Tag
Start-up
Search
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.
10 great African innovations
From fintech to health to the environment, clever inventions are improving the lives of millions of people.
Lagos, capital of fintech
Lagos recently hosted the African Fintech Summit for the first time. The Nigerian city has all the attributes needed to become a hotbed for African fintech.
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.
Welcome to Silicon Savannah
Kenya is brimming with innovation, hoping to establish a truly circular economy.
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.
Europe’s battle for more innovation impact
How can European countries become leaders of innovation? Two experts discuss the continent’s weaknesses and possibilities.
Europe’s drone opportunity
China may have a corner on the recreational market, and the US on military uses, but Europe is poised to find its own niche.
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.
Making labour less laborious
Childbirth may be the most important event in a mother’s life, but it can also be the most traumatic. Technology can help.
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 technology that helps women get pregnant
Swiss start-up Ava’s wristband collects data on fertility. The goal: to help couples have a baby.
Unicorns: still on the margin
Lagging behind Germany, France has produced only three start-ups valued at more than $1 billion. But it is starting to catch up.
The search engine with a difference
France’s Qwant was built to have two competitive advantages: respecting privacy and being a credible alternative to its American rivals.
France leads a new revolution
Will the US and China dominate the development of AI? President Macron has ideas that can keep Europe in the game.
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.
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.
Leaders in cybersecurity
Europe is often at the forefront in the fields of digital safety, antivirus protection and encryption. Here are three examples.
Is big business gobbling up public funds?
A quarter of European research money goes to companies. As the EU drafts the next iteration of its Horizon 2020 programme, experts discuss the pros and cons.
”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.
Searching for meaning, not just words
An Austrian start-up helps machines understand human language.
Successful and resolutely European
Not every start-up wants to move to America. Here are four that have remained loyal to their home turf.
Europe sees the light
To reach their full potential, the most innovative European start-ups often have no choice but to let American giants buy them. But this is changing.
Keeping innovators at home
The European Commission turns its attention to four key aspects of the problem.
Sound from all directions
The latest innovations provide listening experiences that are more immersive than ever. Some technologies even use bones to transmit sound.
“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.
Where have all the start-ups gone?
America is all too attractive for Europe’s innovative technology, but there are ways to stop the haemorrhage.
Europeans who have returned
Home is not just where the heart is – increasingly, it’s also where you find the innovators, the money and the quality of life.
Architect of virtual worlds
Denmark’s Unity Technologies has revolutionised the video game industry. Its founder, David Helgason, describes how it happened.
Focus on Russia
Russia has produced an array of new tech companies since the late 2000s. But these start-ups remain virtually unknown outside the country’s borders.
“People should trust their telephones”
Izanami Martínez is implementing a new, more efficient way to see the doctor – with the smartphone.
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.
All eyes on Eindhoven
Once dominated by light-bulb manufacturer Philips, the Dutch city is now home to a dynamic university and its circle of start-ups.
“Children should learn to code without realising it”
Technology Will Save Us teaches programming using toys in a whole new way.
Leaders in smart energy
Throughout Europe, companies large and small are attacking bad habits and wasteful appliances.
The science of beer
Brewing is often considered an art. For the researchers at BeerDeCoded, it’s a serious scientific endeavour.
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.
“Our developers work better in Bali than in Copenhagen”
A young Danish entrepreneur chose to leave Europe for an exotic location.
Self-driving cars? Don’t hold your breath
Safely mimicking all foibles in software and hardware of driving will take at least another decade, if not longer.
All Eyes on Sweden
Some of the most significant triumphs in online innovation, like Spotify and Skype, are Swedish creations.
Zoom on Spain
Spain has become a technological leader in fields from mapping to aeronautics to graphene production.
“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
Five estonians to watch
Inspired by Skype, ambitious entrepreneurs have the confidence to believe their dreams can come true
“It’s about dynamics, emotions and relationships”
Victor Henning and two business-school pals describe how they’ve accidentally made science fun.
Sharing: business or benevolence?
Everyone has heard of Uber and AirBnB, but they are not the only game in town. Some platforms are purely altruistic, some very capitalistic.
“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.
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.
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.