Tag: Microsoft

Microsoft and FieldFactors partner to harness stormwater in Madrid

Stuart Mitchell

Microsoft is collaborating with Dutch start-up FieldFactors to replenish a natural stream using rainwater collected from a major new urban development. Called Solana de Valdebebas, the development covers more than one million square meters and will include almost 1,400 residential units. The initiative has the capacity to capture up to 200 million liters of stormwater run-off annually, which will be replenished into the local Valdebebas stream, a tributary of the Jarama River. Rainwater will be collected through FieldFactors’ sustainable drainage system, called BlueBloqs, which can capture up to 95% of…

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Next-generation datacenters consume zero water for cooling

Stuart Mitchell

This summer, Microsoft released their Datacenter Community Pledge, detailing their commitment to the local economies and communities in which we operate our datacenters. Protecting local watersheds is an important part of this pledge—especially in areas where water stress is growing.   Beginning in August 2024, Microsoft launched a new datacenter design that optimizes AI workloads and consumes zero water for cooling. By adopting chip-level cooling solutions, we can deliver precise temperature control without water evaporation. While water is still used for administrative purposes like restrooms and kitchens, this design will avoid…

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Dentsu Lab in London officially launches to drive a new era of creativity and innovation for the world’s biggest brands

Stuart Mitchell

dentsu UK&I is excited to announce the launch of Dentsu Lab in London, a pioneering Creative R&D studio founded in dentsu Tokyo, designed to reshape the future of innovation. The global rollout of the Dentsu Lab network was revealed during the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in June this year, with a mission to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Focused on key areas like AI, VR/AR, blockchain, and data analytics, focussing on applications of emerging technologies to drive societal impact. Dentsu Lab in London is set to become a…

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Lack of investments in impact industry threatens progress on Sustainable Development Goals

Stuart Mitchell

For the fourth year in a row, venture capital (VC) investment into global impact startups is in decline. Impact startups haveraised $33B in 2024 so far, a projected 28% drop from the previous year. A much stronger drop than the general global VC capital decline of 4% during the same period. This alarming fact is the main takeaway from the State of Impact 2024 report, presented this week in The Hague at ImpactFest by ImpactCity, Dealroom, and Microsoft. This steady decline in impact investments is especially worrying since none of…

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UNDO Signs Follow-On Carbon Removal Deal with Microsoft, Accelerating Enhanced Rock Weathering Science

Stuart Mitchell

UNDO, a leading carbon dioxide removal project developer, has signed a deal with Microsoft to advance enhanced rock weathering (ERW) carbon removal science.  The award will remove 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provide funding for crucial scientific research in the ERW field. It will also contribute to Microsoft’s commitment to be carbon-negative by 2030. UNDO’s commercial relationship with Microsoft began in 2023 with a contract to remove 5,000 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere. This announcement reflects a much larger deal that will see UNDO spread…

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