TNW València is finally here! Founders, investors, business leaders, and tech enthusiasts descended on València’s marina this morning to discover the next in tech, now. Before long, the venue — nestled between the historic inner city and the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean — was bustling with talks, deals, pitches, and a whole lot of fun. TNW València is officially open! It’s #Time4València and you are all invited to enjoy the @FinancialTimes #tech festival and to discover the...
Once predominantly known for IKEA, Ericsson, and Volvo, in the past decade, Sweden has emerged as one the most valued tech ecosystems in Europe, with Stockholm ranking as the fifth top performer in 2021. The success of Swedish startups such as Tink and Spotify has turned the capital city into a world-renowned tech hub, attracting the attention of international investors — and for good reason. Stockholm is home to nearly 3,000 startups and scaleups, and counts 208 VC investors and 101,000 tech...
By now, you’ll have seen it. Pope Francis walks across the frame, his focus on the mid-distance. He’s brightly lit as though it’s early morning. A silver cross hangs from his neck, dangling over his snow-white, Balenciaga-inspired puffer jacket. It’s the baller bishop, the steezy father, his holy drippiness — and he’s been ordained from on high. If you were on social media at any point over the past weekend, you would have seen the image. And — if you were anything like me and seemingly millions...
With the passage of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) in 2022, online platforms, including Apple, with EU revenues of 75 billion euros or more and at least 45 million active monthly end users must open up their devices to third party app stores. The DMA aims to end unfair practices by large online platforms that hold a high degree of market power and function as so-called digital “gatekeepers,” providing key gateways between consumers and business users. The goal of the DMA is to...
The gender equity gap in the tech sector is well-documented. Research has found that women occupy only 22% of all tech roles across European companies, while the proportion of funding raised by female-only teams has dropped from 3% to 1% since 2018. The issue is prevalent at every level of the industry. A 2022 poll by Web Summit showed that 67% of European women in technology feel unfairly paid compared to their male peers. Despite this pessimistic picture, technology can also provide a means to...
Congratulations! You’ve just landed an interview for a position you really want although now comes the hard part. Generally considered to be the most daunting stage of the entire job hunt, the interview experience can be overwhelming, nerve-wracking and wholly unpleasant, quite frankly, especially if you haven’t put the preparation and practice in. Lucky for you, we’ve narrowed down the top three things you need to do to stand out in any job interview. You can thank us later when you get the...
Is it a boat or is it a plane? Put your glasses on! This is clearly an electrically-powered hydrofoil passenger ferry. The brainchild of Swedish startup Candela, the P-12 Shuttle is set to become the fastest and longest-range electric passenger vessel in the world when it launches this summer. Founded in 2014, Candela has spent years perfecting its design on recreational boats, and now, fuelled by a $20m cash injection, is looking to scale up production and bring hydrofoil passenger boats into...
Building a startup in a sector you’ve never worked in might seem a risky move, but it can actually provide a competitive advantage. That’s certainly proven true for Vivino. Founded in 2010 in Copenhagen, the scaleup has raised $221 million in funding, and become the world’s most downloaded wine app and largest online wine marketplace, with a community of 50 million users. This success came despite an unconventional background. Vivino’s cofounders didn’t come from a place with a rich history of...
Drop me on a Balinese coastline with a decent paperback and my smartphone, and I’ll luxuriate for two weeks straight. But fly me out to the same spot with a Nokia 3310 and a physical map, like the one my dad used to carry, and I’ll probably have a nervous breakdown. Most of us can agree that we’re hyper-dependent on tech, especially when we’re navigating a new place abroad. And the further or more remote you go, the more likely you are to run into tech breakdowns that can put a damper on your...
Riders working for Deliveroo are employees, not freelancers, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled on Friday, in a potentially precedent-setting case for the country’s platform economy. The case was brought to trial by trade union FNV, which has been engaged in a legal battle with Deliveroo since 2018. The dispute started when the British firm announced it would discontinue work contracts for its delivery drivers, instead offering them the option to continue as freelancers. FNV immediately filed a...
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment has almost arrived: TNW València is next week! In case you’ve been living under a rock (or frequenting another tech site, you traitor), we’re taking our cherished festival on the road. After 16 glorious years in Amsterdam, we’re bringing the show to Spain’s Mediterranean coast — and you’re all invited. We’re not only there for the sun, sea, and sand — far from it, in fact. València has the fastest-growing innovation ecosystem in Spain, and the most startups per...
Recently, we asked if it was possible for Europe to have a dominant smartphone again. The answer was simple: no, not unless there’s some sort of miracle. The reason behind this is multifaceted, but the core point is that because Asia hosts the majority of the world’s mobile manufacturing facilities, it’s borderline impossible for European companies to create a good enough phone at a low enough price to succeed. But, here at TNW, we had another question: could Europe launch its own mobile...