The Next Web

The Next Web (TNW) is an online platform that delivers news about technology and web development. Established in 2006 by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten and Patrick de Laive, TNW also oversees The Next Web Events, which hosts conferences in cities like Amsterdam, New York, and Sao Paulo. The company has a team of 35 staff members based in Amsterdam and employs 12 journalists from various locations around the world.

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‘Space umbrella’ returns first striking images of Earth’s forests

4 days ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

A giant umbrella-like satellite fitted with European tech has revealed its first images of Earth’s surface. The probe, called “Biomass,” was built by a host of aerospace giants and startups for the European Space Agency (ESA). It launched in April on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. European Astrotech, a UK-based startup, was responsible for fuelling the satellite ahead of takeoff.
Europe approves first saliva-based contraceptive - no pill required

1 week ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

A saliva-based fertility tracker has received regulatory approval for use as a contraceptive in Europe. Developed by Berlin-based startup Inne, the at-home testing device — called the “Minilab” — tracks daily changes in progesterone levels, a hormone that plays a key role in regulating the menstrual cycle. It’s billed as a non-invasive alternative to hormonal birth control methods like the pill — and early tests have shown promising results.
AI as ‘socially vital’ as water and energy, say UK execs

1 week ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

Without water, the average human would die after about five days. Without energy, our society as we know it would collapse. But what about a world without AI? According to British business leaders, the consequences would be equally catastrophic. A new report by London-based software firm Endava, surveying 500 entrepreneurs, found that two-thirds of respondents rank AI as socially vital — on par with water and electricity.
War tech goes old school with Sweden’s first TNT factory since Cold War

1 week ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

A Swedish startup is taking defence tech back to basics — by building the country’s first TNT factory since the Cold War. Stockholm-based Swebal has secured a €3mn investment for the plant, slated to enter full operation in late 2027. Located in Nora, a town about three hours from the capital, the factory is expected to produce more than 4,000 tonnes of TNT a year.
AI warfare push makes Helsing one of Europe’s 5 most valuable tech firms

1 week ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

Munich-based defence tech startup Helsing has raised €600mn as geopolitical tensions trigger a flood of capital into AI warfare. The large investment was led by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s VC firm Prima Materia. It brings the company’s total raised to north of €1.3bn, building on a €450mn funding round in July last year. Helsing didn’t disclose its updated valuation.
7 TNW Conference sessions we’re excited about

1 week ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

The Netherlands’ hottest tech festival is just around the corner, and the buzz is electric. TNW Conference brings together Europe’s sharpest minds, boldest startups, and game-changing tech leaders at Amsterdam’s NDSM on June 19 and 20. It’s two days packed with big ideas, fierce debates, and innovations that could shape the future. We’ve combed through the packed schedule and picked seven sessions you absolutely can’t miss — the ones set to challenge the status quo and get everyone talking.
Artificial solar eclipse engineered in Europe offers new look at Sun

1 week ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

Two satellites equipped with European tech have delicately pulled off an artificial solar eclipse — giving scientists unmatched views of the Sun’s scorching corona. The European Space Agency (ESA) developed the probes alongside more than 40 space tech firms. Among them are a trio of startups, which contributed several key technologies for the mission: sensors for solar tracking, light detectors to fine-tune positioning, and software that orchestrated the satellites’ intricate flight path.
Quantum art, multiball, and AI selfies: TNW 2025’s best side quests

2 weeks ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

Qubits, entanglement, superposition, trapped ions, Schrödinger’s cat. These terms sound strange because the world of quantum mechanics — where things can exist in multiple states at once — is strange. Thankfully, a group of students from TU Delft are bringing these powerful sub-atomic phenomena to life at TNW Conference through an exhibition of abstract artworks. Their project, Emergence Delft, blends science and creativity into a mind-bending exploration of quantum reality.
European VCs just made a record bet on this fusion energy underdog

2 weeks ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

Two years ago, German startup Proxima Fusion emerged from stealth with big ambitions to make a little-known stellarator fusion machine a serious contender in the race for commercial fusion energy. Today, the Munich-based company secured Europe’s largest-ever private investment in fusion power — a €130mn Series A funding round from big-name investors including Balderton Capital, Cherry Ventures, and Plural.
Clearest views yet of Sun’s south pole may unlock its mysteries

2 weeks ago | thenextweb.com | Sion Geschwindt

A spacecraft developed by European scientists and companies has captured unprecedented new views of the Sun’s south pole. Built by Airbus in the UK, Solar Orbiter was developed as part of a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The probe launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2020. A number of European tech firms contributed to the mission.