31-Jan-26
The rise of the always-on economy: subscriptions beyond streaming [ 31-Jan-26 3:37pm ]
We are all familiar with the subscription economy, and it certainly works as a reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were all hooked on our TVs watching Netflix or listening to our favorite music artist on Spotify. Despite how modern it seems to be, the truth is that the subscription economy has been around for some time, surprisingly dating back to around 1800, with the first magazine subscriptions, or the subscriptions for fresh British milk, around 1860. Over the years, the of subscription-based companies has turned the subscription model into an ideal business strategy since it provides unique benefits.…
This story continues at The Next Web
30-Jan-26
Apple buys "Silent Speech" AI startup for $2B, because talking is so 2025 [ 30-Jan-26 1:52pm ]
Apple confirmed this week that it has acquired Israeli AI startup Q.ai in a deal valued at close to $2 billion, making it one of the company's largest acquisitions ever, second only to the $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014. But check your assumptions: this isn't Beats 2.0. There's no new headphone brand to flex. Instead, Apple is paying top dollar for tech that might let your devices understand you without you ever saying a word. These days we put our phones on silent so they won't disturb us; soon the phone will put us on silent so it…
This story continues at The Next Web
Or just read more coverage about: Apple
29-Jan-26
G2 bold move to reshape software discovery with major acquisition from Gartner [ 29-Jan-26 5:21pm ]
G2, the Chicago-based software insights platform, agreed today to acquire three prominent software review and discovery properties from Gartner: Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp. The deal brings four of the largest B2B review sites under a single roof and signals a shift toward unified, AI-driven software recommendation and buying experiences. According to the announcement, the combined business will include roughly six million verified customer reviews and tap into an audience of more than 200 million annual software buyers. G2 said it expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to standard regulatory and closing conditions. G2's…
This story continues at The Next Web
AI adoption is creating a clear divide among employees. Some see AI as a tool to increase their impact, while others see it as a threat to their role. So, where does the truth lie between these two mindsets? Let's explore. AI doesn't eliminate roles, it removes low-leverage work Over the past two years, we've seen a wave of layoffs often attributed to "AI replacing humans." Among widely discussed cases, IBM openly stated that over 7,000 back-office roles may no longer need to be hired because AI can absorb the work. Many other tech players, including Microsoft, Amazon, and HP,…
This story continues at The Next Web
The Next Web (TNW) is making a bold move: its flagship conference is relocating to London, placing TNW's main annual event at the centre of one of the world's most powerful technology and investment ecosystems. The move marks a significant moment for TNW and signals a broader evolution of the brand's global events strategy. A new concept: TNW Gathering Alongside the move to London, TNW is introducing a new global event concept: TNW Gathering. Designed as an intimate, invite-only format, TNW Gathering is created for members of the TNW Council and a carefully selected group of founders, operators, and investors.…
This story continues at The Next Web
The way people discover information online is quietly but fundamentally changing. Instead of scrolling through links and choosing which article to open, users are increasingly asking large language models to answer directly. Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity don't send people browsing; they synthesise information from multiple sources and deliver a ready-made response inside the interface. For brands and publishers, this creates a new problem: what does visibility mean when nobody clicks anymore? The decline of the click-based era For years, search optimization revolved around a familiar feedback loop: publish content, earn rankings, drive clicks, measure performance. Traffic, impressions, and engagement…
This story continues at The Next Web
In a bold turn of phrase and deed, Paris has quietly told Silicon Valley "au revoir." On January 26, 2026, France's Ministry of Finance announced that by 2027, all public servants will switch from U.S. video apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to a homegrown platform called Visio. No more license renewals for Teams, Zoom, Webex, or Meet, just one unified, French-built solution. In one stroke, a long-discussed slogan "digital sovereignty" has leapt off the podium and into practice. This is not a press release; it's a watershed moment: Europe's second-biggest economy is wagering that, when it comes to critical…
This story continues at The Next Web
Shortly after launch, TNW Council is already seeing clear, early signals from its concierge model, signals that underline a fundamental truth often overlooked in the startup ecosystem: founders operating at €1 to 10 million and leaders scaling companies between €10 to 100 million are solving entirely different problems. From the first concierge-led conversations, a consistent pattern emerged. Founders in the €1 to 10M range are primarily seeking: practical growth strategies clarity on positioning, channels, and prioritization hands-on experience that helps them avoid early-stage execution mistakes In contrast, leaders operating at €10 to 100M are no longer asking for growth playbooks.…
This story continues at The Next Web
Slush, the Finnish nonprofit behind one of the most influential startup gatherings in Europe, has named Noora Saksa as its new Chief Executive Officer, a shift that indicates a strategic evolution for the organisation as it expands beyond its flagship event model. Saksa assumes the top role after years as Slush's Chief Operating & Financial Officer and Head of Partnerships, where she managed core operations, finances, and ecosystem programmes. Her trajectory within the organisation reflects a deep operational understanding of Slush's mission: to connect founders, investors, and builders in ways that help founders advance on their journeys. In stepping into…
This story continues at The Next Web
Warsaw, Poland 26 January 2026 - Rainbow Weather has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to push weather forecasting further into the short-term, high-precision territory it believes the industry still underserves. The Warsaw-based climate tech startup focuses on hyperlocal, minute-by-minute forecasts, zeroing in on what happens in the next few hours rather than days out. The round was backed by a syndicate of investors, including Yuri Gurski, founder of Flo Health, one of Europe's best-known consumer tech unicorns. Rainbow Weather's core product is a mobile app that delivers four-hour precipitation forecasts calculated from the exact moment a user checks the…
This story continues at The Next Web
London-based AI video startup Synthesia has raised $200 million in a Series E round, nearly doubling its valuation to around $4 billion and cementing its position as one of Europe's most valuable AI companies. The round was led by Google Ventures, with participation from existing investors, underscoring continued appetite for applied AI products that have already found a clear commercial use. Synthesia builds generative AI tools that let companies create videos using AI-generated avatars instead of cameras, studios, or presenters. The technology has found a strong foothold in corporate training, internal communications, and product explainers, areas where speed, scale, and…
This story continues at The Next Web
1. EU launches "EU Inc" at Davos What: The European Commission unveiled EU Inc ("28th regime"), a single EU-wide legal company structure designed to let startups incorporate once and operate across all member states. Who it affects: European startups & scale-ups, founders, VCs, international investors. How: Reduces legal fragmentation, standardises corporate and investment structures, lowers friction for cross-border scaling. Impact timing: Strategic impact now (capital & expectations), real operational impact from 2027-2028. 2. EU moves to phase out "high-risk" tech suppliers from critical infrastructure What: The EU proposed mandatory rules to remove and replace technology from suppliers deemed "high-risk" in…
This story continues at The Next Web
Amsterdam-based hospitality tech platform Mews has raised €255 million (about $300 million) in a Series D funding round as it pushes deeper into automation and AI-powered workflows for hotels around the world. The round was led by EQT Growth with new participation from Atomico and HarbourVest Partners, alongside existing backers including Kinnevik, Battery Ventures and Tiger Global. The investment values the company at roughly $2.5 billion. Founded in 2012 by Richard Valtr and Matt Welle, Mews builds a cloud-native "operating system" for hotels software that ties together reservations, check-ins, housekeeping, payments and more in one platform. Its technology is designed…
This story continues at The Next Web
The Next Web [ 31-Jan-26 3:37pm ]
The rise of the always-on economy: subscriptions beyond streaming [ 31-Jan-26 3:37pm ]We are all familiar with the subscription economy, and it certainly works as a reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were all hooked on our TVs watching Netflix or listening to our favorite music artist on Spotify. Despite how modern it seems to be, the truth is that the subscription economy has been around for some time, surprisingly dating back to around 1800, with the first magazine subscriptions, or the subscriptions for fresh British milk, around 1860. Over the years, the of subscription-based companies has turned the subscription model into an ideal business strategy since it provides unique benefits.…
This story continues at The Next Web
Apple buys "Silent Speech" AI startup for $2B, because talking is so 2025 [ 30-Jan-26 1:52pm ]Apple confirmed this week that it has acquired Israeli AI startup Q.ai in a deal valued at close to $2 billion, making it one of the company's largest acquisitions ever, second only to the $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014. But check your assumptions: this isn't Beats 2.0. There's no new headphone brand to flex. Instead, Apple is paying top dollar for tech that might let your devices understand you without you ever saying a word. These days we put our phones on silent so they won't disturb us; soon the phone will put us on silent so it…
This story continues at The Next Web
Or just read more coverage about: Apple
G2 bold move to reshape software discovery with major acquisition from Gartner [ 29-Jan-26 5:21pm ]G2, the Chicago-based software insights platform, agreed today to acquire three prominent software review and discovery properties from Gartner: Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp. The deal brings four of the largest B2B review sites under a single roof and signals a shift toward unified, AI-driven software recommendation and buying experiences. According to the announcement, the combined business will include roughly six million verified customer reviews and tap into an audience of more than 200 million annual software buyers. G2 said it expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to standard regulatory and closing conditions. G2's…
This story continues at The Next Web
AI isn't coming for your job, it's coming for your justification [ 29-Jan-26 12:47pm ]
AI adoption is creating a clear divide among employees. Some see AI as a tool to increase their impact, while others see it as a threat to their role. So, where does the truth lie between these two mindsets? Let's explore. AI doesn't eliminate roles, it removes low-leverage work Over the past two years, we've seen a wave of layoffs often attributed to "AI replacing humans." Among widely discussed cases, IBM openly stated that over 7,000 back-office roles may no longer need to be hired because AI can absorb the work. Many other tech players, including Microsoft, Amazon, and HP,…
This story continues at The Next Web
TNW Moves Its Flagship Conference to London [ 29-Jan-26 12:28pm ]
The Next Web (TNW) is making a bold move: its flagship conference is relocating to London, placing TNW's main annual event at the centre of one of the world's most powerful technology and investment ecosystems. The move marks a significant moment for TNW and signals a broader evolution of the brand's global events strategy. A new concept: TNW Gathering Alongside the move to London, TNW is introducing a new global event concept: TNW Gathering. Designed as an intimate, invite-only format, TNW Gathering is created for members of the TNW Council and a carefully selected group of founders, operators, and investors.…
This story continues at The Next Web
Beyond the click: How brands can influence visibility in AI-generated answers [ 29-Jan-26 11:24am ]
The way people discover information online is quietly but fundamentally changing. Instead of scrolling through links and choosing which article to open, users are increasingly asking large language models to answer directly. Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity don't send people browsing; they synthesise information from multiple sources and deliver a ready-made response inside the interface. For brands and publishers, this creates a new problem: what does visibility mean when nobody clicks anymore? The decline of the click-based era For years, search optimization revolved around a familiar feedback loop: publish content, earn rankings, drive clicks, measure performance. Traffic, impressions, and engagement…
This story continues at The Next Web
Bonjour Visio: France turns digital sovereignty into policy [ 28-Jan-26 12:35pm ]
In a bold turn of phrase and deed, Paris has quietly told Silicon Valley "au revoir." On January 26, 2026, France's Ministry of Finance announced that by 2027, all public servants will switch from U.S. video apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to a homegrown platform called Visio. No more license renewals for Teams, Zoom, Webex, or Meet, just one unified, French-built solution. In one stroke, a long-discussed slogan "digital sovereignty" has leapt off the podium and into practice. This is not a press release; it's a watershed moment: Europe's second-biggest economy is wagering that, when it comes to critical…
This story continues at The Next Web
Early Results from the TNW Council Concierge Revealed [ 27-Jan-26 1:32pm ]
Shortly after launch, TNW Council is already seeing clear, early signals from its concierge model, signals that underline a fundamental truth often overlooked in the startup ecosystem: founders operating at €1 to 10 million and leaders scaling companies between €10 to 100 million are solving entirely different problems. From the first concierge-led conversations, a consistent pattern emerged. Founders in the €1 to 10M range are primarily seeking: practical growth strategies clarity on positioning, channels, and prioritization hands-on experience that helps them avoid early-stage execution mistakes In contrast, leaders operating at €10 to 100M are no longer asking for growth playbooks.…
This story continues at The Next Web
Noora Saksa steps in as new Slush CEO [ 27-Jan-26 8:59am ]
Slush, the Finnish nonprofit behind one of the most influential startup gatherings in Europe, has named Noora Saksa as its new Chief Executive Officer, a shift that indicates a strategic evolution for the organisation as it expands beyond its flagship event model. Saksa assumes the top role after years as Slush's Chief Operating & Financial Officer and Head of Partnerships, where she managed core operations, finances, and ecosystem programmes. Her trajectory within the organisation reflects a deep operational understanding of Slush's mission: to connect founders, investors, and builders in ways that help founders advance on their journeys. In stepping into…
This story continues at The Next Web
Rainbow Weather raises $5.5M to refine real-time weather forecasting [ 26-Jan-26 12:41pm ]
Warsaw, Poland 26 January 2026 - Rainbow Weather has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to push weather forecasting further into the short-term, high-precision territory it believes the industry still underserves. The Warsaw-based climate tech startup focuses on hyperlocal, minute-by-minute forecasts, zeroing in on what happens in the next few hours rather than days out. The round was backed by a syndicate of investors, including Yuri Gurski, founder of Flo Health, one of Europe's best-known consumer tech unicorns. Rainbow Weather's core product is a mobile app that delivers four-hour precipitation forecasts calculated from the exact moment a user checks the…
This story continues at The Next Web
Synthesia's valuation jumps to $4B after $200M raise [ 26-Jan-26 11:45am ]
London-based AI video startup Synthesia has raised $200 million in a Series E round, nearly doubling its valuation to around $4 billion and cementing its position as one of Europe's most valuable AI companies. The round was led by Google Ventures, with participation from existing investors, underscoring continued appetite for applied AI products that have already found a clear commercial use. Synthesia builds generative AI tools that let companies create videos using AI-generated avatars instead of cameras, studios, or presenters. The technology has found a strong foothold in corporate training, internal communications, and product explainers, areas where speed, scale, and…
This story continues at The Next Web
TNW Weekly Briefing [ 25-Jan-26 6:37pm ]
1. EU launches "EU Inc" at Davos What: The European Commission unveiled EU Inc ("28th regime"), a single EU-wide legal company structure designed to let startups incorporate once and operate across all member states. Who it affects: European startups & scale-ups, founders, VCs, international investors. How: Reduces legal fragmentation, standardises corporate and investment structures, lowers friction for cross-border scaling. Impact timing: Strategic impact now (capital & expectations), real operational impact from 2027-2028. 2. EU moves to phase out "high-risk" tech suppliers from critical infrastructure What: The EU proposed mandatory rules to remove and replace technology from suppliers deemed "high-risk" in…
This story continues at The Next Web
Mews raises €255M to accelerate AI and automation in hospitality [ 24-Jan-26 4:10pm ]
Amsterdam-based hospitality tech platform Mews has raised €255 million (about $300 million) in a Series D funding round as it pushes deeper into automation and AI-powered workflows for hotels around the world. The round was led by EQT Growth with new participation from Atomico and HarbourVest Partners, alongside existing backers including Kinnevik, Battery Ventures and Tiger Global. The investment values the company at roughly $2.5 billion. Founded in 2012 by Richard Valtr and Matt Welle, Mews builds a cloud-native "operating system" for hotels software that ties together reservations, check-ins, housekeeping, payments and more in one platform. Its technology is designed…
This story continues at The Next Web
