Europe's $20 Billion Answer: The Merger, the Model, and the Sovereignty Sprint

This week on European It!, we dissect the biggest stories shaping the continent's digital future. We start with the massive $20B merger between Cohere and Aleph Alpha. Is this the shot in the arm European AI needed, or a sign that our champions can’t stand alone?We then dive into the AI model wars with GPT-5.5, the €180M EU "Sovereign Cloud" contract, and the fascinating "Tokenmaxxing" debate—are we measuring productivity or just vanity?Key Segments:- The $20B deal that changes everything.- The Mega-Merger: Breaking down the new transatlantic AI alliance.- AI Model Wars: GPT-5.5, DeepSeek, and the cybersecurity threat.- Sovereignty in Action: The EU's €180M cloud bet and Verda's €100M raise.- The Startup Pulse: Rapid-fire funding rounds and exit signals.- Deep Dive: Tokenmaxxing: Productivity metric or vanity trap?- Forward Look: Europe's future as a digital powerhouse.Links:- Follow European It! - Read the NewsletterEuropean tech, AI, digital sovereignty, startup funding, EU policy, podcast, European It!, Sébastien Deschamps, Cohere, Aleph Alpha, cloud computing, GPT-5.5.