Aside from financing rounds, new companies, startups and business, we receive countless “smaller” reports every day, which we want to give a platform to here in our ticker in the future. Regardless of whether it is personnel news, project announcements or news and highlights from the industry: we summarize the day chronologically below.
The article is continually updated.
11:54 WIFO sees a slower downturn in the fourth quarter of 2023
According to a current flash estimate from the Economic Research Institute (WIFO), the Austrian economy stabilized at a low level in the fourth quarter of 2023. Real economic output rose by 0.2 percent compared to the previous quarter, while consumer and investment demand remained subdued. WIFO emphasizes that the economic downward trend from the previous year was stopped at the end of the year. Although the first signs of bottoming out were visible in industry, the service sectors developed heterogeneously. Overall, the economic situation at the end of the year was mixed, and year-on-year economic output was 1.3 percent below the fourth quarter of 2022. Exports fell by 0.2 percent, imports by 0.8 percent, and investment demand remained subdued.
11:16 Neuralink implants brain chip in patients for the first time
Elon Musk’s Neuralink has successfully inserted a brain implant into a patient, the tech billionaire announced on Twitter. The company, founded in 2016, received approval last year to test implants in the human brain. The implants, about the size of five coins on top of each other, are intended not only to help people with neurological diseases, but also to enable a direct connection between the brain, computers and artificial intelligence. Musk emphasizes that this enables an increase in human capabilities, such as controlling devices using thought alone. People who can no longer move their limbs should initially benefit.
The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well.
Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2024
10:31 Study: Office comeback is not worth it
Research from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh found that bringing employees back to the office doesn’t provide a financial boost for many companies. On the contrary, job satisfaction decreases. The study looked at 457 companies in the Standard & Poor’s Top 500 Index and found that return-to-office programs had no impact on business performance. In addition to the economic aspects, there were compliance issues and implementation difficulties. The trend towards more flexible workplace models appears to continue to prove more productive.
10:23 Leftshift One: Co-founder Schmidhofer leaves the company
Stefan Schmidhofer, co-founder and vice president of the Graz-based AI company Leftshift One, is leaving the company to pursue new professional challenges in international management. Leftshift One will balance its strategic position in artificial intelligence at a global company by strengthening the leadership team around Benjamin Krenn and Michael Mair. CEO Patrick Ratheiser emphasizes Schmidhofer’s contribution to the company’s success and sees it now future-proof and strongly positioned, especially with a focus on expansion with the company’s own MyGPT, a tailor-made ChatGPT for companies.
10:08 Nuki records over 50% sales growth and plans to enter the US market
The Austrian smart home pioneer Nuki has recorded sales growth of more than 50 percent for the second consecutive year. With the successful introduction of the fourth product generation in 2023, the company will achieve new record levels for smart lock activations. In total, more than a billion doors were opened last year using Nuki technology. The company, which created 56 new jobs last year, emphasizes its pioneering role and plans to enter the US market in 2024 as part of its global expansion strategy. Despite its global focus, Nuki remains true to its European origins with the aim of becoming a global player with a strong foundation in Europe. The company headquarters and production remain in Graz, Austria.
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