News - For Business

BENTELER Group acquired ioki to build Europe's first integrated autonomous public transport platform, merging software, routing, and operational services. ioki's on-demand software already serves nearly 10 million passengers, promising cost reductions for municipalities.

Milano-based MotorK, an AI-centric SaaS provider for the automotive retail industry, secured an additional €3 million in financing. The funding will strengthen the company's financial position and support general corporate purposes, with offices in eight countries.

Baze, a Sicilian startup, simplifies domestic worker hiring with its platform, connecting families with qualified staff. The company, founded in 2023, has secured €100k to streamline the hiring process and aims to modernize traditional employment pathways.

UK-based WholeSum secured £730K in funding to advance its AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform. The platform converts unstructured text data into auditable outputs for sectors like research and healthcare.

The article highlights open-source projects like Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap, emphasizing their commitment to shared information access. These initiatives contrast with today's web, dominated by a few platforms that monetize user data, maintaining the original vision of a free and open internet.

Europe's DeepTech sector faces a crossroads despite generating breakthrough science and a strong talent pipeline. Japan's €33 billion investment signals potential, yet early-stage funding is down 30% since 2021, and the sector seeks true technological sovereignty.