility. The goal: to help couples have a baby.
Finally, intelligent dolls
The days when Barbie thinks only about what to wear are over. Smart-Gurlz has designed a doll to teach young girls about computer programming.
Fun and games in Finland
Formerly home to industry giant Nokia, the country is now a leading player in mobile phone game apps. Here’s a look at what it will take to keep winning.
“People just forget to take their medicine”
Edwin Hermkens is cofounder of MedApp, a Dutch start-up created in 2015 to help patients remember to take their medication. He explains how they do it.
Sharing artfully
WeTransfer is a Dutch start-up expanding into the US and into mobiles, while remaining faithful to its user base: the creative scene. The new CEO explains his strategy.
From telephones to cardiac diseases
Dubbed the Bill Gates of the Alps, Austrian entrepreneur Daniel Mattes recently launched his third start-up.
2017
The return of French Tech
A new technophile President and the inauguration of the giant Station F incubator are providing France with the visibility it needs.
“Our device can diagnose a heart attack in 90% of cases”
A Danish start-up makes artificial intelligence available to emergency-care services.
”Only 2.5% scale up successfully”
After testing its business model, a start-up has to begin producing regular income. This is a tricky step, and few are successful.
Six lessons from the Start-up Nation
With its 2,000 new high-tech companies, Israel has become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East.
An entrepreneur searching for meaning
Determined to understand what internet users are thinking, Christian Henschel now manages one of Europe’s leading platforms in mobile intelligence.
Detecting hacks in real time
Dutch start-up Bitsensor tries to help applications protect themselves better from cyberattacks.
Searching for meaning, not just words
An Austrian start-up helps machines understand human language.
From toys and cable to shoes
As CEO of Sarenza since 2007, Stéphane Treppoz has turned the online seller into a key style site in 28 countries.
“We work with the biggest pool of artists in Europe”
Berlin-based start-up Gigmit connects musicians and concert organisers through an online platform, hoping to revolutionise the market.
The electronic biped
Humanoid robots are finally learning to charm us. Can French-founded SoftBank Robotics stay ahead of the competition after a decade at the forefront?
Architect of virtual worlds
Denmark’s Unity Technologies has revolutionised the video game industry. Its founder, David Helgason, describes how it happened.
“People should trust their telephones”
Izanami Martínez is implementing a new, more efficient way to see the doctor – with the smartphone.
“Our robots are better than Amazon’s”
A German start-up improves warehouse automation.
2016
The queen of online advertising
British entrepreneur Sarah Wood founded the tech start-up Unruly, an online video ad platform that was acquired last year by News Corp for nearly €135 million.
“Children should learn to code without realising it”
Technology Will Save Us teaches programming using toys in a whole new way.
The Impossible Project: Giving a second life in a digital world
Polaroid enthusiasts have recreated instant film that can be used in old cameras and developed a new camera as well.
Leaders in smart energy
Throughout Europe, companies large and small are attacking bad habits and wasteful appliances.
Innovation from the East
What if your fuse box could talk to you? Created in the midst of Ukrainian turmoil, Ecoisme can analyse home energy consumption in real time.
“The tech community can save lives”
A journalist explains how start-ups can improve the day-to-day existence of refugees and help make their dreams a reality.
The rise of open-source prosthetics
Entrepreneurs are tapping into inexpensive electronics and 3D printing to make robotic prosthesis more accessible.
“Our developers work better in Bali than in Copenhagen”
A young Danish entrepreneur chose to leave Europe for an exotic location.
“A start-up should solve a social problem”
Blitab co-founder Kristina Tsvetanova discusses the challenges of launching a social start-up.
The Vizzualiser
Relying on attractive and informative data visualisations, Craig Mills is on a mission to use hard evidence to bring environmental issues to life.
2015
“People underestimate Eastern Europe’s start-ups”
Part car, part plane, Aeromobil needs just a 200-m straightaway to deploy its wings and take off.
“It’s about dynamics, emotions and relationships”
Victor Henning and two business-school pals describe how they’ve accidentally made science fun.
“Poland must be doing something right”
Daria Tataj, founder and CEO of the Warsaw-based consultancy Tataj Innovation, explains the reasons for Poland’s success.
“We reach a young audience that no longer buys newspapers”
Marten Blankesteijn, co-founder of Blendle, the new Dutch start-up whose app is already being referred to as the iTunes of the press.
“Understanding the target is key”
David Becker, the co-founder of Swiss-based Zkipster, explains how his firm became a micro multinational with eight employees on three continents.
The DNA gold rush
Thousands of labs and hospitals are eagerly awaiting the portable sequencers that will make bedside genetic analysis a reality.
2014
“Stock-exchange listing is a marketing boon”
It’s a good way to raise money, but it can also hinder a company’s development, explains Tereza Tykvova.
The content hunter
Martin Stiksel, founder of Last.fm, is back with an even more ambitious project: to organise the entire web according to each user’s behaviour.
“It reminds me of papyrus”
The worst design sins to avoid, according to usability guru Jakob Nielsen.
Attack of the clones
Annoying to some but completely normal to others, copying has become an established business model in the world of start-ups and smartphone apps.
The audiophile
Four Danes have created award-winning upmarket headphones. One of them describes the challenges of fusing design and audio engineering.
“You have to be aggressive online”
Crowdfunding demands a well-planned communication strategy, explains Daniela Castrataro, co-founder of the Future of Crowdfunding conference.
“Getting the story out is more important than getting it right”
Cleverly manipulated Internet buzz can be more effective than an expensive marketing campaign. Marketing expert Ryan Holiday reveals some of his tricks.