TechCrunch Startup News
3,836 episodes — Page 4 of 77
Even as global crop prices fall, India’s Arya.ag is attracting investors
Arya.ag, an Indian agritech company offering storage facilities near farms and offering lending services to hundreds of thousands of farmers, has drawn investor interest and remained profitable even as global crop prices continue to fall in a volatile commodities market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘College dropout’ has become the most coveted startup founder credential
AI founders are increasingly using their "dropout" status as a credential during YC pitches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How to make your startup stand out in a crowded market, according to investors
At TechCrunch Disrupt, three investors took the stage to dissect what makes — and breaks — a pitch deck. They shared with the crowd their candid views on what works in a pitch deck — and what doesn’t. Their biggest pet peeve? Buzzword overload. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Investors share what to remember while raising a Series A
Investors share what founders should remember if looking to raise a Series A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Mill closed the deal with Amazon and Whole Foods
Matt Rogers's food waste startup will soon deploy its commercial food waste bins in grocery stores throughout the U.S. Here's how Rogers thinks about preparing a startup for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why ‘hold forever’ investors are snapping up venture capital ‘zombies’
An investor explains the "buy, fix, and hold" model employed by Bending Spoons and similar companies that buy distressed startups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How a headphone site operator built loyalty startup Lantern to solve his own problems; plus, Deel hits $17.3B valuation after raising $300M from big-name VCs
After struggling to retain customers at his e-commerce site Headphones.com, founder Andrew Lissimore built his own loyalty solution — and it’s now a startup called Lantern. The Shopify-native platform helps brands boost retention through customizable loyalty, referrals, and account management tools. Also, Deel says it's been profitable for three years and surpassed $1 billion in ARR, including having a month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How AI startups should be thinking about product-market fit; plus Immortality startup Eternos pivots to a personal AI that sounds like you
Two experienced investors share their tips for founders and operators hoping to nail product-market fit at their AI startups. Also, Uare.ai, formerly Eternos, raised $10.3 million in seed funding led by Mayfield and Boldstart Ventures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The tooth fairy just got reimagined for the tech-savvy generation; also, Lemon Slice nabs $10.5M from YC and Matrix to build out its digital avatar tech
Move over, Santa. Now there’s another magical character for kids to track: the Tooth Fairy. After making a personalized Tooth Fairy video for his nephew, Oliver Finel noticed a gap. While there are plenty of Santa trackers, nothing similar existed for the Tooth Fairy. Also, digital avatar generation company Lemon Slice is working to add a video layer to AI chatbots with a new diffusion model that can create digital avatars from a single image. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As EU waters down 2035 EV goals, electric startups express concern
The future may be electric, but that future is being postponed. The European Commission, citing the need for flexibility, has softened its ambitious plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Yann LeCun confirms his new ‘world model’ startup, reportedly seeks $5B+ valuation
Renowned AI scientist Yann LeCun confirmed on Thursday the worst-kept secret in the tech world: that he had indeed launched a new startup. Although he did say he will not be running the new company as its CEO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OpenAI is reportedly trying to raise $100B at an $830B valuation; also, Krafton hikes India bet with new $670M fund
The ChatGPT maker is aiming to raise the funding by the end of the first quarter in 2026, and the company may ask sovereign wealth funds to invest in the round. Also, called the Unicorn Growth Fund, the investment vehicle is a collaboration between Krafton and South Korean internet conglomerate Naver, and investor Mirae Asset. It aims to deploy around $669.3 million over four years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Vibe-coding startup Lovable raises $330M at a $6.6B valuation
Lovable has seen its valuation more than triple just five months after the company's last funding round in July. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Weeks after raising $100M, investors pump another $180M into hot Indian startup MoEngage
The deal valued MoEngage at "well over" $900 million post-money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Radiant Nuclear raises $300M for its semi-sized 1 MW reactor
Radiant Nuclear is developing a small modular reactor to replace diesel generators. The startup previously raised $165 million in May. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nuclear startup Last Energy raises $100M for its steel-encased micro reactor
Last Energy will use the funds to build its 5 megawatt pilot reactor in Texas, which it hopes to turn on next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
VCs discuss why most consumer AI startups still lack staying power; plus, Whole Foods to install smart food waste bins from Mill
The next consumer tech revolution may require an introduction of a new personal device. Plus, the food waste startup founded by Nest alumnus Matt Rogers also received an investment from Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mirelo raises $41M from Index and a16z to solve AI video’s silent problem; First Voyage raises $2.5M for its AI companion that helps you build habits
Mirelo, a German startup that is building AI to add synced sound effects to videos, has raised a $41 million seed round led by Index Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Also, First Voyage has raised $2.5 million in a seed funding round from a16z speedrun, SignalFire, True Global, and other investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thea Energy previews Helios, its pixel-inspired fusion power plant
Thea Energy says that its planar-coil fusion power plant could be cheaper and easier to build thanks to AI-powered control software. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Eclipse Energy’s microbes can turn idle oil wells into hydrogen factories; plus, India’s Spinny lines up funding to acquire GoMechanic
The biotech startup is betting that owners of abandoned oil wells will use the tech to squeeze energy out of their wells. Also, Spinny is set to be valued at about $1.8 billion post-money in its latest funding round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Harness hits $5.5B valuation with $240M raise to automate AI’s ‘after-code’ gap
Goldman Sachs has led Harness's Series E round, with participation from IVP, Menlo Ventures, and Unusual Ventures. The new valuation is a 49% jump from its $3.7 billion valuation in a $230 million round in April 2022. With this funding, the startup has raised $570 million of equity to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Interest in Spoor’s bird-monitoring AI software is soaring
Spoor's computer vision software can help wind farms, and other industries, track bird populations and migration patterns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On Me raises $6M to shake up the gift card industry; plus, Port raises $100M at $800M valuation to take on Spotify’s Backstage
On Me raises $6 million for its digital gift card platform that lets users purchase cards categorized by interests rather than being restricted to specific retailers. Also, Port offers a proprietary alternative to Spotify's popular devtool catalog Backstage, but with a valuable addition: it can be used to manage AI agents, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI startup Tavus founder says users talk to its AI Santa ‘for hours’ per day; Oboe raises $16 million from a16z for its AI-powered course generation platform
Tavus has launched a new experience where you can chat with an AI Santa that asks personal questions and remembers your interests. Oboe has raised $16 million in funding for its learning app. The company now lets users generate unlimited courses for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Boom Supersonic raises $300M to build natural gas turbines for Crusoe data centers
Crusoe will pay Boom $1.25 billion for more than a gigawatt of generating capacity with deliveries of the turbines starting in 2027. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Empromptu raises $2M pre-seed to help enterprises build AI apps; Pebble’s founder introduces a $75 AI smart ring for recording brief notes
Empromptu claims all a user has to do is tell the platform's AI chatbot what they want — like a new HTML or JavaScript app — and the AI will go ahead and build it. Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky is expanding his company's device lineup with a new smart wearable: an AI-powered smart ring known as Index 01. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tiger Global plans cautious venture future with a new $2.2B fund; plus, SoftBank and Nvidia reportedly in talks to fund SkildAI at $14B, nearly tripling its value
Tiger's last fund did well with investments in OpenAI, Waymo and Databricks. But it warns investors that AI valuations are already 'elevated.' Skild AI is developing a hardware-agnostic foundation model for robots that can be customized for various uses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Heat pump startup Quilt raises $20M Series B to expand sales ; plus, OpenAI says it’s turned off app suggestions that look like ads
Quilt has sold nearly 1,000 units in the U.S. and Canada, and the new funding should help expand sales operations to more states and provinces. Also, while OpenAI continues to insist that there are currently no ads — or tests for advertising — live in ChatGPT, the company’s chief research officer also acknowledged that the company “fell short” with recent promotional messages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meta acquires AI device startup Limitless; and Is it time to ‘refound’ your startup?
Limitless said it shares Meta's vision of bringing personal superintelligence to everyone. Also, sometimes, founding a startup just once isn’t enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New streaming channel launches to give viewers a peek into city council meetings
Hamlet TV is a way to help keep citizens informed of what's happening inside local governments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nexus isn’t going all in on AI, keeping half of its new $700M fund for India startups; plus, Amazon hopes to jump-start its AI coding tool Kiro by giving it away to startups
Nexus Venture Partners manages $3.2 billion in capital across its funds and has invested in more than 130 companies over the years. Also, can Kiro win the hearts of startup founders above the many AI coding tools they already have? Amazon hopes a free year will tempt them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
VCs deploy ‘kingmaking’ strategy to crown AI winners in their infancy
While VCs have long used big investments to spur category winners, they are taking this strategy to new extremes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Microreactor startup Antares raises $96M for land, sea, and space-based nuclear power; plus Kalshi raises $1B at $11B valuation
Antares is designing and building small modular reactors that it plans to deploy for commercial, space, and defense applications. The latest funding comes less than two months after Kalshi announced that it raised $300 million at a $5 billion valuation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Titan OS raises $58 million from Highland Europe for its smart TV OS; also, Paris-based AI voice startup Gradium nabs $70M seed
Titan OS aims to expand its independent TV operating system in Europe and Latin America. Gradium, a startup spawned out of French AI lab Kyutai (backed by French telecom billionaire Xavier Niel), launched out of stealth on Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Black Forest Labs raises $300M at $3.25B valuation; plus, OpenAI’s investment into Thrive Holdings is its latest circular deal
The round was co-led by Salesforce Ventures and Anjney Midha (AMP), and saw participation from a16z, NVIDIA, Northzone, Creandum, Earlybird VC, BroadLight Capital, General Catalyst, Temasek, Bain Capital Ventures, Air Street Capital, Visionaries Club, Canva and Figma Ventures. Also, analysts will be watching to see if Thrive-owned firms actually succeed in building long-term profitable businesses using OpenAI’s tech, or if the result is really just pumped up valuations based on speculative market potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How AI PR startup Clipbook won Mark Cuban’s investment from a cold email
Adam Joseph was shocked when Mark Cuban replied to his email with an inquisition full of questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Are you balding? There’s an AI for that; plus, JustiGuide wants to use AI to help people navigate the US immigration system
MyHair AI examines photos of the scalp to help diagnose hair loss and suggest scientifically validated clinics and treatments. The startup uses AI to help immigrants understand the system, connect with lawyers and reduce associated costs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google teams up with Accel to hunt for India’s next AI breakouts
Google and Accel will jointly invest up to $2 million in each startup through their new partnership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Find Your Grind raises $5M to grow platform empowering students to explore unique career paths; plus Fleet Space finds massive lithium deposit using AI and satellites
Career exploration platform Find Your Grind raises $5 million to help more students discover alternative professions. Also, the discovery of a massive lithium deposit suggests that a region in Quebec might hold even more lithium than originally suspected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
X-energy rides nuclear wave, raises $700M Series D
The small modular reactor startup is capitalizing on surging interest from tech companies and data center developers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This startup wants to build a fusion reactor — on a boat; plus, Momentic raises $15M to automate software testing
Startups are still racing to build the world's first commercial fusion power plant on land, but Maritime Fusion thinks the path will be easier out at sea. Also, AI testing startup Momentic has raised $15 million in a Series A round led by Standard Capital, with participation from Dropbox Ventures. Existing investors at Y Combinator, FCVC, Transpose Platform and Karman Ventures also participated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bret Taylor’s Sierra reaches $100M ARR in under two years; also, Phictly’s new app brings people together over their favorite books and TV shows
Sierra’s rapid growth suggests that enerprises are embracing AI agents. Also, Phictly helps fans find niche clubs for their favorite books, shows, and movies, offering intimate, spoiler-safe communities with flexible pacing and tracker tools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The European startup market is ready for the limelight
The region's startup market is hungry for its first trillion-dollar startup, and in many ways has set itself up to reach that goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Source: Kalshi’s valuation jumps to $11B after raising massive $1B round ; plus, this startup can track objects within 3 cm
The quickly growing prediction betting market raised fresh capital from Sequoia and CapitalG, according to someone familiar with the deal. Also, Point One Navigation, now valued at $230 million, is building out well beyond automotive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After SEC investigation, Curastory founder resigns, hires replacement
Curastory’s founder and CEO, Tiffany Kelly, has resigned from the role and replaced herself with Dave Dickman, former CEO of the influencer marketing platform Tagger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cavela lands $6.6M to help brands beat pre-tariff manufacturing costs; plus Function Health raises $298M Series B at $2.5B valuation
When Anthony Sardain began developing Cavela in 2023, an AI startup that helps brands automate supplier sourcing, he did not foresee that new tariffs would drive customers to become increasingly wary of manufacturing products in China. Function Health, which offers a regular lab testing service to help people track their health, wants to change that by consolidating health data and making it usable for its customers by connecting that data to an AI model. To further that effort, the company recently raised $298 million in a Series B round led by Redpoint Ventures at a valuation of $2.5 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Onepot AI raises $13M to help make chemical drug creation easier
“The best ideas in drug discovery were often blocked not by biology, but by synthesis,” Boiko told TechCrunch. Synthesis is the creation of new molecules by using chemical reactions. It’s like a recipe or Lego pieces, where small pieces, ingredients, molecules, come together to form a wider puzzle picture, a food dish, a larger molecule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Boop’s new app turns social recommendations into bookable itineraries
Instead of getting an AI-generated travel plan, Boop aims to give users access to itineraries from real people who went on real trips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Peec AI raises $21M to help brands adapt as consumers ditch Google for ChatGPT
With consumers increasingly asking questions to ChatGPT, not Google, product discovery is changing — and the promise to give brands visibility and control over this fast-growing search channel has made Peec AI one of Europe's hottest startups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Luminal raises $5.3 million to build a better GPU code framework; plus Sakana AI raises $135M Series B at a $2.65B valuation to continue building AI models for Japan
On Monday, Luminal announced $5.3 million in seed funding, in a round led by Felicis Ventures with angel investment from Paul Graham, Guillermo Rauch, and Ben Porterfield. Also, as U.S. giants like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic race to develop the large language models that underpin their AI products, startups such as Sakana AI, Mistral AI, DeepSeek, and AI 21 Labs are carving out their own niche with specialized models designed for specific regions, industries, or unique features. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices