French startup The Exploration Company, led by Helene Huby, closed a record $450 million Series C funding round to advance its Nyx cargo capsule, a future crewed spacecraft, and plans for a reusable heavy-lift rocket. Huby says the company aims to test a 400,000-pound-thrust methane engine by 2028 and fly the new launcher by 2033, with further fundraising expected once key technical milestones are hit.
science.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-10
Fast Company's 12th annual Innovation Festival will feature a set of experiential, activity-based sessions alongside its traditional panel discussions. Organizers highlighted 12 such sessions designed for attendees who prefer learning through direct participation rather than listening to speakers.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-10
The Exploration Company, led by CEO Hèlene Huby, closed a $450 million Series C funding round, the largest such raise by any European space firm and reportedly the biggest ever for a female-led company in Europe. Huby was also named an envoy at France's International Space Summit, appearing alongside astronaut Thomas Pesquet as a prominent voice in European space policy.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-09
The White House removed a browser game called 'Build the Wall' from its website after the Tetris Company said it had no involvement in the title and takes copyright infringement seriously. The game, which used block-stacking mechanics resembling Tetris, tasked players with building a wall to stop a 'zombie border siege' and drew criticism for its racist framing. The page now returns a 404 error, though another game on the site, Rio Run, which involves deporting immigrant characters, remains live.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-08
The White House has taken down Build the Wall, a browser game styled after Tetris that had players stack bricks to construct a border wall, from its online arcade. The removal followed public criticism from The Tetris Company, which said it had no involvement in the game and cited copyright concerns over its close resemblance to Tetris.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-08
European space startup The Exploration Company has secured $450 million in a Series C round, which it calls the largest ever raised by a European space company. The Germany-based firm, led by former Airbus and ArianeGroup executive Hélène Huby, plans to use the funds to develop a reusable heavy-lift launcher aimed at rivaling SpaceX. The company says it already has 10 missions booked and over $2 billion in contracts, including commitments from the European Space Agency and NASA.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-08
The White House quietly removed 'Build the Wall,' a Tetris-inspired browser game from its new WhiteHouse.gov 'Arcade' section, after The Tetris Company publicly disavowed the game and warned it takes copyright infringement seriously. The game had players stack border-wall bricks to block pixelated 'zombies' representing migrants, but unlike real Tetris, completed lines never cleared, making every round end in a 'Border Breached' message. Other games in the same arcade, modeled on Flappy Bird and Snake, remain live.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-08
A branding blueprint identifies four core components companies should intentionally design into their identity to achieve authenticity. The framework argues that authenticity has become an overused buzzword, yet it remains the foundation that makes any brand identity meaningful and credible.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
The White House quietly took down 'Build the Wall,' a Tetris-style browser game framed as stopping a 'zombie border siege,' just days after launching an arcade-themed section of its website. The removal follows criticism of the game's content and comes after Tetris Company said it was reviewing the situation. Other Trump-agenda-themed games, including a Flappy Bird clone and a Tapper-style title, remain live on the site.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-08
Fast Company released its Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 list, highlighting seven companies in the technology and science category chosen by its judges. Three of the seven winners are based in the Bay Area, underscoring the region's continued concentration of innovative employers.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
Fast Company has released its 2026 Best Workplaces for Innovators list, recognizing nine companies with 50 or fewer employees for category honors. Judges evaluated these small firms specifically on how well they cultivate cultures that encourage innovation among staff.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 program singled out eight companies that depend heavily on skilled tradespeople for their category honors. Judges evaluated how these firms foster innovation specifically among workers in skilled-labor roles rather than traditional office or tech positions.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08