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Engineering’s AI reality check


Most engineering leaders cannot answer the one question their CFO is about to ask: “Can you prove this AI spend is changing outcomes, not just activity?” Every December, roadmaps get locked, budgets get approved, and board decks are polished until everything looks precise and under control. Underneath, many CTOs and VPs are still working with partial visibility. They have a feel for their teams, but not a reliable view of how work moves through the system, how AI is really changing delivery, or where time and money actually go. For a while, that was survivable. Experience, pattern recognition, and cheap…

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Tekpon acquires TNW (The Next Web) brand from The Financial Times


Tekpon has acquired 100% of the TNW media and events brands, which cover and convene the European technology ecosystem, from the FT. The transaction is Tekpon’s largest investment in media and events so far. It broadens the company’s reach across SaaS and AI and strengthens its role in the global innovation landscape. TNW’s brand and editorial standards will be maintained, while its events and digital platforms will be integrated into Tekpon’s wider strategy. The FT will continue to own and operate TNW Spaces, Amsterdam’s dynamic tech hub, offering private offices and coworking spaces that support a thriving community of startups,…

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Startup wisdom: Why resilience is the most underrated metric in startup success


Startup wisdom is a new TNW series offering practical lessons from experts who’ve helped build great companies. This week, global traction strategist Nina Aziz Justin — founder of The Resilience Mentor — shares her approach to building resilience. In the startup world, we’re taught to obsess over metrics. Burn rate, CAC, MRR — they dominate the dashboards and drive the decisions. And yes, data matters. But there’s something quietly more essential that rarely gets the same spotlight: resilience. This piece offers a balanced perspective — one that holds space for both sides. While execution metrics are essential for traction and…

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Founders’ takes: Why we need European AI employees


Founders’ takes is a new series featuring expert insights from tech leaders transforming industries with artificial intelligence. In this edition, Lucas Spreiter, founder of German startup Venta AI, shares his vision of AI employees. Artificial intelligence is about to enable the most dramatic shift of the century: the transition from human labour to AI labour. In the coming years, businesses won’t just use AI as a tool — they’ll employ AI as real colleagues, handling critical workflows end-to-end. That shift is inevitable. The real question is: whose employees will we be hiring? If Europe doesn’t catch up with the US and…

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Startup wisdom: How to break the cycle of meeting hangovers


Startup wisdom is a new TNW series offering practical lessons from experts who’ve helped build great companies. This week, Vivian Acquah, a certified inclusion strategist, workshop facilitator, and founder of Amplify DEI, shares her tips on ending meeting hangovers. So, you’re a leader. Your leadership involves managing a team while having both a defined direction and multiple essential goals that need completion. Your goal is to plan effectively and empower your team to achieve high performance. The truth is that team leadership extends beyond goal achievement. Leaders must handle the complex interpersonal situations that emerge when working with people. The speed…

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Past the tipping point: Why the climate transition is now in our hands


Jacqueline van den Ende, CEO of Carbon Equity, believes we have already passed the climate transition tipping point: “Last year, 90% of all new electricity production worldwide came from renewable sources, i.e. generated via solar, wind, or water. Meanwhile, China is actually ahead of its climate goals compared to other countries,” she said. This isn’t a sign to let up; if anything, van den Ende believes we need more investment into climate tech solutions that will help accelerate the transition and make clean energy accessible across the globe. Yet, European climate tech funding sunk to a five-year low in Q1…

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Founders’ takes: AI isn’t the end of developers — it’s their evolution


Founders’ takes is a new series featuring expert insights from tech leaders transforming industries with artificial intelligence. In this edition, Steven Kleinveld, founder of applied AI lab Skylark, argues that vibe coding won’t replace developers — it’ll upgrade them. There’s been a lot of talk lately that AI is going to replace developers. With the rise of tools that let you prompt your way into building apps, people are starting to wonder: “Are developers even still needed?” The short answer: yes — more than ever. The hype around no-code and “vibe coding” makes it seem like anyone can build a solid MVP…

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Opinion: Europe can lead in tech — if regulation and culture align


As an American born and raised in New York City, I’ve seen the power of US entrepreneurialism to change the world. The ambition, ingenuity, and relentless drive that have powered the country’s economy for generations have also been a global force for prosperity, stability, and innovation. Yet now the US is retreating into an aggressive and unpredictable form of unilateral bullying. I am deeply concerned — not just for America, but for the world.  For the past few years, I’ve watched these developments from Europe. I’ve settled with my family in the Netherlands, where I work as CEO of cultivated…

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The Hot Crazy Matrix explains why investors get tech deals wrong


Private equity deals hit an all-time high in 2021, peaking at a total value of more than $1tn, with an average deal size exceeding $1bn for the first time. Founders were media darlings, valuations soared, and investors raced to get a piece of the action.   By 2023, many of those same companies — such as Klarna and Stripe — had lost billions in value. Klarna’s valuation plummeted by 85% from its 2021 peak of $45.6bn to $6.7bn in 2022. Stripe also fell dramatically, from $95bn in 2021 to $50bn in 2023.   Fast forward to today, and even more tech companies…

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The next unicorn might not hire anyone


A decade ago, startups often equated success with rapid headcount growth. The formula was simple: build a product, raise a round, hire fast. Bigger teams meant bigger bets. But the rulebook is getting rewritten as a new generation of startups scales with leaner teams and fewer people. They’re not building out sprawling customer support or sales teams, and seem to be automating what once warranted entire departments. Their growth is quite remarkable. Cursor, which became the fastest-growing SaaS company in history, generated $200mn in revenue with 30 employees. Midjourney made $200mnn with 40. Ben Lang’s site Tiny Teams tracks these…

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