As Europe races into the AI era, its policymakers are laying new pipes for the continent’s digital future. The European Commission’s proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA) promises to rewire the EU’s telecom landscape, with big implications for artificial intelligence infrastructure, connectivity equity, and the startup ecosystem. Exposed as part of a broader push to make Europe “fit for the Digital Age,” the draft law aims to modernize how networks are built and regulated, from 5G towers in rural villages to fiber links between data centers. I have to say it’s a bold vision of a more connected, innovative Europe, but…This story continues at The Next Web
Berlin’s energy transition sector got a defining boost today as Cloover, a climate fintech based in Berlin, announced it has secured more than $1.2 billion in total capital commitments, combining Series A equity and a substantial debt facility to accelerate the rollout of its software and financing platform across Europe. The financing package includes €18.8 million (approximately $22 million) in Series A equity, led by MMC Ventures and QED Investors, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital, BNVT Capital, Bosch Ventures, Centrotec, and Earthshot Ventures. Alongside that, a €1.02 billion debt facility provided by a major European bank will be deployed directly…This story continues at The Next Web
To many readers, this may sound like a paradox: how can knowledge ever become invaluable? In this article, I want to explore how corporate knowledge, when poorly structured and rigidly transferred, can slowly transform from an asset into a disadvantage. Not only for companies, but especially for employees. And over time, that disadvantage compounds. The journey usually looks familiar. You apply for a job, speak with a recruiter, send your CV, go through interviews, and eventually receive the green-light email: “Congratulations, you’re hired.” This moment takes us directly to the real turning point: the onboarding process. Those first one, two,…This story continues at The Next Web
In a Davos dominated by talk of tariffs, subsidies, and geopolitical risk, Europe used the stage to question its own economic limits. At the World Economic Forum, Ursula von der Leyen put forward one of the clearest signals yet that the European Union is preparing a structural shift in how it treats business, competitiveness, and economic power. The phrase that stuck, “Europe Inc”, is not the name of a regulation, nor a new Brussels invention ready to roll out. It is a political framing for a shift that the European Commission wants to accelerate. What Europe Inc actually refers to…This story continues at The Next Web
Belgian business software company Odoo, also a unicorn, has reached a fresh milestone. Growth investor General Atlantic has increased its stake in the firm, buying additional shares from regional backer Wallonie Entreprendre and pushing Odoo’s valuation to roughly €7 billion. This move isn’t a typical funding round where a company raises new capital. Instead, it’s a secondary transaction: General Atlantic bought existing shares that were previously held by Wallonie Entreprendre, the investment arm of Belgium’s Walloon region. After the deal, Wallonie Entreprendre still holds about 3 % of the company. Odoo was founded in 2002 in Belgium and has grown steadily…This story continues at The Next Web
For a long time, tech events were built around scale. The bigger the crowd, the stronger the perception of success. Attendance numbers became a proxy for impact, and festivals grew year after year because that was what the industry expected. That model no longer fits how tech leaders work today. Over the past years, I have spent time in conversations with founders, executives, and operators who carry real responsibility inside their organizations. As a community builder, I often speak with them before they commit to attending events. Their questions are direct. They want to know who will be in the…This story continues at The Next Web
Venture capital powerhouse Sequoia Capital is preparing to invest in Anthropic, the AI startup best known for its Claude family of large language models, in one of the largest private funding rounds in tech this year. The deal is being led by Singapore’s GIC and U.S. investor Coatue, each contributing roughly $1.5 billion, as part of a planned raise of $25 billion or more at a staggering $350 billion valuation. This move stands out for two reasons: the size and speed of the valuation surge and the fact that Sequoia, already an investor in rival AI builders such as OpenAI…This story continues at The Next Web
When the European Commission announced on 15th of January a €307.3 million funding call for AI and related tech under Horizon Europe earlier this year, the press materials presented it as a strategic push toward trustworthy AI and European digital autonomy. The funding targets trustworthy AI, data services, robotics, quantum, photonics, and what Brussels calls “open strategic autonomy.” Viewed in isolation, the number itself isn’t eye-popping. By global standards, where the private sector alone pours hundreds of billions into AI, €307 million is barely a rounding error. Yet this sum matters less for its scale and more for what it…This story continues at The Next Web
Legislation and digital policy European Commission opens call for evidence on Open Digital Ecosystems Signal: The EU is preparing a structural shift toward open, interoperable digital infrastructure. This marks a move from regulating dominant platforms to actively shaping alternatives and reducing strategic dependency. DMA and DSA enter an enforcement-heavy phase in 2026 Signal: Europe’s digital laws have moved from principle to execution. Compliance, fines, litigation, and operational constraints are now the central risk factors for large technology companies in the EU. Intellectual property and market structure EUIPO reports record trademark and design filings in 2025 Signal: European technology and business…This story continues at The Next Web
OpenAI’s decision to introduce advertisements inside ChatGPT for free users and its new $8 “Go” tier is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential pivots in generative AI’s short history. It’s not a simple business tweak. It’s a reframing of where digital intent, attention, and commercial influence intersect in an age where conversations increasingly replace search bars. OpenAI has not yet started showing ads in ChatGPT, but it plans to begin testing ads in the coming weeks. The first tests will target adult users in the United States on the Free tier and the new $8 ChatGPT…This story continues at The Next Web