World Faces Tensions, While Tech Sees Growth
Global tensions remained high in early February 2026, while the tech sector saw both revenue growth for some and new funding for climate-focused startups. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed concern about escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, urging efforts to avoid an "all-out war" in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Snap reported revenue growth in its latest quarterly earnings, and Mundi Ventures closed a significant fund for deep tech and climate ventures.
Salam emphasized that the decision regarding war and peace rested solely with the Lebanese government. "I want to emphasise that the question of war and peace is in the hands of the government and solely of the government," Salam told Euronews' EU editor Maria Tadeo at the World Governments Summit. He welcomed renewed US-Iran talks scheduled for the week, hoping they would promote stability.
In Europe, Estonian President Alar Karis stressed the importance of the continent bolstering its own defense capabilities. Karis told Euronews that this was necessary "so as to 'not test Article 5' of NATO." He added that the bloc had long been "naive" about its security.
On the business front, Snap's Q4 earnings report showed positive results. The company's revenue reached $1.7 billion, a 10% increase year-over-year, according to TechCrunch. Average revenue per user also saw a slight increase, rising from $3.44 to $3.62. Net income was reported at $45 million, up from $9 million the previous year. Snap's paid subscription service, Snap, continued to contribute significantly to revenue, with subscribers growing 71% year-over-year to reach 24 million.
Mundi Ventures, a Spain-based firm, announced the first close of its Kembara Fund I, securing €750 million for deep tech and climate investments. TechCrunch reported that the fund could potentially reach a final closing of €1.25 billion. Yann de Vries, Kembara co-founder and general partner, acknowledged the challenges of raising such a large first fund in the current environment. The European Investment Fund committed €350 million to Kembara under the European Tech Champions Initiative in 2024. The fund aims to address the gap in funding for early-stage climate startups in Europe.
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