Celebrating the Architects of Global Startup Ecosystems. Meet the 2025 SES Stars
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mind the Bridge today announced the 54 global winners of the Startup Ecosystem Stars (SES) Awards 2025, during the ceremony held at ICC Headquarters in Paris, in collaboration with the OECD and the European Commission, with support from Microsoft.
Corporate-Startup Collaborations: Google is the 2025 World Champion
Google has been awarded the top honor in the 10th edition of the Corporate Startup Stars (CSS) 2025, the annual celebration of the world’s most exemplary corporate champions of startup collaboration. The announcement took place today at a gala event hosted at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) headquarters in Paris, where ICC and Mind the Bridge also unveiled the new Top 100 list of Corporate Startup Stars.
Inside AIPL’s Mission to Bring Full Automation to Shipbuilding
AIPL was founded with a clear mission: apply AI, robotics, and autonomy to the most labor-intensive stages of shipbuilding - particularly welding, block assembly, and LNG (liquefied natural gas) vessel manufacturing. The company has shown impressive traction with large industry players that dominate a highly concentrated industry.
From Busan to the Bay: KOAI’s Autonomous Robots Take on Ocean Pollution
Meet KOAI, an ocean-tech company turning marine cleanup into an autonomous, data-driven operation. Founded by Tony Park (Park Kyung-Taek), KOAI was born after witnessing the devastating impact of oil spills and plastic waste on Korean coastlines. First in our series featuring the deep-tech startups worth paying attention to.
Asteroidea: from Parking Chaos to Smart Mobility
Asteroidea, a Tunisian startup, is transforming parking areas into connected, data-driven mobility hubs. Selected among the five startups of the Terna Innovation Zone Tunisia (TIZ) — an open innovation program launched by Terna, in collaboration with Mind the Bridge and ELIS Innovation Hub — Asteroidea is rethinking how parking systems can accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility.
A Perfect Storm is Hitting Mining
Can an industry that hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years suddenly accelerate — breaking free from structural conservatism and overregulation? MTB CEO Marco Marinucci found himself in Sydney, right at the opening of IMARC, one of the world’s largest mining trade shows. Fittingly, on the very same day, Mind the Bridge unveiled its latest report, “Unlocking the Future of Mining.”
Australia’s Tech Scaleup Ecosystem on the raise
Australia’s innovation ecosystem is consolidating its position among the most dynamic globally, with almost 1,600 tech scaleups identified and over $36billion in capital raised, according to the Tech Scaleup Australia 2025 Report presented by Mind the Bridge and ACCIONA at the MTB Scaleup Summit Sydney 2025.
Mining meets AI: $900M market, 74% led by Australia
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the mining industry faster than expected. According to the new report “Unlocking the Future of Mining – A Global Survey on AI Adoption and Industry Transformation,” released by Mind the Bridge and BHP, in collaboration with Austmine and Innovación Minera del Perú, nearly 70% of global mining companies are already integrating AI-driven technologies into their operations. Investment in AI for mining is projected to reach $900 million in 2025, with Australia commanding 74% of total global capital in this fast-evolving field.
Be Wireless Solutions: How IoT and AI Can Redefine Resource Efficiency
“We want sustainability to be affordable”. Founded in 2016, Be Wireless Solutions (BWS) builds IoT and AI systems to monitor and optimize the use of electricity, water, fuel, and gas. Selected among the five startups for the Terna Innovation Zone Tunisia (TIZ) — in collaboration with Mind the Bridge and Elis — BWS is pushing forward conversations with European TSOs on demand response and industrial efficiency.
Silicon Valley Bets Big on Physical AI: 93% of VC Flows Now Go Into Artificial Intelligence
Mind the Bridge launches its “Physical AI. Shaping the Market of the New Possible” Report at the Scaleup Summit San Francisco. The study reveals a funding shift from Generative to Physical AI, with $16B raised in 2025 for humanoid robots, brain–computer interfaces, and real-world AI applications.
From Trucks to Tech: How Kamioun is Reinventing B2B Retail in Tunisia
Terna, Mind the Bridge and ELIS have selected Kamioun as one of the five standout startups for the Terna Innovation Zone Tunisia (TIZ). Their model is changing how small retailers in Tunisia get their goods, offering a mobile-first B2B platform that connects Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) manufacturers directly with mom-and-pop shops across the country. No middlemen. No delays. Just click, order, and get your inventory within 24 hours, free delivery included.
Venture Capital’s Nervous Breakdown: What’s Really Going On?
After years of overinflated valuations, a frozen exit market, and unrealistic growth expectations, the VC industry is facing what many now call a structural reset. The age of easy money is over — and only AI seems to be defying the downturn, according to Alberto Onetti, Chairman of Mind the Bridge.
Satellite Eyes on Methane: NextAV’s Bold Plan to Make Emission Monitoring Affordable
Tunisian startup NextAV is betting big on a tricky challenge: using low-resolution satellite imagery to detect methane and oil leaks across vast territories — then enhancing it with AI to make it accurate, scalable, and cost-effective. Selected as one of the five startups by Terna for the Innovation Zone Tunisia, NextAV is a young and lean team of seven based in Sousse.It is now closing its first funding round and aiming to scale into Europe and the GCC region.
Spain’s Innovation Engine at a Crossroads
Spain is currently home to 1,194 scaleups that have raised a cumulative $22.6 billion, placing it fourth among Europe's scaleup economies. But as global competition intensifies, growth is showing signs of slowing, according to Mind the Bridge’s latest report.
Fincantieri Launches New Innovation Antenna in South Korea
As part of the open innovation strategy launched last year, Fincantieri announces the opening of its Innovation Antenna in South Korea, supported operationally by Mind the Bridge. Recognized among the world’s top innovation ecosystems and with a strong foothold in the shipbuilding sector, the country has attracted more than $71 billion in scaleup investments to date, committing 2.7% of its GDP to support the growth of its innovation economy.
Kumulus Water: From Tunisia to Global Impact — One Drop at a Time
As part of Terna Innovation Zone Tunisi, an initiative launched in collaboration with Mind the Bridge and ELIS and included in the broader Global Scaleup Program, we caught up with Capucine Cogné, Head of Marketing International & Business Development France and Spain at Kumulus Water — a climate-positive startup that’s literally bottling water out of air.
Japan at a Crossroads: from industrial Powerhouse to Scaleup Nation?
Mind the Bridge presented today the “Tech Scaleup Japan 2025” report in Tokyo, produced with the support of Crunchbase, during the Scaleup Summit Japan 2025, hosted by JETRO and in partnership with SusHi Tech Tokyo and A2A. The data reveals that Japan’s innovation economy is at a pivotal moment — shifting from corporate-led growth to a more entrepreneurial, investment-driven scaleup model.
Leading the ClimateTech conversation—right from our Innovation Center in San Francisco
San Francisco Climate Week is upon us, and at Mind the Bridge we’re focused on being at the heart of the action. This year, we're transforming our MTB Innovation Center into a vibrant hub for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and impactful conversations. We've curated a diverse and engaging program of events, all hosted in our San Francisco home, designed to address pressing challenges and opportunities in climate tech.