Tag: Design

Motorheads have long theorised that the extreme downforce generated by high-performance cars could one day let them drive upside down. Now, British carmaker McMurtry has turned that wild idea into a reality for the first time. In a stunt that would make Batman jealous, McMurtry drove its insanely fast electric Spéirling flipped over. More impressively, it did that for over a minute while keeping the vehicle completely stationary — save for a quick acceleration to prove the car wasn’t tied down.  While it might look like the car has defied gravity, in reality, it’s basic physics coupled with some clever…

Quantum professionals around the world overwhelmingly agree that quantum utility will arrive within the next decade, according to a new survey by Economist Impact. Quantum utility refers to the point at which quantum computers provide practical advantages over classical computers in solving specific real-world problems. A whopping 83% of the survey’s respondents think that moment will come within 10 years or less.  One-third of them are even more optimistic, predicting that quantum utility could be achieved within the next one-to-five years. That’s more in line with the roadmaps of quantum companies like Finnish startup IQM, which is targeting quantum utility as…

Five fast-rising scaleups from the DACH region have qualified for TECH5 — the “Champions League of Technology.” The DACH entrants fought off off stiff competition to reach the finals, which will crown the hottest scaleup in Europe. Comprising Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, DACH blends deep industrial roots, high R&D spending, elite research institutions, and a growing startup scene. Collectively, the three nations have created a regional tech powerhouse. Individually, each of them has unique strengths.  Germany leads with a booming startup scene in Berlin and a deep tech hub in Munich. The county also had Europe’s second-highest total VC investment last…

After steering Dutch chip giant ASML to become Europe’s most valuable tech firm, Peter Wennink is now focused on the next frontiers of deep tech. Wennink has already been involved in numerous breakthroughs in the field. Over his 25-year career at ASML — including over a decade as CEO — the company laid foundations for countless deep tech innovations. Under his leadership, the business earned renown as the sole supplier and producer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. These systems are essential for manufacturing the world’s most advanced chips. They have become a crucial force in today’s AI boom, supporting…

US biotech startup Colossal Biosciences has resurrected the dire wolf — or at least that’s what the company would like you to believe. Social media is abuzz with viral videos, memes, and images of fluffy white wolf puppies. The Game of Thrones references are — predictably — omnipresent. The news even made it to Time magazine’s latest cover.  But behind the hype lies a dangerous de-extinction delusion that could distract from proven solutions to the biodiversity crisis. The Trump administration is already using Colossal’s claims as an excuse to slash endangered species protections. First, let’s set something straight — Colossal…

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its first major report on the AI gold rush’s impact on global energy consumption — and its findings paint a worrying, and perhaps contradictory, picture.   Energy use from data centres, including for artificial intelligence applications, is predicted to double over the next five years to 3% of global energy use. AI-specific power consumption could drive over half of this growth globally, the report found. Some data centres today consume as much electricity as 100,000 households. The hyperscalers of the future could gobble up 20x that number, according to the IEA. By 2030, data…

German startup ARX Robotics has announced plans to invest £45mn into a new UK facility, where it will build autonomous battlefield robots for deployment in war zones around the world. Located at an undisclosed site in southwest England, ARX expects the plant to produce 1,800 ground-based drones each year once up and running. ARX’s battlefield robots look like small tanks — but without guns. The vehicles drive around on treads and can be fitted with equipment such as radar, mine-sweeping devices, or medical stretchers.  The largest of ARX’s machines carries military payloads weighing up to 500kg — including injured soldiers —…

Body-scanning startup Neko Health has opened its largest clinic yet, continuing its expansion in London — just six months after launching its first site in the city. The futuristic new facility expands access to Neko’s high-tech health vision. Blending body scans, lidar sensors, and AI with blood tests, eye pressure checks, and strength tests, the startup maps millions of data points in minutes.  The findings can reveal warning signs about the skin, heart, blood vessels, and inflammation. A human doctor then immediately takes the user through the findings. Within an hour of arriving, they’re on their way out of the…

Hospitality software firm Mews raised Dutch tech’s biggest funding round in the first quarter of 2025, in what was a tough start to the year for the sector. Dutch startups raised around €460mn in the quarter, with a 59% decline in growth-stage funding raising alarm bells, according to the Quarterly Startup Report. Together, the top 10 deals accounted for over €320mn — more than 75% of all funding raised last quarter. Here are the biggest Dutch deals of Q1 2025: 1. Mews — €68mn ($75mn)  Mews, based at TNW City in Amsterdam, has built a cloud-based system that helps hotels and…

A UK startup wants to build a cosmic radio station in the Moon’s orbit to listen to radio waves from the early universe.   Blue Skies Space has secured a contract from the Italian Space Agency to design a fleet of tiny satellites that could orbit the Moon and listen for signals from the cosmic “dark ages.” That’s the time before the first stars lit up, when the universe was mainly a swirling mass of hydrogen gas.  Hydrogen atoms naturally emit radio waves at a very specific frequency: 1420MHz  – known as the hydrogen line. When you stretch that signal across…