News
Daily digest of all European digital development news

Commission investigates Grok and X's recommender systems under the Digital Services Act
EU launches new probe into X's Grok AI, assessing risks of illegal content dissemination. The investigation scrutinizes recommender systems and potential harm from AI functionalities in the European Union.

Synthesia doubles valuation to $4BN in 12 months, following $200M funding round
UK AI startup Synthesia doubles valuation to $4B after raising $200M. The company creates AI-powered corporate videos, developing digital avatars for clients like SAP and Microsoft.

From coverage to corpus: How startups should design PR for AI discoverability in 2026
AI discoverability reshapes PR, shifting focus from single coverage wins to building a durable content "corpus." Startups must craft consistent narratives to be retrievable by AI tools, not just visible.

MyARC launches new platform for fitness creators following €2M+ funding round
London-based MyARC secures €2M+ for its AI-powered fitness creator platform. The launch aims to scale personalized training and monetisation for fitness entrepreneurs globally.

London’s LegalTech Orbital raises €50 million Series B to expand AI platform for real estate law
London's Orbital secures €50M Series B for its AI platform revolutionizing real estate law transactions. This funding fuels US and UK expansion, showcasing robust investment in AI-driven LegalTech.

Kime raises €2M to turn AI search into a transparent analytics dashboard
Copenhagen AI SaaS firm Kime raises €2M pre-seed to track brand mentions in AI assistants. The funding accelerates development of its generative engine optimisation analytics platform.

Artificial intelligence: a pioneer evokes the scenario that could cause a financial "crash"
AI pioneer warns of a potential financial "crash" if the technology fails to deliver on its massive investment promises. This risk looms as AI attracts significant global capital.

European tech weekly recap: Over €2.7B invested across 70+ deals
European tech secured over €2. 7B last week across 70+ funding deals, highlighting robust investor confidence....

Synthesia hits $4B valuation, lets employees cash out
London-based Synthesia's AI video platform secures $200M Series E, doubling valuation to $4B. The funding fuels employee stock sales and expands AI-driven corporate training solutions across Europe.

Commission designates WhatsApp as Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act
Brussels designates WhatsApp a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act. WhatsApp's 'Channels' feature triggers the designation, requiring Meta to comply with new DSA rules by May 2026.

London VC 2150 closes €210 million Fund II, bringing AUM to €500 million in order to scale climate-driven urban systems
London VC 2150 raises €210M for Fund II, targeting urban tech. This brings total assets under management to €500M, aiming to reshape city infrastructure and industries.

The new AI-powered Siri could arrive as early as February
Apple revamps Siri with advanced AI for a February launch, promising a revolutionary user experience. This significant upgrade integrates cutting-edge machine learning to enhance voice assistant capabilities.

Court ruling: TikTok age verification not sufficient
Berlin court rules TikTok's age verification inadequate, encouraging teens to misrepresent their age. This ruling raises significant concerns for youth usage and data protection in Europe.

"All crazy about ChatGPT": the French among the most addicted to AI in the world
French users rank among the most addicted to AI tools like ChatGPT, driving significant adoption from individuals to CAC 40 company boards. This widespread embrace highlights a rapid digital shift across French society.

Humans& thinks coordination is the next frontier for AI, and they’re building a model to prove it
Humans& launches foundation models for AI collaboration, aiming to redefine digital teamwork beyond chatbots. The startup, founded by ex-Anthropic and Google DeepMind engineers, targets complex coordination tasks.

TNW Weekly Briefing
EU launches "EU Inc" at Davos, slashing startup red tape to enable single incorporation and cross-border operation by 2027. High-risk tech suppliers will also be phased out of critical infrastructure.

This is the impressive interactive map to view Earth in 4K live from space and monitor satellites
Interactive map reveals Earth in live 4K from space, monitoring thousands of satellites. Over 15,000 Starlink units orbit, offering a unique planetary perspective.

The wind turbines planted in the middle of the ocean were a maintenance challenge. Until the scanner drone appeared.
Danish startup Quali Drone successfully inspected operational offshore wind turbines with drones. This innovation significantly reduces costly downtime for clean energy generation in the maritime sector.

How to improve Gemini's responses: 14 steps to ensure higher quality and better sources
Google Gemini AI prompts improved with 14 detailed steps for higher quality and better sourcing. Users can now fine-tune AI responses by specifying context and structure for more accurate results.

This tool blocks all AI features and other elements you don't want from your browser: and it does so without installations
A new tool lets users disable AI and unwanted features in browsers, cutting through digital clutter. This bypasses corporate browser bloat, focusing solely on web navigation.
