Start-Ups
The founders of billion-dollar AI startups are getting younger — here’s why
Aexander Wang, CEO of Scale, attends an AI summit in Paris in February 2025. Getty Images The founders of some of the world’s most successful startups have been young: Think Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, both of whom were just 19 when they launched their ventures. But with the rise of billion-dollar artificial intelligence (AI) […]
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The ‘rebellious’ instincts that turned Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli into a generative‑AI trailblazer
Victor Riparbelli, co-founder and CEO of Synthesia, has become one of Europe’s leading voices on AI — despite starting far from the traditional tech path. Growing up in Denmark, Riparbelli often felt out of step with its consensus-driven culture. “It’s an amazing place, but it’s really not a place that inspires ambition and drive and innovation,” he told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick on the “Executive Decisions” podcast. He immersed himself in books and computers, […]
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France’s economic miracle never came — here’s what went wrong
ShareShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email Look at the way the French work, and you’ll start to see why “Macronomics” fell short. When Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017, he promised a French economic renaissance. His supply-side strategy aimed to slash taxes and curb public spending to spur […]
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CNBC Disruptor 50 2026: Nominate a company to be included on the list of the most innovative startups
CNBC is now accepting applications for the 2026 Disruptor 50 list — our fourteenth annual look at venture-backed companies innovating across industries, experimenting with AI and, increasingly, making it work at scale. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Feb. 23 at 11:59 pm EST. All independent, privately-owned companies founded after Jan. 1, 2011, are eligible, […]
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This is the No.1 reason startups fail in the first two years, according to the founder of Europe’s largest pre-seed fund
Concept Ventures was an early investor in billion dollar AI firm Eleven Labs. Reece Chowdhury A venture capitalist says one of the biggest reasons startups fail hinges on the relationship between co-founders. Reece Chowdhry, founding partner of Concept Ventures, said early teams often split within two years because their co-founders clash or lack a shared […]
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VC who bet on billion-dollar AI firm shares two red flags that stop him investing in a founder
Man and woman having a small business meeting in smart casual clothes Ippei Naoi | Moment | Getty Images One successful angel investor has revealed two red flags that prevent him from investing in a founder in the first meeting. Carles Reina is an angel investor who backed voice cloning AI startup Eleven Labs when […]
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Risk-averse parents are fueling Britain’s ambition crisis, VCs say
Mother and daughter using the laptop at home Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images Concerns of an entrepreneurial ambition deficit in the U.K. have led some venture capitalists to question the role of risk-averse parents and a costly education system in disenfranchising young British people from becoming founders. Last month, U.K. Business Secretary Peter […]
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U.S. founders are ‘shameless’ with feedback and Europe’s should do the same: OpenAI’s startup boss
OpenAI’s EMEA startups head Laura Modiano spoke at the Sifted Summit on Wednesday, 8 October. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images In the latest comparison between American and European founders, OpenAI’s startup boss admitted that the Americans are “almost shameless” when it comes to making demands and giving feedback to the AI giant. Laura Modiano, […]
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‘The system is rigged’: Founders and VCs weigh in on the UK’s ambition deficit
Almost 60% of young people in the U.K. are interested in starting their own businesses, per the Generation Entrepreneur Report. Connect Images/ci-start | Connect Images | Getty Images Young Brits are catching flak for their apparent lack of entrepreneurial drive, sparking a broader debate on whether the U.K. startup scene is facing an ambition deficit. […]
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U.S. model upgrades are pushing AI startups to move fast – it’s unclear if Europe can keep up
Founded in 2022, ElevenLabs is an AI voice generation startup based in London. It competes with the likes of Speechmatics and Hume AI. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Artificial intelligence companies are the hottest ticket items in today’s startup ecosystem but the pace of change is dominated by developments at OpenAI and Anthropic. […]
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