EU Increases Investment in Deep Tech to Compete with Global Tech Leaders

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

November 5, 2024

In a strategic move to stay competitive in the global tech landscape, the European Union (EU) is set to invest €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) in deep tech research in 2025. This significant funding boost will come from the European Innovation Council (EIC) as part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation program.

This marks a notable increase of €200 million compared to the previous year’s budget, underlining the EU’s commitment to strengthening its tech capabilities. With this investment, European policymakers aim to narrow the gap with technological heavyweights like the United States and China.

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The deep tech sector, which encompasses advanced fields like artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and biotechnology, has been identified as essential for Europe’s economic revitalization. “The European Innovation Council has emerged as a game-changer in EU support to breakthrough innovation,” stated EU Commissioner Iliana Ivanova. She highlighted the council’s expanded role in channelling resources toward pioneering advancements in technology that could shape the future of Europe’s economy.

As the global tech race accelerates, the EU’s increased funding for deep tech initiatives reflects its resolve to position Europe as a leading hub for innovation and technological progress.

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Zendesk Acquires Forethought To Strengthen AI Customer Support Tools

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

March 12, 2026

Zendesk, a company known for customer support software, has announced the acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Forethought. The deal is expected to close by the end of March and represents another step in the growing use of AI to automate customer service operations.

Strategic Innovation In Customer Service

Forethought has been developing AI tools for customer support automation for several years. The company first gained industry recognition after winning the TechCrunch Battlefield competition in 2018, well before the widespread adoption of generative AI tools.

Since then, Forethought has expanded its customer base to include companies such as Grammarly, Airtable, Upwork and Datadog. By 2025, the platform was processing more than one billion customer interactions each month, highlighting the growing role of automation in support operations.

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Pioneering Leadership And Industry Recognition

Deon Nicholas, Forethought’s co-founder and chairman, hailed the acquisition as a milestone in a recent LinkedIn post. According to Nicholas, advances in AI over the past several years have accelerated adoption across multiple industries, particularly in areas that rely heavily on customer communication and service management.

Enhancing Zendesk’s Product Portfolio

The integration of Forethought’s technology is expected to expand Zendesk’s AI capabilities across its product suite. Company executives said the acquisition could accelerate development of several planned features by more than a year. These capabilities include specialized AI agents, systems that improve automatically through usage data and more advanced voice-based customer support tools. Zendesk has previously expanded its platform through acquisitions, including companies such as Zopim and BIME Analytics, which added messaging and analytics functionality to its products.

Implications For The Future

The acquisition reflects a broader shift in the software industry toward AI-driven automation of customer service tasks. Companies are increasingly using AI systems to handle routine inquiries while human agents focus on more complex cases. Zendesk’s move highlights how enterprise software providers are investing in AI technologies to improve efficiency and scale customer support operations as demand for digital service channels continues to grow.

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