Wil je maar al te graag dat jouw bedrijf online goed gevonden wordt? Dan is het belangrijk om te starten met een sterke basis: je website. Zorg dat je site gebruiksvriendelijk is, snel laadt en mobielvriendelijk is. Mensen willen niet eindeloos wachten tot een pagina opent of worstelen met een onhandig menu. Daarnaast moet je website geoptimaliseerd zijn voor zoekmachines, oftewel SEO. Denk aan duidelijke koppen, relevante zoekwoorden en waardevolle content. Het lijkt misschien veel werk, maar het zorgt ervoor dat je website niet verdwijnt in de krochten van het internet.

De kracht van een online marketing bureau

Heb je nog niet echt een idee waar je moet beginnen? Of heb je simpelweg geen tijd om alles zelf te doen? Een online marketing bureau kan je uit de brand helpen. Deze professionals weten precies wat er nodig is om jouw bedrijf online zichtbaar te maken. Ze kunnen je helpen met:

• Zoekmachineoptimalisatie
• Social media campagnes
• Het inzetten van advertenties zoals Google Ads

Een groot voordeel is dat je profiteert van hun expertise en tools. Hierdoor haal je sneller resultaten dan wanneer je alles zelf moet uitvogelen. En het mooiste? Jij kunt je volledig focussen op wat je het liefste doet: ondernemen.

Sociale media: meer dan alleen plaatjes posten

Sociale media zijn een krachtig middel om jouw bedrijf zichtbaar te maken. Maak je gebruik van platforms zoals Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn of zelfs TikTok? Deze bieden je de kans om direct met je doelgroep in contact te komen. Maar alleen posten over je producten of diensten is niet genoeg. Mensen willen iets waardevols zien: tips, inspiratie of een kijkje achter de schermen. Denk goed na over welke kanalen passen bij jouw doelgroep en wees consistent. Plan je content vooruit, experimenteer met verschillende soorten berichten en analyseer wat goed werkt. Zo bouw je een band op met je volgers én trek je nieuwe klanten aan.

Investeer in online advertenties

Wil je snel meer zichtbaarheid? Overweeg dan online advertenties. Met een relatief klein budget kun je al een groot bereik hebben. Denk aan advertenties op Google, waar je direct bovenaan de zoekresultaten staat, of betaalde campagnes op social media die precies jouw doelgroep bereiken. Het mooie is dat je precies kunt meten wat je campagnes opleveren. Door te testen met verschillende teksten, beelden en doelgroepen ontdek je wat het beste werkt. Zo haal je het maximale uit je investering en ben je altijd zichtbaar waar het telt.

For entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, finding the right platform to sell or acquire a business can be challenging. Enter Brookz, the leading marketplace for business transactions in the Benelux region, offering a comprehensive solution for startups and established companies alike.

A Thriving Marketplace for Business Transactions

Brookz stands out as a dynamic platform that facilitates over 2,000 business sales annually. Whether you’re a startup founder looking to exit, an entrepreneur seeking a new challenge, or an investor searching for promising opportunities, Brookz provides a streamlined approach to business transactions.

Selling Your Startup: Key Considerations

Deciding to sell your business is a significant milestone. Brookz understands the nuanced journey of startup founders and offers guidance through the complex process:

1. Motivation matters: Reflect deeply on your reasons for selling. Are you seeking financial rewards? Ready for a new entrepreneurial adventure? Understanding your motivation is crucial.

2. Transaction structures: You have multiple options when selling your startup. You can sell through shares or asset transfer. Each approach has unique implications, especially regarding your team and existing commitments.

3. Valuation and preparation: Determining your startup’s true value requires careful analysis. Brookz recommends:

• Engaging financial advisors
• Consulting legal experts
• Preparing comprehensive documentation
• Creating a clear strategy for the sales process

Buying a Business: Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

For aspiring entrepreneurs, acquiring an existing business through Brookz offers distinct advantages:

• Instant access to an established customer base
• Leverage existing brand recognition
• Accelerate business growth
• Minimize startup risks

Platform Features

Brookz provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to:

• Filter businesses by sector
• Search by location
• Specify takeover type
• View company size (number of FTEs)

Recent Developments

The platform’s credibility continues to grow. In 2023, Value8 made a significant investment in Brookz , underlining the marketplace’s importance in the Dutch business ecosystem.

Why Entrepreneurs Choose Brookz

Thousands of entrepreneurs and investors have already used Brookz to navigate business transactions. The platform’s comprehensive approach and extensive network make it a go-to resource for startup founders and business owners in the Netherlands.

Whether you’re looking to sell your startup or acquire a new business opportunity, Brookz offers the tools, resources, and marketplace to support your entrepreneurial journey.

This year, the Netherlands’ largest student entrepreneurship contest celebrates 20 years of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. What makes this award so special is the unique trajectory it offers, designed to support students and recent graduates turning their ideas into successful startups, or providing more developed start-ups the tools to becoming a success.

Startups can participate in coaching days, where they receive valuable feedback from experts, attend insightful workshops and various training sessions, and connect with PHIA’s extensive network of alumni and jury members. Most importantly, participants gain access to a prominent platform to showcase their ideas. It’s a fantastic accelerator program that benefits every contestant!

Over the past 20 years, the Philips Innovation Award has provided a platform for numerous successful startups from diverse backgrounds. From last year’s winners AlphaPace and SoundCell, with their impactful healthcare solutions, to other notable winners like Respyre with its bioreceptive concrete, LaLaLand.ai offering digital models of every size, age, and race for the online fashion industry. Loop Biotech with their innovative mycelium-based living coffins. This award spans across sectors, and PHIA participants have made their mark both in the Netherlands and beyond.

Two leagues to ensure fair competition

The Philips Innovation Award offers two competition tracks to give every startup a fair chance to shine:

• The Innovator League for more developed startups
• The Rough Diamond League for early-stage ideas

The Innovator League winner will be awarded a prize worth €50,000, while the Rough Diamond League winner will receive €10,000 – a significant boost for any startup. All participants follow the same trajectory, benefiting equally from the program’s offerings.

Program timeline

The journey to the grand finale begins with submitting a business plan (deadline: 6th December 2024). Startups are evaluated by an expert panel on originality, sustainability, commercial potential, and innovation. The top 30 startups selected will follow the program, which leads to the semi-finals – the Refining Stage. Here, participants engage in events like Coaching Day and Investor Day, designed to refine their ideas and prepare for the semi-finals.

In the Final Stage, the top startups from both leagues will compete at the grand final on 17th June 2025 at Theater Rotterdam. This event will feature inspiring pitches, dynamic speakers, and an expert jury. Before the final, teams will have the chance to perfect their pitch at Pitching Day, ensuring they take the stage with confidence.

Deadline: Sign Up – Dare to Innovate!

Do you have an innovative startup or a groundbreaking idea? This is your chance! Submit your business plan before the deadline and take the first step toward accelerating your startup. The deadline for submissions is 6th December 2024, so don’t wait – get started today!

Watch our Call to Action video to experience the energy and excitement of PHIA, and sign up now at www.phia.nl.

The 20th edition of the Philips Innovation Award promises to be a milestone event – we look forward to celebrating a future filled with innovators, creators, and visionaries ready to make a difference!

New research conducted with grant support from Google.org and The SCAN Foundation, reveals some surprising statistics about mid-career and older workers.

For the Generation.org study, YouGov surveyed two audiences across the U.S. and Europe: people aged 45+ who work in entry and mid-level roles, and hiring managers who evaluate candidates for these roles. 

It covered a broad range of industries and company sizes, and overall surveyed 2,610 employees and 1,488 employers in France, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

5 European tech jobs to consider this week

• Java Developer – Full Stack Developer, Seibert Media GmbH, Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
• PHP Developer Senior, Halian, FR
• Lead developper F/H, ADENES, Rhône
• Outsystems Developer, Conspect, Flevoland
• API Developer, Schiphol Group, Haarlemmermeer

AI and the over 45s

It found that only 15% of workers aged 45-plus in both the U.S. and Europe report using AI at work, with Spain reporting the highest usage at 19%. In between was France (15%), Ireland (16%), and the UK (17%).

This doesn’t mean mid-career workers are luddites, however. Though AI has caused significant time savings for repetitive tasks, many of the routine duties that can be automated with AI fall under the remit of early-career professionals. 

This was certainly the case in a 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research study by MIT Sloan and Stanford academics that examined a large call centre. It found that it was novice workers who enjoyed the biggest productivity gains from using AI tools.

Meanwhile, strategy, management and niche industry knowledge are some of the key offerings of mid-career and older workers, and these cannot be outsourced to AI easily or at all.

Revamp your CV

Despite knowing this, it is helpful and recommended for workers to include AI on their CVs, whether this reflects formal training, a recent project, or as a tech tool used in day-to-day work.

Hiring managers in both the U.S. and Europe showed a strong preference for younger candidates for AI-intensive roles, indicating a belief that older workers may be less adaptable to technology. 

Only 32-33% of employers would consider candidates over age 60 for such roles, versus over 85% for those under 35. Having AI explicitly on your CV preempts such assumptions.

This addition of AI would be all the more promising to clued-in hiring managers, as among the 45-plus group who do use AI, most are self-taught users showing initiative and adaptability. 

Many in the survey report on AI’s positive impacts on work quality, productivity, and job satisfaction, showing that older workers can thrive if they adopt this technology.

But it might take some convincing for those not using it at all. In the U.S., only 24% non-users expressed interest in learning AI, though this rises to 36% for Europe, while 31% are neutral about AI in the U.S., compared to 17% in Europe.

Of course, AI cannot replace decades of well-worn experience, but later-stage career professionals can still leverage AI to their benefit, in the job market and in the day-to-day. 

Upskill in AI

Overall, fewer older workers pursue training; 38% participate annually, compared to 50% of younger workers, and this is reflected in AI upskilling too.

The report recommends that employers focus on developing employee’s AI use cases that align with older workers’ expertise, while encouraging ongoing training.

But for those still on the fence, let the grim statistics from the 2024 Annual Work Trend Index from Microsoft and LinkedIn be your prompt. 

These researchers found that employers are now more interested in AI skills than in demonstrated performance, after polling 31,000 workers across 31 nations.

According to 71% of executives, hiring candidates with AI experience is preferable to hiring those with real-world experience.

This presents a clear danger for professionals who are a few years or decades into their working life. 

Online courses from Datacamp, Udemy, Codecademy, Coursera, and edX are all recognised and good for an easy ‘in’ – some even come with a certification.

While well-established universities and colleges who are focused on advancing AI education, like Stanford’s Deep Learning programme, are worth exploring for more in-depth upskilling. 

As AI skills become a baseline for employability, mid-career and older workers need to showcase their adaptability, and continue to add value in both new and established ways. 

Depending on your role and industry, AI might not make a huge difference in how you work, but knowing and using it will change how you are perceived by executives and hiring managers, who increasingly value employees and candidates with AI fluency. 

Looking for your next professional challenge? Find your next job on the Silicon Canals Job Board today

Author

Amanda Kavanagh, content strategy, production, writing & editing at Jobbio.

With hit games Hero Wars, Pixel Gun 3D, and others, GDEV Holding is now a key player in the gaming industry. The numbers speak for themselves: over $2.5 billion in revenue, more than 550 million downloads, and a monthly player base of over 11 million. Moreover, the company’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange with the ticker symbol $GDEV.

This article covers how a global game developer and publisher manages its portfolio companies and its growth strategies.

From a Small Studio to a Gaming Leader.

Now a global entertainment holding, GDEV started as a small studio with big ambitions in 2010. The pivotal moment happened in 2019-2020 when the company increased its revenue 10x times, positioning itself to step onto the big stage with an IPO on NASDAQ, the world’s largest stock exchange. CEO Andrey Fadeev recognised that the journey was challenging but important for further business growth.

Headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, the company now operates four gaming studios with over 900 employees and serves globally: 34% of the revenue comes from the US, 29% from Europe, and 22% from Asia.

The USA remains the key market for the holding, and CEO Fadeev sees it as the main driver of future expansion. However, Asia is developing fast and has almost caught up with other markets.

What makes holding successful and profitable in the long term?

GDEV doesn’t hide its ambitious mission: to create “forever franchises” that have the ability to adapt to changing player preferences and market trends using accumulated expertise and constantly improving games. With four in-house studios focused on achieving top positions in their respective genres, the company has a level of diversification that supports its success.

GDEV actively manages its studios by setting growth trajectories, supporting long-term strategic development, and fostering collaborative success across the portfolio. Thanks to this approach, GDEV is continuously expanding its range of services to increase its market share and enhance opportunities for capital allocation.

“At GDEV, we see ourselves as an efficient machine for capital allocation and operational enhancement, strategically balancing our game studios and their titles. Our goal is to reach key audience segments across genres, reinforcing our market presence across platforms. We’re dedicated to maximising capital returns from each studio and game while expanding our offerings to create more opportunities on the capital markets,” says Andrey Fadeev, GDEV CEO.

Moreover, we are actively experimenting with new media formats, like collaborations, animations, and webcomics, to help attract new audiences. For example, we recently partnered with Embracer to feature Lara Croft in Hero Wars, receiving positive feedback from our community. The collaboration brought in over 500,000 new players and resulted in a financial uplift with a high ROI. The success of this collaboration not only boosted our brand visibility but also provided valuable experience, opening the door for future partnerships. 

 Another example is comics about the Hero Wars Universe, which is made in a manga style and largely oriented towards a Japanese audience. 

Despite focusing on existing franchises, GDEV constantly experiments with new game ideas and tests them quickly and efficiently. The company invests in external R&D teams working in the early stages of projects to diversify its portfolio and explore new genres and platforms.

The company’s management highlights that companies with strong, established brands and resources can better navigate market challenges. GDEV is a great example: Hero Wars became a top game in its genre thanks to an active social media community of over 4 million people!

Looking ahead, GDEV is exploring opportunities to expand into new markets and genres, as well as new platforms like VR. By leveraging our existing strengths and capabilities, the company aims to capture a larger share of the global gaming market. Ultimately, GDEV’s long-term vision is to provide the best game experience for each player, focusing on developing and nurturing top-tier games within key genres.

Inside GDEV’s Game Studios

GDEV’s portfolio is diverse and impressive. Four studios produce a wide range of games for different genres and platforms. Each studio works with its unique vision and focus and contributes to the holding’s success. Studios work on developing their genres and creating a diverse range of games.

Here is a brief overview of GDEV’s studios:

• Nexters: A well-known Studio in the gaming industry, Nexters has almost 600 employees, and three hit mobile games: Hero Wars Alliance, Hero Wars: Dominion Era, and Island Hoppers. Hero Wars is one of the top 3 free-to-play RPGs worldwide (by downloads, AppMagic 2024)

• Cubic Games: The studio developed Pixel Gun 3D, one of the famous and best mobile shooters worldwide and a top seller and the most popular shooter game on Steam (Steam rating), which recouped its development costs in just one day.

• Royal Ark: Originally focused on mid-core games, the studio switched to the casual genre with a hybrid monetisation model.

• Game Gears: Acquired in 2022, Game Gears specialises in hybrid casual games with a strong focus on research and development.

Future Plans: To Provide the Best Gaming Experience

As the mobile gaming market continues to grow in the coming years, GDEV explores opportunities to expand into new markets and genres.

In the past few decades, technology has advanced to the point that it is almost essential to running and growing a successful business.

Companies need websites, applications, and technology-related services to manage and grow, and many try to assemble their teams to handle this aspect of the business. However, these teams are frequently unsuccessful, whether it be due to inexperienced employees, high costs, or other issues.

What is programming outsourcing?

For companies, the best way to create and maintain successful software is with programming outsourcing: The practice of hiring an external service provider to handle the programming needs of a business. This option is more cost-effective and much more efficient than a personal development team.

The benefits of utilising outsource programming services

Reduced Costs: One of the most notable advantages of programming outsourcing is the reduced cost. Outsourcing to an external service provider tends to be less expensive than managing a personal development team, and businesses do not need to spend money on infrastructure and technology needed for software development.

Flexibility: Programming outsourcing provides much greater flexibility to the client. They can hire the number of elements and resources the project requires without spending any extra. Clients can also add requirements or developing requests to the project and rest assured that a professional and responsive development team will be able to inform them of their completion.

Experienced Developers: Trustworthy external service providers also provide much more experienced programmers. Clients will not need to deal with hiring developers for their own team, and can instead save time and resources by relying on the external service provider to recruit highly skilled professional programmers who can complete their tasks efficiently and successfully.

What are good external service providers?

Although programming outsourcing has the potential to benefit any business greatly, it can only do so if clients use a good external service provider. It should be trustworthy, established, and have professional programmers to provide clients with.

The programmers should be experienced, talented, and responsive. If clients use a poor external service provider, they may encounter numerous complications, increased costs, and an overall setback for the company.

How Svitla Systems meets programming outsourcing needs

Among the numerous external service providers, Svitla Systems stands out as one of the best business options. With over twenty years of experience, it has completed over five thousand projects and has hundreds of technology professionals available. Svitla Systems’ services include web and mobile solutions, big data and analytics, DevOps, and much more.

Svitla Systems has thirteen global locations, so clients can be sure they will have access to plenty of talented professionals with whom they can easily communicate. With such a large talent pool, Svitla Systems can provide a professional team to meet a business’s technological needs.

This company has earned several admirable awards for its quality work and excellence. It has been consistently present on the IAOP Global Outsourcing 100 List and the INC. 5000 List, both of which recognize Svitla Systems’ excellence. Svitla Systems is also a certified women-owned company and an AWS advanced consulting partner.

Overall, Svitla Systems can provide businesses with any Information Technology needs. Individuals interested in its services can find more information on the company’s website and, if they find what they need, easily place an order to receive top-quality service.

More than half (58%) of employees block off time in their calendars to protect themselves from meetings, according to new workplace research from Owl Labs.

Negativity about meetings is nothing new, and employee gripes often include the fact that they have to do so many meetings, they have no time left for their actual work. Workers also dislike pointless meetings that literally could have been an email, meetings that take up too much time, and meetings that are open-ended with no clear agenda or action points.

These are all legitimate reasons to want to avoid that meeting overload, and in some ways hybrid work has made things more complicated. While you can dial in from home if you’re not in the office, this technology layer adds its own issues. 

In addition to the sometimes time-wasting aspects of meetings, workers have to contend with tech problems, along with a new slew of meeting best practices.

5 European tech jobs to consider this week

• Senior Java Developer (m/w/d), Verband der Ersatzkassen e. V. (vdek), Berlin
• Senior IT Architect, Platinion, Boston Consulting Group, Paris
• Senior Manager AI & Data, Finanzindustrie, Publicis Sapient, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Köln, München
• Alternation Python Developer, ISCOD, Toulouse
• EMEA Mainframe Business Specialist – Broadcom – Western Europe (remote offer), Arrow Electronics, Inc., United Kingdom

The research has also found that new pain points for workers include missing parts of conversations, either auditory or visually. Nearly three quarters report having lost time and have started meetings late due to technical difficulties, 70% struggle to see everyone’s faces, and another 70% have issues hearing everyone. 

And of course, time-honoured meeting problems are still very much in evidence, including the cumbersome problem of the HiPPO. Aka the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion, a HiPPO has the ability to stymie every meeting they attend, and railroad others into deferring to them, purely because they are the person in the meeting with the highest pay grade.

However, being the most senior or best paid in a team meeting doesn’t necessarily mean that your opinion is the correct one, or one that will guarantee the best outcome. In fact, a 2016 study at the Rotterdam School of Management identified that projects led by junior managers had a higher success rate.

Leaders go last

That’s because when the HiPPO is out of the room (virtual or otherwise), employees are happier to push back, will challenge assumptions, and will give honest feedback. In teams with senior managers, junior colleagues are wary of voicing their opinions.

One tech leader who is highly aware of this issue is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. In a recent interview on the Lex Fridman podcast, Bezos had some interesting things to say about how he approaches meetings.

“In every meeting I attend, I always speak last,” he said. 

“I know, from experience, if I speak first, even very strong-willed, highly intelligent, high-judgment participants in that meeting will wonder, ‘If Jeff thinks that? I came into this meeting thinking one thing, but maybe I’m not right.’”

Bezos understands the power he wields, and has advice for other senior leaders.

“If you’re the most senior person in the room, go last. Let everyone else go first. Ideally, have the most junior person go first—try to go in order of seniority—so that you can hear everyone’s opinion in an unfiltered way. Someone you really respect says something? It makes you change your mind a little.”

As a leadership tactic, this is a smart and self-aware one. Listening first matters, and by speaking last, managers can encourage everyone to proffer their opinions and suggestions. Additionally, diversity of thought is good because it tends to lead to better outcomes.

Some workers may not see this as it is intended. Speaking last can be viewed as a cynical tactic that is purely designed to get the last word in. Once the most senior person says what they think, or expresses what they want to happen, regardless of who has spoken before, the agenda may very well be set in favour of the outcome they’d prefer.

However, the fact that a senior employee is self-aware enough to wait to speak indicates that they are willing to listen. This all on its own is of benefit, with data showing that managers who received training in active listening saw a 30% improvement in employee satisfaction, and that active listening increases collaboration and productivity by 25%.

Looking for your next professional challenge? Find your next job on the Silicon Canals Job Board today

Author

Kirstie McDermott, Senior Content Manager, Amply at Jobbio.

Analysts at Allied Market Research report the global cloud services market, valued at $551.8 billion in 2021, is projected to hit $2.5 trillion by 2031. A growth rate that outpaces many industries. 

But there’s a saying that trees growing too quickly often have the weakest wood. Has the cloud market grown too fast to be so weak to parasites?

The Snowflake cloud breach that affected Ticketmaster revealed flaws in what many consider a security staple: two-factor authentication (2FA).

The Snowflake breach – A wake-up call

In 2024, Snowflake, a Montana-based data platform, experienced a significant breach, which affected an estimated 165 organizations.

Investigations by Mandiant and Crowdstrike revealed that a North American hacking group, possibly with ties to Turkey, was behind the breach. 

They used stolen credentials dating back to 2020, obtained through malware campaigns. These credentials remained valid due to inadequate security measures.

As a result, the hacker was able to bypass these security measures, including 2FA, using a custom-developed tool dubbed rapeflake. 

Why 2FA falls short

For a while now, two-factor authentication (2FA) has been hailed as the holy grail of online security. However, like yesterday’s newspaper, it’s starting to show its age.

Why is this the case? 

Several reasons! Sophisticated phishing attacks can now trick users into revealing their 2FA codes, and SIM-swapping attacks can intercept SMS-based 2FA. 

Also, smart threat actors are using malware on devices that can capture and transmit 2FA tokens to attackers, and social engineering tactics can manipulate users or support staff into bypassing 2FA. 

In the Snowflake hack, attackers exploited weak 2FA implementation by acquiring stolen credentials through phishing and malware. 

Many impacted accounts lacked MFA, and valid credentials were used years after being stolen, highlighting poor password update practices. 

Another thing, a lack of network access control allowed unrestricted login attempts. The hackers developed custom tools to mimic legitimate logins, further complicating detection. 

Advanced measures for robust cloud security

The security breaches at Kaseya, Facebook, Cognyte, Verizon, and Raychat underscore the urgent need for “pruning” and “weeding” of the fast-growing tree – the cloud industry.

And perhaps the right tool is to implement a multi-layered approach.

Verify the user

Modern authentication techniques go beyond just two-factor authentication. A combination of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Behavioral Analytics, and Adaptive Authentication can offer a more robust defense.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Incorporate additional layers such as biometrics, hardware tokens, or device certificates. These methods ensure that even if one authentication factor is compromised, unauthorized access is still difficult.
• Behavioral Analytics: Continuously monitor user behavior, analyzing patterns like typing speed, device usage, and geolocation. This helps detect anomalies, such as logins from unfamiliar locations or unusual access times, flagging suspicious activities in real time.
• Adaptive Authentication: Leverage context-aware systems to adjust security requirements based on factors such as location, device type, and access history. This approach reduces friction for trusted users while enforcing stricter security for risky scenarios.

These techniques work together to verify a user’s identity across multiple domains: what they know (password), what they have (device or token), and who they are (biometrics, usage patterns).

Secure the connection

Modern networking techniques such as Zero Trust Architecture strengthen security by ensuring that no user or device is trusted by default. This approach continuously authenticates and authorizes users and devices at every stage, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the network.

Additionally, monitoring devices for suspicious activity, such as unusual access patterns or configuration changes, adds an extra layer of security to prevent breaches before they escalate.

Secure the environment

Authentication and connection security mean little if the underlying infrastructure is vulnerable. Cloud environments should be regularly tested beyond surface-level configurations. Security audits should not only verify that systems comply but also conduct in-depth tests on internet-facing assets, minimizing exposure of sensitive information and services. This prevents attackers from exploiting overlooked or poorly configured areas.

Security teams and developers must move beyond trusting that their cloud setups are inherently secure. Continuous in-depth testing across application and infrastructure layers helps catch vulnerabilities that basic security measures or configuration checks might miss.

Future-proofing your cloud security

Educate your team

Regular security awareness training is essential to equip employees with the knowledge to recognize and respond to potential threats. 

These training sessions should cover the latest phishing tactics, the importance of strong passwords, and the best practices for maintaining data security. An informed team is a critical line of defense against cyber threats.

Stay informed

Keep up with the latest security trends and emerging threats in the cloud computing space. Subscribe to cybersecurity news feeds, attend relevant conferences, and participate in professional networks. Staying informed allows you to anticipate and counter new threats before they become serious issues.

Invest in advanced tools

Consider adopting AI-powered security solutions that can predict and prevent sophisticated attacks. These tools use machine learning algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns indicative of potential security breaches. By integrating these advanced tools, you can enhance your ability to detect and mitigate threats proactively.

Collaborate with ethical hackers

Engage with cybersecurity firms that offer ethical hacking services to test and strengthen your defenses. Ethical hackers simulate cyber-attacks on your systems to uncover vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. This proactive approach helps you identify and address security gaps effectively.

Implement least privilege access

Ensure that users have only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their tasks. This principle of least privilege reduces the risk of unauthorized access and limits the potential damage if an account is compromised. Regularly review and adjust access levels based on users’ roles and responsibilities.

Encrypt Data at Rest and in Transit

Use robust encryption protocols to protect your data both when it’s stored and when it’s being transmitted. Encrypting data at rest ensures that it remains secure even if physical security measures fail. Encrypting data in transit protects it from interception and tampering during communication processes.

Develop an Incident Response Plan

Have a clear, tested strategy in place for responding to potential security breaches. Your incident response plan should include steps for identifying and containing a breach, notifying affected parties, and recovering from the incident. Regularly update and practice your plan to ensure your team can act swiftly and effectively in the event of a security breach.

Remember, cloud security is a tree that demands frequent care – it’s an ongoing process. So, regularly reassess your security measures, stay informed about emerging threats, and be prepared to adapt your strategies as the threat landscape evolves.

Author

Alex Wells, with a technical background and an MBA, is passionate about innovation and its impact on daily work life. She began her career in Vodafone’s cybersecurity portfolio, later advising other cyber companies, and currently addresses marketing challenges at Hadrian.

Those working in the tech industry will remember 2021 as a banner year for both VC funding and unicorn creation. That year, it seemed like a new billion euro company was minted every week, and in fact, with a final tally of 69 for 2021, it was a huge increase on 2020’s number of unicorns at 15. 

In 2022, 47 new unicorns were minted, but things took a sharp downwards turn last year. According to Dealroom data, in 2023, just 86 startups raised more than $100m, and the year ended with just seven companies achieving billion euro status.

But the sands are shifting once again. So far in 2024, eight unicorns have emerged in Europe, and 59 companies have secured a $100m-plus round so far this year––with the final quarter of the year yet to play out.

5 European tech jobs to consider this week

• Senior IT Architect, Platinion, Boston Consulting Group, Paris
• Senior Operations Engineer, eBay, Dreilinden
• Alternation Python Developer, ISCOD, Toulouse
• Senior Intelligence Systems Mentor/PLEX Architect, General Dynamics Information Technology, Wiesbaden
• Knowledge Management SW Developer-PowerPlatform, Leidos, Stuttgart-Vaihingen

A recent European VC Valuations Report from PitchBook has found that the median deal size in Europe increased across all funding stages in the first quarter of this year. 

What is even more positive is where the funding is going. A Q2 report from Dealroom highlighted that thanks to large funding rounds involving generative AI and energy companies, Europe has seen over 1,450 rounds of $2M-plus raised by European startups in H1 2024.

Given the rapid rise in awareness of generative AI in particular, as well as mass adoption of tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, it’s not surprising that AI startups in the bloc have raised $3bn, with generative AI in particular taking 18% of all European VC funding so far this year. 

But that’s just part of this year’s more buoyant funding environment. It is the energy sector that is receiving the most funding, raising $5.7bn so far this year. Hydrogen companies have seen some of the biggest investment rounds, with HysetCo, a Paris-based startup seeking to decarbonise urban transport with hydrogen taxis, raising €200m.

Elsewhere in the sector, sustainable energy VC SET Ventures recently closed its fourth fund of €200 million, designed to back startups with digital-first, data-driven solutions which will facilitate the transition to a carbon-free energy system.

Another French cleantech company recently raised €31.5 million in a Series-B funding round. Calyzia designs, manufactures, and sells high-performing and eco-engineered microcapsule and microparticle solutions that enable global manufacturers to advance product performance and achieve sustainability goals.

Tech unicorns 2024

When it comes to this year’s unicorns, they are a varied bunch across property management tech, data, AI, quantum computing and more.

DataSnipper is a Dutch startup specialising in automating and speeding up the auditing process for finance professionals. Another new Dutch unicorn is Amsterdam-based Mews, a property management platform for hoteliers.

London-based ElevenLabs specialises in voice AI and has racked up column inches for its $19m Series A funding round. It is now a global leader in the GenAI audio sphere.

Quantinuum is also UK-based, and as the name suggests is a quantum company “leading the development of the most powerful quantum computers and the most advanced quantum software solutions”.

The UK is also home to AI startup Wayve, which is​​ leading in autonomous driving with innovative embodied AI technology.

France-based fintech Pennylane is an accounting platform designed to improve workflows between enterprises and accountants, while Pigment, also located in France, is an enterprise data-visualisation platform.

Italy boasts Bending Spoons, which creates apps for content creators, such as photo-editing, motion graphics and typography apps.

What to watch next

As one crop of unicorns matures, another one is invariably on the way. Into 2025 there are a swathe of tech startups doing interesting things, right across the continent.

In Ireland, Tines is one to watch. A security-focused solution to power workflows, it has been flagged as a soon-to-be unicorn. In the UK, the pet food company Butternut Box produces tailored dog meals based on variables such as breed, gender, age, and weight, and is currently valued at $660m.

In Germany, Vivid is a banking and investment app that offers saving, spending and investment tools. Billie, also Germany-based, is a buy-now, pay-later platform offering B2B payment solutions.

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Author

Kirstie McDermott, Senior Content Manager, Amply at Jobbio.

Per head, Europe boasts a 30% higher concentration of AI experts than the United States, and nearly triple that of China. However, in the global tug-of-war for talent, many of these Europe-educated experts are being pulled to the US. There, as reported in the Financial Times, global tech giants with deep pockets and global reputations – such as Google and Microsoft – are snapping up researchers and engineers at pace, leading to fierce competition amongst smaller companies across the Atlantic. As a result, within Europe’s tech startup community, attracting and retaining the AI talent needed to scale and compete is proving a huge challenge – and a huge barrier to growth. 

As an exited digital health founder, serial investor, advisor and seat-holder on several startup boards, I have plenty of experience of getting AI talent strategy right – and wrong! Here are my learnings and  my top advice for founders on how to play your hiring cards right – so you can grow a world-class engineering team without spending all your cash.  

Investigate the AI skills mix you really need 

Before embarking on your headhunt, conduct a thorough assessment of your talent gaps and think carefully about the skills mix you need. Often, startups make the mistake of advertising expensive roles where there is a lot of competition for talent, when their need could be filled by someone with a less sought-after skill set. Also, identify where you might be able to promote, upskill or retrain current team members to fill gaps, so you can ensure you’re not expending resources on hiring externally if you don’t need to be.  

For some projects, you might want to consider outsourcing work to external contractors.  This allows you to extend your technical team and quickly onboard experienced talent – which is particularly helpful for time-critical tasks. Outsourcing also provides you with the flexibility to adapt to shorter term projects, and the time to fully develop your understanding of the skills you need to recruit for over the long term. 

Put your company mission front and centre 

Your startup doesn’t have the instant name recognition or prestige of Google and Microsoft, but what you may have is a powerful mission to make the world a better place. According to research from Deloitte, Gen Z members of the talent pool are highly motivated to work for purpose-driven company – and for some, purpose matters even more than salary. 

Aleph Alpha, a German AI company, have grown their team by over 164% to 111 employees over the past 12 months, helped by the strength of their mission is to build the best large language models (LLMs) in the world in order to empower businesses and governments with the most advanced generative AI technology.  

So, ensure that you have clear and consistent messaging regarding your company mission, and that you are effectively communicating this during the hiring process. Don’t be shy about leaning into aspects of your company mission that are most likely to resonate with your target hires – such as sustainability, social equity, or improving health outcomes. 

Over the past six months, Cambridge techbio startup Qureight has successfully leveraged their mission to improve outcomes for heart and lung disease patients to attract leading AI talent from top academic institutions and universities. New hires were motivated by Qureight’s vocal commitment to redefining precision medicine and their publicly-stated principles of scientific rigour and data excellence. 

Leverage the advantages of your startup status

As an agile, lean company, you have a lot to offer your early stage hires. This is because, in a startup environment, even experienced AI talent will find ample opportunities to learn, expand their skills, take on new responsibilities, and quickly progress their careers. As an employer, work with your HR team to create a rich culture of innovation and learning in your organisation, where employees are provided with ample opportunities for professional development and career progression. 

If feasible, build a work structure that supports flexible and remote work, so you can widen your talent pool and attract AI talent not based in your HQ location. You may even consider establishing an office in one of the emerging AI talent hubs – such as India – when you have the capacity to do so. 

Although you won’t be able to salary-match some of your competitors, startups have more scope to build personalised, creative compensation packages, such as equity options, performance-based bonuses, or non-monetary benefits, to create attractive compensation packages within limited budgets. 

Recruit creatively and through partnerships

If you’re looking to cut through competition, look beyond recruiters and LinkedIn to track down your new AI hires. Think about how you can get creative to get your opportunities in front of the right candidates – and who can help you. Your investors, for example, can help spread the word across their network, and even local journalists can help spread the word of your hiring endeavours. In addition, you could nurture mutually rewarding partnerships and mentoring schemes with academic and research institutions – including local universities – where you can help develop your future talent pipeline whilst supporting students.  

Locking down your A team 

With competition for AI talent likely to intensify in the years ahead, I’d strongly advise every AI startup to craft a solid talent strategy in place to support planned scaling. Focus on showcasing the unique and creative value that your company can offer to your employees, leverage the advantages that come with being a smaller, more agile organisation, and do not deviate from your company’s culture and values when selecting new recruits. 

About the author

David Buller, is a Founding Partner at Ascension Life Fund, exited founder of Avantec Healthcare, and a serial Angel investor in healthtech & techbio companies. He has years of first-hand experience of supporting startups to source and hold onto top-tier AI talent.