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Germanquantum computingstartup planqc yesterday announced a Series A raise of 50mn. A technological race towards fault-tolerance Qubits are the fundamental units of quantum information. Whereas IQMs systems are based on superconducting qubits, planqcs quantum processors work with atom-based qubits. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. This includes areas such as pharmaceuticals and drug discovery, logistics, and climate change mitigation. The round also includes a grant from Germanys Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)....

They also transmit about $10tn worth of financial transactions everyday. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. These cables face risks fromnatural phenomenasuch as erosion and the rising sea level. Amid an increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape, theyre also subject to sabotage. Now, with its investment in the new project, NATO seeks to explore an additional layer of protection. Once a threat is detected, the system will automatically divert access to satellite bandwidth to reroute data....

TNW Conference 2024 showed us plenty of pathways the future of tech may take. In the midst of this, were also reflecting on humanitys role in anAI-driven world. Continued economic success in Europe is no longer a given. The competition across sectors, but in tech particularly, is fierce and global. 40% off TNW Conference! Overcoming those barriers is a major challenge in every European business growth trajectory. This is why coming together at places like TNW Conference is so important....

It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Standing over 60 metres tall, the rocket will weigh nearly 900 tonnes when fully loaded. This is about the same weight as one and a half Airbus A380 passenger aircraft. After burning their fuel, the boosters will separate first from the rocket. Once past the Earths atmosphere, the fairing will also separate. About eight minutes into flight, the entire main stage will separate....

Dutch venture capital fund manager LUMO Labs is launching a new 100mn fund for Europes impact-driventechstartups. The technologies include AI, blockchain, IoT, VR, and AR. Startups from the rest of Europe can also apply for funding. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. The fund will invest in approximately 30 to 35 impact-driven tech startups over the next four years. LUMO Labs was founded in 2016 by Andy Lurling and Sven Bakkes....

Remember when during the 2017 crypto-craze a beverage company renamed itself Long Blockchain and saw itsstock price quintuple? Its seismic potential is nearly incomprehensible, with some drawing parallels to the advent of the internet. But its precisely this fact thats triggering 2017 flashbacks. Are companies really systematically integrating AI into their products and processes? While, unfortunately, Im certain the latter is widespread, my interest lies with the former. But thats missing the forest for the trees and recognising this is a prerequisite for undertaking comprehensive AI adoption....

ITER, set to be the worlds largest experimental fusion reactor, has beendelayed yet again. The 25bn megaproject will only switch on in 2034, and start producing energy in 2039. Thats almost a decade later than originally planned. Butstartups may end up beating them to it. But that doesnt mean its obsolete. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. The private fusion sector is developing viable fusion schemes at a rate of progress that is much faster....

Amar Shar, the co-founder ofBritish AI unicorn Wayve, has backed Oshen, a budding startup building miniatureautonomoussailboats. The little robots could transform the way scientists monitor everything from ocean temperatures and waves to biodiversity. The startup is building small solar-powered seaborn satellites that sail around the ocean gathering data. The littlerobotscould make marine data acquisition more accessible than ever before. 40% off TNW Conference! But these devices have to be manually deployed and tend to drift around, making precise measurements difficult....

Cowboy has made theebikeindustrys first foray into gaming. InRace, you compete against another rider in a 500-metre sprint. Your first dual will be against a stranger with similar stats. But with every win, your opponent gets a little bit tougher. 40% off TNW Conference! During the testing phase, we saw some riders playing four games or more per trip. All three games get increasingly difficult as you progress through the levels....

A new EU project plans to expand adventures in the cosmos with asuitably space-age technology: lasers. TheINPHOMIRinitiative is developing the lasers to enhance spacecraft sensors. By emitting tiny pulses of light, the devices could improve the precision of satellite navigation. Their accuracy stems from their resistance to the harsh conditions ofspace. When vicious fog and dust descend upon satellites, traditional sensors are often impeded. These disruptions can have severe impacts....

The EU todayconfirmedhuge new tariffs forEVs imported from China. From Friday, provisional charges of between 17.4% and 37.6% will be imposed on the vehicles. The lowest level will apply to BYD, an automaker based in Shenzhen. Geely, which owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus, faces duties of 19.9%. SAIC, a Chinese state-owned carmaker, will receive the maximum 37.6%. Other companieswill be subject to new tariffs of 20.8%, the weighted average. It’s free, every week, in your inbox....

But despite the apparent progress, the megaproject has also been hit by yet more delays and surging costs. The magnets will form a cage around a donut-shaped chamber called a tokamak. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Whats more, the price tag, already estimated at 20bn, will rise by 5bn. Barabaschi has largely blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for the most recent delay. However, the reality is that harnessing fusion energy is, simply put, really bloody difficult....

Founded in 2016, Aurea provides agronomic intelligence products for precision orchard management on the individual tree level. To maximise productivity by customising treatments for each tree, thestartuphas developed TreeScout, a tractor-mounted sensor system. Then, it collectsdataand uploads it on the cloud. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. The startup has also developed drone technology for crop breeders. With the fresh capital, Aurea plans to develop new applications for TreeScout and accelerate its deployment....