From growth opportunities in the MENA region to AI-developed drugs reaching clinical trials...

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The MENA region is thriving, financing requests are reaching a record-breaking high, and discoveries in AI are changing the landscape everywhere.?

This week:

• AI is revolutionising education towards personalised, skills-focused learning models, as discussed by industry experts at FF MENA.
• Insights from Tech Nation and Zero Carbon Capital offer guidance for founders and investors navigating climate hardware startups.
• Plus, Deel?acquires PayScale for?$100m, Insilico Medicine?announces the first AI-developed drug to reach clinical trials,?and Ada Ventures raised $80m for its second fund?in our?FF Community Wrap .

FF MENA: A Region of Endless Growth?Opportunities

XPRIZE's CEO?Anousheh Ansari? and Exploration Company's Founder and CEO?Helene Huby discussed all things SpaceTech at FF MENA.?

The cost of space transport has dropped from $20,000 per kg to around $2,000 per kg today. Within five years, this could fall to as low as $200 per kg. We’re at an inflection point and entirely new categories of commercial activity in space are coming into reach – manufacturing, satellite servicing, energy production, and lunar operations.

VIPKID’s Founder and CEO Cindy Mi spoke with Contentful's Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer?Sascha Konietzke , and Deel's Co-Founder and CEO Alex Bouaziz ?about product strategy in the age of AI.?

Education systems are transitioning to more personalised, mentor-based, skills-focused, and credential-driven models, and AI is driving this change. We’re seeing personalised primary and secondary education adapted to each student’s needs and a focus on application-based learning that develops critical thinking. For an in-depth look into the topics covered at FF MENA, read our key takeaways here .

How to Scale Your Climate Hardware Startup

Hardware solutions are critical to solving the climate crisis, but scaling climate hardware is a challenge. Hardware startups face funding gaps, slower iteration cycles, and difficulty finding quality talent. But there are ways – according to Tech Nation’s Sammy Fry and?Zero Carbon Capital’s Pippa Gawley – that founders and investors can make life easier. Click here to read more.

Opportunities For Your Business

ICYMI: Shape the Future of UK Tech?

How are you integrating AI in your business? How can the UK tech ecosystem improve to help you? Tech Nation wants your opinion on the current state and future direction of UK tech. Your survey responses will inform the Tech Nation Report 2024, the state of the nation report on UK tech, and help us work to improve the UK tech ecosystem for you and your business. Click here to complete the survey and you could win up to ￡1,000 in Amazon vouchers!

FF Community Wrap

• Alex Zhavoronkov ’s Insilico Medicine discussed the first AI-developed drug to reach phase 2 clinical trials.?
• Moritz Claussen ’s cargo.one partner ed ?with Emirates SkyCargo equipping thousands of forwarders with enhanced resilience.
• Visionaries Club’s?Robert Lacher discussed the importance of real domain expertise in Forbes.
• Nadiem von Heydebrand ’s Mindfuel closed a €3.75 million seed funding round led by Project A Ventures.
• Ali Albazaz ’s Inkitt raised $37m in a funding round led by Khosla Ventures.?
• Ben Peters and Lars Mennen ’s Cogna raised ￡3.76m to transform how companies solve complex problems through AI powered software applications.
• Aiden Gomez ’s Cohere partnered ?with Accenture to bring generative AI to enterprises.
• Check Warner ’s Ada Ventures raised $80m for the final close its second fund.

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