{
  "id": 18473800,
  "title": "The Spark: Technologies for more efficient chips and fusion energy receive digital award",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/the-spark-technologien-fur-effizientere-chips-und-fusionsenergie",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-06T09:00:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/it-internet/the-spark-digitalpreis-fuer-photonikchips-und-fusionsenergie/100266591.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "The German start-up Q.ant has won the \"The Spark\" award from Handelsblatt and McKinsey for its development of a photonic processor, a novel chip that uses light instead of electricity to perform calculations, aiming to reduce energy consumption in AI data centers. Q.ant's product, years in the making, is now available and being manufactured on a pilot line in Stuttgart. The company's technology is seen as addressing one of the biggest problems for AI in Europe, according to McKinsey Germany head Andreas Venus. Another start-up, Proxima Fusion from Munich, came in second, working on a fusion energy power plant and having secured 130 million euros in funding in summer 2025.",
  "summary": "More efficient than Nvidia? Q.ant is developing a new type of chip technology that could solve a major problem. This is how the start-up wins the German digital award The Spark.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}