Dutch Chipmaker AxeleraAI Receives $66 Million EU Grant for AI Chip Development

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AxeleraAI, a prominent Dutch chipmaker focused on artificial intelligence (AI), has secured a grant of up to 61.6 million euros ($66 million) to develop a new chip designed for data centres, in line with European Union efforts to strengthen its AI capabilities.

The EU’s initiative aims to close the AI competitiveness gap between Europe, the United States, and China, by funding domestic chipmakers and establishing publicly funded AI factories—data centres that will be accessible to European scientists, companies, and startups.

Fabrizio Del Maffeo, AxeleraAI’s CEO, expressed his pride in the grant and the opportunity to expand the company’s business. AxeleraAI, based in Eindhoven, Netherlands, won the funding from EuroHPC, the agency responsible for the EU’s supercomputer and AI factory network. The company plans to use the funds to develop a chip tailored for “inference” AI computing, a process crucial for running AI models once they have been trained.

While AxeleraAI is not aiming to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in the data centre space, particularly in training large AI models, Del Maffeo emphasized that their chip will provide high-performance solutions for inference computing once networks are ready for deployment.

In addition, the rise of cost-effective AI models, like China’s DeepSeek, may drive increased demand for inference computing, offering AxeleraAI a valuable market opportunity. The company’s upcoming Titania chip will be built on the open-source RISC-V standard, an alternative to systems like Intel and Arm, gaining traction in industries like automotive and China.

AxeleraAI’s current chip, Metis, is used in “edge AI” applications, such as analyzing CCTV footage in factories to identify safety issues. Founded in 2021, AxeleraAI has previously raised $200 million in investments, including from Samsung.

French Battery Maker ACC Welcomes EU Auto Sector Support, but Expresses Concern Over Timeliness

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Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a French battery manufacturer, expressed its support for the European Union’s action plan to bolster the auto sector, but also voiced concerns that the measures may arrive too late to address current challenges.

The European Commission recently introduced an action plan aimed at helping the auto industry achieve zero carbon emissions from cars and vans by 2035. A key element of this plan is the allocation of 1.8 billion euros ($1.94 billion) to help secure the supply chains for battery raw materials.

While ACC, a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes, and TotalEnergies, welcomed the medium-term support outlined in the plan, the company raised concerns about the urgency of the situation. In a LinkedIn post, ACC noted, “Nevertheless, we fear that the urgency of the situation we are currently going through is not being considered. To benefit from it, we will have to have managed to survive until then.”

ACC has been forced to scale back its battery production ambitions amid uncertainties surrounding electric vehicle demand in Europe and the rise of more affordable battery technologies. The company initially planned to build nine production blocks by 2030 across France, Germany, and Italy, supported by a 7.3 billion euro investment. However, the projects in Germany and Italy have been put on hold, and currently, only one block in France is operational, producing batteries for Stellantis. A second block is expected to begin operations by the end of the year.

Zalando Challenges EU Tech Regulations, Argues It Shouldn’t Be Classified as a Very Large Online Platform

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Zalando, Europe’s largest online fashion retailer, has criticized EU regulators for classifying it alongside major platforms like Amazon and AliExpress under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The company argues that its business model is fundamentally different, and thus it should not be subject to the same stringent provisions that apply to the other two tech giants.

The DSA, which came into force in 2022, imposes more responsibilities on very large online platforms (VLOPs) to combat illegal and harmful content, with fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue for non-compliance. Zalando’s lawyer, Robert Briske, told the General Court that the European Commission had failed to properly recognize the differences between Zalando and companies like Amazon, AliExpress, and booking.com. He emphasized that Zalando operates a hybrid business model, combining both direct retail and a marketplace for third-party sellers, which sets it apart from purely online shops or marketplaces.

Zalando contends that the Commission’s designation of its active users as 83 million is inaccurate. The company argues that only 30.8 million of those visitors qualify as active users in 2023, the year it was classified as a VLOP. Briske stated that this miscalculation was another key issue in the case.

In response, EU Commission lawyer Liane Wildpanner defended the classification, asserting that Zalando’s model is similar to that of Amazon and AliExpress, both of which also offer hybrid services. Wildpanner argued that Zalando was attempting to “have the best of both worlds” by challenging its VLOP designation.

Zalando has garnered support from Germany’s e-commerce association, BEVH, while the European Information Society Institute, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union have sided with the Commission. The General Court is expected to issue its ruling in the coming months. Amazon, too, has challenged the Commission’s VLOP designation and is awaiting a hearing date.