ESA’s annual budget hits record €7.8B, with biggest chunk for Earth observation

Jan11
by on January 11, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Posted In: Insider


The European Space Agency’s budget for 2024 has hit a record €7.79bn — 10% more than last year. The largest portion of the funds will go to Earth observation (EO), which is allocated almost €2.4bn — around 30.5% of the total. It’s a share that reflects growing demands for satellite-based monitoring of our planet. The data can play a powerful role in managing pressing global challenges, such as climate change and natural disasters. After EO, the biggest chunks of ESA’s budget go to navigation and space transportation, which bag around €1bn each. A further €874mn is reserved for human and…

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Dutch startup battles energy grid congestion with digital twins

Jan11
by on January 11, 2024 at 2:00 am
Posted In: Uncategorized


Europe is electrifying — literally. From EVs to heat pumps, more and more of our critical technologies need to get plugged in. This is a positive step toward net zero, but it is also putting a massive strain on the electricity grid.  Grid congestion is like rush hour traffic on a busy highway — excessive demand for electricity creates bottlenecks and slows the flow of energy.This can cause power outages, voltage fluctuations, and equipment damage. It’s such a big problem that some companies wanting to install large heat pumps or fast-charging infrastructure for EVs have been forced to wait for…

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How this startup uses AI to give speech-impaired people their voice back

Jan09
by on January 9, 2024 at 5:30 pm
Posted In: artificial intelligence


There is big tech — and then there is smaller tech with big impact. Dutch AI startup Whispp is using assistive voice technology to convert speech diminished by ailments such as stuttering, throat cancer, vocal cord paralysis, and ALS, into the person’s original, natural voice. The startup, based in Eindhoven, just secured a €750,000 seed funding round led by LUMO Labs to launch its assistive voice technology and its first paid and subscription-based calling app. Whispp will also use the funds raised to expand into European and US markets. Furthermore, the company is one of this year’s CES 2024 Innovation Award…

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How geothermal energy from old coal mines could heat UK homes

Jan08
by on January 8, 2024 at 3:37 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized


The same tunnels used to extract fossil fuels for centuries are now helping to heat British homes with clean energy from the Earth’s core. It’s called mine water heating and it has the potential to provide critical warmth to hundreds of thousands of homes in the country’s north. At least one quarter of UK homes sit above abandoned coal mines. Residents in these towns and cities concurrently grapple with skyrocketing energy bills. Tapping mine water heat from beneath their feet could be a win-win for these communities. And the technology is already in operation. Last year, one of the largest…

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How the Ukrainian startup behind astrology app Nebula is thriving despite the war

Jan05
by on January 5, 2024 at 2:11 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized


Running a tech startup is a challenging endeavour under any circumstances. Imagine doing it under invasion with air raid sirens going off on average twice every 24 hours — and managing to grow 250% in the process.  This is the story of OBRIO, a Ukrainian startup behind the successful astrology app Nebula. Speaking to TNW from his apartment in Kyiv just before the turn of the year, founder and CEO Alex Fedorov says that running a company during wartime is not exactly something you learn in business school. Fedorov sees the process as twofold. “There was the initial one when…

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