Hyped: Global - 10 July 2025

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TL;DR:

• EU Stands Firm on AI Act Timeline Despite Industry Pushback - Business Daily 

• NATO tech accelerator hires new interim managing director amid shakeup - Sifted

• French AI Startup Mistral in talks to raise $1bn from Abu Dhabi fund MGX - Sifted

Germany: Schleswig-Holstein becomes the first region to abandon Microsoft software

The German State, home to 2.9 million people, including the country’s 29th largest city Kiel, has decided to distance itself from the US Tech Giant  in a bid to stop "a possible outflow" of citizens' data to third countries.

But the shift is now accelerating, with Digitalisation Minister Dirk Schroedter stating that "geopolitical developments of the past few months" had strengthened interest in the plan. "We're done with Teams!" he declared in an interview with AFP.

Schleswig-Holstein is not the only European government seeking to improve its "digital sovereignty". Denmark plans to phase out Microsoft software as well, starting this month. 

The move comes as concerns grow among EU countries that Trump could weaponise the bloc’s heavy reliance on a handful of US tech giants for everything from cloud services to AI and email.

‌Why should you care: Digital sovereignty is an increasingly hot topic as Trump maintains his aggressive stance towards the EU. But the bloc has a long way to go before it can meaningfully distance itself from Silicon Valley.

TL;DR:

• The Tropical Innovation Festival in Cairns showed us why regional ecosystems matter - Hype Man Media

• Canva is plotting another $773m share sale at higher $56 billion valuation - Startup Daily

• Debate intensifies over Sydney Startup Hub closure - Smartcompany

Australia: Tech Giving Report 2025 highlights the growth of philanthropy in the sector

The report published this week by StartGiving and in collaboration with the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia (CSI UWA), reveals how and why founders give, unpacks the opportunities and challenges tech givers face and provides actionable insights for other founders who may want to start their giving journey.

The key takeaways from the report highlighted: 

• Growing Impact: In just a few years, tech founders’ contribution to major philanthropy has grown from 1% to 21% of total grants made by Australia’s Top 50 givers.

• Higher giving rates: 67.8% of survey respondents said they donate their money, compared to 27.5% of Australian taxpayers.

• Significant untapped potential: The 30 wealthiest people in Australian tech could easily contribute well over $25 billion to philanthropy, with nearly $19 billion already committed by a handful of this group.

Read the report in full here and connect with StartGiving if you’re ready to start your philanthropy journey. 

Why should you care: With the Tech industry now globally valued at $9.1 trillionUSD (according to a recent Bank of America study), where those profiting from Tech put their money will likely shape the future face of philanthropy.

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TL;DR:

• South Africa’s Knife Capital backs 2 local startups as it marks 15 years of investing - Disrupt Africa 

• Flutterwave cuts 50% of staff in Kenya and South Africa in major cost-cutting move - TechCabal

• Ghana Government seeks $4 Billion to launch 24-hour economy - Tech in Africa

Senegal: leads Africa’s $345.9M June Funding Surge as Nigeria Falls to Just 4% Share

This marked the highest single-month total in 2025 so far, according to data tracked by Launch Base Africa. 

In a surprising development, Senegal led the continent in total capital raised, accounting for 43% of the funding volume in June, largely driven by Wave’s last-minute $137.2 million fundraising announcement. Kenya followed with 23%, while South Africa secured 16%. The remaining 18% of funding was distributed across other parts of the continent.

Nigerian startups raised just over $15 million, making up a mere 4.35% of the total disclosed funding. This figure is particularly striking given Nigeria’s historical prominence in African tech funding.

Just three years ago, Lagos alone attracted more capital than entire regions. The current downturn, experts suggest, stems from a combination of harsh macroeconomic conditions, foreign exchange instability, and a funding cycle correction that has made investors more cautious.

Source: Tech in Africa

Why should you care: In June, African investors accounted for the largest share of participation, contributing to 42% of the total deals. North American investors followed with 25%, while European and Asian investors represented 21% and 19%, respectively. Showing a pivotal shift in Africa’s venture capital landscape. 

Want to hear more about African Tech? We highly recommend our good friend Caleb Maru’s Tech Safari newsletter, you can subscribe here 

TL;DR:

• Singapore’s Transcelestial raises funds to expand in Japan, Australia -Backscoop

• AWS launches Space Accelerator program to support startups in APAC - Indian Startup News

• Alibaba’s open-source AI model tops global ranking - South China Morning post

China: Humanoid robots stumble through football match ahead of upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games

Humanoid robots kicked, scored and tumbled while competing at a ROBO League football tournament in Beijing, China last week. The competition saw four teams face off in a series of 3-on-3 games, with the robots operating autonomously using AI driven strategies

The event served as a preview to the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, being held in Beijing in August. It will be the first global sporting event dedicated solely to humanoid robots. 

Organizers said the games will feature 19 events across three main categories — athletic competitions, performance showcases and scenario-based challenges — designed to test robots' agility, coordination and practical skills. The program includes:

• Athletic events such as sprints, the long jump and gymnastics.

• Performance events including solo and group robot dances and

• Scenario-based events, that will simulate hospital, industrial and hospitality tasks

Wednesday marked 100 days until the opening ceremony.

Why should you care: According to Games Director Jiang Guangzhi "It is imperative to strengthen global exchanges and cooperation and enhance interaction and collaboration among research, industry and end-users”. We’re not so sure! 

TL;DR:

• ByteDance reportedly plans to release US-specific version of CapCut -TechCrunch

• Elon Musk’s AI chatbot is suddenly posting antisemitic tropes - CNN Business

• Mexican Fintech unicorn Stori raises $212M in debt and equity deal - HyperLATAM

Brazil: Is hit by record $1B cyber heist targeting central bank reserve accounts 

Brazil’s financial system has suffered its largest-ever cyberattack, with hackers siphoning off more than R$1 billion (about USD 180 million) from reserve accounts held at the Central Bank. 

The breach exploited a vulnerability in the infrastructure of C&M Software, a tech provider that connects banks and fintechs to Brazil’s national payment network. Attackers gained unauthorized access to reserve accounts belonging to at least six institutions (including BMP, Bradesco, and Credsystem) and rapidly funneled the stolen funds through crypto exchanges, converting much of the money into Bitcoin and USDT. 

Authorities responded by disconnecting C&M Software from the Central Bank’s systems and launching a detailed investigation. 

Source: Digiwatch

Why should you care: The attack highlights the vulnerabilities in the digital backbone of modern finance. As banks and fintechs increasingly rely on third-party tech providers, a single breach can ripple across the entire ecosystem, raising questions about cybersecurity, regulatory oversight, and the risks of rapid digital transformation.

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Until next week, travel safe